Podcasts about writing prompts

What's this? Out on a Friday? The weekend's just started early! May yours we weird and wondrous enough.Play. Discover. Be discovered. Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into creative writing using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Brainstorming and writing short stories has never been so rich in discovery and surprises. Listeners' words are drawn from the legendary Socks of Destiny and mixed into writing prompts which lead to the most unexpected story ideas—and a fascinating exploration of writing craft.Listeners are also warmly invited to share their own microfiction and poetry based on the previous show's prompts. Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard's private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to www.annatizard.com.Sometimes Anna uses a 12-sided dice to choose a further category to suggest a direction for a story idea. These categories are: 1) a book or magazine 2) a job or role, takenon reluctantly, 3) a pub or café, 4) a portal or means of travel, 5) a piece of treasure or magical, sought-after object, 6) a monster or creature, 7) an invention, 8) a weapon, 9) a hidden identity or disguise, 10) a scar (physical or psychological), 11) a ghost, or 12) or a cocktail or special tea (or a magic potion or poison).

“It all starts with awareness of yourself and noticing how you're feeling at different moments and how you're breathing and your emotional state, how we tie them together in our own awareness.” - Beth BaranyDid you know the five senses play an important part in making a connection between your character and readers?In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “How A Character's Breathing Reveals Their Emotion in Your Novel” host Beth Barany shares how you can create a deep emotional bond between your characters and readers, when to use breath and emotion cues, and provides writing examples in prose using breath as a technique to hook your readers.Beth also shares the inspiration behind the episode and shares about her Edit lab, a monthly membership with exclusive perks.ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTHow To Write The Future is a podcast for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to imagine better worlds—and write stories that bring those futures to life. Each episode offers practical craft guidance, creative prompts, and big-picture inspiration to help you draft, revise, and publish with purpose.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. She helps science fiction and fantasy novelists write, revise, and publish stories that matter by blending practical craft guidance with a commitment to imagination, possibility, and how stories shape our world.RESOURCESYou finished your novel? Now what? Get the 30,000-foot view with our Edit Your Novel Checklist: http://edityournovelchecklist.com/Get the workbook: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/Join the Edit Lab! https://bethbarany.com/editlabSupport the podcast! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany*Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“Do not make yourself wrong. Life is busy. We have multiple commitments that we're juggling, all of us.” - Beth BaranyIn this How To Write the Future podcast episode titled “How to Restart Your Writing after a Break,” host Beth Barany shares the emotional turbulence of coming back to writing after a break and why feeling anger can be a powerful tool to use in your writing. She also offers tips to use timed writing and helpful prompts, which are available to download free here.Sign up for your “10 Ways to Generate Ideas” ebook:https://writersfunzone.com/blog/10-ways-to-generate-ideas/ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTHow To Write The Future is a podcast for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to imagine better worlds—and write stories that bring those futures to life. Each episode offers practical craft guidance, creative prompts, and big-picture inspiration to help you draft, revise, and publish with purpose.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. Through her services and products, she guides novelists to write, revise, and publish stories that matter—blending practical craft guidance with a big-picture commitment to bright imagination, deep meaning, and wide-open possibilities. She calls writers to create with hope and courage—and to speak truth through art, even when it stretches them into a new version of themselves.RESOURCESSign up for your “10 Ways to Generate Ideas” ebook:https://writersfunzone.com/blog/10-ways-to-generate-ideas/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

New format! Get to the laughs and imagination-games sooner with this shorter, snappier version of the show.Play. Discover. Be discovered. Join award-winning fantasy and dreampunk author, Anna Tizard, in a journey into creative writing using the surrealist word game of Exquisite Corpse. Brainstorming and writing short stories has never been so rich in discovery and surprises. Listeners' words are drawn from the legendary Socks of Destiny and mixed into writing prompts which lead to the most unexpected story ideas—and a fascinating exploration of writing craft. Listeners are also warmly invited to share their own microfiction and poetry based on the previous show's prompts. Subscribe for free to Anna Tizard's private email list and receive an e-book to begin your journey into The Book of Exquisite Corpse (includes exclusive material not published anywhere else). Go to www.annatizard.com.Sometimes Anna uses a 12-sided dice to choose a further category to suggest a direction for a story idea. These categories are: 1) a book or magazine 2) a job or role, takenon reluctantly, 3) a pub or café, 4) a portal or means of travel, 5) a piece of treasure or magical, sought-after object, 6) a monster or creature, 7) an invention, 8) a weapon, 9) a hidden identity or disguise, 10) a scar (physical or psychological), 11) a ghost, or 12) or a cocktail or special tea (or a magic potion or poison).

“I really like to have physical objects in my environment to inspire my creativity so that when I look at them, the story comes to mind very easily.”In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, “Make Your Environment Writer-Friendly” host, Beth Barany shares how you can create a unique surroundings that will inspire and motivate you in your writing. From crafting a collage and displaying physical items to using a corkboard, Beth shares ideas that are great to help get listeners be more creative in their writing space. ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTHow To Write The Future is a podcast for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to imagine better worlds—and write stories that bring those futures to life. Each episode offers practical craft guidance, creative prompts, and big-picture inspiration to help you draft, revise, and publish with purpose.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. She helps science fiction and fantasy novelists write, revise, and publish stories that matter by blending practical craft guidance with a commitment to imagination, possibility, and how stories shape our world.RESOURCESWriting practice. “I can do this.” (Step 2): https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2024/11/18/writing-practice-i-can-do-this-step-2/Writing Consistently: Facts and Myths: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2025/12/22/writing-consistently-facts-and-myths/How To Plan Your Writing Life: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2024/01/01/how-to-plan-your-writing-life/Get Writing: Seven Ways to Get Out of Your Own Way: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2023/07/24/get-writing-seven-ways-to-get-out-of-your-own-way/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

Author Mandi Fugate Sheffel has always kept a journal, which she thought of "as this internal thing, a summary of my thoughts and feelings for the day."She had to learn to pay more attention to sensory details. "What you recognize in a moment is significant as a writer," she says, because "that's where voice comes from."On this episode, Mandi shares several writing prompts, including one that will help you become a better observer. She also discusses why she opened a bookstore in Eastern Kentucky and the joys of attending the Appalachian Writers' Workshop. 

“Identify in your own book what are the tropes that you're using that are identifiable by any reader. And notice if they're all working for you.“ - Beth BaranyIn this How To Write the Future podcast episode, “Editing Your Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel: Genre, Tropes, and Character Arc” host Beth Barany explains why the “Edit Your Novel Checklist” is a great resource for writers who have finished their rough draft, encourages you to think about your reader and genre expectations, and provides an example and walk-through of a story showing you how to problem solve issues with your character arc.This episode also includes discussion of book tropes; how to hone in on the biggest problem in your story; the next stages of your story writing; and whether that stage includes beta readers or an editor.Get your Edit Your Novel Checklist here:http://edityournovelchecklist.com/ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTHow To Write The Future is a podcast for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to imagine better worlds—and write stories that bring those futures to life. Each episode offers practical craft guidance, creative prompts, and big-picture inspiration to help you draft, revise, and publish with purpose.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. Through her services and products, she guides novelists to write, revise, and publish stories that matter—blending practical craft guidance with a big-picture commitment to bright imagination, deep meaning, and wide-open possibilities. She calls writers to create with hope and courage—and to speak truth through art, even when it stretches them into a new version of themselves.RESOURCESSupport the podcast! https://ko-fi.com/bethbaranyGet the workbook: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“What you want is to be able to look at your goal, what you've written down, and have a really clear picture for what that looks like.” - Beth BaranyIf you self coached, could you be more efficient with your writing time?That's exactly what How To Write the Future podcast host, Beth Barany is sharing today in the episode titled “How to Self-Coach Toward Your Writing North Star.” Beth shares what the writing GMC stands for and breaks down each area explaining how you can create your best in your storytelling,From defining your big goal, how to find your motivation, to even handling conflicts, Beth also shares an example of a quick-timed exercise at the end of the episode, which is great for when you're feeling stuck in your writing.ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTHow To Write The Future is a podcast for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to imagine better worlds—and write stories that bring those futures to life. Each episode offers practical craft guidance, creative prompts, and big-picture inspiration to help you draft, revise, and publish with purpose.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. She helps science fiction and fantasy novelists write, revise, and publish stories that matter by blending practical craft guidance with a commitment to imagination, possibility, and how stories shape our world.RESOURCESThe Writer's GMC: Know What You Wanthttps://writersfunzone.com/blog/2007/02/01/the-writers-gmc-know-what-you-want/This episode is adapted from The Writer's Adventure Guide by Beth Baranyhttps://books2read.com/writersadventureguideSHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“ My end goal is to be able to say to the writer, "Here's where you're weak, here's where you're strong.” - Beth BaranyIn this forward thinking How To Write the Future episode, titled “How To Use Notion AI for Developmental Editing” host Beth Barany shares how authors can use AI ethically to help them in their writing, explains how she uses Notion AI for her clients, and includes a detailed work-through and the step-by-step analysis of how it works. ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTHow To Write The Future is a podcast for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to imagine better worlds—and write stories that bring those futures to life. Each episode offers practical craft guidance, creative prompts, and big-picture inspiration to help you draft, revise, and publish with purpose.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. Through her services and products, she guides novelists to write, revise, and publish stories that matter—blending practical craft guidance with a big-picture commitment to bright imagination, deep meaning, and wide-open possibilities. She calls writers to create with hope and courage—and to speak truth through art, even when it stretches them into a new version of themselves.RESOURCESSupport the podcast! https://ko-fi.com/bethbaranyGet the workbook: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/Join the Edit Lab! https://bethbarany.com/editlab*SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“Writing craft is about meaning and the reader experience. I really don't teach rigid rules because language is evolving constantly, and it's all about choices.” - Beth BaranyIn this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Write the Future: Our Five Themes” host Beth Barany shares the five themes often discussed on the podcast which include writing craft tips, helpful advice, walkthroughs, and interviews.Beth also explains why she believes our personal creativity can be used to reshape humanity and shares the one thing that she believes beats “the hustle” every time.The five topic themes:World buildingCreative Process & MindsetPublishingMarketingAI EthicsDo you have a question on one of the topics above? Then Beth invites you to get in touch and your question could be shared in an upcoming podcast episode.*ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTHow To Write The Future is a podcast for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to imagine better worlds—and write stories that bring those futures to life. Each episode offers practical craft guidance, creative prompts, and big-picture inspiration to help you draft, revise, and publish with purpose.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. Through her services and products, she guides novelists to write, revise, and publish stories that matter—blending practical craft guidance with a big-picture commitment to bright imagination, deep meaning, and wide-open possibilities. She calls writers to create with hope and courage—and to speak truth through art, even when it stretches them into a new version of themselves.*Support the podcast! https://ko-fi.com/bethbaranyGet the workbook: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/ Join the Edit Lab before the price goes up! https://bethbarany.com/editlab*SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“In addition to your villain's goal, they need a motivation. They feel like they're the hero of their own story. They have a good reason for wanting what they want.” - Beth BaranyIn some stories long after the final page is closed, the villain often captivates the reader over a hero. Their backstory, portrayal, beliefs and even down to certain acts of heroism, but how do you make your villain compelling?In the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Crafting a Compelling Villain: Goals, Motivation, Conflict” host Beth Barany, shares how to craft a compelling villain to engage readers, drive the plot of their story, and ways to build an depth conflict within their journey.Use the steps outlined in the episode to plan and draft out your villain and apply it to your story.Support us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbaranyGet the workbook: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/ Join the Edit Lab before the price goes up! https://bethbarany.com/editlab✶GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACHSchedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/✶ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. Through her services and products, she guides novelists to write, revise, and publish stories that matter—blending practical craft guidance with a big-picture commitment to bright imagination, deep meaning, and wide-open possibilities. She calls writers to create with hope and courage—and to speak truth through art, even when it stretches them into a new version of themselves.✶ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTHow To Write The Future is a podcast for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to imagine better worlds—and write stories that bring those futures to life. Each episode offers practical craft guidance, creative prompts, and big-picture inspiration to help you draft, revise, and publish with purpose.--------------------SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

Do you feel too distracted to write? Poet and nonfiction writer Lucy Oquaye believes prompts can help. "What's most beneficial about using prompts," she says, "is really that you're just taking time to write."Lucy says that writing for 20 minutes in a notebook—without phones or computers—has transformed her college students' writing. She notes, "That kind of focus is really beneficial to anyone's writing practice."So grab a pen and paper and try Lucy's favorite writing exercise!About Lucy OquayeLucy Oquaye is an educator and writer from Louisville, Kentucky. She earned her MFA from the University of Kentucky, where she received the Betsy Owen Combs Recruitment Scholarship (2021) and the MFA Award in Creative Nonfiction (2022). She won Fourth Genre's Multimedia Essay Contest in 2023, and her poetry won the 2024 Kentucky Monthly Penned contest. A Foundation House resident and Kentucky Foundation for Women Artist Enrichment grantee, her work appears in Georgia Review, Vast Chasm, Deep Overstock, and The Big Windows Review. She teaches English and Creative Writing at Bluegrass Community & Technical College and serves on the board of the Kentucky State Poetry Society.

“Since it was my first book cover there, I learned a lot. There was a big process involved. Lots of figuring out, print lingo, making sure things are where they should be. So it was definitely a learning process.” - Anna LeitensdorferIn this How to Write the Future podcast episode, titled “How To Find the Right Illustrator for You with Anna Leitensdorfer” host Beth Barany interviews book illustrator Anna Leitensdorfer, who creates maps, character art, interior illustrations, and recently completed her first book cover.Anna explains how authors can choose the right illustrator by narrowing in on style and, for covers, matching genre expectations through comparable titles.She shares ways to avoid scams, including watching for unsolicited DMs, inconsistent portfolio quality, and verifying prior projects, referrals, and a clear online presence.Anna discusses timing for commissioning maps and character art, emphasizing the importance of knowing trim size for print work and planning ahead for an artist's lead time.She outlines her process and booking system, including contracts, revision stages, deliverables for web and print, and provided specs and files. She also notes she specializes in fantasy and romantasy and enjoys collaborative communication.00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:38 Meet Anna the Illustrator 01:18 From Maps to Book Covers 02:38 Choosing the Right Style 05:52 Avoiding Artist Scams 09:09 When to Commission Art 13:01 Booking and Lead Times 14:39 Anna's Mapmaking Workflow 18:56 Genres and Creative Freedom 20:29 Write the Future and FarewellABOUT ANNA LEITENSDORFERAnna Leitensdorfer is an illustrator specializing in fantasy art dedicated to assisting authors with bringing characters from their books and scenes from their worlds to life in a visual format. With a background in animation, her art style reflects cinematic framing and dynamic posing while also channeling that inner old-timey fantasy vibe! The best part? NO AI in ANY of her work! Projects with dragons are particularly her favorite. She currently lives in Missouri with her 2 Shetland Sheepdogs and is working on writing her own novels while pursuing doing illustration full-time.Website: https://www.annaleitensdorfer.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valkyrie_hero/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anna.leitensdorferLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-leitensdorfer-288558138/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@valkyrie_heroABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTThe How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers and get curious about the future of humanity.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. She helps novelists write, revise, and publish stories that matter — blending practical craft guidance with a big-picture commitment to imagination, meaning, and possibility.RESOURCESFOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS - BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERSSign up to be notified when our next training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success. https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACHSchedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“That ties into your whole theme — because the theme of my novels is ‘Lose yourself in the fiction. Find yourself in the truth.'” - Brownell LandrumDo you know what sciences we use in making a wish? When blowing out the candles become more than a birthday moment?In this captivating How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Turn Your Wish Into Story Fuel with Brownell Landrum” host Beth Barany interviews storyteller and inventor Brownell Landrum where together they discuss Brownell's novel where she shares the science exploration behind making a wish and how she researched over 70 scientists calling it a “cosmic whack-a-mole.”ABOUT BROWNELL LANDRUMBrownell Landrum is a storyteller, speaker, inventor, and change catalyst. She's the author of over a dozen books, including The Art & Science of Wishing and the upcoming The Art & Science of Wishing at Work. She got curious about the sciences involved in wishing while writing a novel entitled A Love Story to The Universe. Brownell combines her corporate and entrepreneurial background and logical, business-oriented skills with a compelling storytelling style. The motto for her stories is “Lose yourself in the fiction… Find yourself in the truth.”Site: https://brownelllandrum.com/Here's the link to Chapter 1 of the Art & Science of Wishinghttps://dl.bookfunnel.com/qfhl9a3m8vHere's the link to Part 1 of A Love Story to the Universehttps://dl.bookfunnel.com/a4s6x8lwk5Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brownell.landrum.authorX: https://x.com/BrownellLandrumInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownelllandrum/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brownell.landrumYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brownell.landrumABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTThe How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers and get curious about the future of humanity.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. They help novelists write, revise, and publish stories that matter—blending practical craft guidance with a big-picture commitment to imagination, meaning, and possibility.GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACHSchedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“Read through the checklist, put it in your mind, and let it just float there. Don't be so restrictive about it. You can always revisit it whenever you want.” - Beth BaranyIn this episode of How To Write The Future, Beth Barany walks you through the first step of revision: the first read-through, with no editing.You'll learn how to use the Edit Your Novel Checklist as a simple guide for reading your draft like a reader, so you can spot what's working, what's unclear, and what you want to revise next.Titled “Edit Your Novel Checklist: First Read, No Edits,” this episode helps you choose the best way to read your manuscript, decide how much distance you need from the draft, and capture observations without getting pulled into fixing sentences too soon.Be sure to get your Edit Your Novel Checklist here: https://bethbarany.com/eyncklst.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. They help novelists write, revise, and publish stories that matter—blending practical craft guidance with a big-picture commitment to imagination, meaning, and possibility.SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYQuestions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

I share a GRIPPING TALE about a droplet of water before sitting down with Helen Lehndorf, who is a radical forager, author, anarchist, poet and plenty more wonderful things besides. I loved her memoir A Forager's Life so much! Helen and I dive straight into the weeds about permaculture life strategies, unlocking creativity, writing for nature and how to rebel against The Machine by playing the Holy Fool. Medicine for muddled, blocked or chronically shy creatives.IN THIS CONVOSwimming upstream of the over cultureUndoing cultural entrainmentSocial permaculturePermaculture design webEstablishing a daily writing habitThe world isn't saying PLEASE ARTIST MAKE MORE ART but you should anywayAnarchismThe YES, AND ruleThe Holy Fool archetypeAI? *shrugs*Enspiriting your artECOPOETICSGetting past sharing insecurityWriting for natureWhy little lives are worth sharingInvisible care workJournalling versus publishingBlackberry medicineWhat is it to relate with plants?PUNK GRANDDAD DANDYSynesthesiaThe future has an ancient heart

“Amlet AI creates a tool that allows authors to make it known to machine to developers that their work can be licensed and is available and that they expect to be compensated.” - Julie TrelstadIn this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “AI Content Licensing for Authors: Julie Trelstad,” host Beth Barany interviews publishing professional, Julie Trelstad. Julie shares her publishing journey, what AI content licensing is, and how authors and publishers can protect themselves against copyright or AI theft by using the newly created Amlet AI.Amlet AI is a platform where authors can register books with machine‑readable metadata to enable licensing, compensation, and control over AI training use; it covers European deadlines, opt‑out options, ISCC standards, metadata enrichment.ABOUT JULIE TRELSTADJulie Trelstad is the founder of Paperbacks & Pixels, where she coaches authors on building publishing platforms with AI as a collaborator. She has been in publishing since 1989. Originally trained as an architect at Columbia and Parsons, she ran the Architectural Graphic Standards franchise at John Wiley & Sons, acquired Sarah Susanka's The Not-So-Big House at The Taunton Press, served as Director of Digital Rights at Writers House, and led US Publishing at StreetLib. She is also Head of US Publishing at Amlet AI, an AI rights registry helping authors and publishers participate in AI licensing on fair terms.https://paperbacksandpixels.comRun a free AI-driven autopsy on your book description with resuscitation instructions. paperbacksandpixels.com/book-description-autopsyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperbacksnpixelsLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julietrelstadABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTThe How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers and get curious about the future of humanity.ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. They help novelists write, revise, and publish stories that matter—blending practical craft guidance with a big-picture commitment to imagination, meaning, and possibility.SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

If you rehearse conversations… feel “on” while talking… or replay everything afterward… this is for you.This guided journey takes you into another lifetime. Not to escape your life, but to give your system a different reference point.An experience of:being fully yourselfexpressing naturallybelonging without effortBecause most people don't struggle with connection. They struggle with monitoring themselves inside it.In this journey, you'll:step out of performanceexperience authentic belongingreconnect to your natural way of relatingMAY THEME: FriendshipsEP 270 → why it feels offEP 271 → put it downEP 272 → stop performingEP 273 → stop trying to figure it outLet your system feel something different.// JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP  Ask questions, get exclusive conversations, live online journeys and more: https://www.patreon.com/cw/JinaSeer//  TIME STAMPS  :00 - 1:11 :: How to use this journey1:11 - End :: Hypnosis Journey

Author Eugenia Johnson-Smith believes writers should focus on getting their thoughts down in a first draft and worry about grammar and style later. "Don't be too critical," she says, "because you've got to get the words on the page."Eugenia shares some of the prompts that help her and her students write without pressure or judgment. She also discusses the Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative, including her new role there. About Eugenia Johnson-SmithEugenia Johnson-Smith is the author of Positive Power: 31 Devotions to Help Unleash Your Positive Power. She is a coach, international inspirational/motivational speaker, and freelance writer. Eugenia is the owner and CEO of Positive Power, LLC., Training and Development.Her work has been published in the Kentucky Monthly Magazine, Presbyterians Today Magazine, and she is a columnist for The Lextropolis Magazine. In addition, she has stories in numerous anthologies, and she currently works at the Carnegie Center as the Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative Associate. She teaches several classes at the Carnegie Center, including Free Writing Practice.

“One thing I recommend is that if you're really sure about something look it up cause you're probably wrong.” - Sue BurkeIn this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled, “Goal-Based Sci-Fi Research With Sue Burke,” host Beth Barany talks to author and translator Sue Burke on the importance of goal-based research and how it can help generate conflict in your stories and avoid clichés.ABOUT SUE BURKESue Burke is an author and translator. Her novel Semiosis was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and the Locus Best First Novel Award. Its sequels are Interference and Usurpation. She has also written the novels Immunity Index and Dual Memory, short stories, poetry, journalism, and essays, and she won the 2016 Alicia Gordon Award for Word Artistry in Translation from the American Translators Association. She was born in the Milwaukee, lived in Texas and Spain, and is now in Chicago.Website: https://sueburke.site/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/burke.sueX: https://x.com/SueBurkeSpainLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sueburke/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sueburkespain/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sueburke.bsky.socialRESOURCESFOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS - BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERSSign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/Support our work for creatives!Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbaranyGET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING - START HEREFree World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“Fiction is a wonderful arena for dealing with some really complex topics and some difficult issues in a safe space.” - Alex KingsleyIn the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode titled, “Alex Kingsley: Writing Speculative Futures,” host Beth Barany chats with Alex Kingsley, a science fiction writer, playwright, game designer, and more exciting roles that inform their fiction writing.Together they talk about AI cognition, the importance of human intelligence in creating for the future, how speculative fiction can help readers cope with complex issues, and why compassion matters in sci-fi.ABOUT ALEX KINGSLEYAlex Kingsley (they/them) is a writer, comedian, game designer, and playwright. They are a co-founder of the new media company Strong Branch Productions. They are the author of Empress of Dust, Relic of Haven and The Strange Garden and Other Weird Tales, as well as short fiction appearing in Translunar Travelers Lounge, Radon Journal, Sci-Fi Lampoon, and more. Alex's sci-fi plays have been produced in LA, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Alex's SFF-related non-fiction has appeared in Interstellar Flight Magazine and Ancillary Review of Books. Their games can be downloaded pay-what-you-will at alexyquest.itch.io. Alex is currently a graduate student studying speculative fiction at the University of Illinois, Chicago.Website: http://alexkingsley.orgInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hitchhikersguidetothealexyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-kingsley-56342a139/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@alexyquestBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alexyquest.bsky.socialNewsletter: Newsletter: https://alexkingsley.substack.comSHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYQuestions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“I'm trying to make sure we have artists, the next generation people who can get to the open mic for the first time and learn how to hold a microphone.” - Khafre JayIn the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Hip Hop for the Future” host Beth Barany interviews hip hop organizer Khafre Jay where they discuss the importance of hip hop as a culture within the San Francisco Bay Area and his plans for the future to get more community members involved.From his business creating slogan clothing, to building local creative spaces to his beliefs on public health and the impact live music can have on an audience, this episode is sure to broaden your horizons on the entire hip hop culture.ABOUT KHAFRE JAYHailing from Hunters Point, San Francisco—a city with the highest income inequality in the nation—Khafre Jay has dedicated his life to fighting for socioeconomic justice and empowering his community through Hip Hop organizing.Now leading Hip Hop For The Future SPC, Khafre is pioneering the use of Hip Hop to reimagine public healthcare, aiming to increase Black life expectancy and bring transformative resources to marginalized populations.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiphopforthefuturespcFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/khafrej/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khafrejay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khafrejay/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theunapologeticblackguyAlbum: https://music.apple.com/us/album/critical-race-hip-hop/1757033018Website: http://www.hiphopforthefuture.orgSHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

Welcome to Poetically Yours. Poetically Yours showcases poems by northern Illinois poets and a few from other areas. This week's poet is Jenny Bienemann.

Think your story doesn't matter? Author Willie Carver Jr. believes that "each of us has a story that can help contribute to the complexity of all of us...."When Willie uses writing prompts to unlock his story, "they're almost always body related." That's because he thinks "the truth of things is already in your body." On this episode, Willie shares a prompt that will help you discover what your body already knows. He also discusses his new book, Tore All to Pieces; why learning to write is like learning a foreign language; and more.About Willie Carver Jr.Willie Carver Jr. is a youth advocate, Kentucky Teacher of the Year,  and the author of Gay Poems for Red States, a recipient of awards from Stonewall, American Library Association, World Pride, Read Appalachia, Whippoorwill, and Book Riot.  His fragmented novel, Tore All to Pieces, was published in March 2026 by the University Press of Kentucky.Willie's writing has been published in textbooks, anthologies, and journals, including Testament, Discarded, Rural and Outrooted, Appalachian Journal, Southern Humanities, Louisville Review, Another Chicago, Harbor, Smoky Blue Literary, Miracle Monocle, Good River Review, Salvation South, and Gay & Lesbian Review.

“I was a science fiction reader from the beginning, and I continued to identify myself as a science fiction writer. However, a lot of my stuff would have to be classified as fantasy.” - David D. Levine In the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Read, Write, Repeat with David D. Levine” host Beth Barany talks to science fiction author David D. Levine about his career path, the challenges of history research, and how he uses it in his novels, including gender throughout the ages.ABOUT DAVID D. LEVINEDavid D. Levine is the author of Andre Norton Nebula Award winning novel Arabella of Mars, sequels Arabella and the Battle of Venus and Arabella the Traitor of Mars, space-opera caper novel The Kuiper Belt Job, and over sixty SF and fantasy stories. His story “Tk'Tk'Tk” won the Hugo, and he has been shortlisted for awards including the Hugo, Nebula, Campbell, and Sturgeon. Stories have appeared in Asimov's, Analog, Clarkesworld, F&SF, Tor.com, numerous Year's Best anthologies, and his award-winning collection Space Magic.Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/david.d.levine.sfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/daviddlevine/Website: https://daviddlevine.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/daviddlevine.comRESOURCESGET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING - START HEREFree World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“Oh my goodness. Sue has so much to say about research and how to use research strategically about finding conflicts and problems and learning as much as you need to know to be able to move forward. So be sure to listen to our conversation. It was really fun talking with her. I so admire her.” - Beth BaranyIn this How To Write the Future podcast episode, “5 Upcoming Inspiring Interviews“ host Beth Barany shares with listeners upcoming interviews for the podcast including with a fellow science fiction and fantasy author, hip hop organizer, novelist and Masters student, award-winning science fiction novelist, creative nonfiction author, and a long-time publishing professional. You're also invited to be interviewed on the podcast which Beth explains how to do.RESOURCESPodcast presskit: https://bethbarany.com/podcastpresskitFOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS - BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERSSign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success. https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCASTSign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACHSchedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“What is creativity? Here's the short of it. For me, creativity is about combining disparate elements, elements we might not even think of putting together. For us, for us as science fiction and fantasy writers, what might this look like? Well, this will be a fusion of tropes and genres and settings and your own personal spin.” - Beth BaranyIn the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode titled “Uncertain Times: Five Creative Superpowers” host, Beth Barany shares what creativity means to her and what the five “superpowers” are that writers can use to enhance their writing. RESOURCESEDIT YOUR NOVEL CHECKLISThttp://edityournovelchecklist.comFOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS - BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERSSign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success. https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACHSchedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“If you need help with ideas, if you want to play with randomness, to inspire you, to jumpstart your creativity, to come up with new ideas that you wouldn't have ordinarily thought of.” - Beth Barany***In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Use Divination Cards to Spark Stories,” host Beth Barany shares her personal journey with Tarot, plus how you can use Tarot and the Mythulu Desk for your science fiction and fantasy stories. Discover practical tips for writers, including how to develop your characters using these decks. RESOURCESBooks and products mentioned in this episode:Mythulu deck: https://mythulu.com/pack-a-intro/Crowley Thoth deck by Aleister Crowley and painted by Lady Frieda HarrisMirrors of the Soul: Handbook for the Aleister Crowley Tarot Paperback by Gerd ZieglerWriter's Adventure Guide by Beth BaranyStory Grid by Shawn CoyneShop here: https://bookshop.org/lists/writing-resources-mentioned-on-how-to-write-the-future-podcast***SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

“Life is messy. Life is unpredictable, and so is creating. Make room for that. Create compassion.” - Beth BaranyIn this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Beginning, Middle, End — And Mess” host Beth Barany shares why embracing the mess in creativity can have powerful results.GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING - START HEREFree World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDadeEDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompartc. 2026 BETH BARANYhttps://bethbarany.com/Questions? Comments? Send us a text!Support the show---♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel ChecklistHelps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing. Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!CONNECT WITH BETHvia emailvia LinkedInCREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)MUSIC: Uppbeat.ioDISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

 Poet Kevin Nance uses writing prompts regularly because they "can take you places that you never could have gone any other way."On this episode, Kevin discusses ways to access the part of the brain that author Marilynne Robinson believes is most creative—your "back mind." He also shares a prompt that helps his writing students "tap into their inner angst."About Kevin NanceKevin Nance is a photographer, arts journalist, and poet in Lexington. He has published widely in newspapers and magazines including the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and Poets & Writers, and has work in literary journals, including The North American Review, Poet Lore, Willawaw, and Still: The Journal. His four books include Smoke, published last year by Accents Publishing. Kevin was recently announced as the new editor of Yearling, the poetry journal of Workhorse Writers.

Welcome to our new inspiration episodes! These are designed to be small daily snippets to help you along your journey. Giving you a little insight, education and hopefully a boost on the days where the writing gets a little too hard or lonely :)If you love these episodes and if you do want more, please share these with a friend, follow along, leave a comment or leave a 5 star review.Happy writing!⁠⁠Get your copy of the Limited-Edition WRITERS JOURNAL⁠⁠⁠⁠JOIN THE WRITERS ADVICE FACEBOOK GROUP⁠⁠Join us on Instagram:⁠⁠@writersadvicepodcast⁠⁠Contact Me:Website: oliviahillier.comInstagram:⁠⁠ @oliviahillierauthor⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠@oliviahillierauthor⁠⁠ 

Poet Shauna M. Morgan understands that feeling "weighed down by all of those things happening around us" can make writing even more challenging.For her, it helps to remember "that generations of my forebears created art in times of abject crises and bore witness to what was happening."On this episode, Shauna shares what she calls the "weight prompt." It will help you reflect on the subjects that feel heavy to you as well as the subjects that feel light. About Shauna M. MorganShauna M. Morgan is a poet-scholar and Associate Professor of creative writing and Africana literature at the University of Kentucky. Her poetry has appeared in A Gathering Together, Interviewing the Caribbean, and A Literary Field Guide to Southern Appalachia, and her debut collection, Ground Provisions, was published by Peepal Tree Press in the United Kingdom. Shauna tends a small, hopeful provision ground at her home in the East End Artists' Village in Lexington, and she continues to explore the environmental and cultural linkages between her rural Afro-Indo-Jamaican upbringing and her US-Kentucky life.  

Welcome to our new inspiration episodes! These are designed to be small daily snippets to help you along your journey. Giving you a little insight, education and hopefully a boost on the days where the writing gets a little too hard or lonely :)If you love these episodes and if you do want more, please share these with a friend, follow along, leave a comment or leave a 5 star review.Happy writing!⁠⁠Get your copy of the Limited-Edition WRITERS JOURNAL⁠⁠⁠⁠JOIN THE WRITERS ADVICE FACEBOOK GROUP⁠⁠Join us on Instagram:⁠⁠@writersadvicepodcast⁠⁠Contact Me:Website: oliviahillier.comInstagram:⁠⁠ @oliviahillierauthor⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠@oliviahillierauthor⁠⁠ 

Hello Wonderful Reader,Today, I've chosen a very special unpublished poem and writing prompts for you to explore the power of forbidden love. You'll discover why the poet never published this work in a second. So grab a pen and paper, and let's uncover some of your juicy secrets…Evanescence(unpublished, 1920s)By Angelina Weld Grimké (1880 – 1958)You are like a pale purple flower    In the blue spring dusk . . . . . .You are like a yellow starBudding and glowingIn an apricot sky . . . . . .You are like the beautyOf a voice . . . . . .Remembered after death . . . . . .You are like thin, white petalsFalling           And                  Floating                                DownUpon the white, stilled hushing                 Of my soul.Source: Aphrodite's Daughters: Three Modernist Poets of the Harlem Renaissance.Your 4 Writing Prompts on Forbidden Love

Hello Wonderful Reader,Today, I've chosen a very special unpublished poem and writing prompts for you to explore the power of forbidden love. You'll discover why the poet never published this work in a second. So grab a pen and paper, and let's uncover some of your juicy secrets…Evanescence(unpublished, 1920s)By Angelina Weld Grimké (1880 – 1958)You are like a pale purple flower    In the blue spring dusk . . . . . .You are like a yellow starBudding and glowingIn an apricot sky . . . . . .You are like the beautyOf a voice . . . . . .Remembered after death . . . . . .You are like thin, white petalsFalling           And                  Floating                                DownUpon the white, stilled hushing                 Of my soul.Source: Aphrodite's Daughters: Three Modernist Poets of the Harlem Renaissance.Your 4 Writing Prompts on Forbidden Love

While novelist Mary Anna Evans believes that studying writing is "very valuable," she also advises writers "to go out and live your life." She says that "all experience is useful" in writing.And she should know. Mary Anna's books have drawn on her former engineering career and her interest in archaeology, among other experiences. Mary Anna's favorite writing prompt will help writers of all backgrounds and genres explore setting. She's successfully used it with fiction and nonfiction students and even environmental architecture students.About Mary Anna EvansMary Anna Evans is an award-winning author with a PhD in English literature, a handy background for writing The Dark Library, the story of a woman menaced by her dead father, a literature professor whose rare book collection holds the secret to escaping him.Her crime fiction has earned recognition including two Oklahoma Book Awards, the Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award, the Mississippi Author Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award, and three Florida Book Awards bronze medals.In addition to writing crime fiction, she writes about crime fiction, as evidenced by the Edgar, Agatha, Macavity, and HRF Keating Award-nominated Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie, co-edited with J.C. Bernthal. Bloomsbury will publish her Agatha Christie and the 20th Century Woman: Rewriting Female Justice in 2027.

Listen to all my reddit storytime episodes in the background in this easy playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_wX8l9EBnOM303JyilY8TTSrLz2e2kRGThis is the Redditor podcast! Here you will find all of Redditor's best Reddit stories from his YouTube channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Poet and educator Dorian Hairston encourages all writers—from his high school students to adults—to make their writing fresh and new.Dorian believes "if we can just find ways as artists to be interesting... we give ourselves a fighting chance at allowing love to blossom in our lives and surviving whatever we must."Keep your writing interesting with help from Dorian's favorite writing prompts. He uses these exercises in his own work as well as with students.About Dorian HairstonDorian Hairston is a poet, educator, and former college athlete from Lexington, KY. His first collection of poetry, Pretend the Ball is Named Jim Crow, explores the life and legacy of Josh Gibson, the greatest catcher to play the game of baseball. He is an Affrilachian Poet, and his work has appeared in Anthology of Appalachian Writers and Black Bone: 25 Years of the Affrilachian Poets. While he enjoys reading and writing poetry, what he loves most is cooking for his family, playing some good music, and dancing often.

On this special edition of the Prompt to Page writing podcast, we look back at some of our best moments so far. Past guests—including Crystal Wilkinson, Gwenda Bond, Silas House, and Mariama Lockington—share tips on using writing prompts, finding time to write, nurturing your creativity, and more.

Halloween is just around the corner, and it's the perfect time to shake up your content strategy with something unexpected. In this sweet and short episode, Kim shares an out-of-the-box seasonal content idea that'll help you connect with your audience on a more human level. Whether you're into tarot cards, pumpkin recipes, or scary business lessons, this episode will inspire you to bring surprise and delight into your marketing. Because here's the thing: people buy from people, and even premium clients want to see your personality shine through. Plus, Kim shares how you can get four weeks of premium authority content prompts delivered to you each month in her Pivot to Premium program.Find out more and enroll: www.kimkiel.com/pivotText me a question or comment! Elevate your messaging, offers and sales inside Pivot to Premium - a 4-month incubator for women-led businesses. Enroll now: www.kimkiel.com/pivot

Wherein we indulge in our second writing prompt:  Maurice dropped a log onto the dying embers when a large rustle at the edge of the prairie grass stole his breath… Brainstorm our inbox: gwritersanon@gmail.com  Spy our Facebook page (Ghost Writers, Anonymous).  

Wherein we wager in weight.  Writing Prompt: Maurice dropped a log onto the dying embers when a large rustle at the edge of the prairie grass stole his breath…Deliver your writing prompt to: gwritersanon@gmail.comTake a gamble on our Facebook page (Ghost Writers, Anonymous).  

This month's contest winner Bob Kirk joins us to share how he wrote a killer 60 second set in just two weeks. Join our contest on Patreon here: http://patreon.com/hotbreathpodYouTube: Bob Kirk Comedyhttps://www.youtube.com/@BobKirkComedy/shortsTikTok: @bobkirkcomedyhttps://www.tiktok.com/@bobkirkcomedyFacebook: Bob Kirk Comedyhttps://www.facebook.com/people/Bob-Kirk-Comedy/100081179486384/Instagram: @bobkirk.comedyhttps://www.instagram.com/bobkirk.comedy/Get Jerry Corley's book: https://comedyclinic.samcart.com/referral/CTqBjMqN/ZBD41W0ekdY1mdCkSend us a question: https://www.speakpipe.com/HotBreathPodJoin our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HotBreathComedyNetwork/Join our email list here: https://hotbreathpodcast.com/vipSubscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://youtube.com/hotbreathpod?sub_confirmation=1Check out our classes and workshops here: https://hotbreathmedia.com

An episode that shares advice for Autistics, because advice is one of the fastest ways we build culture!In Episode 148 of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Dr Angela Kingdon shares her most powerful advice for newly identified autistic adults—and invites you to do the same in just 100 words or less.This episode is part of our 12-week writing series created specifically for autistic writers, creatives, and self-discovery seekers who use storytelling as a tool for healing, identity integration, and unmasking.All this, and we announce our amazing winners from our ninth writing contest!Here are our top two entries.OUR WINNER

An episode that rewrites what “Success” means for autistic writers!In Episode 146 of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Dr Angela Kingdon is joined by Christina Sokora Jovovich, a gifted autistic writer, poet, and fiber artist, to dive into the meaning of “success” through the lens of neurodivergent experience.This conversation explores how writing can be both a healing tool and a radical act of self-definition for neurodivergent people. From redefining creative productivity to unmasking through memoir, Christina and Angela break down internalized ableism, the pressure of neurotypical success standards, and the value of sensory-soothing creative practices like knitting and journaling.All this, and we announce our amazing winners from our eighth writing contest!Here are our top two entries.OUR WINNER

An episode that uncovers the hidden neurodivergent depths of beloved book characters.In Episode 144 of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Dr Angela Kingdon and author/editor Jo Case explore the deep emotional resonance of autistic-coded characters in fiction, the power of autistic storytelling, and what it means to see “someone like me” in booksAll this, and we announce our amazing winners from our seventh writing contest!Here are our top two entries.OUR WINNER

An episode that mastered the art of unmasking on the page!In Episode 142 of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Dr Angela Kingdon discusses the art of unmasking and how writing can help process late-diagnosis identity shock. Plus, she reveals this week's creative prompt themed around the oral tradition of writing and sharing Fables! What lessons, values, or morals would you pass down as an Autistic person?All this, and we announce our amazing winners from our sixth writing contest!Here are our top two entries.OUR WINNER

An episode that busts the myth of 'perfect' creative processes!In Episode 140 of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Dr Angela Kingdon speaks with Sol Smith, author of The Autistic's Guide to Self-Discovery. If you've spent time on TikTok, YouTube, or inside the NeuroSpicy community, you've probably felt the impact of Sol's voice—direct, affirming, and deeply validating. He joins the show to help us rethink our relationship with writing routines, explore the realities of autistic creative rhythms, and bust the myth of 'perfect' creative processes.Plus, we announce our amazing winners from our fifth writing contest!Here are our top two entries.OUR WINNER

An episode that shared its story with the world!In Episode 138 of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Dr Angela Kingdon sits down with Alethea Shapiro, who is currently in England as she writes her memoir, to discuss why memoir is probably the hardest or most demanding genre to break into in terms of how good and polished your writing skills need to be.Plus, we announce our amazing winners from our fourth writing contest!Here are our top two entries.OUR WINNER

Listen to all my reddit storytime episodes in the background in this easy playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_wX8l9EBnOM303JyilY8TTSrLz2e2kRGWatch my videos in full on my YouTube channel (you even get to see my face!): https://www.youtube.com/Redditor This is the Redditor podcast! Here you will find all of Redditor's best Reddit stories from his YouTube channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.