World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast

In this episode of the World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast, Janet talks with Dr. Trent Hergenrader, professor and director of the Center for Worldbuilding and Storytelling, and Dr. Stephen Slota, a learning scientist and instructional designer, both co-authors of The Worldbuilding Workshop: Teaching Critical Thinking and Empathy Through World Modeling, Simulations, and Games . Together they dig into...

In this episode of the World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast, Janet talks with R.C. Helix (Chris Moujaes), creator of the Flux Destiny universe and a veteran producer with over two decades of experience in film, animation, and publishing — including executive producer credits on the Mass Effect: Paragon Lost and Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker anime films. The two dig into what makes anime such a power...

In this episode of the World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast, Janet sits down with author H. Leighton Dixon to explore the booming romantasy genre. Dixon, known for the Dragons of Solanus series, discusses her latest release, Ship of Spells,  a nautical romantasy featuring a sentient ship, a Warsguard mage, and an enemies-to-lovers slow burn. The conversation covers what actually separates romantasy f...

Holidays and special occasions are supposed to be joyful, but for creatives they're often a minefield of disrupted routines, shrinking emotional bandwidth, and vanishing free time. This episode, Janet talks with writer, editor, and publisher Sandra Taylor—author of Structuring Life to Support Creativity —about how to protect your creative spark when life gets chaotic. Topics covered include: Refra...

How do you make horror work at the RPG table, especially in systems where players are powerful, genre-savvy, and armed with darkvision, Detect Magic, and decades of monster knowledge? In this live interview, we're joined by Wolfgang Baur and Celeste Connowitch to talk about Running Horror at the RPG Table, inspired by their Night Hunters Kickstarter: a gothic horror setting for Tales of the Valian...

In this episode, host Janet sits down with Scottish fantasy author and editor Shona Kinsella ( The Daughters of Nicnevin , The Heart of Winter , The Flame and the Flood ) to dig into one of worldbuilding's richest wells of inspiration: folklore. They start with a whirlwind tour of favorite folklore-inspired fiction — from Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver and Uprooted to Lucy Holland's Sister Song , T...

This episode, Janet sits down with award-winning comic creator Kel MacDonald ( Sorcery 101 , The City Between , Misfits of Avalon ) for a deep dive into all things werewolf. Whether you're building a pack for your next RPG campaign, writing a werewolf protagonist, or just love unpacking classic monster tropes, this episode is full of insight for crafting werewolves that actually serve your story....

Fantasy mysteries are having a moment—and this week we're digging into exactly what makes the combo work. Janet welcomes author and small press publisher Leah R. Cutter (Knotted Road Press, Mystery, Crime and Mayhem magazine) for a deep dive into blending magic and murder. Topics covered include: Does a fantasy mystery need a murder? (Spoiler: not always—missing heirs, stolen artifacts, and RPG-st...

How do protagonists and villains get things done in your world? Probably not all by themselves! Factions - whether they're religious, corporate, political or trade organizations - are a VITAL part of your worldbuilding, adding spicy conflict when interests don't align. Join Janet and the AMAZING Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries) as they discuss how to write fantastic factions! https://marthawel...

How do protagonists and villains get things done in your world? Probably not all by themselves! Factions - whether they're religious, corporate, political or trade organizations - are a VITAL part of your worldbuilding, adding spicy conflict when interests don't align. Join Janet and the AMAZING Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries) as they discuss how to write fantastic factions! https://marthawel...

We're joined by illustrator and creature designer Shirin Sheppard to talk about making monsters that make scientific sense! How could dragons actually breathe fire? When do you reference real-world biology - and when do you leave it behind? Bring your creature questions to this fun interview! https://www.facebook.com/shirinillustration/   WORLDBUILD WITH US!  Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil account...

We're joined by illustrator and creature designer Shirin Sheppard to talk about making monsters that make scientific sense! How could dragons actually breathe fire? When do you reference real-world biology - and when do you leave it behind? Bring your creature questions to this fun interview! https://www.facebook.com/shirinillustration/   WORLDBUILD WITH US!  Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil account...

Join us as we chat with best-selling fantasy author Laura Anne Gilman about writing MONSTER HUNTERS. Whether you're talking historical fantasy, urban fantasy or gothic horror, these iconic characters stalk the night. Let's discuss tropes, tips, and what these archetypal heroes add to your games and stories.  https://www.lauraannegilman.net/   WORLDBUILD WITH US!  Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil acco...

Join us as we chat with best-selling fantasy author Laura Anne Gilman about writing MONSTER HUNTERS. Whether you're talking historical fantasy, urban fantasy or gothic horror, these iconic characters stalk the night. Let's discuss tropes, tips, and what these archetypal heroes add to your games and stories.  https://www.lauraannegilman.net/   WORLDBUILD WITH US!  Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil acco...

Join us for a spooky season interview with author Rachel Aaron (Hell of a Witch), as we explore the scary practice of worldbuilding with witches. We'll discuss how witches are often treated differently from other magic users in fantasy and TTRPGs, the tricky aspects of crafting believable witches, and how to create a witchcraft-based magic system that feels distinct and interesting.  https://rache...

Join us for a spooky season interview with author Rachel Aaron (Hell of a Witch), as we explore the scary practice of worldbuilding with witches. We'll discuss how witches are often treated differently from other magic users in fantasy and TTRPGs, the tricky aspects of crafting believable witches, and how to create a witchcraft-based magic system that feels distinct and interesting.  https://rache...

Join Janet and Caitlin Rozakis, author of The New York Times-bestselling novel Dreadful, for a delightful discussion of all things cozy fantasy! How do you create a setting that feels both cozy AND exciting? What are the essential elements of a cozy fantasy world? Bring your questions (and a cup of your favorite hot beverage) to this fun interview.  https://www.caitlinrozakis.com/   WORLDBUILD WIT...

Join Janet and Caitlin Rozakis, author of The New York Times-bestselling novel Dreadful, for a delightful discussion of all things cozy fantasy! How do you create a setting that feels both cozy AND exciting? What are the essential elements of a cozy fantasy world? Bring your questions (and a cup of your favorite hot beverage) to this fun interview.  https://www.caitlinrozakis.com/   WORLDBUILD WIT...

Emily Inkpen is the co-creator of the award-winning Dex Legacy, an incredible audio drama about to enter its 3rd season!  Learn Emily's process for writing and creating an audio drama that wins awards in this episode of the World Anvil worldbuilding podcast. https://www.emilyinkpen.com/thedexlegacy-home   WORLDBUILD WITH US!  Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil account today! Worldbuilding software, cam...

Emily Inkpen is the co-creator of the award-winning Dex Legacy, an incredible audio drama about to enter its 3rd season!  Learn Emily's process for writing and creating an audio drama that wins awards in this episode of the World Anvil worldbuilding podcast. https://www.emilyinkpen.com/thedexlegacy-home   WORLDBUILD WITH US!  Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil account today! Worldbuilding software, cam...

What are the unique worldbuilding challenges (and opportunities) presented by a generation ship? This week, Janet sits down with Michael Mammay, author of the popular Planetside series, to explore the corridors and cultures of this unique scifi subgenre!  https://www.michaelmammay.com/   Reviews of Generation Ship: Lightspeed   Publishers Weekly   Library Journal   Booklist   WORLDBUILD WITH US! ...

What are the unique worldbuilding challenges (and opportunities) presented by a generation ship? This week, Janet sits down with Michael Mammay, author of the popular Planetside series, to explore the corridors and cultures of this unique scifi subgenre!  https://www.michaelmammay.com/   Reviews of Generation Ship: Lightspeed   Publishers Weekly   Library Journal   Booklist   WORLDBUILD WITH US! ...

Join Janet with industry experts T. Alexander Stangroom & Amanda Hamon (Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos) to talk about MAKING MAGIC SCHOOLS, as we bring World Anvil's INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING challenge to a close!  https://koboldpress.com/the-kobold-team   https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahamon/ https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/sacoc   WORLDBUILD WITH US!  Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil accou...

Join Janet with industry experts T. Alexander Stangroom & Amanda Hamon (Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos) to talk about MAKING MAGIC SCHOOLS, as we bring World Anvil's INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING challenge to a close!  https://koboldpress.com/the-kobold-team   https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandahamon/ https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/sacoc   WORLDBUILD WITH US!  Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil accou...

Join Janet and our guest, award-winning author Chloe Gong, to talk about using history - and Shakespeare - as a jumping off point for fantasy worldbuilding. https://thechloegong.com/   WORLDBUILD WITH US!  Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil account today! Worldbuilding software, campaign manager and novel writing software. Created by two nerds, run with love & passion, supported by the friendliest comm...