How To Write The Future
The How to Write The Future Podcast offers fiction writing tips for science fiction and fantasy authors who want to create optimistic stories because when we vision what is possible, we help make it so. By science fiction and fantasy author and fiction writing coach, Beth Barany.
Episodes
“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 Barany
In 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 late...
“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 Leitensdorfer
In 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 Lei...
“That ties into your whole theme — because the theme of my novels is ‘Lose yourself in the fiction. Find yourself in the truth.’” - Brownell Landrum
Do 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 Be...
“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 Barany
In 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 r...
“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 Trelstad
In 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...
“One thing I recommend is that if you're really sure about something look it up cause you're probably wrong.” - Sue Burke
In 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 BURKE
Su...
“Fiction is a wonderful arena for dealing with some really complex topics and some difficult issues in a safe space.” - Alex Kingsley
In 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 ta...
“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 Jay
In 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 pl...
“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 ch...
“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 Barany
In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, “5 Upcoming Inspiring Interviews“ host Beth Barany sha...
“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 Barany
In the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode titled “Uncertain Ti...
“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 you...
“Life is messy. Life is unpredictable, and so is creating. Make room for that. Create compassion.” - Beth Barany
In 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 HERE
Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfun...
“Traditionally, at least for the last 200 years, there's been a cultural divide between being in business and being a creative, which is born out of a lot of images of the starving artist and really different movements that thought being an artist is totally different from being in business.” - Beth Barany
In this How To Write the Future podcast episode titled “Business Advice Creatives Can Actually Use” host...
“ I care very much about your success and I really believe that our future is in our hands and as creatives, we have some incredible skill sets we get to bring to that.” - Beth Barany
In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Fun Values Check-In for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writers,” host Beth Barany shares what values are most important to her, why that matters, how values can guide the choices we make,...
“In difficult days when I'm struggling with my story or I'm struggling with my creative entrepreneur business. I turn to what I know and to what I trust, which is my emotions, my breathing, my physical body, and often it's a sign I need to do a bunch of self-care.” - Beth Barany
What can you trust? Who do you trust? How To Write the Future host, Beth Barany asks you these questions in her latest episode, titled “Tr...
“Every creative project involves risk, whether you are writing a novel, creating a play, a film, or starting your own creative entrepreneur business.”
-- Beth Barany
In the this episode of How To Write the Future podcast, titled “Risk Taking Without Desperation: Write From Trust,” host Beth Barany discusses how taking risks is unavoidable in both the realm of storytelling and being a creative entrepreneur...
“Marketing and selling, especially learning how to do it in written form, is also a form of magic. It's just using words in a different way.” — Beth Barany
Are you ready to learn the skills needed to market your novel?
In this episode of How To Write the Future podcast, titled “Marketing and Selling Tips for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers” Beth takes listeners on an encouraging journey to guide you o...
“If you start asking for feedback too soon, it can really destroy the creative process for you. It can make you doubt the direction you're going in. There's all kinds of reasons why I recommend that you get feedback after you finish your first draft.” - Beth Barany
Do you want feedback on the first page of your manuscript?
Need to know if there’s something just missing?
In “Level Up with Writer Feedback,&...
“For me, writing fiction is a place of play.
So, yeah, that Aha came to me recently and I thought, okay, I need to dedicate myself to just playing with fiction for the next few days or the next few weeks, not taking everything so seriously.
Just have some more fun.”
How do you get unstuck in your writing?
How can you make the process more fun?
These are a couple of the questions How To Write the Futur...
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