Fictional Influence

Screenwriter turned indie novelist Cary DiChristina joins the show to discuss his 15-year journey through Hollywood and why he finally decided to bypass the gatekeepers to publish his own stories. Cary explains the transition from writing for the screen to writing for the page, revealing why the “compromise” of film production pales in comparison to the total creative freedom of a novel. Cary also...

Science fiction author and Fandom Pulse founder Jon Del Arroz joins the show to discuss why he is arguably the most banned man in independent publishing. From being ejected from WorldCon while in line for a Disney ride to being de-platformed by Kickstarter and Indiegogo, John explains how “cancel culture” collusion works and why he refuses to back down. Jon also dives into his most controversial s...

Jack Napier joins to discuss his new book, On Women , described as 200 pages of “condensed Red Pill 101”. While the term “Red Pill” is often misunderstood or conflated with figures like Andrew Tate, Jack breaks it down to its roots: a “walkthrough” of shared experiences for men, similar to Nintendo Power, rather than a political ideology. Beyond dating dynamics, Jack and Kristin explore the “Commu...

Military veteran and fantasy author Melissa Cave joins the show to discuss why "Romantasy" has become a slur in the reading community and how she is fighting back with historical realism. Melissa breaks down the difference between aesthetic-focused trends and deep world-building, explaining why readers are starving for believable male characters who don't sound like they're from 2026 Los Angeles....

Marketer and musician Nick Picone joins the show to discuss the “Iron Age” of media, why the DIY punk rock ethos is the only path forward for modern authors, and how to gamify the dreaded task of marketing. Nick applies his unique background in music and marketing to the independent creator space, breaking down why traditional publishing gatekeepers are failing both authors and audiences. He expla...

Kit Perez joins to discuss the art and science of resistance in the publishing world, why Amazon is not evil but simply a machine designed to extract value, and how independent authors can build a true signal in a noisy marketplace. Kit applies her unique background in intelligence and trauma counseling to the struggles of the modern creator. She explains why unhealed attachment wounds and “people...

John A. Douglas joins to discuss the state of literature for men, the dominance of female-targeted content in traditional publishing, and why the most passionate male readers are “abandoning the future of literacy.” John shares his powerful personal journey from a bullied, working-class Southern boy who was forced into homeschooling, to becoming a successful indie author. He discusses how traditio...

Where did all the adventure books for teenage boys go? Jeff Putnam—author and father of eight sons—explains why boys stopped reading, what happened to men’s adventure fiction, and how indie authors are bringing it back. We also discuss why manga and LitRPG dominate with young male readers while traditional publishing keeps churning out books boys don’t want. The Hardy Boys to Hemingway pipeline is...

Episode Description Tim Grahl runs Story Grid and wrote The Shithead , and he has a controversial opinion: writing is a learnable skill, not magic. In this conversation, we talk about why most writing advice is terrible for beginners, why “write what feels right” is garbage guidance, and how to actually improve your craft systematically. Some writers hate hearing that good stories follow patterns....

B.R. Keid served in the Marine Corps, deployed to Iraq in 2004, and now writes military sci-fi that actually feels like the military. In this Veterans Day episode, we talk about his service, what it takes to write authentic military fiction, and how he built an indie career without traditional publishing. His Autonomous Weapons Division trilogy shows what happens when someone who’s lived it decide...

Rian Stone didn’t start as a fiction writer. He built his career writing Red Pill nonfiction, then decided to pivot to dystopian fiction because he’d said everything he needed to say in that space. In this conversation, we talk about making the jump from nonfiction to fiction, why the indie writing community is full of people playing dress-up instead of actually writing, and what it takes to treat...

Traditional publishers love to say men don’t read. The truth? Men don’t read the books publishers keep making for them—or rather, NOT making for them. In this episode, I review The Dog Walker by R.A. Stone, one of the rare contemporary novels actually written with male readers in mind. We talk about why men’s contemporary fiction disappeared, what makes this book work, and why the publishing indus...

Devon Eriksen didn’t wait for permission from traditional publishing. He wrote Theft of Fire , a hard sci-fi thriller that male readers were starving for, and sold tens of thousands of copies on his own terms. In this conversation, we talk about why men stopped reading, how indie authors can fill that gap, and why getting canceled was actually the best thing that happened to his career. If you’ve...

Bjørn: Why are you doing this? Patrick: Because you let me. — From Speak No Evil (2022) The greatest films always leave themselves open to a number of interpretations, and the newly released horror movie, Heretic , is no different. Terrifying, thrilling, and oddly funny in spots, the ending leaves you wondering what it all meant, what you’re supposed to do now, and if you’re like me, will probably...

I will not lie to you: My reasons for renting Sweet November in 2003 were not virtuous. I had a massive crush on Jason Isaacs (of The Patriot fame and later, Harry Potter ’s Lucius Malfoy) as well as Michael Rosenbaum, who starred in the WB’s Smallville as Lex Luthor. I scoured IMDB to find EVERYTHING Rosenbaum was in so I could watch it. Imagine my delight to see he’d starred alongside Isaacs. In...

Fictional Influence #3: Pitch Black (2000) warned you about being a follower Donate to victims of Hurricane Helene at Samaritan's Purse: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/ Fictional Influence is a weekly blog and podcast by Kristin McTiernan To get this podcast in blog form, you can subscribe at https://www.fictionalinfluence.com If you specifically enjoyed this episode, you can leave a tip here: ht...

Fictional Influence #2: Paradise Requires Violence: Furiosa and Protecting What's Yours Fictional Influence is a weekly blog and podcast by Kristin McTiernan To get this podcast in blog form, you can subscribe at https://www.nonsensefreewriters.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

Collectively, the class of 1997 remembers the best teacher they ever had—Mr. Brackett. He was something of a cultural touchstone because of the way they all stood up as one at their graduation ceremony and saved him from being unjustly fired by a cowardly school administration. They also remember, maybe with tears in their eyes, how the ENTIRE community stood up with them. Mr. Brackett had stood u...

Fictional Influence #4: Hollywood Hates Humans: Godzilla King of the Monsters Fictional Influence is a weekly blog and podcast by Kristin McTiernan To get this podcast in blog form, you can subscribe at https://www.fictionalinfluence.com If you particularly liked this episode, you can leave a tip here: https://square.link/u/aEnj4jw4 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with...