Beste The Fantasy Writers Toolshed Podcasts (2024)

1
The Best Writing Tips Of 2024 - Short Stories, Ian Rankin and more 21:34

7d ago21:34

21:34

In this final episode of 2024, I discuss all of the best writing tips I've come across in the past year, as well as the most helpful things I've learned. In particular, I dive into writing short stories and getting them published, amazing pieces of wisdom from legendary author Ian Rankin, and the most important thing I learned over the past 12 mont…

1
How To Make An Audiobook 39:37

1M ago39:37

39:37

In this episode, I'm joined by voice over artist and audiobook producer, Ethan Fifield, for an explainer on how to make an audiobook. Ethan offers a fantastic insight into the process of making audiobooks, explaining what it's like to be a producer and what it's like to work with publishers and authors. Ethan also offers practical advice on how to …

1
Ciel Pierlot On Writing Fantasy And Queer Fiction 33:06

2M ago33:06

33:06

In this episode, award-nominated author Ciel Pierlot joins me in the Toolshed for a fascinating chat about writing fantasy and writing queer fiction. Ciel's new book, The Hunter's Gambit, was published by Angry Robot earlier this year. We chat all about the writing of the story, Ciel's writing process as a whole, and crafting characters who are int…

1
Special Episode: Stephen Aryan On Writing Novellas And Self Publishing 38:31

3M ago38:31

38:31

In this special episode, I'm delighted to be joined by returning guest and bestselling author, Stephen Aryan. Stephen has just released his latest fantasy novel, The Blood Dimmed Tide, and on 1st October, he's releasing his first-ever crime novella, New York Minute. We chat all about New York Minute, writing novellas, mixing fantasy and other genre…

1
The Writing Process With Kate J. Armstrong 41:08

3M ago41:08

41:08

In this episode I'm delighted to be joined by fantasy author, Kate J. Armstrong. Kate's new book Fyrebirds recently hit the shelves and in this episode we talk all about it. We also dive into Kate's journey through the world of writing, how she found inspiration when it left her, and the crafty questions we love so much, such as how to create chara…

1
Jennifer L. Armentrout: On Writing And Born Of Blood And Ash 46:13

4M ago46:13

46:13

Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of the biggest authors in the world right now. A #1 NYT Bestseller, as well as a #1 International Bestseller, Jennifer has penned over 70 books in a range of genres and for all different audiences. In this episode, we talk all about Jennifer's journey into writing and how it all led to the release of her brand new book…

1
How To Write Young Adult Fiction With Sarah Arthur 49:21

5M ago49:21

49:21

In this episode, I'm delighted to welcome bestselling author, Sarah Arthur. Sarah's debut YA fantasy novel, Once A Queen has recently hit the shelves courtesy of Penguin Random House. We chat all about writing a YA fantasy novel, creating characters, transitioning from writing non-fiction to fiction, creating a magic portal-based system, and buildi…

1
How To Sell Books On Amazon With Kindlepreneur's Dave Chesson 46:23

6M ago46:23

46:23

In this episode, we welcome the Kindlepreneur himself, Dave Chesson for a chat about selling books on Amazon and Kindle Direct Publishing. Dave has devoted huge amounts of time and effort into helping authors sell books and reach readers. We chat about the latest changes Amazon has made to its book category system, how selling books on Amazon works…

1
Can We Change The World With Our Writing? An Interview With Manda Scott 45:22

7M ago45:22

45:22

In this episode, I’m delighted to be joined by Sunday Times Bestselling author, Manda Scott. Manda is well known for her historical fiction series, Boudica. And in June, her new novel, Any Human Power is hitting the shelves. Any Human Power is a fantasy story of a family at the centre of a global uprising. A band of young tech-visionaries in the re…

1
The Writing Process With Gabriela Houston 42:09

7M ago42:09

42:09

In this episode, I'm joined by fantasy author Gabriela Houston for an honest chat about writing and publishing. Gabriela has developed a reputation for writing brilliant, Slavic-inspired tales. The Bone Roots, published by Angry Robot, is her latest book. We talk all about it, as well as Gabriela's journey through writing, what it's like to be trad…

1
The Writing Process With Salinee Goldenberg 42:05

8M ago42:05

42:05

I'm joined by author Salinee Goldenberg for a brilliantly honest chat about writing her debut novel, The Last Phi Hunter, getting published, and dealing with challenges like Imposter Syndrome. The Last Phi Hunter is a fantasy book unlike any other, with strong inspiration taken from Thai demon folklore. Sal tells us all about the process of writing…

1
How To Write A Children's Fantasy Book 53:06

8M ago53:06

53:06

In this episode, award-winning author and leader in the world of children's literature and children's books, Meredith Davis, shares many a pearl of wisdom. Not only is Meredith a leading author of children's books, she's the founder of the Austin Chapter of the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators, and also has an MFA in writing for…

1
How To Write Romantasy 46:15

9M ago46:15

46:15

In this episode, we cover a very hot topic right now (in more ways than one)—romantasy. With the help of editor Jennia D'Lima and author Lara Buckheit, we look at what romantasy is, its surge in popularity, the reasons behind why, and how you can write your own fantastically romantic stories. What do you think of the romantasy phenomenon? Do you wr…

1
How To Make Fantasy Maps | An Interview With Inkarnate's Finest, Dread Maps and Tyndall Doodle 45:58

9M ago45:58

45:58

In this episode of the podcast, we take a comprehensive look at fantasy maps: how to make them, tips on designs and how to draw them both freehand and with the help of digital tools and websites.Helping me do that are two of the best cartographers around, Tyndall Doodle and Dread Maps. Both are talented artists and inspirational users of the fantas…

1
Halloween Special - Making Monsters 37:29

1y ago37:29

37:29

With Halloween just around the corner we wanted to tackle something spooky. In this episode—our last in series 2—we're diving into all things monstrous. I’m joined by writer, actor and producer Meghan Martin who’s a native of the monster-filled state of West Virginia. In our chat, we dive into Bigfoot, the mothman and more monsters that are said to…

1
Indie Publishing Success With Michael R Miller 46:40

1y ago46:40

46:40

Michael R Miller is an indie author who's forged a tremendously successful career in the world of writing. Off the back of the launch of his new book, DEFIANT, Michael and Richie talk all about writing, the process, and how Michael's found success as an indie author. It's essential listening for anyone who wants to go down the indie route. If you h…

1
Audiobooks: How To Get Started 39:03

1y ago39:03

39:03

As you may have heard, I have an audiobook coming out soon—in a few weeks in fact (called Pariah's Lament for anyone interested) I don't know much about audiobooks, so I decided to speak to someone who does—professional voice-over artist for movies, TV and audiobooks, Rachanee Lumayno. In our chat, we talk all about why audiobooks are so popular an…

1
Book Marketing Advice You Need To Hear 46:21

1+ y ago46:21

46:21

Book marketing is a thorn in many a writer's side, but here with a fine set ot tweezers is marketing whiz, Nicky Pecone. Nicky is the founder of Iron Age Marketing, a marketing agency that specialises in helping writers promote their books and build their brand. In our chat, we talk about the fundamentals of book marketing—what it is, what it invol…

1
[Panel] Creating And Developing Characters With Karen Heuler 1:01:45

1+ y ago1:01:45

1:01:45

For our latest community panel, we had the pleasure of welcoming award-winning literary fantasy author Karen Healuer as our special guest. The topic centred all on characters—creating them, getting to know them, and how to grow them. We looked at specific strategies for character creation, discussed ways to understand what our characters want, the …

1
Essential Advice On Editing 40:47

1+ y ago40:47

40:47

Editing is tough. There's so much to think about, so much to keep an eye out for, the whole process can just be exhausting. As a writer, it's probably the most important part of the writing process, yet so many of us despair at the thought. When it comes to enlisting the help of editors to make our lives that bit easier, there can be even more hurd…

1
Religion And Belief Systems With Norse Shaman, Mark Weisman 45:49

1+ y ago45:49

45:49

Religion, belief systems and spirituality are huge topics in the fantasy genre. When we create our fictional worlds, so often they feature gods and goddesses or some kind of faith system. And in many tales, there are characters who are devout or devote themselves to their faith. Recreating these things in our fantasy worlds isn't easy. The religion…

1
The Writing Process With Daniel Polansky 31:41

1+ y ago31:41

31:41

Daniel Polansky is a Hugo-nominated author and writer of scores of acclaimed books, including his most recent: March's End (Angry Robot). In this jovial interview, Daniel tells us how he wrote March's End, how he crafted its unique world and the gripping conflict between his characters. And we discuss Daniel's writing journey and processes—how he c…

1
[Panel] Query Letters, Writing A Synopsis, And Finding A Literary Agent 52:35

1+ y ago52:35

52:35

We're thrilled to welcome Laura Bennett as a special guest for our latest community panel discussion on working with literary agents and navigating the world of traditional publishing.With scores of questions asked and informatively answered, you're bound to learn something new about writing query letters, perfecting a blurb and synopsis, how to fi…

1
Writing Literary Fantasy And Pantsing With Karen Heuler 46:33

1+ y ago46:33

46:33

Award-winning literary fantasy author Karen Heuler stops by the Toolshed to talk about pantsing and writing in the literary style. Karen's new book, The Splendid City, published by Angry Robot, offers a fantastic example of the style and approach, and we dive into it to understand how to write literary fantasy fiction. Karen is also a massive pants…

1
Worldbuilding 101 With Stephen Aryan 1:07:39

1+ y ago1:07:39

1:07:39

Over in our Discord community, we were thrilled to host our very first panel discussion with the brilliant bestselling author, Stephen Aryan. Also joining me on the panel were three great writers from our community, Isa Ottoni, Joshua Parker and Jonny Altair. Our chat focused all on worldbuilding. We discussed our challenges and headaches, took que…

1
The Power Of Writing Groups 50:20

1+ y ago50:20

50:20

In this episode, I welcome three members from our writing community, Isa, Josh and Jonny, for a chat about our community writing groups. Not so long ago, Josh approached me about setting up some writing groups through our Discord community. These small groups of around 5 or 6 people meet regularly and are matched by genre, time zone and how regular…

1
How To Create Your Own Magic System 32:39

1+ y ago32:39

32:39

In the second episode of our mini-series on magic systems, Janina and Lucy from The Fey Fellows Podcast rejoin me for a deeper look at two big examples of magic systems: witchcraft and the systems found in Dungeons and Dragons. We look at their origins and how they've evolved over time to help spark some new ideas. And we also take a look at some k…

1
Hard And Soft Magic Systems 32:01

1+ y ago32:01

32:01

One thing that I haven't covered an awful lot of, both in blogging form and on the podcast, is magic systems. I'll admit, I'm not a massive user of magic in stories (my current work in progress aside). However, I do love a good magic wielder with Pug from The Riftwar Cycle my all-time favourite. So given this lack of coverage, I decided to tackle t…

1
The Writing Process With Juliet E. McKenna 59:35

1+ y ago59:35

59:35

I'm delighted to share with you an insightful interview with legendary fantasy author, Juliet E. McKenna In our chat, we discuss Juliet's new book, The Cleaving, which is a retelling of the Arthurian legend from the female perspective. We chat all about character creation, worldbuilding, plotting, theme and the writing process as a whole. Juliet is…

1
The Writing Process With Amish Tripathi 53:48

2y ago53:48

53:48

In this episode, we're thrilled to welcome one of the world's top-selling fantasy authors, Amish Tripathi. The BBC has described Amish as "India's JRR Tolkien and Asia's Paulo Coelho" and, for the first time, the books of India's fastest-selling author have been translated into English. We have a very open and honest chat about writing, discussing …

1
Mastering Body Language With Former FBI Agent Joe Navarro 43:29

2y ago43:29

43:29

We're absolutely thrilled to bring you a very special interview with bestselling author and former FBI special agent, Joe Navarro. Joe is a world-leading expert on body language. In his career, he conducted over 13,000 interviews and oozes a passion for the subject that you can't help but admire. Body language plays such a huge role in storytelling…

1
A Lawyer's Perspective On Writing Fantasy 32:35

2y ago32:35

32:35

I've had a lot of specialists on the podcast in recent months but it occurred to me that I've never really reflected on my own experiences as a lawyer and how that can be applied to writing. When I got to pondering I realised I draw upon these experiences an awful lot. And it was then I began to appreciate just how much scope there is to inject you…

1
An Honest Chat About Book Reviews 39:42

2y ago39:42

39:42

I'm always keen to chat with book bloggers to get an insight into the latest trends in reading. Fantasy romances, for example, are particularly in demand right now. But as well as that, I'm always keen to chat with reviewers to learn more about their experiences. Above all, I want to know how I, and other writers like you, can forge better partners…

1
The Writing Process With Stephen Aryan 1:00:22

2y ago1:00:22

1:00:22

We're delighted to welcome to the Writers' Toolshed bestselling fantasy author, Stephen Aryan. Stephen has published eight novels to date with both Orbit and Angry Robot. This year sees the release of the first in a new trilogy: The Judas Blossom. He's an author at the top of the game and has some wonderful insights to share. We have a grand old na…

1
Deconstructing Fantasy Tropes 51:10

2y ago51:10

51:10

In the final episode of 2023, we welcome Vickie Lan to the Toolshed, host of the Speculative Sandbox Podcast. Vickie is a specialist in deconstructing fantasy tropes. Her show sees her joined by top authors to discuss everything from The Chosen One to beardy wizard mentor figures. In our chat, we cover the epic fantasy quest—its classic features an…

1
The Writing Process With Denise Crittendon 50:31

2y ago50:31

50:31

Award-winning journalist and Afrofuturist author Denise Crittendon stops by the Toolshed to discuss her debut science fantasy novel, Where It Rains In Color, published by Angry Robot Books on 6th December 2022. Denise tells us about the new book, how she created her unique and incredible worlds and characters, and reveals some of her favourite writ…

1
The Writing Process With Mary E. Pearson 44:17

2y ago44:17

44:17

We're both thrilled and honoured to welcome to the Toolshed for the first time the New York Times Bestselling author Mary E Pearson. Mary is the mastermind behind the Remnant Universe, a fantasy world that she explores through her hugely popular YA novels and novellas. A talented storyteller, Mary tells us all about her latest book, Morrighan, her …

1
The Power Of Wattpad 32:14

2y ago32:14

32:14

In the latest episode of The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed podcast, I welcome author Nandi Taylor who's achieved remarkable things on Wattpad. As someone who's never used the platform before, I invited Nandi along to tell us how she managed to accrue nearly 2 million reads of her novel, Given. Nandi explains her methods, how Wattpad works, and the oppo…

1
The Origins Of The Fantasy Genre - Beowulf And King Arthur 37:17

2y ago37:17

37:17

In this instalment, Janina and Lucy from The Fey Fellowes podcast return for a chat about the age-old tales of Beowulf and King Arthur. We look at the story behind these two tales and how they've endured for so long. We also explore the influence that they've had on the founders of the fantasy genre, such as Tolkien and CS Lewis. And we consider wh…

1
The Lowdown On Literary Agents With Laura Bennett 36:07

2y ago36:07

36:07

In this episode, I'm joined by science fiction and fantasy literary agent Laura Bennett of the Liverpool Literary Agency. Laura talks us through what it's like to be an agent, telling us about reviewing queries, signing writers, contracts, pitching to publishers and editors, and current market trends (you'll never guess what's making a comeback). I…

1
Essential Worldbuilding Tips 25:47

2+ y ago25:47

25:47

In this episode, we look at four of the most essential worldbuilding tips, but ones that you may not have heard before. These tips have been learned through hard experiences and some come from the best fantasy authors and worldbuilders currently around (some of whom have been on this show). If you have any questions or requests, please write to us …

1
Sociology And Villains 44:50

2+ y ago44:50

44:50

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Enn Burke for a fascinating discussion about sociology and villainous and deviant characters. We discuss how societal influences like upbringing, peer groups, and oppressive policies like the drug war can impact and shape society. And ultimately, how that influences your characters. If you have any questions or req…

1
Medieval Knights And Fantasy 44:30

2+ y ago44:30

44:30

If you like to write fantasy or perhaps historical fiction, then you may have encountered the idea of the medieval knight. They were walking tanks back in their day and held a significant amount of societal influence. But being so powerful, they were also prone to corruptive behaviours, particularly seen in the Hundred Year War between England and …

1
The Psychology Of Villains And Heroes 35:26

2+ y ago35:26

35:26

In this episode, we march forth with our series on creating three-dimensional characters. Political psychologist and YouTuber Abby returns to discuss the psychology of villains and heroes. We dive into the types of psychological traits that villains and heroes have, how they develop those traits and how we can use this psychological insight to crea…

1
The Writing Process With Adrian Tchaikovsky 51:06

2+ y ago51:06

51:06

We're both thrilled and honoured to welcome to the Toolshed award-winning author of many incredible Science Fiction and Fantasy books, Adrian Tchaikovsky. In this special episode, we discuss how to come up with ideas and develop them into stories. We dive into worldbuilding, character creation, plotting and theme. And we go beyond the writing proce…

1
Kickstarter For Writers And Insights From Publishers On Submissions 34:26

2+ y ago34:26

34:26

In this episode, we reveal publishing insights and tips on making successful submissions for short stories and novels. We also take a look at the methods people have used to secure funding for their book projects on Kickstarter. I welcome Willow Becker and Christi Nogel from Weird Little Worlds Press who have had tremendous success with Kickstarter…

1
Medieval Entertainment 26:03

2+ y ago26:03

26:03

Entertainment in the Middle Ages was very important in many people's lives. From lords to peasants, everyone needed a bit of downtime and fun and, as we'll hear, not much has changed in the hundreds of years that's passed since. We'll take a look at medieval entertainers like bards and troubadours. We'll look at banquets, games, alcohol and taverns…

1
Ghost Stories And The Fantasy Genre 21:25

2+ y ago21:25

21:25

In this episode, Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from The Fey Fellows podcast return for a chat about ghost stories. We discuss what ghost stories are, their core features and how to write them. We also look at a few of our favourite examples and explore the influence they've had on the fantasy genre. Get in touch: thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.co…

1
Jobs In Fantasy 25:49

2+ y ago25:49

25:49

In this episode, we take a look at the jobs and occupations we often see in the fantasy genre. From bards to blacksmiths, a lot of these roles take inspiration from those carried out by people in the medieval period. So to enlighten us on the subject, history whizz Aidan Mattis from The Lore Lodge podcast joins me for an in-depth chat on the subjec…

1
The Moral Psychology Of Characters 37:19

2+ y ago37:19

37:19

In part three of our series on creating lifelike characters, we welcome political psychologist, Abby, back to the Toolshed for a discussion on moral psychology. We discuss human morality, specifically looking at what makes people tick, how people justify their actions, and how we decide what’s right and what’s wrong. If you're looking for writing a…

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The Fantasy Writers Toolshed Podcasts

Podcasts, die es wert sind, gehört zu werden

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