Hard Fantasy

Which, if any, of your published works do you think was your worst book?
Have you yet produced your worst book?  You should listen to this inspirational conversation with personal development author & paranormal thriller writer Bradley Charbonneau if you want to overcome your writing-related fears and learn to laugh at your mistakes.  The self-described 'recovering perfectionist' has learned how to unleash his own creativity and has produced 33 books as he maintained a 2,808-day creative streak (over 7 years of writing every day.) Do you feel like you're being beaten in the game of failure simply because you've never dared address the true nature of success? For example, what does success look like to you? This interview is for you if you have no idea what any of this means or how it relates to your writing, but nevertheless you feel trapped in a creative rut and can't come up with the right words to write!  On Myth & Magic we talk about how to write your worst book ever and why it's crucial to approach the idea of creation with a sense of inadequacy and incapacity. Failure will help you in the long term, and during this interview Bradley explains the hows and whys!

This week I chat with the Beyond the Pen podcast creator Maccabee Griffin.  Each week Maccabee sits down with a new author to discover the real story behind their tale! But what is his own story? Find out here! Beyond the Pen is a podcast show that gives newly published and unknown authors a platform to tell the world about their projects — so today's interview is essential listening for anyone who is starting out on an adventure into authoring and anyone preparing for NaNoWriMo2022!

Mark Bradford is the Wisconsin based author of The Sword and the Sunflower. Mark is also a work-life & work-relationship coach, a podcaster, a public speaker, and a UAV pilot! His recent post-dystopian fiction title explores the aftermath of a catastrophe. It has been described by readers as "complex and interesting..." Find out more about this 'complex and interesting' author here on Myth and Magic!

How does a contest judge critique a manuscript for a literary prize? Here is valuable advice from an experienced judge at the highly respected North Street Book Prize.  Annie offers practical tips, and she also chats about getting your manuscript ready for competition, the tendering process, and what contest judges look for. We also discuss the fantasy themes found in the novels of Joseph Conrad! This is an essential listen! Annie is an entertaining guest!

Jon DiSavino is a professional actor, podcast host, voice artist, and creator of Short Story Today, a new podcast show that combines his love of voice acting with his love of literature. We chatted about audiobook storytelling, creating good dialects for your narrative, Shakespearean fantasy, and what makes a story worth reading. A fun interview!

An interview with Los Angeles-based writer, award-winning composer, and sound designer Chris Porter who is the creator of a new audio sci-fi drama, SOLAR, with Jenny Curtis, that features Helen Hunt,  Alan Cumming,  Stephanie Beatriz, and Jonathan Bangs. We talk about ghosts, liminal spaces, and creating immersive literature!

Rise of the Ravenisha by P. Grace Lawson is a paranormal novel with action, humor, romance, and mystery. It encompasses fierce warrior women, power struggles, corrupt experiments, and were-panthers! In this show we discuss growing up in the South, and chat about poke sallet, gaited horses, great authors such as Zora Neale Hurston, and writing fantasy

Maryland historian Mary Kendall became a debut author with her tale of moonlit alleys, shadowy tunnels, and buried secrets. The Spinster's Fortune, a tale with gothic undertones, is about deceit in a family.
We chat about writing complex stories and weaving mystery into a manuscript

An interview with with the Pennsylvania based epic fantasy author J V Hilliard who recently arrived on the fantasy adventure scene with the first title in his Warminster Series. "The Last Keeper" is about a young boy who suffers prophetic visions. We chat about cryptids, fight scenes, and world building!

Short story author Shannon Lawrence has been described as the true queen of horror. She recently produced a nonfiction book “The Business of Short Stories: Writing, Submitting, Publishing, and Marketing". We chat about writing for anthologies, tips about writing shorts, and about how to come-up with ideas for horror!