166. Emily Golden and Rachel May on Story Theme, World Building, and Conflict

”The message of the story is the thing that they need to learn, which means that they have opposite beliefs that are preventing them, you know, flawed beliefs that are preventing them from learning the story message.” - Emily GoldenIn this special episode of How To Write the Future, host Beth Barany chats with Emily Golden and Rachel May about story theme, world building, and conflict. They share their collaboration journey and touch on diving into character arcs and the messages that drive stories. Plus, they explore why asking "why" is so crucial to helping writers develop their unique character arcs for their stories.ABOUT EMILY GOLDEN AND RACHEL MAY, BOOK COACHESEmily Golden and Rachel May are the founders of Golden May. Their joint love of amazing stories and mutual fascination with writing craft evolved into a book coaching business devoted to helping tenacious writers develop the unique writing craft, process, and mindset that works for them—because every writer is different. If you’re ready to stop fighting what your writing life ‘should’ look like and start dreaming about what’s possible for you, they're the coaches for you!Get the goodie: THE MAGIC OF CHARACTER ARCS: A free email course to craft the backbone of your story. https://goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagicSite: https://goldenmayediting.comCommunity program: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/INSTAGRAM:https://www.instagram.com/ebgoldenbookshttps://instagram.com/bookcoachrachelhttps://instagram.com/tenaciouswritingSUBSTACK:https://ebgolden.substack.com/ABOUT BETH BARANYBeth Barany, an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist, teaches novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor.RESOURCESSupport 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. 2025 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