Writing Roots

Another one of our favorite movies at Writing Roots is The Princess Bride. From amazing characters to an intricate story-in-a-story plot, this movie is a classic that has a lot to teach us about story...

8 Aug 202412min

If you're looking for good story and character structures to study, a great place to start is with Pixar movies. One of our favorites at Writing Roots is Up. Even the first 10 minutes is a perfectly e...

5 Aug 202411min

To begin our sixth year of Writing Roots, we wanted to equip you with the knowledge of how to break down stories that you consume so you can use them in your own writing. We've discussed before differ...

1 Aug 202411min

The crossover between writing and TTRPGs is nothing new, as represented by the long-running podcast Authors & Dragons. From character work to plot development, TTRPGs are the perfect place to get idea...

29 Jun 202429min

Tabletop games are a great place to test so many storytelling elements, from character dynamics to mechanics. It's also a great place to receive immediate feedback. You'll know if a joke landed if the...

27 Jun 202411min

LitRPGs are rising in popularity in the writing world, especially among fans of fantasy TTRPGs or video games. In this episode, we discuss the LitRPG genre and how you can pull from your gaming experi...

24 Jun 202411min

Even if you aren't are looking to write a fantasy or sci-fi story, one of the best tools you can use to write anything from fight scenes to the world itself, is to look at the mechanics of TTRPGs. Eac...

20 Jun 202411min

If you plan to write fantasy or science fiction, a great resource will be tabletop games. There is so much you can learn from the structure provided for gameplay, and especially for the magic and tech...

17 Jun 202411min