The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

Writer and editor Charles Remington joins Richie in the Writers' Toolshed to talk about nano fiction, a niche of flash fiction. How do you write nano fiction? Where do you find ideas? Why should you try it? Uncover the answers to all in this episode. Plus, we discuss marketing books, and Richie tells us about his meeting with Raymond E. Feist. The book, Nano Nightmares, edited by Charles and featu...

Coronavirus craziness has gripped the globe. How can writers make the most of all this free time? In this episode, Richie discusses a few ways writers can help people in this time of great need, as well as a few ways you can make the most of this abundance of time. Richie mentions a few books you may find helpful, which are: The Art of Dramatic Writing - Lajos Egri Stein on Writing - Sol Stein The...

In this episode, Richie struggles to say hello, JM’s cats make a few guest appearances, and somewhere in between, we talk about short stories—why you should write them, how to write them, and how to get them published. As always, we want to hear from you! Drop us an email at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com , or message us on Facebook. Please consider supporting us on Patreon! ( https://www.pat...

In this episode, JM interviews historical fiction author Paul Cunningham. Paul is the author of the book "Contention," which details "the most chaotic year in Roman history" following the death of Nero. Following our previous episode on fantasy world-building, it seemed a good idea to talk to someone who has to deal with the same issue in a different way. Paul is a master at rolling back time, bri...

Struggling to build a believable fantasy world without drowning your reader in detail? Learn the secrets of natural worldbuilding from writers who’ve been there. In this episode of The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, Richie Billing and J.M. Williams explore one of the most exciting and challenging parts of writing fantasy: worldbuilding. It’s every author’s playground, and sometimes their biggest heada...

A few weeks back, Richie carried out a bit of research inspired by the comments of a professional book reviewer named Damien Walter. Walter argued that the novel is dead, that the decline in quality and the saturation of the market has strangled the enjoyment out of it, and as a result, fewer people are reading. Richie explores whether or not this is the case, before considering whether or not rea...

Learn how to use and subvert fantasy tropes to create original, compelling stories while avoiding clichés and predictable storytelling. Fantasy tropes are the backbone of the genre—but rely on them too heavily, and your story risks feeling predictable and overdone. In this episode, I’m joined by J.M. Williams to explore how to take classic fantasy tropes and transform them into something fresh, or...

Are medieval settings holding fantasy back? In this episode, discover how to reinvent classic worlds and build fantasy settings that feel new and alive. In this episode of The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, Richie Billing and J.M. Williams tackle one of the most hotly debated topics in the fantasy genre — the medieval setting cliché. From muddy villages and wooden houses to knights, castles, and sword...

Tired of hearing your story feels “too familiar”? In this episode, we explore how to spot, avoid, and reinvent common fantasy clichés to make your writing truly original. In the debut episode of The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, hosts Richie Billing and JM Williams dive deep into the world of fantasy tropes and clichés. We all know them — the Chosen One , the wise old mentor , the dark lord who’s evi...

A brand new monthly podcast looking at all things writing, fantasy fiction, and building your author platform. Hosted by Richie Billing (https://richiebilling.com) and JM Williams (https://jmwilliams.home.blog). Please consider supporting us on Patreon! ( https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed ). You can join our community of writers , get access to exclusive fantasy writing workshops ,...