How To Write The Future

“By setting in this case, we are getting the scope of the world. We are learning the rules of magic in this story.” — Beth Barany In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Decode The Obsidian Tower's Setting,” host Beth Barany analyzes The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso, showing you exactly how she works as a developmental editor and coach. You'll discover how character...

“Go ahead and base your sci-fi entirely on your own imagination, whatever science that you want to integrate into your story. And make it feel real.“ —Beth Barany How Much Science in Your Sci-Fi Stories?  That’s the question from a listener Beth Barany is answering in this How To Write the Future podcast episode.  She answers whether you can base your novel entirely on your imagination, whether st...

“ It's essentially a marketplace. You want to shop around. You want to make sure that this person has a good reputation and you want to talk off the record in confidence with other writers.” — Beth Barany Finished your novel and ready to land a literary agent? In this How To Write the Future episode, Beth Barany shares how to research reputable agents, start smart conversations with fellow wr...

“Learning how to write fiction-- most people never learn in school, so we're learning as adults and therefore we're gonna have a huge learning curve.” - Beth Barany In this How to Write the Future podcast episode, “Writing Consistently: Facts and Myths,” host Beth Barany shares the common misconceptions about writing consistently, plus tips on how to find the rhythm of writing that suits...

“It's hard to fix a manuscript that is not yet finished.  This is what I counsel all of my clients and people who might want to work with me is write the whole first draft because there's something that brought you to the story.” - Beth Barany In this How To Write the Future episode, “How to Handle Plot Holes Effectively,” host Beth Barany answers a listener's question on how to han...

“In my opinion, the cure for writer's block is writing -- pure and simple.” - Beth Barany Do you wonder why you’re not writing and wish you were?  Then listen to “Writer's Block: Five Steps Forward,” the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, where host and writing teacher, Beth Barany, shares five steps forward that you can put into action to help with your writer’s block.   Pl...

“ I am currently deeply involved with the process and the importance of creativity in the second half of life.” - Catherine Bramkamp In this episode of How To Write the Future, “Writing Through Chaos: Creativity and Resilience with Catharine Bramkamp,” host Beth Barany chats with fellow writing and creativity coach Catharine Bramkamp. Catharine dives into why creativity matters in the second half...

“I try to write worlds that I believe are attainable and that I think we can aspire towards.” - Abigail Hing Wen In this future‑forward episode of How To Write The Future, host Beth Barany chats with author‑filmmaker Abigail Hing Wen about The Vale — a middle‑grade fantasy where a family builds a clean, AI‑generated virtual world. They get into why ethical AI matters for storytellers, what “clean...

“Written from the point of view of one character and then another scene from the another character. Now, we would never shift point of view within a scene, but each scene, each segment of the book is from a different point of view.” - Lawrence Connolly In this How To Write the Future episode, “Building Character-Driven Action Adventure Stories with Lawrence Connolly,” podcast host Beth Barany inte...

“I love plot, I love character, and I just feel like the colors are bolder and brighter and there's more to work with when I'm writing about science fiction and fantasy.” - Randee Dawn In this How To Write the Future episode, “Future Fantasy, Real-World Resilience with Randee Dawn,” podcast host Beth Barany interviews Brooklyn-based author and veteran entertainment journalist Randee Dawn...

“It all started with too much Star Trek, although you could say that that's a lie because there is never too much Star Trek.” - Surekha Davies In the latest How To Write the Future podcast, titled “Monsters and Humanity in Fiction with Surekha Davies,” host Beth Barany talks to science and art historian, monster consultant, and author, Surekha Davies. Together they discuss why understanding m...

“So the habits of mind are: curiosity, openness, engagement, creativity, persistence, responsibility, flexibility, and metacognition. So that's a whole lot of terms. Metacognition is typically the one where people go, huh, I don't know what you're talking about. So that's the one that I wanna talk about. It is also one of the ones that I think is foundational to all the rest.”...

“I am a horrible little goblin like that, and it's just what happens. So I have to trick myself and the ways that I trick myself are to really let myself see what I want to create.” - LA Bourgeois About this episode In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany, talks to Kaizen Muse Certified Creativity Coach, end of life doula, and author LA Bourgeois where they define th...

“I'm not asking for everybody to center queer characters in their narratives in world-building, which would be nice, actually, you know, as nice as that would be. But just to include us and to show that we exist and in whatever ways are appropriate in your world, whether that is a more like marginal existence in some worlds.” - Chad Grayson In this episode on the How To Write the Future podca...

“Your biggest challenge is how to start, how to overcome confusion and overwhelm, and maybe how to overcome some procrastination.” - Beth Barany Revisit an informative, positive, and uplifting episode with host Beth Barany to help “ Your Story World Diagnosis: What Stage Are You In?” where she will share the five stages of story world building, including common world-building challenges and how to...

Have you stopped to ask yourself: what is it that you want? And dared to listen to the answer.” - Beth Barany  In the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, “In the Age of AI, Think Critically, Write Creatively, Act Compassionately,” host Beth Barany encourages listeners to critically think about the tools they are using and to create a compassionate place to be curious about the systems...

“This is a new field, in which we are trying to use living neurons to process information, and we want to use them as processors, to process information as today we do with computers.” - Ewelina Kurtys ABOUT THIS EPISODE Explore the potential of biocomputing in this How To Write the Future podcast episode, as host Beth Barany talks to scientist-turned-strategist, Ewelina Kurtys, where Ewelina shar...

“The Gift from Aelius is a sci-fi tale that explores the meaning of purpose and life and what it means to be alive.” - Michael Colon ABOUT TODAY'S EPISODE In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany talks to sci-fi author Michael Colon about his journey of creative confidence and authentic storytelling through science fiction. Learn how his novel explores AI-human relati...

“I think of hope.  And especially in a world that can be seen as cruel, that can be experienced as cruel, I think of those who have the capacity to do what they can to spread that hope and to spread that joy so we can uplift the folks that need a little bit more help.”  - Melquea Smith In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany chats to children’s book illustrator Melquea Sm...

“We have a fabulous program that we are launching for the first time. It's a pilot program. And this is for you if you are a writer and you want to serve writers, that is you want to build a business helping other writers.” In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany shares u pcoming classes in Barany School of Fiction, including how you can sign up for them, and how the...

”I believe that your unique vision that you are sharing in your stories can impact the readers in unknown and amazing ways.” - Beth Barany How To Write the Future podcast host, Beth Barany, invites listeners to sign up for a free Story Success Clinic session. In these sessions, Beth will coach you and give you feedback on a short piece of your writing. You’ll gain insights into how to enhance scen...

”The message of the story is the thing that they need to learn, which means that they have opposite beliefs that are preventing them, you know, flawed beliefs that are preventing them from learning the story message.” - Emily Golden In this special episode of How To Write the Future, host Beth Barany chats with Emily Golden and Rachel May about story theme, world building, and conflict. They share...

“Do you like to daydream? I love to daydream. I've always loved to daydream ever since I was a child and when I was a child, I wished I was magic.” - Beth Barany In this episode of How To Write the Future, host Beth Barany discusses “Woo-Woo and Fiction Writing” by sharing her “woo-woo” interests, her backstory from pre-med to fiction, and the magic of writing. Beth also shares the resources...

“Human Design is really helping you work with your energy rather than against it. There is no reason why you have to fight against yourself. It makes it very hard to be a creative person.” In the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany discusses how to use Human Design as a fiction author to your advantage, how to understand your results, and how this understanding can enh...

“This class is really for those who care about tone, character, genre, and the emotional resonance of your story.” In this How To Write the Future episode, titled “Learn How to Craft Settings that Hook Readers,” host Beth Barany shares about the upcoming exciting class she’s teaching as part of Sue Brown Moore’s HEA Sessions called “Settings That Hook Your Readers” where she’ll dive into teaching...