Writers of the Future Podcast

Kevin J. Anderson is one of the rarest of creatives. As a writer, he started from the bottom and worked his way up to become an internationally bestselling author of over 190 books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He then became a publisher – Wordfire Press. Following this, he co-created the Superstars Writing Workshop. He is now also the director of a Publishing Gradu...

Alan Smale is an astrophysicist and award-winning author (including “Writers of the Future Volume 13”) who recently retired from NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center after decades of groundbreaking work. Holding a Bachelor’s in Physics and a Ph. D. in Astrophysics from Oxford University, Alan moved to the U.S. in the late 1980s to collaborate with NASA. Three years ago, Alan joined the podcast to dis...

Bob Boze Bell has been a friend for over a decade and has provided various features on western titles by L. Ron Hubbard in True West Magazine. His work has appeared in Arizona Highways, Playboy, National Lampoon, the Arizona Republic, and True West magazine. For ten years (2002-2012), he produced a video version of True West Moments, which aired on the Westerns Channel. In this episode, we discuss...

Patrick Kidder is the editor-in-chief of Sally Port Magazine. Kidder shares his journey to becoming a full-time writer and publisher, inspired by gaps in family-friendly fantasy fiction. Together with his wife, he founded Forever Mountain Publishing and launched Sally Port Magazine—named after a castle’s side door—to provide an accessible entry point for diverse voices. The magazine specializes in...

Christina Hess is the Department Head of Illustration at Ringling College of Art & Design. In this interview, we discuss the value of art school and the impact of AI on art. Christina is an illustrator known for blending historical and natural themes across a wide range of projects. Her portfolio includes everything from numismatic designs (the study of coins, tokens, medals, and paper money) to i...

In the beginning, there was no punctuation. Texts were written so that their letters ran together withnospacesorpunctuation and without any distinction between lowercase and capitals. It was up to the reader to discover where each word or sentence ended and the next began. Then, through orators and actors, marks were made to show pauses and stops and emphasis, and thus punctuation was born. Ian Ra...

Ruby Lovell is an award-winning journalist, dynamic show host, and accomplished author whose career bridges the worlds of entertainment, media, and storytelling—making her the perfect guest for this podcast. Born in Sri Lanka, she has lived in the UK and the US and has traveled the world. We originally met at the Hollywood Christmas Parade, where Ruby was a media attendee. Ruby next attended and b...

Megan O'Russell is a YA author who transitioned from a successful career in theater to writing. We met on a panel at Dragon Con and agreed to do this podcast. We discuss her journey, the importance of storytelling, and the differences between traditional and indie publishing. Megan shares insights on empowering authors, navigating the editing process, and the significance of world-building in fant...

Jim Nettles is a well-established author of science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary fiction. However, in this interview, we delve into another aspect of Jim, as the founder of Author Essentials and Author Essentials Workshops. In this interview, we discuss his book, “Business Essentials for Writers”, and he shares his unique perspective on failure, emphasizing that not trying is the true failur...

Bestselling fantasy author Katie Cross is one of the most comfortable authors I have ever read. “Miss Mabel’s School for Girls” is the first book in the Network Series. In this episode, Katie shares her journey as a writer, the inspiration behind her books, and the importance of engaging with readers. She discusses her unique approach to storytelling, character development, and the magic system in...

Subrahmanian Seshadri, who goes by “Sesh,” is the CEO of Overleaf Books LLP and a member of the Educational Publishers Forum of the International Publishers Association, representing India, a country with a population of 1.4 billion. We discuss Writers and Illustrators of the Future and its importance to creative individuals in India. Sesh see's the value of the Contests for teh 213,000,000 middle...

Discover the visionary world of Jean Henri Gaston Giraud—also known as Gir but better known as Moebius, a master of cosmic comics—in this podcast episode. Join us for an interview with his children, Nausicaa and Raphael, as they discuss the enduring legacy of their father, a trailblazer whose surreal artistry reshaped science fiction. We met at the France Pavilion at the Frankfurt Book Fair and re...

Jeffrey Morris is a writer, director, and founder of FutureDude Entertainment, a production company that blends dazzling creativity with innovative storytelling. His goal … rekindling the human spirit through science fiction. He has produced an amazing documentary entitled THE EAGLE OBSESSION and is here in our Hollywood office as part of his screening tour. We discuss the purpose of the documenta...

Steven Heumann spent a decade in screenwriting for television. Novel writing is his second career, to the point of even creating his own publishing house to publish his novels. The storyline of his contemporary sci-fi novel, “Paper Heroes,” is an interesting one. On the surface, Steven presents middle-aged men living out their boyhood superhero dreams. However, underneath, he addresses ethical iss...

Becca Lee Gardner is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet! In this episode, she shares her origin story of the Dragon Champion series, born from the ritual of bedtime tales spun for her children. This is the first time writing children’s books has been discussed on this podcast. We also cover how one deals with force and conflict in books written for children ages 5-12. It is quite...

Matthew Wolf is the creator of the epic adventure-fantasy series The Ronin Saga. He is releasing the fifth book in the series, “Heart of Flesh.” In this episode, we explore how he transforms myth into vivid reality, with the Ronin—a once-legendary team of nine, each with specific powers—now returning over a thousand years later. Each volume introduces another of the Ronin as the series progresses....

In this episode, we dive into the world of artificial intelligence with Stone Sanchez, the publisher of Spare Oom Press and a passionate computer geek. Stone is not only a technologist but also an avid reader, writer, and musician. Join us as we explore the growing influence of computer intelligence and its implications for creatives. Stone shares his insights on the threats AI poses to writers an...

Craig Miller, the first Director of Fan Relations for Lucasfilm Ltd., played a pivotal role during the creation of Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. As a publicist, writer, producer, and innovator, Craig crafted groundbreaking ways to engage and grow the Star Wars fanbase, helping cement its place as a cultural phenomenon. Beyond Star Wars, Craig has been a key figure in the Writers of the Fu...

With her thought-provoking novels, Nancy Kress, acclaimed science fiction author and winner of six Nebulas, two Hugos, a Sturgeon, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, blends cutting-edge science with profound human questions. In this episode, we dive into her celebrated works, starting with “Beggars in Spain,” a gripping exploration of bioengineering, and “Tomorrow’s Kin,” where complex scien...

Today’s guest is Wulf Moon, who many of you already know from any of our past three interviews since he was on as a Writer winner in Volume 35 back in 2019 with his short story “Super Duper Moongirl and the Amazing Moon Dawdler.” Wulf Moon won his first writing award at the age of 15 and has now won over 60 awards in writing and 30 in public speaking. He remains one the biggest supporters and prom...

How do you weave short stories into a cohesive novel? In this episode, we’re thrilled to welcome back award-winning author Martin L. Shoemaker, a “Writers of the Future Volume 31” winner, to discuss his latest novel, “A Fine and Dangerous Season.” Martin shares his unique process of transforming a series of short stories, all written in October 2023, into a gripping, interconnected narrative. From...

Join us as Nev March, the first Indian-born winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America Award for a First Crime Novel and 2024 NY Chapter chair, shares her journey into murder mystery. A departure from our usual SF&F, we explore new genres, as top authors recommend reading broadly.

Lydia Sherrer is a USA Today bestselling author and has published multiple novels, including “Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus,” a delightful urban fantasy with snarky humor. In this episode, we discuss writing urban fantasy fiction and how to add a bit of snark to make it even better. Learn more at www.lydiasherrer.com.

Nicole “N. V.” Haskell was a Writers of the Future winner in Volume 38 with her fantasy short story, “The Mystical Farrago.” Her recent novel, “The Malice of Moons and Mages,” is an epic fantasy novel, first in a series, where Nicole creates a world filled with magic but with special rules and laws. In this episode, we discuss how to world-build a magical realm and the importance of staying true t...

Laurence O’Bryan is an author and the Founder of the International Dublin Writers’ Festival and BooksGoSocial. In this episode, we discuss how BooksGoSocial provides personalized book promotion with expert feedback, Amazon ad optimization, and extensive social media reach to boost sales. Galaxy Press uses this service, and we want to make this known to other creatives who want to realize more succ...