The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

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 and why they're worth exploring as authors, how you can go about it, where to find narrators, how to do it yourself, the costs involved and much, much more. You're guaranteed to learn something new! If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ GET A TOOLSHED TSHIRT ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/ToolshedTshirt⁠⁠⁠⁠ JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers⁠⁠⁠⁠ LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠ page - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠⁠⁠⁠ ABOUT RACHANEE LUMAYNO https://www.rachanee.net/

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 involves, and what writers can do to start building their name and selling books. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at ⁠⁠⁠thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠ GET A TOOLSHED TSHIRT ⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/ToolshedTshirt⁠⁠⁠ JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY ⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers⁠⁠⁠ LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our ⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠ page - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠⁠⁠ ABOUT NICKY AND IRON AGE MARKETING https://nickpecone.com/iron-age-media-marketing/

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 role of side characters in stories, and looked at different approaches for growing and developing our fictional people. A big thank you to our community members Joshua Parker and Isa Ottoni too! If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at ⁠thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com⁠ JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY ⁠https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers⁠ LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our ⁠Patreon⁠ page - ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠ OUR GUESTS Karen Heuler - The Splendid City - ⁠https://angryrobotbooks.com/books/the-splendid-city/⁠ | More about Karen - ⁠https://www.karenheuler.com/ Isa Ottoni - https://www.instagram.com/isa.ottoni.writes/ Joshua Parker - https://ontheedgebusiness.wordpress.com/ RESOURCES https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/writing-tips/what-is-characterization https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/character-plotting https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/character-development

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 hurdles to overcome. Where do we look? How much is a fair price? And what type of editing do we need help with, because there's a bit of a range? It's for all of these reasons I was excited to take a deep dive into the topic with professional book editor Jennia D'Lima. In our chat, we explore the different types of editing, how to sharpen your editing skills, where to find trusted editors, and what price is fair to pay, plus much, much more. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at ⁠⁠thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com⁠⁠ GET A TOOLSHED TSHIRT ⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/ToolshedTshirt⁠⁠ JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY ⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers⁠⁠ LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠ page - ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠⁠ ABOUT JENNIA D'LIMA https://jenniaedits.com/

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 religions we know are powerfully compelling and rich in detail and history. And honing in on the thoughts and feelings of someone so devout can be tough to achieve. That's why I'm delighted to welcome to the show Mark Weisman. A former Christian pastor turned Celtic and Norse shaman, Mark's life has been a spiritual journey and his insights into faith and belief and second-to-none. In our chat, we discuss everything from the philosophical side of faith to how we can create these powerful elements in our stories. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at ⁠thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com⁠ GET A TOOLSHED TSHIRT ⁠https://tinyurl.com/ToolshedTshirt⁠ JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY ⁠https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers⁠ LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our ⁠Patreon⁠ page - ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠ ABOUT MARK WEISMAN https://akulfhednar.com/

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 comes up with ideas and how he handles the endless challenges, before finishing with some terrific advice and tips for writers. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com GET A TOOLSHED TSHIRT https://tinyurl.com/ToolshedTshirt JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed ABOUT DANIEL POLANSKY Website: http://www.danielpolansky.com/ March's End: https://amzn.to/3D9n4VU RESOURCES Try our passive voice converter tool - https://richiebilling.com/passive-voice-checker Download a free worldbuilding template - https://richiebilling.com/worldbuilding Learn how to create a fantasy map here - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/how-to-make-a-fantasy-map

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 find a literary agent, and things to look out for. To keep up to date with our live community events, to join a critique group, to get help with beta reads and much more, just click below. JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY (DISCORD) https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed FOLLOW LAURA https://twitter.com/Losbennett ABOUT THE LIVERPOOL LITERARY AGENCY https://www.liverpool-literary.agency/ RESOURCES ON FINDING LITERARY AGENTS Cover letters - https://www.liverpool-literary.agency/news/guide-to-query-letters / https://www.mushens-entertainment.com/blog/the-perfect-cover-letter Publisher's Marketplace: https://www.publishersmarketplace.com/ The Bookseller: https://www.thebookseller.com/home R/Pubtips: https://www.reddit.com/r/PubTips/ Jericho Writers: https://jerichowriters.com/ I AM in Print: https://www.iaminprint.co.uk/

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 pantser and we discuss the benefits of taking this approach and how you can give pantsing a go yourself. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OUR GUESTS Karen Heuler - The Splendid City - https://angryrobotbooks.com/books/the-splendid-city/ | More about Karen - https://www.karenheuler.com/ Sounds and editing by 3D Sound Studio - https://www.youtube.com/@3DSoundStudio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 questions from our community and tackled some of the biggest issues and talking points. Stephen also tells us all about his approach to building worlds and how he crafted the incredible setting for his brilliant new book, The Judas Blossom (out in July). If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed ABOUT ANGRY ROBOT BOOKS This episode is sponsored by the award-winning publisher, Angry Robot Books. You can learn more about them by clicking the link below: https://angryrobotbooks.com/ THE JUDAS BLOSSOM https://angryrobotbooks.com/books/judas-blossom/ OUR GUESTS Stephen Aryan - https://stephen-aryan.com/ | Stephen's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZlaVQ9rks4GaN-x3Jkos0A Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/@3DSoundStudio RESOURCES Get a free worldbuilding template - https://richiebilling.com/worldbuilding Learn how to start worldbuilding - https://richiebilling.com/worldbuilding/how-to-start-worldbuilding Check out the best books on worldbuilding - https://richiebilling.com/worldbuilding/books-on-worldbuilding Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 regularly you can meet. We have about 6 or 7 groups running at present and you can join one too. Just click below to join our Discord community and head to #writing-groups. In this episode, we discuss the benefits being in a group has given us. We explain how they work, how to join one, and how to approach editing and taking feedback. JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY (DISCORD) https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OUR GUESTS Jonny Altair - Twitter - @JonnyLeeAltair Isa Ottoni - https://www.instagram.com/isa.ottoni.writes/ Josh Parker - Ontheedgebusiness.wordpress.com Sounds and editing by 3D Sound Studio (ASMR Specialists) - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx NEW RESOURCES Worldbuilding tips and advice - https://richiebilling.com/worldbuilding Sensory language examples - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/writing-tips/sensory-language-examples Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 key bits of advice for making your own magic system from scratch. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OUR GUESTS Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson - The Fey Fellows Podcast - https://www.instagram.com/feyfellowspodcast/ / https://anchor.fm/fey-fellows-podcast Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx RESOURCES UPDATED - Passive Voice Detector And Converter - https://richiebilling.com/passive-voice-checker NEW - Wizards In Fantasy, With A Name Generator Tool - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-name-generator/wizard-name-generator NEW - Tips On Creating A Fantasy Castle - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/fantasy-castle Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 things in earnest, starting with a duology on The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed podcast. To help me, I'm joined by Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from The Fey Fellowes Podcast and in this first instalment we talk all about hard and soft magic systems—the two main types that people often discuss. We look at examples of these different magic systems as well as the space in between where writers can find unique and original angles. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OUR GUESTS Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson - The Fey Fellows Podcast - https://www.instagram.com/feyfellowspodcast/ / https://anchor.fm/fey-fellows-podcast Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx LEARN MORE UPDATED - List Of Fantasy Publishers - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/writing-tools/list-of-fantasy-publishers UPDATED - List Of Fantasy Short Story Publishers - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/writing-tools/list-of-fantasy-magazines NEW - How To Create A Literary Theme - https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/how-to-create-literary-theme NEW - How To Write Dialogue - https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/how-to-write-dialogue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 also a font of knowledge when it comes to the publishing industry and explains here how it's changed in the 20+ years she's been writing. You're bound to learn something new that hopefully will help you on your own writing journey. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OUR GUESTS Juliet E. McKenna - https://www.julietemckenna.com/ | Buy The Cleaving - https://amzn.to/3FWVCgd Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 everything from tackling challenging topics and how to imbue our stories with philosophies and ideas, to creating memorable characters that readers love. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OUR GUESTS Amish Tripathi - https://www.authoramish.com/ | The War Of Lanka - https://amzn.to/3TaCyQW Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, from written fiction to that found on-screen. But it can be underused and ill-understood. To help us better our understanding and appreciation, there's no better person to ask than Joe. In this deeply insightful interview, packed with examples, Joe provides vital guidance and advice for writers to help master this form of communication that's arguably more important than dialogue. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OUR GUESTS Joe Navarro - https://www.jnforensics.com/ | Buy The Dictionary Of Body Language - https://amzn.to/3Y2VNMZ Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx UPDATED - How To Write A Flashback Scene - https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/how-to-write-a-flashback NEW - Books On Worldbuilding - https://richiebilling.com/worldbuilding/books-on-worldbuilding NEW - How To Plot A Story - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/writing-tips/how-to-plot-a-story Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 your stories and worlds with conflict. So in this episode, I reflect upon my time working as an accident and injury lawyer. I discuss the impact that injuries can have on a person, from minor ones to major ones, and how you can utilise these ill-used details in your stories, both from a character creation perspective and a worldbuilding one. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 partnerships with them. I was delighted then to chat with Blaise Ancona from Under The Radar SFF Books about these very things. Blaise runs both a podcast and a website devoted to highlighting fantasy and sci-fi novels that haven't got the credit they deserve. What began as a lockdown hobby has grown into something quite remarkable. We talk about how it happened and his experiences as a book blogger. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OUR GUESTS Blaise Ancona of Under The Radar SFF Books - https://undertheradarsffbooks.com/ | https://twitter.com/undertheradarb2 Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 natter about writing, editing, the publishing industry, working with agents, and ways to improve your writing. It's a very open and honest interview packed with insights and advice on specific topics ranging from creating memorable characters to building immersive fantasy worlds. You're guaranteed to learn something new. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed ABOUT ANGRY ROBOT BOOKS This episode is sponsored by the award-winning publisher, Angry Robot Books. You can learn more about them by clicking the link below: https://angryrobotbooks.com/ THE JUDAS BLOSSOM https://angryrobotbooks.com/books/judas-blossom/ OUR GUESTS Stephen Aryan - https://stephen-aryan.com/ | Stephen's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZlaVQ9rks4GaN-x3Jkos0A Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx OTHER RESOURCES How to write a villain How to write a battle scene in a book The many races found in the fantasy genre What is a creative writing class? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 and how you can spin them. We also discuss tropes around resurrections and mentor figures, as well as tropes generally. And Vickie shares some fantastic examples of books and writers who have spun things to create something brilliant and original. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OUR GUESTS Vickie Lan - https://vickielan.com/podcast | https://www.instagram.com/speculativesandbox Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx OTHER RESOURCES Character Plotting Avoiding Tropes And Cliches When Writing Fantasy How To Write A Battle Scene In A Book Men Writing Women Characters - Things To Watch Out For Examples Of Sensory Language Free Worldbuilding Template And Guide Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 writing tips. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://mailchi.mp/395aa89d6ec0/join-richie-billings-community-of-writers LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community and access our Panels feature, as well as join a weekly writing group, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OUR GUESTS Denise Crittendon - https://denisecrittendon.blog/ | https://twitter.com/denicrittendon Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx OTHER RESOURCES The Best Podcasts About Writing - https://richiebilling.com/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast/best-podcasts-about-writing A Free Name Generator Tool For Knights - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-name-generator/knight-name-generator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.