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.
Originality: Feh, Who Needs It?
OnRS Benedict talks to Stephen Mazur, Assistant Editor of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, about originality. How important is it, really?
‘Nine Lives to Wonder’ (1994) Is an Opium Dream of an Album
OnNine Lives to Wonder is an opium dream of an album. A shadow cast upon the wall. A message in a bottle hanging suspended in mid-air.
No More Heroes with JR Dawson
OnMuch of speculative literature focuses on superheroes and Chosen Ones. But what about ordinary people or flawed people who don’t save the world? Do they matter?
Guns: How to Feature Them in a Realistic Way
OnTons of stories feature guns, but they’re usually portrayed in a wildly unrealistic way. Nate Bethea of “What a Hell of a Way to Die” was kind enough to stop by to talk to us about what writers get wrong about firearms.
Men Writing Women (Badly)
OnR.S. Benedict and guest Meg talk about the creepy, objectifying, or just plain ridiculous way that all too many male authors write female characters.
Writing Mary Sues, or What Even IS a Mary Sue?
OnIn this episode, special guest Jennifer Albright of Have You Seen This? drops by to talk about Mary Sues, a term used to describe an overly-perfect female character created as a self-insertion wish fulfillment vehicle for the author.