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The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

Fantasy & Science Fiction Podcasts

The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed is dedicated to all things writing, fantasy fiction, and building your author platform, all with the aim of helping you become a better writer. Expect general writing tips, techniques, guides, methods, ideas and plenty of fantasy-specific writing tips and techniques, such as on world-building, fantasy tropes and naming characters. Hosted by Richie Billing (https://richiebilling.com) and JM Williams (https://jmwilliams.home.blog). Write to us at any time with questions or queries: thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed is dedicated to all things writing, fantasy fiction, and building your author platform, all with the aim of helping you become a better writer. Expect general writing tips, techniques, guides, methods, ideas and plenty of fantasy-specific writing tips and techniques, such as on world-building, fantasy tropes and naming characters. Hosted by Richie Billing (https://richiebilling.com) and JM Williams (https://jmwilliams.home.blog). Write to us at any time with questions or queries: thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Location:

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Description:

The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed is dedicated to all things writing, fantasy fiction, and building your author platform, all with the aim of helping you become a better writer. Expect general writing tips, techniques, guides, methods, ideas and plenty of fantasy-specific writing tips and techniques, such as on world-building, fantasy tropes and naming characters. Hosted by Richie Billing (https://richiebilling.com) and JM Williams (https://jmwilliams.home.blog). Write to us at any time with questions or queries: thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Language:

English

Episodes

Episode 9 - The Best Fantasy Books Of All Time

11/1/2020
In our ninth episode, we're taking a look at TIME magazine's recently published list of the top 100 fantasy books of all time. Click here to see the list. We take a look at the books on the list, discuss our favourite books, some of our least favourite, the influence some books have had on the genre, and the direction that fantasy is moving toward in the years to come. As always, we'd love to hear from you. What are your favourite fantasy books? Do you agree with the list, or perhaps you...

Duration:00:46:46

Episode 8.5 - Talking Anthologies with Transmundane Press

9/29/2020
Anthology: a collection of selected literary pieces or passages or works of art or music. In this not-so-mini episode, JM interviews the editors of Transmundane Press, who have made a name for themselves by publishing sci-fi and fantasy anthologies. Their current project is ON TIME, which JM was fortunate enough to get a story in. Here we discuss the appeal of the anthology, the benefit of writing and reading short stories, and the editors provide their tips for submitting your work to...

Duration:00:36:44

Episode 8 - Magic Systems in Fantasy

9/13/2020
Magic systems play an important role in fantasy. Many people associate wizards, witches, magical weapons, creatures and worlds with the genre. In this episode, we look at what magic systems are and how you can build them and utilise them in your own stories. We look at ways to introduce the background detail for your magic system, the extent to which it's necessary to do so, and also explore magic's relationship with religion, the latter also playing a major role in many fantasy systems. We...

Duration:00:47:46

Episode 7 - Talking Audiobooks with Chris Herron of Tall Tale TV

7/31/2020
In this episode, we're thrilled to have Chris Herron from Tall Tale TV in the Shed! And we're talking all things audiobooks - trends, how to make your own, how to convert your novels, plus an exclusive audio snippet of Richie's upcoming novel, Pariah's Lament. There's been massive growth in the audiobook market. Last year they turned over money money than eBooks. We chat about what that could mean for writers, and how you could take advantage of this new lucrative market. Chris tells us...

Duration:00:28:53

Episode 6.5 - Writing Humour with Comedian Ant Campbell

6/27/2020
In this episode, Richie is joined by the hilarious Scouse comedian, Ant Campbell. Ant has developed a significant following on social media over the past few years, at one point having more followers on Twitter than a small town, and that was all down to his ability to write great content. Richie and Ant discuss writing humorous stories, scenarios, dialogue and jokes, as well as their experiences of writing their sitcom, "Stalled". Ant also shares some priceless insights into how he built...

Duration:00:11:41

Episode 6 - Writing 'Rules'

5/25/2020
So-called writing rules have been a touchy subject in the writing world of late. It all exploded after a list of rules by Jonathan Franzen re-surfaced, provoking a wave of ire not just against Franzen, but against so-called writing 'rules', the do's and don't's of the craft. Around the same time, Richie conducted some research on the rules that writers hate most of all, and in this episode, we chat about some of them, namely passive voice, showing instead of telling and using adjectives and...

Duration:00:44:16

Episode 5.5 - A Conversation with Cover Artists

5/5/2020
JM goes solo in this episode, which is a continuation of our previous topic: book covers. JM interviews a couple of artists to ask them why they think covers are important, and how to develop a good working relationship with your artist. Niels can be found here: https://www.ncartbox.net/?fbclid=IwAR... If you'd like a sample of his work, he did the cover for my short-story-novel, In the Valley of Magic, which is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G9ZPXMR/ E. Rachael Hardcastle...

Duration:00:35:37

Episode 6 - A Guide to Book Covers

4/13/2020
In this instalment we're tackling book covers. We delve into everything you need to know, from the science behind typography and imagery to artist fees and designing them for free! Links to some of the resources mentioned: www.canva.com How cover design can increase book visibility by 50% (or more) Revealed: The Real Marketing Value of a Professional Book Cover Book Smugglers - COVER MATTERS: THE SURVEY RESULTS Data Analytics and Practical Theory for Books Holly Rollins - A Conjoint...

Duration:00:53:14

Episode 5 - Flash and Nano Fiction with Charles Remington

3/28/2020
Writer and editor Charles Remington joins Richie in the Writers' Toolshed to talk about nano fiction, a niche of flash fiction. How do you write nano fiction? Where do you find ideas? Why should you try it? Uncover the answers to all in this episode. Plus, we discuss marketing books, and Richie tells us about his meeting with Raymond E. Feist. The book, Nano Nightmares, edited by Charles and featuring stories by Richie, is available now on Amazon. You can get it by clicking here. See...

Duration:00:13:31

Episode 4.5 - Writing - Making the Most of Self-Isolation

3/21/2020
Coronavirus craziness has gripped the globe. How can writers make the most of all this free time? In this episode, Richie discusses a few ways writers can help people in this time of great need, as well as a few ways you can make the most of this abundance of time. Richie mentions a few books you may find helpful, which are: The Art of Dramatic Writing - Lajos Egri Stein on Writing - Sol Stein The Art of Fiction - John Gardner Letters to a Young Writer - Colum McCann The First Five...

Duration:00:14:33

Episode 4 - How to Write Short Stories and Get Them Published

2/29/2020
In this episode, Richie struggles to say hello, JM’s cats make a few guest appearances, and somewhere in between, we talk about short stories—why you should write them, how to write them, and how to get them published. As always, we want to hear from you! Drop us an email at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Duration:00:55:38

Episode 3.5 - Historical Fiction with Paul Cunningham

2/1/2020
In this episode, JM interviews historical fiction author Paul Cunningham. Paul is the author of the book "Contention," which details "the most chaotic year in Roman history" following the death of Nero. Following our previous episode on fantasy world-building, it seemed a good idea to talk to someone who has to deal with the same issue in a different way. Paul is a master at rolling back time, bringing the reader right into a foreign world from our shared past. As always, leave your...

Duration:00:20:59

Episode 3 - World-Building: Practical Tips

1/19/2020
In this episode, Richie and JM tackle a source of joy and frustration for perhaps every fantasy writer: world-building. They discuss their favourite bits of advice on introducing those juicy world-building details into the story, the best times to introduce those details, and the most effective means of doing so. As always, if you have comments, queries or questions, get in touch at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Duration:00:39:00

Episode 2.5 - Is The Novel Dead?

1/4/2020
A few weeks back, Richie carried out a bit of research inspired by the comments of a professional book reviewer named Damien Walter. Walter argued that the novel is dead, that the decline in quality and the saturation of the market has strangled the enjoyment out of it, and as a result, fewer people are reading. Richie explores whether or not this is the case, before considering whether or not reading as a whole is facing an existential crisis. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and...

Duration:00:17:35

Episode 2 - Twisting Fantasy Tropes

12/13/2019
In this episode, we tackle fantasy tropes. How can writers twist conventional fantasy ideas to create unique and interesting angles? We look at a few examples and discuss some ways of finding originality. Plus, the results of our competition! Drop us an email with your questions for episode three or leave us a comment! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Duration:00:18:23

Episode 1.5 - Medieval Settings in Fantasy

11/28/2019
In this shorter episode, JM and Richie discuss a cliche they didn't get round to discussing in episode one: medieval settings in the fantasy genre. It's a hot topic amongst readers and writers at the moment. What are your views? Are you sick and tired of muddy villages and wooden houses, stone castles, swords, shields and all the rest? Drop us an email and tell us (thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com, or leave us a comment! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Duration:00:08:07

Episode 1 - Fantasy Clichés

11/16/2019
In our very first episode, we're looking at fantasy clichés. What are they? Why are they bad? How can you avoid them? How can you use them? We tackle the chosen one, wise old mentors, fantasy races, and evil villains for evil's sake. Plus, we've got a few freebies to give away! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Duration:00:20:09

The Promo

10/31/2019
A brand new monthly podcast looking at all things writing, fantasy fiction, and building your author platform. Hosted by Richie Billing (https://richiebilling.com) and JM Williams (https://jmwilliams.home.blog). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Duration:00:03:25