Writing the Wrong Way with Jonathan Ball, PhD

Poet and novelist  David Ly  joins the podcast to talk about his debut novel  Not All Dragons , a “cozy fantasy” about an amnesiac boy, a mermaid, and a journey through the magical world of Lanelia. Jonathan and David discuss character-first fantasy, the anxieties of worldbuilding, and how poetry can shape prose. David also explains dragons as queer monsters, reclaiming monstrosity through the ant...

Jonathan welcomes acclaimed comics writer and editor Steve Orlando to talk about what really makes a great Big Two writer. They get into finding a character’s “core wound,” balancing decades of lore with a fresh take, managing dense event books without boring readers, and the real job of editors versus writers. Steve also shares insights on collaborating with artists, building a sustainable writin...

In this episode of Writing the Wrong Way, Dr. Jonathan Ball talks with novelist and actor David Jón Fuller about his new book Venue 13 (Turnstone Press) , a haunted-theatre novel set in Winnipeg’s summer festival scene. They discuss how David built the book like a five‑act play, blending prose, script formatting, stage directions, and monologues that break the fourth wall. The conversation ranges...

Jonathan welcomes publisher–author MC Joudrey to talk about Marmalade Parade, his experimental new novel from Guernica Editions. They dig into the realities of running an independent press, why Joudrey chose not to publish this book through his own At Bay Press, and the shifting landscape of self, indie, and hybrid publishing. Along the way, they explore the book’s unusual structure, its themes of...

Jonathan welcomes back comic collaborators Lyndon Radchenka and Steven Kaul to talk about their newest book - The Laundrymen 2: Blood of the Saucermen, which is still available through Kickstarter until March 2, 2026: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/radchenka/the-laundrymen-books-1-2/rewards Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠staystrange.ca ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Subscribe to the...

Jonathan welcomes author Antonio Michael Downing to talk about his latest novel Black Cherokee and about how his writing career evolved from a love of music. Find more of Downing's work at https://www.antoniomichaeldowning.com/ Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠staystrange.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strangertv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Jonathan welcomes poet Tom Miller to the podcast to talk about his latest book, All Poets Suck But Me: Why Am I Sad , and about poetry's evolving place within the larger media landscape. Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠staystrange.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strangertv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Purchase books & comics available...

Jonathan recommends 13 books from a wide variety of authors to help you find success as a creative writer. Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠staystrange.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strangertv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Purchase books & comics available from Stranger Fiction at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strangerfiction.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ .

Jonathan welcomes back DC Comics writer Lyndon Radchenka to talk about the difference between serialized and episodic stories. Check out Lyndon's work at https://www.infinitestudio.ca/ Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠staystrange.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strangertv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Purchase books & comics available f...

Jonathan welcomes back poet Ryan Fitzpatrick to talk about his new country music-inspired book of poetry, No Depression in Heaven . Pick up your copy of Ryan's new book the usual way . Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠staystrange.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strangertv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Purchase books & comics available from...

Jonathan talks about managing your audience's expectations by knowing what they will likely expect based on the type of story you're writing. Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠staystrange.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strangertv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Purchase books & comics available from Stranger Fiction at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strangerfiction...

Jonathan welcomes back podcast producer and aspiring screenwriter Dan Vadeboncoeur to talk about his ongoing Meathouse screenplay and dive into the "messy middle" of the screenwriting process. Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠staystrange.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strangertv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Purchase books & comics available...

Jonathan welcomes back poet Christian Bok to talk about his ongoing project, The Xenotext . It's a poem coded into the genome of a deathless bacterium, thereby creating a text durable enough to outlive any apocalypse. Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠staystrange.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strangertv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Purchase books & c...

Jonathan welcomes frequent collaborators GMB Chomichuk and Lyndon Radchencka to talk about the latest Stranger Fiction release, Sky Devil and the Haunted Air , soon to be available on Kickstarter at kickstrange.com . Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠staystrange.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strangertv.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ . Purchase books & comics ava...

Jonathan concludes his talk about how he collaborated as a team with fellow writer Matthew Medney and artists Scott B. Henderson and GMB Chomichuk to create ⁠Last Breeds⁠ , a comics novel starring an "asshole Tarzan" in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Pick up your copy of Last Breeds at McNally Robinson Booksellers: ⁠https://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/9781962594042/jonathan-ball/last-breeds⁠ Join Jonat...

Jonathan talks about how he collaborated as a team with fellow writer Matthew Medney and artists Scott B. Henderson and GMB Chomichuk to create Last Breeds , a comics novel starring an "asshole Tarzan" in a post-apocalyptic landscape. Pick up your copy of Last Breeds at McNally Robinson Booksellers: https://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/9781962594042/jonathan-ball/last-breeds Join Jonathan's Patreon pag...

Jonathan welcomes back writer Matthew Medney to talk about the last few years of his career, how he came to run the long-beloved Heavy Metal imprint, and starting his new publishing company, Gungnir Books . Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at ⁠⁠staystrange.ca⁠⁠ . Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at ⁠⁠strangertv.com⁠⁠ . Purchase books & comics available from Stranger F...

Jonathan welcomes back indie comic creator Lyndon Radchenka to talk about his new gig writing for DC Comics: how he got it, what he had to write, and what he's going to do now to follow it up. Ask your local comic store to order copies of DC's Zatannic Panic , featuring Lyndon's story: https://aiptcomics.com/2025/06/20/full-september-2025-dc-comics-solicitations/#google_vignette Check out Lyndon's...

Jonathan returns to the podcast after a hiatus to discuss his publishing company Stranger Fiction: what it is, what it does, and what you can expect from it in the years to come. Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at staystrange.ca . Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at strangertv.com . Purchase books & comics available from Stranger Fiction at strangerfiction.ca .

Jonathan welcomes “Fearless” Fred Kennedy to talk about his Image comic Dead Romans and how he dug out of his pandemic-induced creative funk. Pick up the latest copy of Dead Romans here: https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/dead-romans For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https:/

Jonathan welcomes Uniter columnist Elena Sturk-Lussier to talk about their recent piece on the isolation of self-employment and freelance work. Read more of Elena's columns: https://uniter.ca/author/elena-sturk-lussier For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Jonathan welcomes studio-mates Gregory and Lyndon to talk about how they stay motivated to continue creating when the work is not progressing well. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jonathan welcomes Justin Currie, a.k.a. Chasing Artwork , and Lyndon "The Letterer" Radchenka to talk about the risk and reward of building yourself a reliable feedback loop in your writing. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https:/...

Jonathan welcomes professional stylist Tara Cole-McCaffrey to talk about how to create your own personal writing style. You can see more of Tara's style at https://patronofdreams.com/ For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerficti...

Jonathan welcomes friend and frequent collaborator GMB Chomichuk to share his thoughts on the indie filmmaking process immediately after they wrapped production on The Princess and the Dragon, a terrifying horror take coming soon to a screen near you! For more of GMB Chomichuk's work: https://www.gmbchomichuk.ca/ For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballc...