The Fantasy Series That Made It Out of the Group Chat | Cozy Fantasy with E.B. Asher

What happens when a group chat turns into a published fantasy series?This week, we’re joined by E.B. Asher—aka Bridget Morrissey, Emily Wibberley, and Austin Siegemund-Broka—the trio behind one of the most fun, chaotic, and genuinely entertaining cozy romantasy series out right now.We get into how their books This Will Be Fun and This Will Be Interesting were born out of a years-long group chat, what it actually looks like to write a fantasy novel as a team, and why starting with a pitch (instead of a manuscript) might change everything about how you write.Also: sequels, worldbuilding, why humor works better when characters take themselves seriously, and the surprisingly strategic side of writing something that feels effortless.In This Episode How E.B. Asher turned a group chat into a full fantasy series  Writing a sequel vs. “hoping” for one  Their collaborative process (and why it works)  Why they start with the pitch instead of the book  The reality of co-writing a 120K word fantasy novel  Balancing humor with real emotional stakes  Cozy fantasy, romantasy, and writing for fun first  Audiobooks, accents, and letting narrators run with it  Their next project (and it’s chaotic in the best way)  What they’re reading right nowAbout Our GuestsE.B. Asher is the collaborative pen name of authors Bridget Morrissey, Emily Wibberley, and Austin Siegemund-Broka. Together, they write cozy, comedic romantasy stories filled with heart, chaos, and just enough emotional damage to keep things interesting.Their series includes:This Will Be FunThis Will Be InterestingTheir work blends fantasy, romance, and humor in a way that feels both nostalgic and completely fresh—think classic adventure vibes with modern chaos and character-driven storytelling.Announcements✨ New Bonus Series Coming Soon: We’re launching a new short-form bonus episode series: “How I Got My Agent”These will be 10–15 minute episodes featuring real stories from authors about how they landed representation or publishing deals—what worked, what didn’t, and what actually matters.Favorite Moments from the Episode “This book literally came out of a group chat.”  “We start with the pitchiest version of the idea first—and build from there.”  “The whole point is the class clown.”  “It’s like opening a document and it’s grown without you.”Episode Chapters00:00 Intro – We finally got Cait into fantasy00:41 Meet E.B. Asher (it’s three authors 👀)02:04 How the series started (yes… the group chat)07:18 The first idea that sparked the story10:56 How they knew each other before writing together12:52 How they actually write as a team14:52 Building a fantasy world together (yes, they made an encyclopedia)16:08 Editing, collaboration, and creative tension17:41 Writing humor that actually works20:27 Why fantasy still needs emotional stakes22:04 Audiobooks, accents, and creative freedom23:43 Their NEXT book (and it’s chaotic)25:23 Fantasy influences + Jack Black energy27:17 What they’re working on individually28:53 Why they start with the pitch first31:28 The problem with tropes (and why blurbs matter more)33:12 Do they read while writing?35:31 What they’re reading right now37:13 For non-fantasy readers… start here38:24 Why they wanted this series to feel easy and fun