Mark Stay on Fantasy, Film, Publishing and Creative Survival

REAL WRITERS NEVER QUIT: What hundreds of authors reveal about not giving up is out right now! https://mybook.to/realwritersneverquitSpecial limited signed editions are available from my online shop here:https://ko-fi.com/wakelly/shopThis week on The Write Place Podcast, I’m joined by author, screenwriter and podcaster Mark Stay for a wide-ranging, funny and very honest conversation about writing fantasy, surviving the publishing industry, selling direct to readers, and why author voice matters more than ever in the age of AI.Mark is the author of The Witches of Woodville series, the End of Magic trilogy, and the novelisation of Robot Overlords. He also co-wrote the films Robot Overlords and Unwelcome, and was co-presenter of the award-winning Bestseller Experiment podcast, which has helped inspire writers around the world to finish and publish their books.We talk about his latest release, The End of Gods, the final book in the End of Magic trilogy, and how Mark returned to the world of the first book years later after getting the rights back. We also get into his experience of crowdfunding, the changing realities of traditional publishing, and why more writers are having to think seriously about direct sales, newsletters and owning their own little corner of the internet.Mark also shares some sharp, practical thoughts on AI and creativity. His view is refreshingly clear: readers want a human connection. They want voice, weirdness, personality and something only that writer could have made.Along the way, we discuss screenwriting, theme, Comic Cons, author branding, what happens when a film doesn’t get the push it deserves, and why learning to enjoy the process might be the only sane way to build a long-term writing life.In this episode, you’ll hear: Why The End of Gods became the final part of a fantasy trilogy Mark never originally planned  How Mark approaches fantasy by focusing on character over magic systems  Why he thinks writers should “lean into the weird”  The importance of developing a distinctive author voice in the age of AI  Why writers need websites, newsletters and direct connections with readers  What Comic Cons have taught him about selling books face to face  How his screenwriting background shapes his novels  Why the “central dramatic argument” changed the way he thinks about story  The painful release experience behind the film Unwelcome Why enjoying the process matters more than chasing overnight success About Mark StayMark Stay is a novelist, screenwriter, teacher and podcaster. After more than 25 years working in books and publishing, he became the author of The Witches of Woodville series, the End of Magic trilogy, and other novels. He co-wrote the films Robot Overlords and Unwelcome, and was co-presenter of the award-winning Bestseller Experiment podcast. His latest release is The End of Gods, the concluding book in the End of Magic trilogy.Find out more about Mark StayWebsite: https://markstaywrites.com Witches of Woodville and signed books: https://witchesofwoodville.com The End of Gods: https://witchesofwoodville.com/product/the-end-of-gods-ebook/Support the PodcastIf you enjoy the show, please leave a rating or review on your podcast app of choice. It really helps more writers find the show and literally takes seconds to do.