Writers of the Future Podcast

David Farland is a multiple New York Times bestselling author and Writers of the Future Coordinating Judge. He has been dubbed the Story Doctor as he has mentored so many of today’s bestselling authors from Brandon Mull (Fablehaven), Brandon Sanderson (Wheel of Time), and Stephenie Meyer (Twilight). We discuss what to look for in a writing instructor. From there we cover how to plot a novel, how t...

Michele Cobb is the Executive Director of the Audio Publishers Association, the Director of Audio Publishing for LA Theatre Works, and the Publisher of Audiofile Magazine. She has become for all intents and purposes the spokesperson for the Audiobook Industry. Audiobooks have become the largest growth segment of the publishing industry. In our interview, we discuss how this has come to be and how...

This week’s guest is internationally bestselling author Katherine Kurtz. Combining her study of medieval English at university with the popularity of J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, she evolved a new sub-genre of world fantasy called historical fantasy set in close parallels to our own medieval period and featuring “magic” that much resembles what some of us might call extrasensory perception....

We have a very special episode for you this week. Roger Christian is an Academy Award-winning art director for the very first Star Wars movie: A New Hope. He was later nominated for an Oscar for his work on Alien. He directed second unit on Return of the Jedi, The Phantom Menace, The Sender, and Nostradamus. He was also the director of the movie Battlefield Earth. There has been so much false info...

Special guests Michelle Desrochers and Amelia Pisano, are hosts of “The Outer Realm.” We not only talk about their specialties, Michelle with her vast experience in the paranormal, helping with TV shows and movies to get it right, And Amelia with her remote viewing to help save children, We also discuss right and wrong ways to treat the subject of the paranormal in writing fantasy and dark fantasy...

Andrew Gulli is the editor-in-chief of The Strand Magazine, one of the most established and popular journals of mystery fiction active today. Mystery Sci-Fi has been a popular genre being a mix of both Science Fiction and Mystery. In this episode, we will discuss examples of what has worked and what hasn’t work in mystery sci-fi as well as discuss all different types of mystery sub-genres.

Many questions over the years on the need to promote oneself have been addressed. But I’ve never addressed the role of an actual publicist. In this show of the Writers & Illustrators of the Future Podcast, meet Mickey Mikkelson from Creative Edge Publicity and we will discuss how having a “brand” works, when does it become important for an author or artist, and what is the role of a publicist to b...

Robert Hogg is the Deputy Mission Manager for NASA's Mars 2020 project, NASA’s latest Mars rover. The Perseverance will search for signs of past life on Mars using seven advanced instruments. In addition to the science of the mission, we discuss what would happen if the rover, while drilling, found evidence of earlier alien civilizations. We have a lot of fun. And you will too.

Brittany Rainsdon is a registered nurse, a young mother of four, and is working very hard at becoming a published author. She has won the Writers of the Future competition and is published in Deep Magic magazine and selected for their Best Of issue. In this episode, we discuss how Brittany has overcome real-life issues to pursue her dream of becoming a published author. http://rainsdonwrites.com/

Dan dos Santos has been a professional artist for over two decades and has been an Illustrators of the Future Judge since 2019. You will have certainly recognized his art if you are a book reader – from Dan Brown, Danielle Steele, and Patricia Briggs, to Brandon Sanderson, Diana Rowland, and JK Rowling. He has worked for clients such as Disney, Universal Studios, Activision, Boeing Aircraft, Schol...

Ace Antonio Hall – pen name Nzondi – is an American urban fantasy and horror writer. His novel, Oware Mosaic, won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Young Adult Fiction. He is a former Director of Education for NYC schools and the Sylvan Learning Center. I initially met Nzondi through the Greater Los Angeles Writers Society, when he, as Vice President, made a presentation on the 80t...

This week’s guest is Mary Jane Popp and she talks about KISS (Keeping It Simple Stupid) of doing media interviews and promoting yourself. She has worked in radio and television for over 40 years as a reporter, producer, and talk show host. She is now the host of the syndicated radio magazine show “Poppoff” out of Sacramento, California. So be sure to listen to the next episode of the Writers and I...

Kimberly Quigley has had a lifetime of experience in the media industry beginning with print and runway modeling as a teen. Her work soon evolved into writing and directing short films and TV programming. I met her as the Creator and producer of the celebrity interview show The Red Booth – which she grew from local TV to now being broadcast in multiple countries. In this interview, we continue to...

At some point in your career as a writer or artist, you will need to tackle being interviewed by the media. So what makes a good interview and what makes a bad interview? How do you prepare for one? And what is a reporter or show host looking for? In our next episode of the Writers and Illustrators of the Future podcast, we ask long-time show host, Frank MacKay. He has interviewed presidents, sena...

In this interview, S.M. Stirling discusses how history is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to be plausible. History doesn't. As the saying goes, you can't just wait for the Inspiration Fairy to sprinkle you with idea-dust. She's very fickle. At least not if you're a professional. So says multiple New York Times best-selling author S.M. Stirling. Learn where his amazing ideas come from … whether...

Andy Dibble, as an undergraduate, completed four majors—religious studies, philosophy, Asian studies, and computer science—and published a paper on two of India’s great epics, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata Purana. He holds a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. In this episode, we will be discussing religion in science fiction.

John Haas has wanted to be a pro writer for most of his life … but life kept getting in his way. He kept persisting and now finds himself on the cusp of realizing that dream. For any who aspire to living their dream, whatever that dream, listen to this episode of the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Podcast with Writers of the Future winner and author John Haas. After all, dreams can be made...

Edgar Rice Burroughs was best known for Tarzan of the Apes and John Carter of Mars. He failed in nearly every enterprise he tried. And yet he became one of the most successful adventure writers in history! In this interview you will learn about Edgar Rice Burroughs from adventurer to reporter to world class author with our very special guests, the president of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jim Sullos, and...

Michael Z. Williamson is an author who writes both military fiction and science fiction and is best known for his libertarian-themed Freehold series, exploring military and political themes as well as first contact with alien beings. With 25 years of service in the Army and Air Force, he has consulted on military matters and disaster preparedness for Discovery Channel and Outdoor Channel and is Ed...

Otto Penzler has been involved with publishing since 1975, when he founded The Mysterious Press, dedicated to publishing the best books by the best authors. We talk about the one vital element in storytelling that is common to all genre-fiction and that sets a story above others and makes it timeless.

In this podcast, we discuss the Power of Story in society, that a successful society is a society of successful stories. Our guest, David Doering, creator of the Life, the Universe and Everything convention, addresses how all human endeavors are storytelling. We will cover all forms of storytelling from gossip … to biography … to history … to criticism … to fiction … and its antithesis, censorship...

Many know Frank Frazetta as the godfather of fantasy art noted for comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, record album covers, and other media. While his work is world-renowned, what about the man, or in this case, the grandfather? Sara Frazetta is the granddaughter of Frank Frazetta and founder of Frazetta Girls, a family initiative dedicated to maintaining the legacy of Frank Fr...

What do you ask someone who knows virtually everything there is to know about the pulp fiction era and its impact on today’s popular fiction? Anything and everything. That’s what I tried to do when he was the keynote speaker at Writers of the Future Awards ceremony a few years ago. And that’s what I attempt on this episode of the Writers & Illustrators of the Future Podcast with our very special g...

What began as a childhood hobby grew into a full-fledged passion. It eventually led Pat Henry, along with a few friends, to co-found Dragon Con, one of the largest fantasy conventions in the world in Atlanta, Georgia, of which Pat is now CEO. We will discuss why conventions are important to a writer and artist and why DragonCon is one of the biggest supporters of Writers & Illustrators of the Futu...

Kevin J. Anderson has published more than 165 books, 56 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes. He has been a judge for Writers of the Future for 25 years and has a simple philosophy: I’m successful at this, but I feel it’s important to pay forward to the next generation of writers.” He also teaches a M...