A Wretched Episode of Scum and Villainy
OnVillains in fiction tend to fit a certain template: erudite, aristocratic, queer-coded, monologuing and vaguely British. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it gets a little old after a while.
Telling Your Own Stories
OnIn this episode, filmmaker Shannon Strucci and critic Leslie Lee of Struggle Session were kind enough to join us to talk about why we need to tell our own stories instead of waiting for someone else to tell it for you.
Writing the Body: Avoiding Characters Who Are Brains-In-Jars (Unless That’s Your Whole Thing)
OnIn this episode, writer and stuntwoman SL Huang joins us to talk about writing that fully explores the physicality of its characters.
‘Tryst 7’ by Big City Orchestra & Legendary Pink Dots
OnTryst 7 is a relatively obscure split cassette release by the Legendary Pink Dots and Big City Orchestra from 1994—and one with many different versions.
Writing While the World Burns: What Does It Mean to Be a Writer During the Climate Crisis?
OnIn this episode, we talk to writer/editor Sarena Ulibarri about what it means to be a writer during a global climate crisis. Do writers have a responsibility to address the problem? Are we a part of the problem? Does art matter when the world is on fire?
Transgressive Queer Fiction and the Right to Be Messy
OnIn this episode, horror writer Gretchen Felker-Martin joins us to talk about the importance of making space for transgressive fiction by queer writers.
Creepypasta and Other Eerie Starches
OnIn this spooktacular episode, we talk to Ash and Jon of the Horror Vanguard podcast about the internet-based form of horror fiction known as creepypasta.
Writer Beware! Spotting Shady Agents, Vanity Presses and Other Scams
OnThe road to publishing can be a thorny one, filled with con artists lying in wait to pounce on unwary writers. Fortunately, Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware is here to tell us how to avoid being scammed.
The Dark Side of Fandom Part 2: Friendship Simulator
OnIn part two of our discussion on the dark side of fandom, RS Benedict talks to Tim Heiderich about parasocial relationships, Twitch streamers, Nazis, Pink Floyd’s The Wall and fans who want to watch their idols burn.
The Dark Side of Fandom, Part 1: Have You Accepted Spider-Man as Your Lord and Savior?
OnFandom can be fun, but it can also turn ugly too, or it can keep us so busy focusing on someone else’s work that we fail to develop our own talents.