Myth and Magic

Besides writing epic romantic fantasies, Hannah Baribeau, originally from Astoria, Oregon, but who grew up in Indonesia and now resides in Wisconsin, is a stay-at-home mom to four young boys. Gradiare is her first publication, with plans of many more titles to come, including a suspense thriller! Our conversation focused on techniques for crafting suspense in fantasy, such as cliffhangers and rising action, as well discussing the use of 'spice' in the genre. Additionally, we touched upon her love of George MacDonald fantasy books and her remarkable start as a writer… she began putting books together before she'd learned to read!

I chat with Rhode Island based author B. Marcus Walker. Brian is the author of Spirit of the Plain: The Unnamed - a fantasy about battles and magical  discoveries that readers have described as a story of "action and intrigue". We discuss how a writer can allow his characters some degree of free-will, developing a convincing system of magic, and how Brian's own experiences  helped him develop his themes.

Author Christopher Kaufman has created not just a series of fantasy books but an entire multi-media experience with his Tales of the Ocean City Tales of the Ocean City is a multimedia extravaganza that skilfully combines magnificent episodic storylines with Kaufman's award-winning music and stunning artwork... to deliver a uniquely performative adventure chronicle. I chatted with the New York based father, composer, presenter, teacher, and creative dynamo... about creating his tales for an audience, about how fantasy meets symphony in his storytelling... and about his journey into fantasy production.

Sci-Fi author Christian Hurst, the creator of the best-selling space opera series 'Lily Starling' chats with me about emotional exploration and using metaphor in 'Fantastic' science fiction writing. He discusses Ursula K. Le Guin's work, mentions 'Arrival' (the 2016 American science fiction drama starring Amy Adams), and together we think about time loops, communicating with extra terrestrials, the definition of courage, and even the world of Horton Hears a Who! 

Author Richard H. Moon, based in Southern California, is an award-winning screenwriter, producer, and (like me) a self-described history buff. His latest book, "To Conquer Death," is set in Ancient Egypt and has the grandeur of an epic historical fantasy adventure. Richard chats with me about the Bronze Age collapse, which occurred in around the 12th century BCE and brought an end to all civilizations worldwide, with the possible exception of the Egyptian Empire, which survived but became severely weakened. The Bronze Age collapse serves as the historical backdrop for his book "To Conquer Death," and there are unsettling parallels between the fall of the Bronze Age and the decline of contemporary society in our own age. We discuss writing historical fantasy fiction, the differences between screenwriting and novel-writing, and about bringing characters to life.

Author R E HOLDING, who was born in Iowa and now resides in the Missouri Hills with her husband. She has a passion for storytelling across various media, with a special interest in horror.  The American Sci-Fi / Mystery author Christopher Pike is a strong influence on her work. By day, R E HOLDING is a scientist... but by night, she is a horror-fantasy writer.  Her recent novel “Reaper's Gamble,” features some excellent world-building and a believable magic system that's rooted in crafts and guilds.  So I wanted to talk with her about writing plausible magic and describing realistic worlds. This new interview covers the author's world-building tips, insights into what she describes as ‘world-building sickness', her magic system development, and her editing techniques.

Which, if any, of your published works do you think was your worst book? Have you yet produced your worst book?  You should listen to this inspirational conversation with personal development author & paranormal thriller writer Bradley Charbonneau if you want to overcome your writing-related fears and learn to laugh at your mistakes.  The self-described 'recovering perfectionist' has learned how to unleash his own creativity and has produced 33 books as he maintained a 2,808-day creative streak (over 7 years of writing every day.) Do you feel like you're being beaten in the game of failure simply because you've never dared address the true nature of success? For example, what does success look like to you? This interview is for you if you have no idea what any of this means or how it relates to your writing, but nevertheless you feel trapped in a creative rut and can't come up with the right words to write!  On Myth & Magic we talk about how to write your worst book ever and why it's crucial to approach the idea of creation with a sense of inadequacy and incapacity. Failure will help you in the long term, and during this interview Bradley explains the hows and whys!

This week I chat with the Beyond the Pen podcast creator Maccabee Griffin.  Each week Maccabee sits down with a new author to discover the real story behind their tale! But what is his own story? Find out here! Beyond the Pen is a podcast show that gives newly published and unknown authors a platform to tell the world about their projects — so today's interview is essential listening for anyone who is starting out on an adventure into authoring and anyone preparing for NaNoWriMo2022!

Mark Bradford is the Wisconsin based author of The Sword and the Sunflower. Mark is also a work-life & work-relationship coach, a podcaster, a public speaker, and a UAV pilot! His recent post-dystopian fiction title explores the aftermath of a catastrophe. It has been described by readers as "complex and interesting..." Find out more about this 'complex and interesting' author here on Myth and Magic!

How does a contest judge critique a manuscript for a literary prize? Here is valuable advice from an experienced judge at the highly respected North Street Book Prize.  Annie offers practical tips, and she also chats about getting your manuscript ready for competition, the tendering process, and what contest judges look for. We also discuss the fantasy themes found in the novels of Joseph Conrad! This is an essential listen! Annie is an entertaining guest!

Jon DiSavino is a professional actor, podcast host, voice artist, and creator of Short Story Today, a new podcast show that combines his love of voice acting with his love of literature. We chatted about audiobook storytelling, creating good dialects for your narrative, Shakespearean fantasy, and what makes a story worth reading. A fun interview!

An interview with Los Angeles-based writer, award-winning composer, and sound designer Chris Porter who is the creator of a new audio sci-fi drama, SOLAR, with Jenny Curtis, that features Helen Hunt,  Alan Cumming,  Stephanie Beatriz, and Jonathan Bangs. We talk about ghosts, liminal spaces, and creating immersive literature!

Rise of the Ravenisha by P. Grace Lawson is a paranormal novel with action, humor, romance, and mystery. It encompasses fierce warrior women, power struggles, corrupt experiments, and were-panthers! In this show we discuss growing up in the South, and chat about poke sallet, gaited horses, great authors such as Zora Neale Hurston, and writing fantasy

Maryland historian Mary Kendall became a debut author with her tale of moonlit alleys, shadowy tunnels, and buried secrets. The Spinster's Fortune, a tale with gothic undertones, is about deceit in a family. We chat about writing complex stories and weaving mystery into a manuscript

An interview with with the Pennsylvania based epic fantasy author J V Hilliard who recently arrived on the fantasy adventure scene with the first title in his Warminster Series. "The Last Keeper" is about a young boy who suffers prophetic visions. We chat about cryptids, fight scenes, and world building!

Short story author Shannon Lawrence has been described as the true queen of horror. She recently produced a nonfiction book “The Business of Short Stories: Writing, Submitting, Publishing, and Marketing". We chat about writing for anthologies, tips about writing shorts, and about how to come-up with ideas for horror!

An interview with tech founder Tanya Gough, who created the StoryBilder writing program. With a background in fantasy writing, Tanya takes a unique approach to teaching authorship and wanted to create a tool that would help writers with the theory & practice of writing as she aspires to provide a functional storytelling platform that will help authors manage & grow their plots!

What is hard fantasy? What is the so-called “Great Eagle Problem” that readers sometimes encounter in fantasy narratives?  What does eucatastrophe mean? Also, why do some people resent artists and creatives? What bothers them about creativity?

How to get over a writing jam. Eight ways to overcome stagnation. What happens when momentum stops? Here's how to complete a semi-finished work

Today I discuss the healing magic and mythical wisdom of trees; and why you should describe their superpowers in your fantasy fiction

What's in a name? How to name a protagonist. Here are 7 ways to create an appropriate and memorable name for your principal character

My guest on the show is an author who has written half a million words! He is writing an organic epic… but what is an organic epic? Vance Neudorf is an award-winning author and podcaster, and creator of a 3-volume series of fantasy / science fiction audiobooks for young adults titled the Cor Series. Why is he writing an epic? Why is he giving his work away free?

This week I'm chatting with published author Melissa Sercia, who delivers racy and hot paranormal fantasies! We talked about writing a gripping romance, living in an urban fantasy world, and her popular Immortal Billionaire series of novels. 

Who put the elf into Twelfth Night? Why is today so magical? Plus, what is the difference between propensity and plasticity in a character?

Many felicitations for the season... but who was Felicity? Also, in this episode, what is an epiphany? What are the pre-epiphany conditions? And five helpful & personal epiphanies that all authors should be ready for!

Here are 28 things readers don't want to see! Things that infuriate the reader! What we can learn from the best-selling authors of 2021

A spirited interview with super talented authors Marie Sinadjan + Meri Benson who collaborated to write Hotel Fen, a dark fantasy, that has loads of Norse mythology. We chat about the handcraft + ingenuity that goes into authoring as these two outstanding writers explain that they are composing music for the book, creating story-inspired treats, and designing artwork to accompany the project.

In the second half of NaNoWriMo we chatted with teen fantasy author Sarah Humpherys about taking the 50k word month-long challenge, and about landing herself an agent & publishing deal at the tender age of sixteen! Sarah also talks about world-building and the craft of authorship. Her new novel, titled Stone Cold, features themes on overcoming loss by making new relationships.

An interview with the New Mexico based fantasy author Cassie Sanchez. Cassie chats about writing love-scenes, creating tension and researching magic for her new novel, Chasing the Darkness, which features the angel of death.

This week I talk with award-winning English author Claire Buss. She chats about spice ghosts, the Gaia hypothesis, the golden squirrel awards, the rapid release strategy, author Wilbur Smith, and being the deputy editor of the Write On! magazine

Check out this engaging Myth & Magic interview with the editor of the latest Australian speculative fiction magazine — Etherea, for science fiction and fantasy fans!

12 ways to flip classic fantasy tropes on their head, plus what is a story frame?

An interview with paranormal investigator Dr. Kristy Sumner. She is a founding member of Soul Sisters Paranormal. Her team investigate paranormal activity using scientific methods. If you are writing about the spirit world, hauntings, ghosts, or poltergeists, you will want to listen to this informative and exciting show!

Paranormal: Why are ghosts found in haunted places? A study into haunting. Also, get creative  — three easy ways to construct unique words for your fiction

Celebrating the 100th episode of the Myth & Magic podcast with the ten most popular shows so far. Also, break the yoke on your talent to take charge of your creativity!

What is the infinite transition process? How does it affect authorship (and a writer's reality?) Also, how to be proactive as a writer and what authors might learn from famous discoverers. Nine ways to be an adventurous writer.

How Göbekli Tepe gives us clues about how civilization begins. Are you brave enough to set your fantasy in 10,000 BC? Also, how to explore your para-other: three ways to change your regular line of thinking and become more creative.

The English fairy-tale landscape and how it inspires myth and magic. News about King Arthur's Stone. And why should you try to be an irresponsible artist — goof things up a little! Think like a monkey!

This week: understanding creative brain activity. Also, what we learn from J. R. R. Tolkien about writing epic fantasy, And the mysterious magic of the corn doll (also known as the corn mother)  

Time to find the inner writer: where is your why? How do you fit into the creative puzzle we call authorship? Here's a little quiz to help you find a reason to write! Eight simple questions to find the human who sits behind the words...

What are Scissorhand Experiences? What makes a dynamic silver-screen character? Why do fantasy movies lead to the biggest breakthroughs in movie history? And, how can an author write a fantasy for the cinema? All these views, and more, discussed with film director Ali Khamseh

Talking about a new generation of horror with the talented storyteller, the 'Warning Woods' podcaster Miles Tritle. What makes a story scary? What are the essential ingredients of horror? 

What is human-chauvinism? Are you guilty of writing chauvinistic fantasy? Also, entering the state of flow: do you get into the flow when you write (and what if you don't?) Plus, it's summer — but what are dog days?

What is audio drama? How does it differ from audio-books and podcasting? In my interview with English author Bibi Berki, we discuss audio storytelling and Bibi provides tips & ideas on how to prepare your fiction for audio

Interview with Generation Z poet and writer Rha Arayal, who talks about her encapsulated emotions and provides guidance on how to write intangible concepts

A useful definition of storytelling. Also, Project Cassandra, can fiction writers predict the future? Who was Cassandra? What is Kenning? Who were the filí ?

Fantasy author Birdy Rivers lives with two baby dragons (listen to the podcast to find out more!!) Birdy offers some helpful advice on world-building and suggests the best way to modernize a classic fairy tale...

This week the show is about the great problem of magic — it cannot heal nature. Magic has limits. But I think I found a solution...

How big was Gollum? How we can learn from Tolkien's ability to create monsters? Also, this is Litha's time. And what is a bugbear?

How to install a 4-part scare plan into your novel to make the story really terrifying! Plus, how to make your book pleasurable to read: Here's a helpful list of joyfulation ingredients

What is reality? Can we transcend reality?