“If we march into that village and we start trying to persecute people for using poison, something that's very illegal, nobody's going to talk to us. We're not going to find out where the poison came from. We're not going to be able to shut anything down. We should take the approach that people are using poison because they're desperate, because they see no other alternative.” – Andrew Stein Andrew Stein is a wildlife ecologist who spent the past 25 years studying human carnivore conflict from African wild dogs and lions in Kenya and Botswana to leopards and hyenas in Namibia. His work has long focused on finding ways for people and predators to coexist. He is the founder of CLAWS , an organization based in Botswana that's working at the intersection of cutting-edge wildlife research and community driven conservation. Since its start in 2014 and official launch as an NGO in 2020, CLAWS has been pioneering science-based, tech-forward strategies to reduce conflict between people and carnivores. By collaborating closely with local communities, especially traditional cattle herders, CLAWS supports both species conservation and rural livelihoods—making coexistence not just possible, but sustainable.…

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World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
World Anvil founders Janet (writer, worldbuilder, nutcase) and Dimitris (GM, worldbuilding wizard, techmonkey)
Are you worldbuilding for homebrew RPG campaigns, novels, game development, films or anything else? Then you're in the right place! Designed to educate, inspire and entertain, World Anvil's founders - writer & RPG designer Janet Forbes and Gamemaster and RPG designer Dimitris chat with creators and academics about the brass tacks of worldbuilding, exploring a new theme each month. Expect topics like novel writing and short stories, game design, Cultures and Societies, Settlements and their n ...
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Welcome to My Podcast Account
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Learn the skills you need to build a profitable and sustainble brand
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the blacksmiths anvil and hammer and the blacksmith
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Moral stories for kids in Hindi. 500+ stories on www.storywithanvi.com Stories which increase the imagination power of kids, which makes him more intelligent and give a lessons with entertainment.
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Join us as we chat with best-selling fantasy author Laura Anne Gilman about writing MONSTER HUNTERS. Whether you're talking historical fantasy, urban fantasy or gothic horror, these iconic characters stalk the night. Let's discuss tropes, tips, and what these archetypal heroes add to your games and stories. https://www.lauraannegilman.net/ WORLDBUI…
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Join us as we chat with best-selling fantasy author Laura Anne Gilman about writing MONSTER HUNTERS. Whether you're talking historical fantasy, urban fantasy or gothic horror, these iconic characters stalk the night. Let's discuss tropes, tips, and what these archetypal heroes add to your games and stories. https://www.lauraannegilman.net/ WORLDBUI…
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Join us for a spooky season interview with author Rachel Aaron (Hell of a Witch), as we explore the scary practice of worldbuilding with witches. We’ll discuss how witches are often treated differently from other magic users in fantasy and TTRPGs, the tricky aspects of crafting believable witches, and how to create a witchcraft-based magic system t…
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Join us for a spooky season interview with author Rachel Aaron (Hell of a Witch), as we explore the scary practice of worldbuilding with witches. We’ll discuss how witches are often treated differently from other magic users in fantasy and TTRPGs, the tricky aspects of crafting believable witches, and how to create a witchcraft-based magic system t…
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Join Janet and Caitlin Rozakis, author of The New York Times-bestselling novel Dreadful, for a delightful discussion of all things cozy fantasy! How do you create a setting that feels both cozy AND exciting? What are the essential elements of a cozy fantasy world? Bring your questions (and a cup of your favorite hot beverage) to this fun interview.…
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Join Janet and Caitlin Rozakis, author of The New York Times-bestselling novel Dreadful, for a delightful discussion of all things cozy fantasy! How do you create a setting that feels both cozy AND exciting? What are the essential elements of a cozy fantasy world? Bring your questions (and a cup of your favorite hot beverage) to this fun interview.…
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Emily Inkpen is the co-creator of the award-winning Dex Legacy, an incredible audio drama about to enter its 3rd season! Learn Emily's process for writing and creating an audio drama that wins awards in this episode of the World Anvil worldbuilding podcast. https://www.emilyinkpen.com/thedexlegacy-home WORLDBUILD WITH US! Create a ✨free✨ World Anvi…
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Emily Inkpen is the co-creator of the award-winning Dex Legacy, an incredible audio drama about to enter its 3rd season! Learn Emily's process for writing and creating an audio drama that wins awards in this episode of the World Anvil worldbuilding podcast. https://www.emilyinkpen.com/thedexlegacy-home WORLDBUILD WITH US! Create a ✨free✨ World Anvi…
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What are the unique worldbuilding challenges (and opportunities) presented by a generation ship? This week, Janet sits down with Michael Mammay, author of the popular Planetside series, to explore the corridors and cultures of this unique scifi subgenre! https://www.michaelmammay.com/ Reviews of Generation Ship: Lightspeed Publishers Weekly Library…
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What are the unique worldbuilding challenges (and opportunities) presented by a generation ship? This week, Janet sits down with Michael Mammay, author of the popular Planetside series, to explore the corridors and cultures of this unique scifi subgenre! https://www.michaelmammay.com/ Reviews of Generation Ship: Lightspeed Publishers Weekly Library…
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Join Janet with industry experts T. Alexander Stangroom & Amanda Hamon (Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos) to talk about MAKING MAGIC SCHOOLS, as we bring World Anvil's INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING challenge to a close! https://koboldpress.com/the-kobold-team https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahamon/ https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/sacoc WORLDBUILD …
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Join Janet with industry experts T. Alexander Stangroom & Amanda Hamon (Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos) to talk about MAKING MAGIC SCHOOLS, as we bring World Anvil's INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING challenge to a close! https://koboldpress.com/the-kobold-team https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahamon/ https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/sacoc WORLDBUILD …
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Join Janet and our guest, award-winning author Chloe Gong, to talk about using history - and Shakespeare - as a jumping off point for fantasy worldbuilding. https://thechloegong.com/ WORLDBUILD WITH US! Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil account today! Worldbuilding software, campaign manager and novel writing software. Created by two nerds, run with love…
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Join Janet and our guest, award-winning author Chloe Gong, to talk about using history - and Shakespeare - as a jumping off point for fantasy worldbuilding. https://thechloegong.com/ WORLDBUILD WITH US! Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil account today! Worldbuilding software, campaign manager and novel writing software. Created by two nerds, run with love…
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What are the benefits of collaborative worldbuilding? Who handles which part of a shared world? What mistakes did you make along the way? Janet is live with authors and worldbuilders Owen B. Greenwald and Paul Kivelson, discussing how they collaboratively built their world on World Anvil, for their latest novel, Weapons of the Mind! https://www.owe…
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What are the benefits of collaborative worldbuilding? Who handles which part of a shared world? What mistakes did you make along the way? Janet is live with authors and worldbuilders Owen B. Greenwald and Paul Kivelson, discussing how they collaboratively built their world on World Anvil, for their latest novel, Weapons of the Mind! https://www.owe…
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Storytellers have been remixing tales of Greek gods since... well, ancient Greece! Kat chats with award-winning author Abigail Owens, whose new release Games Gods Play retells the Hades/Persephone myth in present-day San Francisco. Let's talk about worldbuilding a mythic fantasy setting that blends ancient and modern elements! https://abigailowen.c…
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Storytellers have been remixing tales of Greek gods since... well, ancient Greece! Kat chats with award-winning author Abigail Owens, whose new release Games Gods Play retells the Hades/Persephone myth in present-day San Francisco. Let's talk about worldbuilding a mythic fantasy setting that blends ancient and modern elements! https://abigailowen.c…
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How do you fit creative work into an already jam-packed life? Especially when you must account for things like physical and mental health challenges? Join Janet and author Sandra Tayler, whose new book Structuring Life to Support Creativity tackles these questions and more! https://www.sandratayler.com/ https://structuring-life-to-support-creativit…
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How do you fit creative work into an already jam-packed life? Especially when you must account for things like physical and mental health challenges? Join Janet and author Sandra Tayler, whose new book Structuring Life to Support Creativity tackles these questions and more! https://www.sandratayler.com/ https://structuring-life-to-support-creativit…
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To celebrate Douglas Adam's iconic "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" we're talking about Comedy Science Fiction. Comedy Scifi is an oft-forgotten genre, but from "Galaxy Quest" to "Rick and Morty" to "Starter Villain" by John Scalzi, it's an increasingly popular take on far future worlds! Join Janet Forbes, Kat Bradbury and Andy Law as we delve de…
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To celebrate Douglas Adam's iconic "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" we're talking about Comedy Science Fiction. Comedy Scifi is an oft-forgotten genre, but from "Galaxy Quest" to "Rick and Morty" to "Starter Villain" by John Scalzi, it's an increasingly popular take on far future worlds! Join Janet Forbes, Kat Bradbury and Andy Law as we delve de…
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If you're writing short stories, it's good to know what an anthology is, what different kinds of anthologies exist, why people produce them, and how to write for one! Janet & Kat are joined by writing partners Trip Galey and Chris McCartney of Bona Books, who are publishing a themed anthology. https://www.bona-books.com https://www.tripgaley.com @c…
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If you're writing short stories, it's good to know what an anthology is, what different kinds of anthologies exist, why people produce them, and how to write for one! Janet & Kat are joined by writing partners Trip Galey and Chris McCartney of Bona Books, who are publishing a themed anthology. https://www.bona-books.com/ https://tripgaley.com/ @chr…
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The Blair Witch Project created a whole new film genre - and co-producer Gregg Hale is with guest host Kat to talk about worldbuilding urban legends and folk horror (and dark fairytales, like his new multimedia project, Black Velvet Fairies). Take a walk on the darker side of folklore as we explore how to make a creepy setting that uses the familia…
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The Blair Witch Project created a whole new film genre - and co-producer Gregg Hale is with guest host Kat to talk about worldbuilding urban legends and folk horror (and dark fairytales, like his new multimedia project, Black Velvet Fairies). Take a walk on the darker side of folklore as we explore how to make a creepy setting that uses the familia…
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Join Janet as we sit down with talented game designer (and counselor!) Alex Roberts, creator of Star Crossed, For the Queen and Our Time on Earth to explore the world of two-player and couples tabletop roleplaying games. Discover the magic of creating shared stories with just one other player and explore the ways RPGs can build connections and stre…
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Join Janet as we sit down with talented game designer (and counselor!) Alex Roberts, creator of Star Crossed, For the Queen and Our Time on Earth to explore the world of two-player and couples tabletop roleplaying games. Discover the magic of creating shared stories with just one other player and explore the ways RPGs can build connections and stre…
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What's in a name? Maybe everything! Janet is joined by authors Trip Galey, Chris McCartney, and Kat Bradbury to discuss pro tips (and what to avoid) when it comes to naming your novels, titling your stories, and deciding what to call That Crazy Thing You Created.
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What's in a name? Maybe everything! Janet is joined by authors Trip Galey, Chris McCartney, and Kat Bradbury to discuss pro tips (and what to avoid) when it comes to naming your novels, titling your stories, and deciding what to call That Crazy Thing You Created.
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Join Janet and award-winning and best-selling author Laura Anne Gilman for a conversation about the historical fantasy world she’s built in the Huntsmen series. What is "gaslamp fantasy"? And how can you create an immersive fantastical world grounded in real world history?
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Join Janet and award-winning and best-selling author Laura Anne Gilman for a conversation about the historical fantasy world she’s built in the Huntsmen series. What is "gaslamp fantasy"? And how can you create an immersive fantastical world grounded in real world history?
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Storytellers obsess over our goals - long and short term. In this episode, Janet is chatting with Peter Chiykowski, creator of the Story Engine Deck, about doing it in a balanced, responsible way to avoid burnout and overwhelm. Grab a cozy beverage, your favorite planners and pens, and let's prepare for an amazing year of worldbuilding!…
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Storytellers obsess over our goals - long and short term. In this episode, Janet is chatting with Peter Chiykowski, creator of the Story Engine Deck, about doing it in a balanced, responsible way to avoid burnout and overwhelm. Grab a cozy beverage, your favorite planners and pens, and let's prepare for an amazing year of worldbuilding!…
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We've got a killer interview today! Join Janet and Mur Lafferty, Hugo Award winning podcaster and author of Solo: A Star Wars Story and the Midsolar Murders series. We'll discuss blending genres - specifically sci-fi and murder mysteries. You won't want to miss it!
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We've got a killer interview today! Join Janet and Mur Lafferty, Hugo Award winning podcaster and author of Solo: A Star Wars Story and the Midsolar Murders series. We'll discuss blending genres - specifically sci-fi and murder mysteries. You won't want to miss it!
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The biggest villain in tabletop RPGs is ... scheduling. But what if you could play a satisfying roleplaying game all on your own? Solo Journaling RPGs have taken off in recent years, and today Janet has acclaimed game designer Anna Blackwell, creator of Apothecaria, DELVE, and the upcoming For Small Creatures Such As We to talk about what makes the…
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The biggest villain in tabletop RPGs is ... scheduling. But what if you could play a satisfying roleplaying game all on your own? Solo Journaling RPGs have taken off in recent years, and today Janet has acclaimed game designer Anna Blackwell, creator of Apothecaria, DELVE, and the upcoming For Small Creatures Such As We to talk about what makes the…
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What IS Pulp Fiction? In this episode Janet talks with authors Trip Galey and Chris McCartney of Bona Books about unpacking this action-packed genre! What are the common tropes that make pulp AWESOME?! And how do we reinvent Pulp without the Problems?
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What IS Pulp Fiction? In this episode Janet talks with authors Trip Galey and Chris McCartney of Bona Books about unpacking this action-packed genre! What are the common tropes that make pulp AWESOME?! And how do we reinvent Pulp without the Problems?
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Worldbuilding Fantasy Castles with Wolfgang Baur!❤️ 🏰 Where should your castles be on the map? 🗺️ 🏰 What does everyone forget when worldbuilding castles? 🤔 🏰 How do you STORM a fantasy castle... or defend one!? 🐉 🧙 Janet (founder and CEO of World Anvil) chats with castle fanatic and Ennie Award-winning worldbuilding expert Wolfgang Baur (Founder an…
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Worldbuilding Fantasy Castles with Wolfgang Baur!❤️ 🏰 Where should your castles be on the map? 🗺️ 🏰 What does everyone forget when worldbuilding castles? 🤔 🏰 How do you STORM a fantasy castle... or defend one!? 🐉 🧙 Janet (founder and CEO of World Anvil) chats with castle fanatic and Ennie Award-winning worldbuilding expert Wolfgang Baur (Founder an…
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Episode 45, part 2: Character First Plotting and Building an Audience with Hannah Nicole Maehrer
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Hannah Nicole Maehrer's debut release, Assistant to the Villain, started out as a series of TikTok sketches. Janet sits down with her to talk about building a novel's worth of plot character-first, and using episodic formats to develop characters, settings, and plot for a longer work. They also discuss building a platform and connecting with reader…
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Episode 45, part 1: Character First Plotting and Building an Audience with Hannah Nicole Maehrer
29:10
Hannah Nicole Maehrer's debut release, Assistant to the Villain, started out as a series of TikTok sketches. Janet sits down with her to talk about building a novel's worth of plot character-first, and using episodic formats to develop characters, settings, and plot for a longer work. They also discuss building a platform and connecting with reader…
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Vampires! Their undying appeal is unquestioned. But how can writers, gamemasters and tabletop RPG players inject new life into these monstrous heroes in games and fiction? Join Janet as she sits down with Jason Carl, brand marketing manager for Vampire: The Masquerade, to talk about fresh approaches to writing vampires!…
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Vampires! Their undying appeal is unquestioned. But how can writers, gamemasters and tabletop RPG players inject new life into these monstrous heroes in games and fiction? Join Janet as she sits down with Jason Carl, brand marketing manager for Vampire: The Masquerade, to talk about fresh approaches to writing vampires!…
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In this episode, we're talking about science fiction worldbuilding, collaborative writing, and creating a crew of lovable misfits with Tracy Wolff & Nina Croft, bestselling authors of Star Bringer!
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In this episode, we're talking about science fiction worldbuilding, collaborative writing, and creating a crew of lovable misfits with Tracy Wolff & Nina Croft, bestselling authors of Star Bringer!
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Are you in the mood... for worldbuilding? Join Janet and our guest Peter Chiykowski of Rock, Paper, Cynic and The Story Engine Deck as we talk about the elements of mood, tone and theme in worldbuilding. These subtle aspects can have a huge impact on how people experience your world - here's how to use them with intention!…
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Are you in the mood... for worldbuilding? Join Janet and our guest Peter Chiykowski of Rock, Paper, Cynic and The Story Engine Deck as we talk about the elements of mood, tone and theme in worldbuilding. These subtle aspects can have a huge impact on how people experience your world - here's how to use them with intention!…
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