Reader/Writer

Ben and Mary Ellen discuss taking kids to conventions with Scott Roche. What do conventions do well, what do they not, and what could they do better?

A discussion moderated by Justin Landon on the diversity in books. Panelists are Delilah S. Dawson, Myke Cole and Cinda Williams Chima.From the programme:"This group was formed to address the need for all types of diversity in children's literature. The hashtag has been used to highlight examples of diversity in books across many genres. Come discuss the ways that social media movements can be used to effect real change in literature, and hear about some recommendations for books highlighting diverse characters and settings.

Ben and Mary Ellen discuss their trip to Balticon! Our picks this month:

Why do we enjoy characters that are emotionless interacting with "normal" emotional people? Wesley Chu moderates with panelists Whitney Ross, Amy Sundberg and Tom Doyle.From the programme:"Emotionally restrained heroes were popular in the age of reason; after Romanticism swept Europe, Jane Austen's Darcys and Knightleys were the only emotionally Vulcan-esque heroes left in media for quite some time. From Darcy/Lizzie on the page, to Spock/Uhura on the screen and Spock/Kirk in our fanfic, we love human passion rubbing up against Vulcan reason. What are other models of this dynamic? What's so appealing about loving a Vulcan...or being one?

It's been two years since we've done a SPOILERS episode, but this couldn't be passed by! Dave Robison, Starla Huchton and Jennifer Melzer join Ben in discussing the movie. If you haven't seen it yet, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

In this panel from ConFusion 2015 Jim C. Hines moderates how much Merrie Haskell, Myke Cole, John Scalzi and Robert J. Bennett suck.From the programme:"A panel of authors play "dueling suck" with their own works, trying to see who can best generate a vacuum"

We talk to the awesome creative couple Jared Axelrod and J.R. Blackwell.Promos from Mighty Marvel Geeks and Get Published. Our picks this month are:

Sometimes the things we like come with baggage. Topics that weren't treated well, authors who don't align with popular opinion, voting slates. This panel, recorded in January, discusses some of those things. Moderated by Phillipe McNally, panelists Jeannie, Amy Sundberg and Sarah Gibbons.From the Programme:"Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice & Fire, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Many of us like things that are deeply problematic! Liking these works doesn't (necessarily) make you a jerk. How can we like problematic things and not only be decent people, but good allies and activists? How does one's background matter? How does one address the problems? This panel will discuss how to own up to the problematic things in the media you like, particularly when you feel strongly about them."

A discussion about women and girls in fandom from ConFusion 2015.Moderated by Mari Brighe with panelists Jeannie, Cherie Priest and Delilah S. Dawson.From the programme:Let's talk about our favorite female characters and female fans (and maybe a word or two about why fandom keeps trying to pretend they're not as awesome as we all know they are).

We're back, finally! Ben and Mary Ellen talk about what they've been up to during the hiatus. Our picks for this month:

This is our final panel from Balticon! Panelists are Val Griswold-Ford, Diane Weinstein, Martin Berman-Gorvine and Paul E. Cooley.From the programme:"Panelists discuss the value (or lack thereof) of doom and gloom speculative fiction."

A panel from Balticon on GLBT issues in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Moderated by Jared Axelrod, with panelists Hugh O'Donnell, N. R. Brown, Carl Cipra, and James Daniel Ross.From the programme:You want to address GLBT issues in your YA SF/F, but you're straight and you only have one queer friend and s/he never talks to you about their life. So how do you avoid sounding clueless? Who should you talk to? What questions should you ask?

A panel on transitioning from independent author to large publisher, moderated by Jared Axelrod, with Philippa Ballantine, A Kovacs and Scott Sigler.From the programme:Experiences of New Media authors moving to the mainstream literary world - Podcasters and ePublishers discuss the experience of moving from the digital world in to print and what changes they had to make.

Ben and Mary Ellen talk to Veronica Giguere about narrating audiobooks and voice acting, writing, and other things.I apologize for the quiet audio in some sections. I couldn't bring the volume up without it sounding horrible.

A panel on space travel with Andy Love moderating, with Catherine Asaro, Pamela Gay, Charles E. Gannon and Geoffrey Landis.From the programme:"Scientists discuss ideas for space travel that have been underutilized or could be due for reintroduction into the genre"

We have Matt Tobin, creator of Aeon Timeline, back to find out what he's been up to! Our picks for this month:

We have a talk with Jared Axelrod and Bill Doran about cosplay, costume and prop making. If you're getting ready for Halloween or looking to build something for next year's convention season, this is the episode to get you started!

Another One Question special from Balticon 48, in an epic crossover episode with The Roundtable Podcast we see what it's like on the other side of your first draft. We find out what awesome writers do after they've finished their first draft. We get insight from:Jared AxelrodJ.R. BlackwellPeter V. BrettMyke ColePaul E. CooleyVeronica GiguireStarla HuchtonJ. Daniel SawyerMicheal R. UnderwoodListen to part one here.

Ben and Mary Ellen are joined by author Paul E. Cooley to discuss his new book The Black, his journey from indie to hybrid author, and being a co-host on the Dead Robots Society Podcast. Our Audible picks for this month:

Another panel from Balticon 48, this panel is moderated by Collin Earl, and features Mike D'Ambrosio, Mark Jeffrey, and Brian Rathbone.From the programme: "Editors and other publishing professionals talk about the YA Market"

Ben and Mary Ellen discuss The Three by Sarah Lotz. Our picks for this month are:

One thing many writers never have a shortage of is ideas. How do you know if an idea is worth exploring and writing though? We discuss this very question with Starla Huchton with answers from Balticon 2014!Our guest answers come from Charles Gannon, Chris Lester, Christopher Morse, Phillipa Ballantine, Tee Morris, Scott Roche, Scott Sigler and a special guest.How do YOU know an idea is a good idea?

Our first panel from Balticon 48! Featuring DC Wilson, Peter Bryant, Myke Cole and Michael Underwood.Description from the programme: "Scientists look at the blatant disregard for basic reality in some science fiction and answer questions from today's authors on how NOT to repeat those faux pas."

Ben and Mary Ellen discuss their hiatus, Guardians of the Galaxy and their feelings on the Amazon v. Hachette "situation". Our Audible picks for this month:

We talk to Michael R. Underwood about his new book Shield and Crocus, "The New Weird" and how he approaches his novels. Our Audible Picks for this month:

It's our 50th episode live from Balticon! We got Dave Robison in a room with a crowd and we heard answers to the One Question "What makes a good supporting character?" We heard pre-recorded answers from Adam Christopher, Mur Lafferty, Justin Landon and Tom Merritt, as well as from Micheal R. Underwood, Hugh J. O'Donnell and Morgen Rich live in the audience!A huge thanks to Starla Huchton for the brand new cover artwork!

Our final panel from Confusion 2014. We hear from six authors, Jacqueline Carey, Sarah Zettel, J.C. Daniels, Sam Sykes, Merrie Haskell and Cindy Spencer Pape.From the programme:"The Trojan War was fought for the love of one woman. Arthurian legend would be incomplete without the love stories. Quests are often undertaken due to an underlying romance, but our popular understanding of genre and various authors' place within and among them seems to lose sight of this fact. Why is one writer's love story paranormal romance, while another's is a tale of fantasy?"

We talk to Abigail Hilton about her writing, the influence of science, and other upcoming work. Our Audible picks this month: Promos for Farlost and Nutty Bites

While we take some time to prepare for Balticon next weekend, here's another panel from ConFusion 2014. Kameron Hurley, Ron Collins, Howard Tayler, Janet Harriett, Catherine Shaffer and Christine Purcell discuss keeping things consistent across a series.From the Programme:"You have just discovered, upon reading a previous novel in the universe you are writing, a point that completely nullifies the plot of the book you are trying to write. What do you do? This particular issue comes up often, and the solution may make everything better. Our panel discusses how to proceed from this thorn, once you've calmed down..."Promo for Space Casey Season 2

Another panel from ConFusion 2014. Myke Cole moderates with panelists Sarah Gibbons, Janet Harriett and Mike Carey.From the programme:"Books, and those who write them, are sometimes elevated to the status of canon. In science fiction as in fantasy, there are works that are considered must reads for any serious student of the genre. Is this always a good thing? Seminal as they could be, older novels also often have structures and language that are far from conventions now, not to mention societal assumptions and prejudices about race and gender that can shock a modern reader. Is there a point where a work is old enough to be safely retired from the conversation?"Promo for Paul E. Cooley's The Street.

We talk to our first Hugo-nominated guest Justin Landon of Staffer's Book Review and the host of the new podcast from Tor.com, Rocket Talk. We talk about the Hugos, how his Hugo-nominated book came to be, and giving a good review. Our Audible picks this month:

Ben and Mary Ellen review Scott Sigler's newest book Pandemic. If you don't want spoilers, stop listening after the promo for Farlost from John Mierau.

Another panel from ConFusion 2014 in Detroit, MI. Panelists Anne Gray, Candra Gill and Mark Oshiro discuss diversity in comics and Spec Fic in general.From the programme:"Many of us love superheroes because as kids we wanted to be like them, but what happens when you don't see any superheroes or creators who look like you?"Promo for Way of the Buffalo Podcast.

We talk to Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine about The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, The Shared Desk and Kickstarter campaigns.Promos for Farlost and Tales From the Archives.We are asking our listeners to help out and support the show by donating on our Patreon page. Visit http://www.patreon.com/readerwriter to help out. Our picks for this month:

Ben talks to Matthew Pizzolato from The Western Online about writing westerns.

Ben is on his first convention panel at ConFusion 2014. From the programme:Catherine Shaffer, Brian Gray, Ben Delano"Marvel Entertainment recently announced the "Be the next Jane Foster" STEM mentoring program and contest, and even hygiene products are getting in on the act (AXE's "Be an Astronaut" contest). Can speculative media franchises boost interest in the sciences, especially for underrepresented groups?"Promos for Canada Reads and Way Of The Buffalo

We talk with author and graphic artist Starla Huchton about her upcoming book Evolution: Angel, marketing strategies for independent authors, and book covers.Promos for Scott Sigler's Pandemic and Tales from the Archives: Vol. 3We are asking our listeners to help out and support the show by donating on our Patreon page. Visit http://www.patreon.com/readerwriter to help out. Our picks for this month:

The MacGuffin is often a maligned element of storytelling. Most of the time, when you hear it mentioned, you are meant to tread carefully, if not avoid the trope.However, at ConFusion 2014, Ben asked a few authors how you can use a MacGuffin well. These are the responses from Brad Beaulieu, Howard Tayler, John Scalzi, Laura Resnick, Michael R. Underwood, Myke Cole and Peter V. Brett. Of course, what would be a One Question episode without Dave Robison?

It's the return of the Dumb Questions panel from ConFusion! Myke Cole moderates again this year with guests Jacqueline Carey, Nancy Fulda, Sam Sykes and Laura Resnick. It's the one panel where smart questions are discouraged.Includes promo for The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Podcast

We have a chat with Matthew Wayne Selznick about his upcoming project, Reading the Amazing Spider-Man, theme, and Selznick Serials.Promos for The Guild of the Cowry Catchers and Scott Sigler's Pandemic.Matthew has offered a $4 discount to our listeners who pre-order Reading the Amazing Spider-Man. You can order either the EPUB or MOBI (Kindle) versions of the book by clicking. You must pre-order before Feb. 9! Our picks for this month:

The superhero story is a genre that has become increasingly popular over the past 20 years. Superheros have touched every medium: novels, radio, television, movies, and now also live in online videos and podcasts. Ben talks to 4 authors, Adam Christopher, Andrew Mayne, Christopher Morse and Starla Huchton, about their experience writing in the superhero genre. Promo for Scott Sigler's Pandemic.

We talk to Myke Cole about his upcoming book, Breach Zone, and building good characters.Promos for Saturday Morning Media and The Way of the Buffalo. Our picks this month are: Monster Hunter Alpha by Larry Correia Five Billion Years of Solitude by Lee Billings

A panel on Dynamic Voice Acting from Balticon. Moderated by Alex White, panelists are Stephen Granade, Starla Huchton and Veronica Giguere.Promo for The Dunesteef.

Another Reader/Writer SPOILERS! panel.  Dave Robison and Myke Cole join Ben to talk about Thor: The Dark World. Likes, dislikes and the old "Dead/Not Dead" conundrums of comic movies. Here's your nine pence.Also, you can check out our last SPOILERS! panel about Iron Man 3.

Just the hosts this episode, and we discuss Death Warmed Over, Book 1 in the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series by Kevin J. Anderson.Promos for Quirks & Quarks and The Bent Bullet. Our picks for this month: The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi Dreadnought by Cherie Priest

The Google+ for Authors panel at Balticon 2013. Moderated by Dr. Pamela Gay, featuring Brand Gamblin, A Kovacs and A.C. Wise.Promo for Nutty Bites

We talk to Matthew Tobin of Scribble Code , creator of Aeon Timeline, about what's behind his software, camera AI, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.Promos for Functional Nerds and Dead Robots Society.  Our picks for this month:  Death Warmed Over by Kevin J. Anderson  The Heroes  by Joe Abercrombie  King of Plagues  by Jonathan Mayberry  Wanting by Richard Flanagan

In this special episode, we discuss with the wise Dave Robison one question: "What is your most important tool for writing? " With answers from authors and podcasters at Dragon*Con we give you a run-down of things to help you during the upcoming NaNoWriMo challenge!We hear from the great minds of Kevin J. Anderson, Christiana Ellis, Veronica Giguere, Starla Huchton, Tom Merritt, Scott Sigler, and Jon Strickland.Some of the products we've talked about:Software: Scrivener, Aeon Timeline , Dragon Naturally SpeakingBooks: Save The Cat, 20 Master Plots, 45 Master CharactersOnline Services: DropboxPromo for Gail Carriger's Crudrat 

We talk to Scott Sigler and A Kovacs at Dragon*Con about podcast fiction, building a universe and keeping on track.Promos for Nutty Bites and Way of the Buffalo  Our Audible picks this month are:   A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

The military's portal in speculative fiction is discussed by people with military experience. Panelists are: Joseph Zieja, John Hemry/Jack Campbell, Myke Cole, Brad R. Torgersen and David VoderbergPromo for The Dunesteef. 

Lost WorldCon 2012 panel about committing to a series with Mary Robinette Kowal, Jason M Hough, Elizabeth Moon and Adam Troy Castro.Promo from NuttyBites.