Writing Roots

Standard paragraph formatting doesn't always cut it. Whether you're writing contemporary fiction with text messages or a steampunk novel with newspaper clippings, you'll likely run into times where you need to stray from normal paragraphs. In this episode, we talk about different options for all kinds of weird formatting you may encounter.

Questions are the never-ending well of inspiration for writers across the world. It can feel awkward or intimidating to ask sometimes, especially when it comes to craft questions. But we want you to know it's always encouraged to ask. For simply asking a question can help you find unexpected answers.

We've talked all month about numbers. How to use them in your story, common tropes associated with them, and more. But what about creating numbers within your world that mean something? This episode, we talk about ways to create rules in your story, such as the numbered rules of Zombieland or Gibb's Rules from NCIS.

The Chosen One is a well-used trope throughout all kinds of fiction, but particularly science fiction and fantasy. There are many ways to proceed with this kind of story, and not all of them work out in the end. Listen to this episode for what often makes a Chosen One and how you can use it to build your story and world.

It's often said there are two sides to a story in our lives. The same goes for the stories we write. This can include creating a villainous reflection of your hero, or simply having two point of view characters. Listen for more on how to tell these two sides of a story most effectively while avoiding repetition.

The infamous countdown can be found in all kinds of stories across genres. This is the moment characters are trying to sync actions, issue a threat, or creating mini ticking clocks in a scene. Listen for more about how to use this to create interesting character interaction or increase the tension of a moment.

Four is a common number for dividing groups in fiction. If you're categorizing characters, those groups often fall into the categories of The Heroic, The Cinnamon Roll, The Nerd, and The Not-So-Bad-Guy. A classic example of this is the Pevensie kids in The Chronicles of Narnia. In this episode, we talk about why this happens and how you can use this trend in your own story.

If you are looking for a number to help show a sense of completeness or unity, consider the number five. This number is often seen as equal parts of a whole or as a four-plus-one in a case like Sailor Moon. Listen for more about how you can use the number five.

Using numbers to name your characters has several unique aspects which can help define the character themselves. It's common enough with the number six that it is even the name of the trope3 on TV Tropes. From providing anonymity to adding a sense of dehumanization, the use of a number name is wide.

When you look at examples from history of the number seven, you will often see it associated with a sequence of things: colors of the rainbow, notes in the diatonic scale, days of the week, heavenly virtues and deadly sins. The idea of a sequence within storytelling can help create milestones and clear points of progression. Listen for more on how to use the number - and sequences in general - to build your story.

Numbers are a useful tool in storytelling, as they can be used to establish patterns, convey importance, or give hints to your readers. The key is intention. When you aren't paying attention to numbers, you can set up accidental clues that can lead to falling short of expectations. In this episode, we talk about the different ways you can use numbers, including with your worldbuilding.

The final method of death we are covering for the month is exsanguination, also known as extreme blood loss. There are many methods of this, including open wound bleeding, internal bleeding and even slow blood loss through something supernatural such as vampires. Listen for more about what exsanguination does to the body and for examples from history for inspiration.

Another form of death you can use that is more often accidental is hypothermia. The process of getting hypothermia can be used to increase tension of dramatic moments as it's often a slow process. Listen for more about how it affects the body and examples from history.

Some ways that characters can die - or be tortured - can't fit into a category we've covered the rest of this month. Some ways have simply been weird, usually as the result of the endless creativity and unhinged capabilities of the human mind. In this bonus episode, we'll talk about historical ways people died, from impaling to laughing or dancing to death.

Of all the forms of death, blunt force trauma is one of the most diverse ways to kill a character. It can be accidental or intentional - or one framed as the other. Listen for more about blunt force trauma, how it impacts different areas of the body, and how it might have lasting consequences if the character doesn't die.

If you're looking for a more up-close and personal way to end a character in your story, asphyxiation might be what you're looking for. In this episode, we discuss the different forms of asphyxiation, from the more common strangulation to magical miasmas.

If your characters want someone dead, but want to stay at a distance, ranged weapons are what you'll need. There are many to choose from, including guns, bows and even less well-known projectile launchers like the atlatl. Listen for more on the true dangers of ranged weaponry, why they are used, and how you can incorporate them into your story.

While hand-to-hand melee combat has not historically been used in terms of warfare, except in extreme circumstances, it is more common in personal fights. From blunt force trauma to grappling, there are many ways that hand-to-hand fights can be used in your writing. In this episode, we discuss what happens to the body during this style of combat.