All Episodes

Nisi Shawl on Studying Plot, Clarity, and Ambiguity, Pt 1

Dan Chaon on Incorporating Backstory, Creating Open Endings, and More

J.A. White on Writing Across a Large Canvas

Gemma Files on Using Personal Experience to Generate Horror Fiction, Pt 2

Gemma Files on Using Personal Experience to Generate Horror Fiction, Pt 1

David Brin on Writing as Magic

Mark Gottlieb on The Elevator Pitch

Scott H. Andrews on Making Your Stories Stand Out

E.C. Ambrose on Writing Process, Characters, and Connecting Theme

Mary Robinette Kowal on Using the MACE Quotient, Pt 2

Mary Robinette Kowal on Using the MACE Quotient, Pt 1

N. K. Jemisin on Micro Worldbuilding

Meagan Spooner on Characters

Melanie Tem and Steve Rasnic Tem on Characters

Patricia Bray on Researching Your Story Elements, Pt 2

Patricia Bray on Researching Your Story Elements, Pt 1

Scott H. Andrews on Magazine Submissions and Rejections, Pt 2

Scott H. Andrews on Magazine Submissions and Rejections, Pt 1

Kij Johnson on Scale and Complexity

Alma Alexander on Discovering and Developing Characters

Kij Johnson on Choosing and Prioritizing Descriptive Detail

Kij Johnson on Description

Brendan DuBois on the Fantastic World of the Short Story

E.C. Ambrose on Making It Real, Pt 2

E.C. Ambrose on Making It Real, Pt 1

Alex Hughes on Productivity for Writers, Pt 2

Alex Hughes on Productivity for Writers, Pt 1

Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner on Characterization, Pt 2

Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner on Characterization, Pt 1

Gordon Van Gelder on the Fiction Publishing Market, Pt 2

Gordon Van Gelder on the Fiction Publishing Market, Pt 1

Melanie Tem and Steve Rasnic Tem on Beginnings, Middles, Ends, and Structure, Pt 2

Melanie Tem and Steve Rasnic Tem on Beginnings, Middles, Ends, and Structure, Pt 1

Catherynne M. Valente on Openings and Titles

Elizabeth Hand on Writing from Intense Experience

Alex Jablokov on How Character Functions Within Plot

Holly Black on Creating a Magic System

Sheila Williams on Appealing Story Openings

Nancy Holder on Short Story and Novel Contracts, Pt 2

Nancy Holder on Short Story and Novel Contracts, Pt 1

Nancy Holder on the Secret to a Satisfying Short Story

Adam-Troy Castro on Writing the Middle-Grade Novel

Jack Ketchum on Don't Waste My Time

Patricia Bray on Writing a Series, Pt 2

Patricia Bray on Writing a Series, Pt 1

Jack Ketchum on Writing from the Wound

Lane Robins on Information Dissemination

Lane Robins on Outlining

Craig Shaw Gardner on How to Make Characters Alive

Barbara Ashford on Tension Headaches, Pt 2

Barbara Ashford on Tension Headaches, Pt 1

Barry B. Longyear on Imagination Building, Pt 2

Barry B. Longyear on Imagination Building, Pt 1

John Joseph Adams on the Short Fiction Market

Gary A. Braunbeck on Establishing and Maintaining Emotional Realism, Pt 2

Gary A. Braunbeck on Establishing and Maintaining Emotional Realism, Pt 1

Elizabeth Bear on Narrative Structure and Types of Plot, Pt 2

Elizabeth Bear on Narrative Structure and Types of Plot, Pt 1

Sheila Williams on the Short Fiction Market

James Patrick Kelly on his Approach to Plot

Theodora Goss on Finding Your Voices

Elaine Isaak on Description and Making Your Setting Real, Pt 2

Elaine Isaak on Description and Making Your Setting Real, Pt 1

Bob Mayer on the Original Idea

James Morrow on a Calypso Wheel Model for Fiction

Michael A. Arnzen on Making the Reader Squirm: Sensory Immersion

Elizabeth Hand on Creating Unsympathetic Characters

Laura Anne Gilman on Revision

David G. Hartwell on Titles and Other Writing Advice

Gregory Frost on Viewpoint, Voice, and Psychic Distance, Pt 2

Gregory Frost on Viewpoint, Voice, and Psychic Distance, Pt 1

Alex Jablokov on Plot in Genre Fiction

Ginjer Buchanan on Getting Your Novel Published

Carrie Vaughn on Settings Goals and Building a Writing Career

Lori Perkins on What Agents Do

Carrie Vaughn on Suspense and Pacing

Carrie Vaughn on Ideas for Short Stories vs. Novels

Jack Ketchum on Crafting Strong Openings

Jeffrey Carver on Story Structure

Patricia Bray on the Protagonist-Sidekick Relationship, Pt 2

Patricia Bray on the Protagonist-Sidekick Relationship, Pt 1

Catherine Asaro on Developing a Scientific Novum for Your Story

P.D. Cacek on Debunking Alleged Truths About Writing

Bruce Holland Rogers on Flash Fiction Structures, Pt 2

Bruce Holland Rogers on Flash Fiction Structures, Pt 1

Allen Steele on Creating a World's Environment

Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman on the Difference Between Writing a Novel and a Short Story

Jenny Rappaport on Writing a Strong Query Letter

Jenny Rappaport on How to Get an Agent

Nancy Kress on Writing in Scenes

Melissa Scott on World-building--How to Show It

James Maxey on Writing Strong Openings

Barry B. Longyear on Revision and Writing Unique Stories

Craig Shaw Gardner on Humor in Speculative Fiction

Shawna McCarthy on Selling to Magazines

Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem on Theme and Idea

Patricia McKillip on Fantastic Landscapes

Thomas Monteleone on Writing for Anthologies

Rodman Philbrick on Viewpoint

Michael A. Arnzen on Humor

Michael A. Burstein on The Plot Skeleton

Nina Kiriki Hoffman on Writing for Teens

Robert J. Sawyer on Is Your SF Element Extraneous?

Elizabeth Hand on Using Personal Experience

Christopher Golden on Setting the Scene

Terry Bisson on Setting

Melissa Scott on World-building Parameters

Robert J. Sawyer on Point of View

Gardner Dozois on Getting Published

Jeff VanderMeer on Why Fantasy is Important

Charles L. Grant on Characterization