Podcasts about realm makers

Last year brought many challenges for Christian fantasy fans. From flops at the theaters now threatened by streaming slop, to creators making more events for Christian storytelling, to the continued growth of biblical fiction as the top genre of Christian-made entertainment—let's survey the top ten fantasy-related headlines from last year. Episode sponsors Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen The Case of the Heart Stone by Tulli Cole Above the Circle of Earth by E. Stephen Burnett Mission update New at Lorehaven: many features over the holidays! We announced our new book quest in the Lorehaven Guild: Taliesin Onscreen: ‘Stranger Things' Season Five Gives Weight to Parents' Fears, A. D. Sheehan Onscreen: ‘David' Creators Answer all Your Questions About the Animated Hit Movie, Josh Shepherd Engage: Alleged ‘Rock and Roll' Soundtrack Incites Suspicion of Netflix's Narnia Movie, newcomer Sierra Simopoulos Sierra Simopoulos also reviewed Sons of Day and Night My own article: Why Christians Need Fantastical Stories Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild Stop by the homepage for many upgrades, especially the Library. Soon: discover the Guild's new wing, the Lorehaven Authorship. 10. Superheroes failed to save ailing cinema Marvel movies, despite their strengths, all flopped at the box office. Personally I did like Fantastic Four: First Steps, but didn't love it. Lorehaven folks were generally positive about some hero movies. ‘Captain America: Brave New World' Labors to Save a Struggling MCU, Marian A. Jacobs The Antiheroes of Thunderbolts* Preach to Marvel Itself, Daniel Whyte IV ‘Superman' (2025) Will Make You Believe a Man Can Be Earnest, Josiah DeGraaf However, audiences were tepid; none of these films broke even. The greatest foe of superheroes? Flippancy. Next: lack of family. MCU reached its apex with creators who at least feigned sincerity. DC's nobledark tone was winning fans, until the studio freaked out. 9. Disney's ‘Snow White' remake bombed Sticking with cinemas, this one might be the year's greatest fail. ‘Snow White' (2025) Isn't the Fairest of Adaptations, Parker J. Cole I didn't see it. Few people did. More people saw YouTube roasts. This whole nonsense was an ugly reflection of three terrible trends ruining films: “woke” checkboxes, cynicism, and corporate gloss. 8. Fans abandoned legacy sci-fi franchises Once a Doctor Who hero, Russell T. Davies has ruined that series. Star Trek is adrift, desperately trying to hail imaginary “new fans.” Of course, Star Wars keeps failing to please its own alienated fans. The greatest culprit here: Godless, sex-obsessed progressivism. One can't correct from this without visibly rejecting “woke” politics. 7. K-Pop Demon Hunters owned the summer We haven't had a genuine pop-culture movie phenomenon in ages. Then along comes this little giant animated movie on Netflix. ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters' Pits Singing Heroines vs. Monster Idols, Marian A. Jacobs Kids sang catchy songs. Adults found deeper themes to explore. YouTube reactions and covers on Instagram/TikTok exploded. For the first time, Netflix had a true four-quadrant hit on its hands. And dear Lord, may they learn only the right lessons from this, and not turn this into another streaming slop like so much other stuff. 6. ‘Woke' stories stepped back, yet persisted 251. Could a Cultural ‘Vibe Shift' Advance Christian-Made Fiction? Due to political events we won't detail, that agenda is on the wane. At least the Sexualityism religion is seen as stale and unstable. Many are still trying to figure out what, if any, ideas will replace it. A. D. Sheehan had to critique Brandon Sanderson, a late arrival to the “woke” content scene: Brandon Sanderson's New Fantasy ‘Wind and Truth' Summons a Postmodern Cringestorm. Oddly enough, we keep seeing Christian parents posting about the random books they find, after which they ask “Is it woke?” Pro tip: yeah, it's probably woke, especially with a cover like that. By now we surely have enough Christian-made novels to help? 5. Corporate slop threatens human stories 274. Why Shouldn't AI-Generated Content Replace Human Stories? This is partly about AI-generated slop, but not always. Skeptical fans now refer to anything bad with “this looks AI.” Why? Because the problem goes deeper than technology amok. Long before AI, corporate studios began relying on algorithms. I believe that's when these stories began feeling less, well, human. 272. Can We Save Cinema from Sloppy Stories? Instead of human hunches, stories get greenlit by metallic minds. Reference: the short-lived run of Robert Zemekis mocap movies. At first people express curiosity, but eventually they get bored. Prediction: this too shall pass. We'll see a lot of forced “firsts,” like “the first fully AI-generated movie.” They may even succeed. But the novelty will quickly wear off as it did before Mars Needs Moms. Still, Christian creators must dig deeper to defend organic human stories with philosophies deeper than “AI destroys the Earth.” 4. Conservative TV is trying more fantasy We greatly anticipate the DailyWire+ show The Pendragon Cycle. Based on Stephen Lawhead's novels, seven episodes drop Jan. 22. Christian showrunner Jeremy Boreing actually stepped down from being Daily Wire co-CEO, it seems, to ensure finishing this series. Political hot takes scarcely outlast the day. Great stories last long. Alas, there's the constantly controversial Magician's Nephew movie Marketing for this is dreadful, with publicly floated nonsense about an actress playing Aslan or the movie featuring “rock and roll.” 257. By Aslan's Mane, is Netflix Really Casting a Lady as the Lion? Meanwhile, platforms like Angel (run by LDS members, yet with freedom for Christians) released The Wingfeather Saga season 2. We also saw a new angel-heroes show, Gabriel and the Guardians. ‘Gabriel and the Guardians' Echoes a Golden Era of Saturday Morning Cartoons, Jenneth Leed Alas, any sci-fi-ish efforts seem restricted to dystopian dramas. We need higher budgets and risks to widen those genre limits. 3. Realm Makers unites Christian creators 265. How Can We Shine the Gospel at the Realm Makers Expo? 266. How Do You Assemble a New Expo for Christian Fandoms? | with Scott Minor Last year's conference in Grand Rapids marked an experiment. Can this organization blend creator training with a public expo? Results were mixed-positive, mainly because of the venue choice. For me, a debut sci-fi novelist, results may have skewed better. Yet our primary audience must be Christian fans and families. A semi-major downtown is difficult for these folks to access. Next year's new venue in St. Louis looks much more promising! And it sounds like the public Expo will be easier for fans to access. For Christian fantasy to grow, we must unite over common interest. Yet this unity must be based on love for the true Jesus, our Author. 2. Biblical fiction is the top Christian genre There's no contest. Amish and historical fiction is dethroned. Christian fantasy (mostly romantasy) remains confined to books. Amazon's ‘House of David' Anoints an Intriguing Biblical Epic, Michael Allen ‘House of David' Is Crowned King of Amazon Prime, Jenneth Leed 1. Fantasy for teen/YA women continues to rule the Christian-made fantastical worlds This might well be the repeat headline from previous years. Facts are facts. Teen girls and women outread everyone else. When they like fantasy, they prefer female heroes/relationships. Romantasy is the queen. And her handmaiden is royal drama. 249. What is ‘Romantasy'? | with Parker J. Cole And the new princess on the block? Time-travel romance, for sure. 263. What is Time-Travel Romance? | Every Hour Until Then with Gabrielle Meyer These books get the most attention on Instagram and elsewhere. Is it true that “men don't read”? Not necessarily. Men do read. But they tend to read nonfiction about culture, theology, history. And for fantastical fiction, these readers have unique expectations. Christians here favor proven legacies, especially Lewis/Tolkien. One can't complain about the reality. Instead, meet the standard. Frankly, that's my hope for Above the Circle of Earth and beyond. Of course I support teen/YA female-focused fantasy stories! Yet that's not my genre; it doesn't help me, personally, grow in joy. Surely there are more readers who favor other kinds of stories, maybe deeper, maybe in underdog genres like sci-fi and horror. Christians must expect a true joyous sci-fi future under King Jesus. And we uniquely understand supernatural realities/horror today. But making new stories isn't enough. We must cultivate readers. That's our mission at Lorehaven with our new mission statement: Escape bad books. Find the best Christian fantasy and sci-fi! Watch this space for more about bad books, reader cultivation, and new resolutions to avoid scroll traps and level up your imagination. Com station Top question for listeners What was your top fantasy story or least-liked story in 2025? Next on Fantastical Truth “In one cataclysmic moment, millions around the world disappear.” Jesus returned thirty years ago. Or rather, He sort of pre-returned, the warm-up act, if you will. Many faithful Christians believe in this kind of “rapture.” And in December 1995, two authors teamed up and used this idea to create the most successful biblical end-times thriller we've yet seen. Last summer, we overviewed the series. Yet now we'll ask how that first Left Behind novel has aged, thirty years after its release.

The internet was abuzz when Mel Brooks and company released a trailer for Spaceballs 2. The opening crawl skewered the current Hollywood penchant for spinoffs, sequels, prequels and remakes. Is it time to sunset some of these franchises that continually crank out rehashed content? Maybe. Is it time to put a spotlight on creators who are writing fresh stories? Definitely! Today's episode discusses two franchises: Star Wars and Jurassic Park. We talk about the pros and cons of continuing to create stories for these two world. We also intersperse interviews with creators who are laboring away to create beautiful, new world for reader and moviegoers to enjoy.  Authors and Artists:  Z. S. Diamonti - https://zsdiamanti.com Laura VanArendonk Baugh -https://lauravanarendonkbaugh.com Mollie Reader - Fearless Indie Film Maker - https://fearlessindiefilmmaker.com   Please consider supporting our show:  Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks    

The internet was abuzz when Mel Brooks and company released a trailer for Spaceballs 2. The opening crawl skewered the current Hollywood penchant for spinoffs, sequels, prequels and remakes. Is it time to sunset some of these franchises that continually crank out rehashed content? Maybe. Is it time to put a spotlight on creators who are writing fresh stories? Definitely! Today's episode discusses two franchises: Star Wars and Jurassic Park. We talk about the pros and cons of continuing to create stories for these two world. We also intersperse interviews with creators who are laboring away to create beautiful, new world for reader and moviegoers to enjoy.  Authors and Artists:  Z. S. Diamonti - https://zsdiamanti.com Laura VanArendonk Baugh -https://lauravanarendonkbaugh.com Mollie Reader - Fearless Indie Film Maker - https://fearlessindiefilmmaker.com   Please consider supporting our show:  Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks    

It's Galactus sized episode where we talk about Fantastic 4, the first of the beatitudes from  Matthew 5:3 and get to meet author E. J. Kitchens from the Realm Makers' community.  Author E. J. Kitchens' website: https://www.ejkitchens.com Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Support Nerdy Folks: Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Buy me a coffee: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks

It's Galactus sized episode where we talk about Fantastic 4, the first of the beatitudes from  Matthew 5:3 and get to meet author E. J. Kitchens from the Realm Makers' community.  Author E. J. Kitchens' website: https://www.ejkitchens.com Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Support Nerdy Folks: Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Buy me a coffee: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks

We discuss James Gunn's version of Superman and rumored plans for the future of the DCU. We also get an interview with Andy from Discipleship Tech. He traveled all the way from the United Kingdom to be a part of the Realm Makers' convention in Grand Rapids Michigan.  Discipleship Tech: https://discipleship.tech/serpentseedgame/ Brandon Sanderson on Superman:https://screenrant.com/superman-brandon-sanderson-too-powerful/ Support our show:) | Connect With Nerdy Folks Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks

We discuss James Gunn's version of Superman and rumored plans for the future of the DCU. We also get an interview with Andy from Discipleship Tech. He traveled all the way from the United Kingdom to be a part of the Realm Makers' convention in Grand Rapids Michigan.  Discipleship Tech: https://discipleship.tech/serpentseedgame/ Brandon Sanderson on Superman:https://screenrant.com/superman-brandon-sanderson-too-powerful/ Support our show:) | Connect With Nerdy Folks Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks

Faithful gamers are finding fertile soil in digital worlds, leading to this year's crossover between Realm Makers and Christian Game Developers.

The guys welcome Scott Minor of Realm Makers for a cameo on Christian fiction... Meet the Realm Makers conference: A decade or two ago, Christian fiction publishers only wanted Amish romance; but Scott's wife Betty was a Christian fantasy writer... so together they founded Realm Makers! Nate's headlining at Realm Makers in two weeks: So Nate asks Scott about fantasy authors' greatest strength... and their greatest weakness. The guys discuss the future of Christian fiction, including Christian fiction "stars" like Mike Nawrocki (Veggie Tales), Katie Lee (Connie from Odyssey), and S.D. Smith (Green Ember).

This one's personal: what I'm reading, what I'm writing, and how I'm navigating the creative chaos.In this episode, I share a peek inside my current author life—including how community, covers, and conferences are playing a big part in my process right now.You'll hear:-My upcoming release – The Veracin Blade (aka, “the book that just. WOUDN'T. END”)-My TBR stack and reading habits – including fave book features-Why I'm building journals to pair with my books-The joy of showing up and connecting at eventsIf you love bookish chaos and creative process talk—this one's for you.Sign up for my newsletter and get a free book! https://jiauthor.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit authorculture.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Cody interviewed Scott Minor, COO of Realm Makers.    The Realm Makers Mission To support writers and artists who create science fiction and fantasy in their journeys from idea to marketplace. Whether participating artists wish to gear their content for inspirational or mainstream audiences, Realm Makers seeks to encourage them from a faith-friendly perspective.   MORE INFO Send us your questions! podcast@geeksundergrace.com For more Geeks Under Grace: http://www.geeksundergrace.com http://www.twitter.com/geeksundergrace http://www.twitch.tv/geeksundergrace https://geeksundergrace.com/give     For more Cody Armour: http://twitter.com/CodyArmour https://www.instagram.com/codyarmour/     Real Makers Socials: https://www.facebook.com/RealmMakers/ https://www.instagram.com/realmmakers/# https://www.youtube.com/@RealmMakers

Hear the backstory of Realm Makers, from its 2013 origin as a fantastical writers conference to the new 2025 Realm Makers Expo coming this July to Grand Rapids.

Christian-led conferences attract saints as well as nonbelievers who like wholesome stories, making them fantastic fields for creative missions.

The Realm Makers' Writer's Convention and Fan Expo are premier events for Christians writing in the Science Fiction, Fantasy and Speculative Fiction genres. On this episode, we discuss the guests and content one can find at these world-class events.  www.realmmakers.com Support Nerdy Folks:  Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks  

The Realm Makers' Writer's Convention and Fan Expo are premier events for Christians writing in the Science Fiction, Fantasy and Speculative Fiction genres. On this episode, we discuss the guests and content one can find at these world-class events.  www.realmmakers.com Support Nerdy Folks:  Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks  

Scott Minor and his wife founded the Realm Makers Writer's Conference, which is now one of the premier events in the country for Christians who are writing sci-fi, fantasy and speculative fiction. Now, they have added a fan expo with a full lineup of incredible guests. It's all happening on July 18-20th, 2025 in Grand Rapids Michigan. Tickets and information can be found at www.realmmakers.com  Would you consider supporting Nerdy Folks? Here are ways to get in touch and to give:  Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks  

Scott Minor and his wife founded the Realm Makers Writer's Conference, which is now one of the premier events in the country for Christians who are writing sci-fi, fantasy and speculative fiction. Now, they have added a fan expo with a full lineup of incredible guests. It's all happening on July 18-20th, 2025 in Grand Rapids Michigan. Tickets and information can be found at www.realmmakers.com  Would you consider supporting Nerdy Folks? Here are ways to get in touch and to give:  Website: https://www.nerdyfolks.com Tax Deductible Gift: http://www.globalstudentinc.com/seipel-anderson Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=U8AU6JNDRH6KN Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NerdyFolks Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/nerdyfolks  

Christian authors make amazing stories while conferences like Realm Makers help make the authors—and are poised to grow even bigger.

Can faith-based sword and sorcery books, body horror romance, gifted illustrator, successful CEO of Realm Makers, and chronic conditions all go together? Yup, if you're the amazing Rebecca P. Minor, who I have the honor of interviewing in this latest podcast episode! We dive into world building from a Christian worldview, exploring new genres, balancing business and creative life, the importance of cats and rats, and much more. Also, for weekly videos (vs. sporadic podcast episodes), please check out the Author Elevate YouTube Channel.

In this week's podcast with L Maristatter (Tiny Tin House, Niffy Cat Press, August 2022), we examine what she did when her manuscript grew to 380,000 words (chopped it up into bite-sized pieces and made it a trilogy), the challenges of writing a novel that takes a clear political stance (including working hard to make it more than a revenge screed), how essential it is for an indie author to not scrimp when it comes to interior design and cover art and her best advice to over-anxious authors: don't rush to publication but include a 6-month lead-up to release to maximize your pre-publicity. L Maristatter holds a BA in journalism and an MA in communication. Her short story, “Crying in the Sun,” was published in The Saturday Evening Post online, and the web journal Defuncted published her poem, “Child.”  Maristatter is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, the Women's Fiction Writers Association, the Wisconsin Writers Association, the Author's Guild, and Realm Makers. She lives in the snowy Midwest, where she tries to stay warm, reads terrific fiction, and eats way too much chocolate. She's on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter regularly, and TikTok and Instagram when she's feeling brave. To learn more about Lisa, click here.  

We asked conference newcomers and authors alike how wonderful stories have led them to rediscover truth and worship Jesus Christ.

Stephen just returned from the Realm Makers conference, and shares with Zack all about the event, Lorehaven's booth, and Realm Award winners.

Three storytellers wield faith over fear to battle YA fantasy fiends, in this special encore feature of a Realm Makers livestream event.

At Realm Makers, we shared story joys with executive director Scott Minor, The Seventh Sun author Lani Forbes, and other fantastic creators.

Tyler sits down and talks to Scott Minor from Realm Makers. An organization that is dedicated to the support and promotion and education of Speculative Fiction Authors who have a Faith in Jesus Christ.  And while that might seem like we're describing a bible study at church, you be surprised by wide a range of people share this commonality. Tyler gushes over the great work that this group is doing, and Scot shares the origin story of this convention that has grown to become of the largest gatherings of Christian nerds, weirdos, creatives, storytellers and all around great people. There are also Amish Vampires in space... so get ready for that.  As always a thank you to Jake Bassen for our theme song. Check him out on SoundCloud:   https://soundcloud.com/jakebassen   As well as Cam Clawson, for our Correspondence Remix: https://soundcloud.com/camclawson7   Follow us on Instagram: @lewisandlovecraft Tyler is @twclawson_pdx Hannah is @thehannahray   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LewisandLovecraft/   Website: https://lewislovecraft.weebly.com/   Email: lewisandlovecraft@gmail.com

Going back to Realm Makers! But with the pandemic going on, the in person conference was canceled and it went virtual. Author MB Mooney (Realm Makers vet) talks with author Melinda Eye Cooper who went to the conference for the first time. They do a recap and talk about the pros and cons of a virtual event.

We just returned from the Realm Makers conference with new award-winners and breaking news about next year's event.

In this special panel courtesy of Realm Makers, you can listen to fantasy novelists wrestle with challenging content in fiction.

Lauren H Brandenburg is an inspirational speaker, mentor, and author. The Death of Mungo Blackwell is her first novel with Lion Fiction and her first novel for grown-ups. As a former English teacher and homeschooling mom, Lauren combines her love of ‘the what if’ with her spirit of adventure and faith to delight and encourage readers young and old. Her fourth book in The Books of the Gardener series, Orlo: The Created, was a 2017 finalist for the Selah Middle Grade Novel of the Year. Lauren is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers and is on staff with the Realm Makers conference. She lives with her husband, Jamie, and two children in a lovely little town just south of Nashville, Tennessee, however… she will always consider Kentucky her home.Listen in as she shares about teaching, homeschooling, empty nesting, writing and baking! You're going to love her.Lauren's website is:http://www.laurenbrandenburg.comAs always you can find Hannah:http://www.hannahrconway.comand Stephani:http://www.stephanicook.org

A review of the movie, "Kin", some Trek Talk with Matt McKinney, and a roundup of Christian Geek news items, including an interesting movement among authors!

Your friendly hosts Janeen Ippolito and H. L. Burke teamed up in person at the Realm Makers writers conference in St. Louis, Missouri--and return with snark, adventures, and tidbits about having a great writers conference. Plus, what pineapples have to do with good marketing!

Are you a writer looking for a great conference? Steven and Britt get back from Realm Makers and give their thoughts and insights on the great conference. 

Interview with author of Bellanoch, Ralene Burke.

We were totally delighted to hang out with one of the forefathers of the awesome Realm Makers conference in these episodes, Kerry Nietz! Kerry, as he says, is a refugee from software engineering, and is the author of Amish Vampires in Space (as seen on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon!) In Episode 46: How Kerry structures his writing time so he can end his session in the middle of a scene. Oh, Scrivner, do we love thee? Let us count the ways... Kerry's really good first drafts, and how he handles editing. Developing a thick skin! (Metaphorically...) Developing habits to overcome writer's block (literally...) Mayans, mythology, and vampire gods - Oh My! Never stop writing-never surrender! The differences in traditional publishing versus self-publishing, at least from Kerry's perspective. Too lazy to type out the links while you're listening? We've got you covered! (If they don't work, it's Liberty's fault....) Kerry Nietz Frayed Amish Vampires in Space Mike Duran Tosca Lee Nadine Brandes (editing services) Jeff Gerke (editing services) Ray Bradbury (Hey, he won a Pulitzer! But not for what you'd think...) Edgar Rice Burroughs Michael Crighton

We were totally delighted to hang out with one of the forefathers of the awesome Realm Makers conference in these episodes, Kerry Nietz! Kerry, as he says, is a refugee from software engineering, and is the author of Amish Vampires in Space (as seen on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon!)   In Episode 45: Revisiting story worlds by writing Frayed. Threadbare, the main character, and why Kerry loves him. Throwing characters curve balls (No, not literally...) Liberty's cold leads to a misinterpretation of one of our questions, and an interesting answer. Research into boxing! Kerry's favorite superhero and the version he prefers! Usually, one's superhero and one's Captain have similar traits... Mr. Nietz is an exception... Too lazy to type out the links while you're listening? We've got you covered! (If they don't work, it's Liberty's fault....) Kerry Nietz Frayed Amish Vampires in Space Mike Duran Tosca Lee Nadine Brandes (editing services) Jeff Gerke (editing services) Ray Bradbury (Hey, he won a Pulitzer! But not for what you'd think...) Edgar Rice Burroughs Michael Crighton Find LDK online!

In this week's (bonus!) episode of the show, Josh and Liberty pick Aaron's brain on what happened in Philadelphia at Realm Makers 2016. For anyone who hasn't been, the camaraderie is amazing, and you immediately feel like you've found your tribe. This year, Aaron got to hear sessions from Thomas Locke, Tosca Lee, and Kathy Tyers, among others. Aaron shares some of his notes from Tosca's sessions on characterization (these are really good!) Josh and Liberty wished we were in this session alongside him! We decide that for 2017, we need a cloning machine. There's too many sessions that we want to go to! (But we're pretty sure that's part of the plan since the founders do sell recordings!) Creativity is one of the rarest gifts. We have our creativity to honor God with, and that's who we are, no matter what our day job is. Love it and know you're meant to do that. -- Tom Black Realm Makers 2017 is at the Atlantis Casino & Resort in Reno, NV July 27 - 29. You need to be there! Registration opens in the spring (usually in late March or April 1.)      

On this episode we spoke with Patrick Carr, author of the Staff and Sword Series, about his venture into the Darkwater Saga and the Shock of Night. A trilogy of trilogies awaits! In these episodes, Patrick keeps us laughing. Also, you'll never believe how accident prone Patrick is! All of us wax nostalgic at some point...you'd think we're old or something! In Episode 29 Odd character traits with Patrick's main character. (How does sleep walking and murders correlate?) Writing with an unreliable protagonist. Hating your writing while you're writing. Juggling. Emergency room visits! We manage to gross Aaron out. How Patrick uses his own accidents to inform his books. How to recast your books from one setting to another when your editor and agent tell you to. Fencing stories! Some engineering talk, which is totally fascinating. Googling has some interesting answers...including how dogs see. We get off into old time radio and radio broadcasts in general because of Patrick's answer to the superhero question. You will NEVER guess Patrick's answer to his Captain. Never, never, never! Patrick's looking forward to teaching a class at Realm Makers! Links: Patrick Carr The Darkwater Saga The Shock of Night Home Improvement. Steve Laube (Patrick's agent!) David Eddings (The Belgariad) Steven R. Donaldson (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant) Robert Ludlum Brandon Sanderson C. S. Lewis (Screwtape Letters; The Space Trilogy) Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series The Magician by Raymond Feist  

NYT Bestselling author Tosca Lee returns to Write Stuff to talk about her work and the Realm Makers conference. If you're a Christian and you write or read speculative fiction -- you dont' want to miss this conference! Realm Makers exists to provide a faith-friendly symposium for writers and artists, focused on science fiction, fantasy, and all their sub-genres. Whether participating artists wish to gear their content for the inspirational or mainstream marketplace, they have a place at Realm Makers. Realm Makers 2016 is the PREMIERE place for Chrsitian speculative fiction authors. Workshops, lectures, and cosplay all come together for a fun filled, out of this world weekend. Tune in to get more details and see how you can be a part of this growing genre. Call in at 646-668-8485, press 1 to be live on air. Or download Stitcher on your mobile device, or click on the link here: http://tobtr.com/8837941 Tune in!

As the founder of the first--and only, to the best of our knowledge--conference for writers of faith with a sci-fi and fantasy bent, one may think Rebecca "Becky" Minor might be a bit too busy to sit down with us lowly podcasters. However, Becky is a wonderful person to chat with, and we're delighted that she took time out of her schedule to have a lively discussion with us this week! Writing as Rebecca P. Minor, Becky authors the Windrider Saga (the only one out right now is Divine Summons), which I am definitely going to have to put on my TBR pile...err, mountain...err, okay, well it's a library at this stage. The description of her protagonist alone is enough to make someone say, "Uh, yeah, I need to read that!" Episode 16 features more discussion on her writing, as well as Realm Makers, the world's most AWESOME writing conference for nerds and geeks of faith!  Becky's writing process, since she's a full-on pantser. We have a lengthy discussion about how Scrivener can be used by the pantser...even though Becky isn't an adopter. Becky's odd item that she's Googled is quite unusual. We discuss Becky's favorite book (you probably won't be surprised) and the version she has on her bookshelves. Costco is one of our famous bunny-trails...and you'll find the diversion quite hilarious. (One word: Pickles.) Realm Makers! What is it, how did it get started, and what's coming up for it in 2016! (Awesome writer's conference for us geeks--you really should come!) And much, much more! https://wordpress.com/post/lasersdragonsandkeyboards.wordpress.com/564 Links to Things and People we discussed: Rebecca "Becky" P. Minor Divine Summons J.R.R. Tolkien Ray Bradbury Madeline L'Engle (Tilting Planet) Lloyd Alexander (Chronicles of Prydain / Black Cauldron) Almond Thins (for the gluten-free listener!) Brandon Sanderson (The Way of Kings) Robert Liparulo Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind) Episode 15 Audio Link