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The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

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The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed is devoted to creative writing, fantasy fiction and the business of writing. Hosted by writer Richie Billing, you can expect interviews with bestselling authors, historians, the occasional FBI agent and more Discover more about writing fantasy as well as more general writing tips - https://richiebilling.com/ Join our community of writers on Discord and get the newsletter -https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers Access fantasy wr ...
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show series
 
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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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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In this episode, we discuss the incredible influence that Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) has had on the fantasy genre. From inspiring people to write their own stories to influencing and developing fantasy tropes, DnD's contribution cannot be denied. And Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from The Fey Fellows podcast are here to explain it all. Has Dungeon…
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You can find all manner of weapons in the fantasy genre. From giant swords to magical axes, writers have conjured all manner of deadly devices over the years. In this episode, we take a look at the inspiration for fantasy weapons, exploring their medieval roots. We discuss the practicalities of using weapons--how heavy are swords and how to pierce …
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In this episode of the podcast, I welcome sociologist and fantasy book lover Dr Enn Burke to the Toolshed to teach us how sociological factors can help shape our characters. It's the ideal episode to learn more about how to create fictional characters that almost feel as alive as real people. Sociology plays a huge part in how we're made up. It rel…
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In this edition, I'm joined by our oracle of medieval history, Aidan Mattis, for a chat about the food and cuisines of the Middle Ages—something I think is definitely skipped by writers. Folklorists Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson also join me for an in-depth chat about fairytales—what are they, what can we learn from them, and how to write your own…
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In this episode, we dive into the process of creating lifelike characters by examining psychology—what makes people who they are? What drives them and why? Political psychologist and YouTuber Abby explains all in our illuminating discussion that's bound to inspire some ideas for your fantasy characters. I also share a very simple yet very effective…
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In our first episode of the new year, I explore evolution and worldbuilding in the fantasy genre with author and YouTuber, Rachel Emma Shaw. We look at how playing around with this particular element can lead to original and exciting ideas. Lucy Atkinson and Janina Arndt from The Fey Fellowes Podcast also join me for a chat about Greek Mythology an…
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In this episode, we're donning our helmets and hefting our axes and shields before diving headfirst into battle with a look at medieval warfare. We'll tell you everything you need to know about making your fantasy battles as realistic and gritty as possible, as well as giving you a few neat ideas to use. We're also looking at folklore, one of the m…
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In this episode, we take a look at the interesting relationship between magic systems and science with fantasy author Rachel Emma Shaw. We also take a look at day to day life in the medieval period to provide you with ideas and inspiration for your worldbuilding and fantasy stories. And I reveal the early results from my Book Blogger Survey, essent…
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In this episode, we take a look at worldbuilding, specifically the scientific side, and how writers can make use of the likes of biology to create unique and interesting worlds. We also take an in-depth look at archery, particularly from the medieval period. And we also explore Norse mythology, something that's grown in popularity over recent years…
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In this episode, we look at how to edit a novel, the mythologies and folkloric tales that have inspired the fantasy genre, and we take a look at the diseases that ravaged the medieval era. We also share the latest calls for submissions and our community announcements. The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed is a bi-weekly podcast with new episodes out on 14t…
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Today, we're delighted to welcome Evan Gow to the Writer's Toolshed for a very special chat about Story Origin, the book marketing platform Evan's created by hand. Story Origin brings together a host of different book marketing services, such as group promotions, newsletter swaps, advanced reader copy distribution and book reviews. Evan has built t…
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