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Creating Positive Visual Futures with Illustrator Melquea Smith

Creating Positive Visual Futures with Illustrator Melquea Smith – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 169

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About the How To Write the Future podcast

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers.This podcast is for readers too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

ABOUT MELQUEA SMITH

Melquea Smith is a New York based illustrator with an obsession with color, animals, and children’s media. When not illustrating or traveling, you can find her watching cartoons and animated movies, learning all about Japan, terribly dancing with her cat Kilala, and giving her other cat Bumblebee pit-pats on her super fluffy tummy.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettykittypaintings/

Get 3 free illustrations to use on your content! https://prettykittypaintings.com/free-illos

Transcript for episode 169: Creating Positive Visual Futures with Illustrator Melquea SmithIntroduction and Host Welcome

​BETH BARANY: Hey everyone. Welcome to How To Write the Future Podcast. I’m your host Beth Barany. I’m a creativity coach for science fiction and fantasy writers, and I also am one. I really care about creating positive, optimistic visions and and stories for the future. And I believe that us as creatives, we are. We are doing it. That’s our job is, is to create visions for the future. 

[00:28] Guest Introduction: Meet Melquea Smith

So I’m really excited to bring to you a new, a guest today, a new guest, Melquea Smith. 

Melquea, welcome. 

MELQUEA SMITH: Thank you so much for having me, Beth, and thank you dear listener for tuning in. 

BETH BARANY: Yes, thank you so much. I’m gonna read Melquea’s bio, everyone, so you get to know her a little bit, and then we’re gonna chat.

All right, let me put myself in the spotlight here. 

Everyone please everyone welcome Melquea and meet her. 

[00:56] Melquea’s Artistic Journey and Inspirations

She is a New York based illustrator with an obsession for color, animals and children’s media. When not illustrating or traveling, and we’ll talk about that in a moment, you can find her watching cartoons or animated movies, learning all about Japan, terribly dancing with her cat K Kalala, Kilala and giving her other cat Bumblebee, pit pats on her super fluffy tummy. 

We love cats. We have two cats too. Welcome Melquea again. So glad that you’re here and, oh my God. 

[01:31] Life in Belgium: Pet Sitting Adventures 

You’re, uh, just so everyone knows, you are, in Belgium right now, pet sitting? 

MELQUEA SMITH: Yes, I am in Belgium right now. I’m pet sitting in this little town called, I hope I’m saying it right, Eksaarde. It’s about, wanna say like 30 minutes away from Gent or Ghent.

And it’s, it’s been really cool because being able to bicycle to the nearest station and then take the, the bus or take the train in to like the cities has been really cool and I’ve been biking a lot more and I’ve been feeling a lot better, just like mental health wise, physically even just like my own stamina has been pretty cool too.

It’s been really fun. 

BETH BARANY: Oh wow, that’s so fun. And just so folks know, Belgium, you know, is northeast of France and is French and Flemish. 

MELQUEA SMITH: Yes

BETH BARANY: So it sounds like you’re in the Flemish region. 

MELQUEA SMITH: I’m in the Flemish region. Um, a lot more people speak English, so it’s been really helpful because I do not speak Dutch nor Flemish, nor French, like I can get by in Spanish speaking countries, much easier than, and a little bit in Japan, but mostly I have been clinging on to dear English. 

BETH BARANY: Thank goodness. That’s really lovely. 

[02:49] Melquea’s Unique Art Style and Membership

So you are a children’s book illustrator.

MELQUEA SMITH: Yes.

BETH BARANY: And I just wanna say everyone who, if you’re not listening, not seeing the audio that Melquea, you have these gorgeous braids that are what? Magenta and green and pink, and just gorgeous.

MELQUEA SMITH: Yes. I’m multicolored. Um. I was inspired by, uh, an author and content creator. I’m going to butcher the last name, but their name is Amina. And then their, what is it? A Rainbow in Your Cloud is the children’s book that they wrote, um, illustrated by Elle Pierre.

And seeing that person wear rainbow braids and do it for so long, I was like, I, I, I’ve always wanted to dye my hair, but, I was like, I don’t want to dye my hair. I want to make sure that my hair is as, as healthy as can be. So I was just like, what if I just start getting crochet braids? And that’s what I did. I got rainbow colored crochet braids and I haven’t looked back. 

BETH BARANY: Oh, it’s so awesome. I just love them so much and it really. It seems to be so on brand for you because I’m part of your membership. So everyone, Melquea has this fabulous membership that I’m gonna talk to you, you can tell us about, but I just, I love your art because it’s so vivid, bright and playful, and you exude that and, and

MELQUEA SMITH: Thank you. 

BETH BARANY: So wonderful. So tell us about your membership. What is it and what kind of people can join? You know, I’m an author and I don’t write children’s books. I have YA, but I just love your art. It makes me happy to be supporting you and also I wanna have more representations of different kinds of people in whatever I market.

And I, I want to remember that. And so your work really reminds me of that and it, just makes my world bigger. So that’s my endorsement for you. 

[04:39] The Importance of Representation in Art 

You’re really for children’s book authors, teachers. Who else is your membership ideal for and what is your membership?

MELQUEA SMITH: Yeah, so I’ll go into it. So I have a membership, it’s a monthly membership, it’s just $9 a month and every week you get a new piece of clip art of black and brown kids in your inbox. The name is called Brown Sugar Graphics and I was tearing myself apart trying to figure out the name of this thing for like six months and I’m so glad that I figured it out.

But it is, like I said, a monthly membership, $9 a month where you get a new illustration of black and brown kids in your inbox. And the way that clip art works is if you’re creating social media content, if you’re a podcast host and you somehow impact kids positively. You can be a entrepreneur, author, educator, homeschool families, and homeschool parents. Anyone who is sick and tired of trying to find diverse graphics and clip art of kids and families, and also that’s not generated by AI. 

I definitely do not use AI with my work. What I’ve seen on Etsy and Canva and all these different websites where you can get, uh, graphics and, and stock imagery, at least for illustrated versions, is that they’re not illustrated.

I wouldn’t say it’s not illustrated enough. I would say that the representation is just not there. You can generate your own graphics through generative AI, but there’s just little details in the black and brown experience that just isn’t replicated. And only a person, only a person with lived experience can make that.

So, the way that it started was I had a bunch of authors. I, I, I’m, I’m an in the children’s book world and a lot of authors told me that they could not find clip art of black and brown kids when they– I, I have a, a friend who does presentations, for schools, school visits, you name it. And they try to add little graphics and little pops of color and little bit of joy in, in the work that they do.

And yet they find something and they’re just like. Okay, I found three and they’re digging and digging and digging for more. And they’re so frustrated because they can’t find what they’re looking for. 

And so I thought, one, this is a perfect Melquea shaped hole that I can fill. And two, it allows me to draw something new every week.

As I illustrate picture books, it can take seven to eight months, if not a year, to finish illustrating a whole children’s book and that’s only at max, maybe two to three, four characters. And yes, it’s great that we have a book out, but I knew that there was going to be a better way to be able to diversify the amount of imagery of black and brown kids.

Yeah, that’s pretty much my membership and thank you so much for the glowing review. 

BETH BARANY: Sure, for sure. I mean, here we are, everyone listening like this is a prime example of how you are putting art into the world in a very direct way, where you get to impact how people see themselves. How I get to envision the world. How everyone, gets to see the world and it opens it up for us. 

[07:58] Creating Positive Imagery of Black and Brown Kids

And, and so that brings me to your other interest, like of representing boys with their dads reading and maybe doing other activities together, and I just love that so much. Like that imagery, that warmth, the family, you know, the father being a role model for the son.

And you’re bringing forth something so positive in, I mean, we have to say it, in historically very disjointed and broken and very sadly tragic, past of, of where fathers were ripped away from the family, and boys growing up without a father. And um, that’s been such a traditional thing that’s happened over the last few hundred years in the United States and, and who knows, maybe earlier, but it’s tragic.

And here you are just repairing the world a little bit in your beautiful way. Here’s a positive representation that we can step into and envision and feel like when I see those images, I just feel like warm and so positive and, and like aww, you know, my heart melts. And I’m like, yes. Right? Like, oh yeah, let’s have some stories. Like my story brain starts writing a little story about that, you know? 

MELQUEA SMITH: Yes. So, yeah. so I have a mentor, his name is Reggie Brown. And he, when I think of an illustrator that illustrates black boys and fathers, I think of him. For me, I actually– my comfort zone is little black girls. And, but he told me when we were working together, he said, you know, publishers are really looking for positive imagery of black boys and their fathers or black boys, and families, because I guess, I don’t know why black girls are more palatable. And I say that in air quotes, dear listener, um, to our industry. But, that’s just something that I was like, I should probably start, you know, looking into and, and, and being more deliberate in the way that I illustrate, black kids. And so I was like, all right, let’s take a look and let’s see, like what, what has been done?

What is cliche? IE The Killmonger, the Killmonger hairstyle.

Um, and, and I also looked into, I, I looked into animation. I looked into illustration. I looked into books. I looked into all different types of children’s media, just to have an idea, like, almost like a holistic sense of like, what is- what is out there? And then I try to fill in that gap of like, what can we like, include?

[10:31] Future Projects and Aspirations 

So for example, one of my things that I wanna really hone in and focus on a little bit is, this little, what I call it, a collection. Yeah. Like a new collection that I wanna work on, called Back in Nature or Black in Nature. It’s just a bunch of black kids and families that are in nature. Either they’re hiking, they’re biking, they’re scuba diving, they’re out in nature, and, and sort of repairing that, that sense of being in nature as well.

Even though I’m terrified of bugs, um, I love being in nature. Uh, I love being near, near the water. I love being near trees and all sorts of things. And so that’s something that I want to start illustrating and having that replicated in my work. And I also want to illustrate and either illustrate and or write and illustrate a book about that too.

And, that’s just something that is like a passion of mine.

BETH BARANY: I I love that so much and let me see if I can just put myself in the speaker view for a second. I forgot. I was supposed to be like being the producer. Um and you and you also mentioned ahead of time, like you also wanna show black and brown kids,in professions, different professions or doing different activities.

MELQUEA SMITH: Yes. 

BETH BARANY: And I also really, really love that, especially I’m a champion for women in the sciences. I have a heroine who’s a kickass heroine who’s scientific and kickass because I’m like, you can have both, you know, but women in sciences, women doing and girls doing professions that aren’t normally, haven’t traditionally been typically put into the media, and I love that you include that in your illustrations.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your decision there? 

MELQUEA SMITH: Yeah, so that is not a collection that I have illustrated yet, but that’s something that’s like, I have such a big to-do list on all the illustrations that I wanna do for this membership, but I know of a few people that are in the sciences that travel, that do these things that I want to include because like when I think of, black kids in clip art, we have some sciences, we have some maths, we have police officer, we got the fire department. Like, it’s all of the same types of jobs that, that have been represented in media, in our literature for eons. 

And I’m like, yeah, but I know somebody that works in marine biology. Come on. That’s cool. I never thought that that was a thing. Like, there’s some of these, like these, an artist, you know? Yeah. We have like a person who’s a painter. But now just imagine being someone who’s like a social media influencer.

Like these sort of things that I love to just shake the mold of like what we see and what we expect when we think of careers. Like obviously, because it’s just, it just has to happen. I’m gonna have your, you know, kid with a test tube beaker or you know, things like that. But I also wanna add a little bit more pizazz, razzle dazzle.

I don’t know, just something that, something that, you know, that sparks conversation. You know, when I do release that illustration of a black kid engaging in marine biology work, I’m gonna write about the person that I know who is in marine biology, who’s also a children’s book author actually, and you know, the people that work in IT and sciences that work in, in all of the STEM fields and all of all of these different things, and just normalizing it. And just also having, and also just a way to differentiate myself too.

BETH BARANY: Oh, I love that so much. I have a nephew who just turned 21, who’s um. 

MELQUEA SMITH: Wow. 

BETH BARANY: He is a brown boy. His papa is from North Africa. And, um, and he is going into biotech or he wants to go into biotech. 

MELQUEA SMITH: Wow. 

BETH BARANY: Yeah. And I was just thinking, you know, what would be a representation for someone like him? you know. 

MELQUEA SMITH: Yeah

BETH BARANY: He also is doing computer stuff too. And, yeah, and I was just thinking of, of my, um. I have family in Hawaii, you know, and like what? And, and my brother is way into like all the jungle and the plants and, you know, native cultivation and, and I just thinking how illustrations for him and his kids and yeah, I just love how it opens up so many possibilities.

And there’s that wonderful saying, you know, “if you can see it, you can be it.” And I feel like you’re really opening that door and it makes me hungry to see your illustrations and for people to know about them and to, you know, What else could you be creating and how else could you be putting those visions into the world?

And I’m very excited for you.

MELQUEA SMITH: Thank you. Thank you, and thank you for just being my champion. I really appreciate you being, just being my founding member and believing in me, in my art. And I, at first it was a little selfish of what, of what, what me doing this membership. It was, okay, I need recurring income.

I need to draw something that I want. I need this. This is a great place. But then I started thinking about my altruistic side. And I was like, wait a minute, but I get to be able to showcase all of these different folks and all these different backgrounds and skin tones and all the things that I’m passionate of, and then other people are sharing how much that means to them. And it makes me think of, you know. It can be “Yes-And.” 

At first I was like, oh, well this is a bit of a selfish thing to, to to do. And then I thought about it and I was like, wait a minute though. But I’m, but it’s helping people. It’s helping people. People see this and they go, oh my gosh, like, this is so beautiful.

Or even just the simple fact of like my artwork, bringing joy twofold, especially in the, where we are in this world, the climate, all over, all over. And just knowing that my artwork can be a beacon of hope and joy makes me so happy. 

BETH BARANY: I really feel like that is so key, you know, you call it selfish, and then there’s the altruistic, and you’re right, it’s both- and. 

I think creative people, we, we maybe start with the urge to create the urge to. 

MELQUEA SMITH: Mm-hmm. 

BETH BARANY: To do that all on our own. And, and that’s, that’s beautiful. That’s what makes our work so unique and so individual and then sharing it with the world. 

Well, our art is our gift. And being able to share that and you coming from this place of wanting to do something that suited you, that really suited you, I think is so important.

I, I teach creatives how to build their businesses and, and, and this is really key because if you’re not coming from a place of true, truth for yourself, then how can you go out and help others do the same? And, right?

MELQUEA SMITH: Yeah.

BETH BARANY: Can we be part of that, global, like bringing the energy up with what, with beauty, what, what art does?

[17:31] The Role of Kid Lit in Shaping Young Minds 

And so this brings me also to, to kid lit writers and you working with kid lit writers and how they are, have such a key role and have had a, such a key role in really shaping us as children. And you know, What is that like for you to be able to work with these kid lit authors? And it sounds like you’re also a kid lit author yourself, you know?

MELQUEA SMITH: Yeah.

BETH BARANY: What is that like, or, I mean, do you think of the global responsibility? Is it really? Yeah. How, how do you perceive that? 

MELQUEA SMITH: Being a kid lit writer and a kid lit creator there, it’s a gravity to the fact that we are creating for our next generation or for our, our younger generations. And then there’s also this big responsibility that we’re creating for our next generation.

But then there’s also the sheer fact of like, we get to have fun. We get to, influence kids and we also get to, heal ourselves as well as kid lit creators. Uh, like you said, there’s a both and there’s so much that goes into creating children’s books and, and when I first started getting into this industry, I thought, oh, this will be a cinch, this will be so easy.

I could just draw whatever, write whatever, and these kids will eat it up. And no. Everyone set me up to think that It was like, oh, just get into children’s books. Just write children’s books. It’ll be so easy. No, there’s a reason why there’s gatekeepers. There’s a reason why this is a craft, you know.

Some folks who write novels will, they’re like, I won’t even touch a children’s book manuscript because every single word of your 500 word manuscript has to matter. Everything. Um, there’s a structure- some of, there’s, there’s a bit of a structure to it. There is a bit of like a craft that goes into it. And so, there’s just so much that goes into kid lit writing and illustrating, and then the illustration as well.

You’re literally illustrating a story that is not illustrating the text all the time, like don’t illustrate the text, and you’re still telling either a separate story and or a, uh, a story that compliments what is on the page because Littles- So many of the, the books that are being read to Littles, they can’t read yet.

They can’t read yet. So they have to be able to decipher through illustration what is happening in the story. And it is fascinating learning about being a children’s book illustrator and, and crafting something that will hopefully be read for years to come over and over and over again. But there’s a little, there’s like this gravity of, you know, you’re impacting kids.

You are, You’re also impacting the adults that are reading it because the adults are also the ones that are getting the books from the bookshelves and reading to their kids as well. So when you speak to the adults, it’ll speak to the kids as well. So there’s, there’s, there’s so many little nuances that goes into like the kidlit community and being in kid lit as well. 

BETH BARANY: Mm-hmm. Oh my gosh. Yeah. I, I don’t, I don’t write for kids. I mean, YA is, is hard enough. A lot of consideration. Yeah. And I don’t do middle grade. That’s so wonderful. 

[21:03] Closing Thoughts and Reflections

So as we wrap up, I would love to know, um, when you hear how to write the future, what, what does that evoke for you? 

MELQUEA SMITH: It is so funny because I’m literally think of like science fiction and tech when I think of like writing the future, but I, I do, I also- I just looked out the window and I just saw like a bird flying and I’m just like, I think of hope.

I think of hope, and especially in a world that can be seen as cruel, that can be experienced as cruel. I, I think of for 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. Um. I think of writing the future, as raising littles and, and hopefully unlearning as adults.

Just compassionate young people. I believe in our newer generations, I feel like our newer generations have so much to, so much that’s going against them and so much anxiety and all this like. Why does a 10-year-old know about taxes? They should not, but at the same time, I love the ability that folks, that folks have to discern that we, there are things that don’t need to exist or in terms of, certain hardships, certain things, and it’s just like, honestly, no, we’re gonna interrogate this and this should not be this way. 

Or why, I signed a contract for nine, a job for nine to five, and I’m leaving at 8:00 PM?

Like, you know, there, there are some toxic things and, and things in this world that we are just used to, and we normalize that our younger generations that are just like, mm, mm-hmm. This isn’t normal. I don’t think so. And I’m just like, I’m all for it. Like shake this, shake this industry, shake everything up, because obviously it’s working for some people, but it’s not working for everyone. 

BETH BARANY: I love what you’re saying, you know, shaking things up. That, taking away some of the things that have been normalized that people think, oh, it’s just the way it is. But actually no, it’s not. Yes, it’s created by other human beings. For reasons. 

MELQUEA SMITH: Mm-hmm. 

BETH BARANY: Um, and I think our job as creatives is to, is to show a new way.

I mean, obviously that’s my point of view. And I feel like in your work as a children’s book illustrator and author like, and with these positive images of the way black and brown kids can, can be in the world, you’re painting a new picture, you’re like putting pictures in our heads of like, it can be another way y’all. Here, let’s have some fun with these other ways.

MELQUEA SMITH: Yes. 

BETH BARANY: And I, I think that’s so vivid and so. Right there. Uh, I just love that. I mean, yes, story, like the kind of stories I write and it, but it’s more involved, right? You gotta read the whole book versus the kids’ book, you just open it up and boom, there you are. You’re, you’re in that new vision. And I just applaud you and, and just really love, love, love, love the work that you’re doing, Melquea.

MELQUEA SMITH: Thank you

BETH BARANY: And so I, I know we could keep going on, but, um, we’re gonna, we’re gonna have to have you back and, and have more conversations. And so I just wanna say thank you so much for coming on the podcast today and, hanging out with us and, and chatting art and, and just what could be and, and play. We’re having fun folks.

MELQUEA SMITH: Thank you so much for having me, Beth. I really appreciate just spending this time and just hanging out with you and, and you, my dear listener. 

BETH BARANY: Thank you so much everyone for joining us here on How to Write the Future this week. Write long and prosper. 

And that’s a wrap. Woo-hoo. We’re done.

Woo. 

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ABOUT BETH BARANY 

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

 

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

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Toxic Goals By Catharine Bramkamp

Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Catharine Bramkamp as she shares with us “Toxic Goals.” Enjoy!

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The Promise of Goals

We are conditioned that meeting our goals will deliver happiness and contentment.

But life always gets in the way.  

And we feel we will never reach our goals and so are resigned to never achieving true contentment and happiness.

But what if the biggest obstacle to our happiness is the goal itself?

The Cultural Weight of Goals

We are so entrenched with the necessity and sanctity of the big goal — Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. How do you know you’ve arrived if you don’t know where you are going? — that it is hearsay to even question goals.

Goals are good. 

Goals are what you use on your college applications.

Goals are what you have at hand during a job interview or when you are begging for money in a grant proposal.

Goals are big business. 

What I discovered is that even in the second half of life, it is difficult to drop the goal habit.

You NEED GOALS so you can ACHIEVE them.

Goals and the Artist’s Life

But what does that look like for an artist?

Let’s say a photographer has established goals and is relentlessly working to achieve them.

He is ready to check off his SMART goals.

The stretch goal is to show his work in an upcoming gallery exhibition three months from today.

This show, like publishing a book, like a performance gig, will be IT and will not only make him rich but will go viral, propel him to fame and launch his lucrative second career.

He will be recognized and . . . make lots of money.

And money is always the goal.

Sound familiar?

The Wrong Wall

Yet, another popular saying about goals is: Before you spend your whole life climbing the success ladder, check to make sure the ladder is leaning on the right wall.

If we are in the second stage of life, we may want to indulge in asking — why are goals religiously focused on fame and money?

Both are fine, but we are capable of creating and following more interesting and life affirming pursuits.

What if the goal is to just finish a piece you love?

What if the goal is to feel good about an outcome?

Or — and this is radical — what about setting a goal based on joy and  creating something you care about while becoming enriched by the process?

When Goals Undermine Creativity

Okay, okay, you still can’t shake off the whole fame/money dynamic.

Let’s unpack our LV trunk and take a look inside.

Because the wrong goal can alter the very process of creating art, and not for the better.

You are the photographer, SMART goal list in hand.

Plus the stretch goals of the Gallery show, lead to shows in larger and larger ventures, garnering more money, much of which you have already spent in your head.

You leave the house weighted down with camera equipment and expectations.

You line up your first shot but all those expectations cloud the image.

Will this fit in the upcoming show?Is this the right angle for the stated theme of the show?What are the other photographers submitting?Can you find out so you can be different?

As you eye the angles, the unknown competition, the opacity of the judges’ mood that day, the vision of the new car you will buy when this show works out and you sell all your prints, you notice an individual lingering in the shadow of the doorway across the street.

You briefly wonder about their story, but that is a distraction from THE GOAL.

After a whole day spent second guessing every building, every angle, every light, you return home exhausted with no photos at all: Every shot was  pre-judged, pre-rejected.

Not good enough to meet the goal.

Artists in the Same Trap

Every artist gets to play this game.

Writers are particularly prone to contorting their work to fit the mandatory goal of Best Selling Author.

This goal demands months of market research, scraping up funds to attend important conferences, weeks crafting a pitch for agents, and later for publishers.

Years writing and re-writing manuscripts that meet the criteria for a best seller (for instance: vampires, Jane Austen romance plot, zombies, short chapters, things that explode.)

Out of frustration, the writer may even resort to using AI to create a bestselling novel outline plus just a few scenes that will grab the reader and propel the author to fame and fortune.

Or perhaps you are an actor bent on fame in this second phase of life because you always wanted to act but instead went into a successful career in sales.

But now, here you are, retired and laboring in the community theater space but always, every day, reminding yourself that the goal is Broadway.

Yet it’s taking too long. 

The small theater company isn’t good enough to showcase your talents.

You become impatient with fellow actors and impatient with the necessary processes.

You have no time to mess around, and the longer it takes, the more important the goal of fame and money looms.

Are your artistic goals turning you back into the striving machine you vowed to leave in retirement?

Perhaps that hamster wheel of always striving inspired retirement?

Maybe there was a health scare and you thought — I only have one life, I should live it.

Yet here you are, same old frustrations, same old worry, same goals.

The Cost of Toxic Goals

While you focus on those goals, and force your new work to meet the Time-bound, Measurable goal, your creative flow at first backs up, then bursts the dam, sweeping away everything in its path.

Like a heart attack.

But we must have goals.

Shouldn’t we have goals?

Stay with me…

I love goals, I need goals, but I’ve learned to change how to manage them, and bend them to my will, so the goals help my creative process, not thwart it.

Because socially acceptable yet un-creative goals are anathema to living our passion.

For instance, the Muse will take one look at your SMART goal list and whisper, “I’m here to inspire, not increase your bank account.”

Without even realizing it, we have fallen back into our work default — create what is acceptable in exchange for money, believing this exchange will make us happy.

What Makes a Good Goal?

If not fame, what then is a good goal?

Maybe the creative goal for photography is not to hang portraits in a juried show, but rather spending a glorious day exploring your art.

Staying open to surprise and serendipity.

Spending a minute or two talking to the person lurking in the shadows who happens to have a key to the nearby cathedral vault and would be happy to show off its treasurers.

Or you land an acting role in the local production of Our Town with your only goal to perform well and support the troupe.

During the show run, you discover that as much as you loved the idea of acting, you are far better at managing both the performers as well as the fundraising.

You become famous for saving the local theater company.

As for the writer, he considers his AI generated novel and begins to wonder if this is really the right wall on which to rest his ladder.

Is this the work he wants to be known for? 

Is he an artist or a content provider?

Or will he spend his days crafting a story that feeds his soul and helps readers?

Choosing Joy

Did you create your goals or are you just responding to what is popular or easy?

This is our time to feel the earth, photograph the sky, write from the heart.

We have time to help our friends realize their own creative lives, to help our community nurture more creative expression, to deliver joy into the universe.

Joy.

That’s a good goal.  

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Want to read more articles like this one Writer’s Fun Zone? Subscribe here.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catharine Bramkamp is a successful writing coach, Chief Storytelling Officer, former co-producer of Newbie Writers Podcast, and author of a dozen books including the Real Estate Diva Mysteries series, and The Future Girls series. She holds two degrees in English and is an adjunct university professor. After fracturing her wrist, she has figured out there is very little she is able to do with one hand tied behind her back. She delights in inspiring her readers.

The post Toxic Goals By Catharine Bramkamp appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Creative Entrepreneurship: How Creatives Build Thriving Businesses

I’m so excited to bring you my latest media (and program) creation: the Creative Entrepreneurship Interview series, co-created with novelist and strategist, Gala Russ.

Our focus is on how creative writing professionals, like coaches, editors, promoters, etc. build thriving businesses.

Youtube Interviews

We’ve interviewed 16 people and all the interviews are up on Youtube now!

Check them out!

All are authors and all run businesses supporting authors.

Nicky Blewitt  on how his punk rock roots and social work background shaped his mission to empower authors with marketing skills.Matty Dalrymple on her journey from novelist to podcasting expert. Bailey Lang  on building sustainable writing practices for authors.Romy Sommer on how she built Gemini Writers Studio by starting small—offering free editing at charity auctions, then scaling up. Melquea Smith  on valuable insights for children’s book illustrators and creative entrepreneurs.Sarah Ramsey on insights about PR for creatives, emphasizing when to delegate tasks versus doing them yourself. Miranda Darrow  on how she balances a corporate attorney career with her editing work while practicing the crucial skill of appropriate pricing. Savannah Gilbo  on her journey as a developmental editor and podcast host who built her business around removing gatekeeping in the writing industry Meg Hartmann  on the importance of following your passion while balancing family responsibilities. Nadine Shaw , developmental editor, on practical advice for creative entrepreneurs, emphasizing breaking administrative tasks into manageable pieces instead of seeking mastery before starting Daniel David Wallace , founder of the Plot Forest summit, on the importance of listening to clients’ real needs rather than assuming what they want Danika Bloom (aka Donna Barker) , teacher and consultant, on community building as crucial for success Ainsley James (AJ) , book coach, on maintaining creative energy while supporting others through clear boundaries Megan Fuentes , story coach, on how entrepreneurs don’t need formal credentials to start—just expertise and willingness to help. Stacy Juba , freelance editor and founder of Shortcuts for Writers, on importance of organizing digital, internal, and physical spaces to enhance creativity, while adapting writing routines to life’s challenges and changes Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer , author and writing instructor, on the importance of finding and focusing deeply on one niche in creative business.

Along the way, Gala and I share our stories, tips, and philosophy.

Please leave comments, like, subscribe, and share our series with people you think would benefit from these conversations.

Thanks!

Want to know your Creative Business Style? 

TAKE THE QUIZ

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ABOUT BETH BARANY

Beth Barany is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy novelist and writing coach who specializes in helping authors create, publish, and market their books.

With over 19 years of experience guiding writers through both creative and business aspects of writing, she co-leads the Creative Writing Professionals Apprenticeship program to help aspiring book coaches build sustainable businesses.

When she’s not coaching, Beth magical tales of romance, mystery, and adventure that empower women and girls to be the heroes of their own lives.

More at https://bethbarany.com/.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethbarany/

ABOUT GALA RUSS

Gala Russ is an experienced romance author and teacher, who empowers writers to navigate the writing and publishing journey through a customized, stress-free approach so they can thrive creatively.

Drawing from her own experiences publishing seven novels as Willa Drew, she now uses her project management expertise and teaching skills to guide clients through the complex process of completing manuscripts and building successful indie-publishing businesses.

When she’s not coaching, Gala writes heartfelt, engaging romances that leave readers swooning.

More at https://galarussauthor.com/.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galarussauthor

The post Creative Entrepreneurship: How Creatives Build Thriving Businesses appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Upcoming classes in the Barany School of Fiction

Upcoming classes in the Barany School of Fiction – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 168

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“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 upcoming classes in Barany School of Fiction, including how you can sign up for them, and how they will benefit writers. From a critique group to a creative entrepreneurship training program, craft and mindset trainings, listen to the episode for details.

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify| YouTube

RESOURCES

FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS

Sign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.

https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/

Support our work for creatives!

Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING – START HERE

Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/

GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

About the How To Write the Future podcast 

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers.This podcast is for readers too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

Transcript for episode 168 Upcoming classes in Barany School of FictionIntroduction and Host Background 

Hey everyone. Beth Barany here with How to Write the Future Podcast. I’m your host and I’m also a writing teacher, creativity coach, and novelist. And filmmaker and, okay, now I’ll stop. 

[00:14] Upcoming Classes Overview

In this episode I want to share with you our upcoming classes in Barany School of Fiction.

I used to run an online school, and then it went dormant and now it’s coming back. So I wanna let you know what is on offer for this fall 2025. If you are listening to this after this period or after any of the registrations have closed, be sure to sign up for our mailing list to get notified of our next classes.

And the best way to do that is go ahead and grab our World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers, and you’ll get on our mailing list and you’ll get an awesome World Building, Workbook for Fiction Writers, which is going to help you whether or not you write science fiction, fantasy, any kind of speculative fiction or even contemporary or historical, because world building is one of the key elements that allows your reader to be fully immersed in your story.

All right, so what is coming up this fall? 

[01:13] Next Step Writers Group 

First off, we have the Next Step Writers Group, which is a critique group that starts September 8th. By the time you’re listening to this, we’ve already closed registration, but stay tuned. We’re gonna be opening it up again. If this is something that you really, really, really, really, really, really want, reach out to me and we’ll see if there’s room, but probably registration will be closed. 

[01:34] Creative Entrepreneurship Training Program 

Next up, 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 wanna build a business helping other writers. You might be a book coach, a VA, an author’s assistant, a ghost writer, an editor, a book designer.

We are launching our pilot program to get you up and running on the basics of your business. In 12 weeks, we’re gonna teach you how to, put together all the fundamentals you need to either start your business this fall or be ready to do so, come January of next year.

We have a, a really great program for you. It is a commitment, and we hope to see you there. I wanna say that the Creative Writing Professionals apprenticeship program starts September 16th and goes for 12 weeks skipping the week of Thanksgiving, here in the United States. Also in the Creative Entrepreneurship Training program, we’re only taking 12 students.

[02:41] Romancing the Subplot Course

Next up, we have Romancing The Subplot. This course will be a four week course starting October 1st, and this will be taught by Gala Russ, who is a romance author who will teach you how to weave your romantic subplot into your story. It’s for you if you are writing any kind of genre fiction that isn’t romance. And you want to know how to weave romance into your novel. This works best if either you’re a plotter or you already have your first draft done, this class will be for you. So I highly recommend that you take that. We’re only taking 12 students. 

[03:19] Habits of Mind Webinar 

Lastly, we’re gonna do a one off webinar, a 90 minute webinar in October, with a fabulous writing teacher and ghost writer, Bailey Lang and we’re gonna teach you how to enhance your creative writing process in her Habits of Mind workshop. So stay tuned for that. 

[03:40] Conclusion and Contact Information

Be sure to get on our mailing list to get notified when registration opens.

All right, that is it for this week, everyone. If you have a class that you wish I would teach, let me know. I am a speaker who comes to other people’s writing groups. And I offer, select programs here in Barany School of Fiction.

That’s it for this week, everyone. 

Write long and prosper. 

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061 

Need instructions on how to leave a review? Go here.

***

Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

***

ABOUT BETH BARANY 

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

 

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

CONNECT 

Contact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580

Email: beth@bethbarany.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethbarany/

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethbarany/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bethbarany

X: https://twitter.com/BethBarany

CREDITS EDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA (Refer-a-Friend link)MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/fuzz-buzz License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. “Fuzz buzz” by Soundroll. Commercial license: https://musicvine.com/track/soundroll/fuzz-buzz.DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465 (Refer-a-Friend link)SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c 2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

For more “How To Write the Future” episodes, go here.

If you’d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note here.

Like the work we do? Tip us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

The post Upcoming classes in the Barany School of Fiction appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

How Margo’s Money Troubles Teach Us All About Building a Creative Business by LA Bourgeois

Let’s welcome back LA Bourgeois as she shares with us “How Margo’s Money Troubles Teach Us All About Building a Creative Business.” Enjoy!

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Why This Book Resonates for Creatives

Along with being an utterly entertaining piece of fiction, Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe is a brilliant description of building a creative business.

When I first read this book, my immediate reaction was to send a copy to my best writer friend and say, “THIS! We need to do this!!!”

After all, if you have a goal of making money with your writing, building a creative business is exactly what you are doing.

And the whole cast of characters in Margo’s Got Money Troubles details strategies and tips to overcome obstacles and avoid pitfalls of that process.

A Quick Summary of Margo’s Got Money Troubles

Margo Millet is a young community college student and waitress who had an affair with her English professor, got pregnant and decided to keep the baby.

Once the baby is born, two of the four roommates who share her apartment leave with little notice, she loses her job, and her father, an ex-pro wrestler shows up needing a place to live.

Her response?

Start an OnlyFans.

This hilarious and heartwarming book takes us on the twists and turns of her life following this decision, including betrayal by friends and family, the discovery of an accepting love of a found family, and what it means to take your own power as a woman, a sex worker, and a business owner.

This review does contain spoilers.

You have been warned.

The Dream You Must Pursue

In reading this book, we start off with Margo and her new baby, this precious child that she just couldn’t say no to.

For me, the baby symbolizes that dream that just won’t go away, that one thing that you would throw everything away to do.

And make no mistake, Margo does throw everything away to have this baby.

In a conversation before the child is born, Margo asks her mother, Shyanne, if the baby will wreck her life and she replies, “Yes, Noodle, it will ruin your life, for sure. But sometimes ruining your life is the only thing you want.”

Our need to express our creativity can sometimes take hold in a way that is impossible to say no to.

I know that’s true for me.

At multiple times along this path of entrepreneurship I’ve thought (and even said out loud), “Oh my GOD, what was I thinking?”

“I have ruined our lives and wasted our savings building a dream world!”

I mean, who among us hasn’t thought of a version of this?

But the follow-up expressed by Shyanne saying, “You ruined my life so pretty, Noodle,” is also true.

Following our dreams, pursuing a goal that demanded our attention, the chance to ruin your life for that beautiful thing?

It’s a very pretty way to ruin your life.

And the truth is, you have to be willing to ruin your life on this because this goal or dream must be persistent enough to demand your dedication to it.

Otherwise, the resilience needed to make the dream or goal a reality just doesn’t appear.

It’s easy to go back to the waitressing job if it feels like a lateral move.

But once you see the possibility of advancement, of making your life better in whatever way that means, then you will echo Margo’s thoughts when she says that lateral movement “makes it feel like trying to run when you’re facing a wall.”

Selling Your Writing

Now, a big part of what Margo has to deal with is the world’s view of her job as she decides to follow the OnlyFans path and becomes a sex worker.

Maybe this is part of your path. 

No shame if that’s the case.

I’m sex-positive.

Regardless of your position on sex workers, here’s how I interpret this as a metaphor for everyone else.

First, let’s confront the idea of being a “slut.”

Just like knowing that you are showing your body and that people are willing to pay to look at your body makes someone a slut, a lot of artists feel like charging money for their art turns them into a whore.

So how do you approach that idea?

Suzie, Margo’s one roommate who stayed, and Margo highlight this conundrum during a conversation about what makes a slut a “slut.”

Margo ponders, “She’d had a similar thought before, which was that if sex wasn’t shameful and being paid wasn’t shameful, then why was it shameful to have sex for money? Or sell pictures of your boobs or whatever? Where was the shame coming from?”

The same can be said for writing. 

If writing isn’t shameful and being paid isn’t shameful, why is it shameful to sell your writing?

It’s worth asking the question since there are many folks who really do believe this is true.

The truth is that it’s as okay to sell your writing as it is to give it away.

It’s your choice.

And if you choose to sell your writing, then the only obstacle is in getting over what other people may call you or think about you.

After all, when Suzie finds out how much money Margo is making from her OnlyFans, she exclaims, “Holy shit, then who cares if you’re a slut? …I mean you get to stay home with the baby, you’re safe, you’re not having contact with these people. Four grand a month?! F***ing slut it up!”

Knowing How to Run a Business

If you are making money with your writing, you have to listen to Margo’s dad, Jinx, the ex-pro wrestler, when he talks about setting up the business and making sure that you’re doing it right.

He’s the one who helps her get all set to go with a business structure, quarterly tax payments and a banking set-up that works for Margo.

And he’s the one who helps her find the right lawyer when that time comes.

If you have someone in your life who can help with this, FABULOUS!

If not, you can do your own research to a point and when you hit the end of your resources, you’ll want to engage someone to help you figure out the right path.

This could be an accountant or a lawyer, but purchasing an hour of their time often can save you money in the long run.

Buddies & A Persona

Throughout the whole time, Margo continues to figure out this new business.

What does it take to break through?

How can she get the attention that she needs?

She needs buddies!

Again, Jinx spouts the wisdom of the wrestling ring and declares that Margo needs buddies.

Finding allies to help you get more attention by elevating your profile, by collaborating on projects, by sharing their wisdom so you can avoid breaking the unwritten rules that others have discovered before you.

Margo’s allies aggravate her and push her to create work that takes new bigger leaps.

They help her gain thousands of followers and share wisdom like “no nudity on TikTok.”

While there are points when you wish they would shut up and take responsibility for themselves, you can’t deny that their almost-constructive criticism pushes Margo to create work that pushes her boundaries.

Plus, creating an online persona feels very relevant to the current conversations.

Described in the book as “turning yourself into a cartoon,” creating this persona who is you but is not you, a choreographed version of yourself, a performance that is authentic but also fake.

This becomes something necessary to protect yourself (as the character is you but not you as well), and to give people a solid version of who you are.

This isn’t to say you can’t change, but it’s important to know how people see you so you know what they are seeing.

This is another place where your allies help.

For instance, in the scene where Jinx, Suzie, and Margo discuss her qualities, Margo discovers that, while she thinks of herself as goofy, Suzie actually sees her as a little scary.

That helps Margo further develop her OnlyFans character to become more of a scary character.

People know who you are to them.

To create the cartoon, consider getting others opinions and figure out how that can work in your favor.

Buddies who collaborate also help sell this new version of you by being your opposite.

“Are you the heel or the face?” as Jinx continues to say, the good guy or the bad guy.

There’s no moral stance here as you consider this.

“A face needs a heel and a heel needs a face,” as Margo remarks.

When Margo writes her new scary description, these words encapsulate the character that she’s creating.

By choosing to be a heel, she’s creating something unique and new, an alien that inhabits her body when she’s on the screen.

“The moment I turned Ghost heel, I had almost fifteen ideas in less than twenty-four hours,” says Margo.

Consider, when you write out your description or bio, what character are you taking on?

What persona do you want to put forward?

How can choosing something that seems negative or the opposite of you actually open the floodgates of your creativity?

Final Thoughts and Invitation

As you read the book, what strategies or inspirations resonated with you?

Do tell! Leave a comment and let’s chat about it! 

If you haven’t read Margo’s Got Money Troubles, pick up a copy at your favorite online platform, local indie bookshop, or at the library and join us in the conversation!

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Next Month’s Read: The Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard

Our next Book for Thriving Creatives is The Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard: 10 Guides to Creative Inspiration, Fourth Edition by Jill Badonsky.

This book introduces you to ten powerful creativity principles in the guise of wise and witty Muses.

Designed to bust through blocks that stand in the way of creative fulfillment in all aspects of your life, these playful guides help you move through procrastination, overwhelm, perfectionism, self-sabotage, and lack of focus to the joy of the creative process and its validation of your unique spirit.

Plus, this is the style of creativity coaching I practice so it’s a great way to test the waters!

Grab a copy at your local bookshop, at the library, or online and join us to read The Nine Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard!

Are you enjoying the Books for Thriving Creatives series? 

Yes & I’ve read at least one of the booksYes, but I just read the reviewsNope!

Please respond in the comments.

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ABOUT LA BOURGEOIS

LA (as in tra-la-la) Bourgeois is a Kaizen-Muse Certified Creativity Coach and author who helps clients embrace the joy of their creative work and thrive while doing it.

Get more of her creativity ideas and techniques by subscribing to her newsletter at https://subscribepage.io/unlockyourcreativity.

The post How Margo’s Money Troubles Teach Us All About Building a Creative Business by LA Bourgeois appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Q&A with Lisa Towles, Thriller Author

Please welcome Lisa Towles to our Featured Author Q&A series at Writer’s Fun Zone. Enjoy!

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If you’d like to be considered for an interview, check out our guidelines here.

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About Lisa Towles

Lisa Towles is an award-winning crime novelist from the Bay Area.

Her 14th thriller, Switch, will be published by Indies United Publishing on September 30, 2025.

Switch is the 3rd and final book of her E&A Investigations thriller series about former CIA operative Mari Ellwyn and her partner Derek Abernathy.

Hot House is a psychological thriller, Salt Island is an Eco-Thriller, and Switch is a Techno Thriller.

For follow up questions, feel free to email Lisa at lisamarietowles@gmail.com.

On to Our Interview!

Q. Tell us who you are and what inspires you to write. 

A. I’m a crime novelist and a communications leader for tech companies.

I’m also a mentor and creativity coach for novice writers.

I write mostly standalone crime thrillers, and I’m inspired by complex crimes and the complex personalities that commit them.

Q. How did you get to this place in your life? Share your story!

A. I’m from New England and I’ve lived in the Bay Area since 2007.

I’ve always held a full time corporate day while also writing full time, and my career in communications is complementary to my writing journey using most of the same skills and talents.

Q. What are you most passionate about?

A. I’m passionate about technology — and my latest book Switch is about quantum computing, which is another area of interest for me.

I’m passionate about the concept of secrets, because I think what we hide from the world (and ourselves) has power.

So my interest in human behavior and psychology draws me repeatedly to that dark side and how we’re impacted emotionally by what happens in our world, in our relationships, and the need to reconcile things and go deep inside.

I’m also passionate about supporting other authors, and one of the ways I do that is through my Story Impact author interview series on YouTube.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process, routine, and/or rituals around your writing? 

A. My standard practice is to write a little bit every day, and to try to hold myself to schedules (finishing a first draft by September 1st or something.).

Sometimes I’m just thinking about writing, or plotting, or organizing my files, and that counts!

And other times I just need a day off because my brain needs a rest.

And marketing and promotion is separate from that. That’s the “business of writing” and requires a different set of skills, discipline, and energy.

Q. What are a few challenges you faced in creating, marketing, or publishing your creative work? And your solutions to them. 

A. Whether you have a traditional publisher, are self published or working with a smaller press, marketing and promotion is a continuous requirement of this path.

One of the hardest parts is deciding how much you’re going to do yourself and what parts you’ll sub out to consultants.

I think I have a good mix now, but for a long time I was doing everything (and working full time) and I was constantly burned out.

Q. What do you wish you had known before you started writing fiction?

A. Well, I think I was lucky in a way, because I’m a lifelong musician and I had private music lessons on piano and flute from very early childhood.

So my musical training helped me develop discipline early on, and as a creative person that was very beneficial.

But I wish I had found writing mentors along the way, especially early on.

That’s why I’m so passionate about helping novice writers to help them have a better launch on this journey than I did.

Q. What’s next for you in your creative work?

A. I have another standalone thriller coming out in 2026, called The Weight of Cold Things.

It’s a dark thriller, sort of like “Yellowstone” meets “The X-Files”.

It will be released next August.

Q. Is there anything else you wished I’d asked? Please share! 

A. What keeps me going on the often challenging writing journey?

Wonderful writing friends who give me support, inspiration, and companionship along the way.

Writing is a team sport so let’s help each other!

Switch (E&A Investigations Thriller Series Book 3) by Lisa Towles

Following Hot House and Salt Island, Mari Ellwyn and Derek Abernathy return to track a string of unsettling bank robberies, the disappearance of a body from the local morgue, and a missing Medical Examiner — all of which lead them to a corrupt organization using fringe technology to manipulate global levers of power.

For Mari, the case forces her to reconcile the truth about her missing father and finally come face-to-face with her nemesis, international crime boss Jacquel Martel, before she becomes another victim in his deadly game.

 

Connect with Lisa Towles

Website: http://lisatowles.com

Facebook: @authortowles

Twitter: @writertowles

Instagram: @authorlisatowles

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisatowles

Pinterest: @lisatowlesauthor

The post Q&A with Lisa Towles, Thriller Author appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

You’re invited to the Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany

You’re invited to the Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 167

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”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 scenes in your world-building and brainstorm ideas to bring your story world to life. The Story Success Clinic is designed to leave you confident and ready to take the next step in your writing. All recorded sessions get featured as an episode on the podcast.

Sign up for a 30 minute Free Story Success Clinic Session

https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify| YouTube

RESOURCES

Sign up for a 30 minute Free Story Success Clinic Session

https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

Previous Story Success Clinics on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFt3x70-_d9Iy7lB-H35UnEYLrqJ2JRQj

FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS

Sign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.

https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/

Support our work for creatives!

Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING – START HERE

Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/

GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

About the How To Write the Future podcast 

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers.This podcast is for readers too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

Transcript for episode 167: You’re invited to the Story Success Clinic with Beth BaranyIntroduction to Story Success Clinic

Hey science fiction and fantasy authors, would you like to get more exposure for your books, and get some support to uncover story ideas, enhance story cohesion, and get some ideas for marketing?

Then sign up for my 30-minute Story Success Clinic interview on my podcast, How To Write The Future.

Every 30-minute story success clinic is recorded and gets aired as an episode of the How To Write The Future podcast. 

So sign up today. The link is in the show notes. And now let’s get on with the show.

[00:44] Meet Your Host: Beth Barany 

Hi everyone. This is Beth Barany with How To Write The Future podcast. This podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures. 

Because when we vision what is possible, we help make it so. 

In this week’s episode, I want to share about why I decided to launch the Story Success Clinic. 

I am a writing coach and have been one for over 16 years, and actually started helping writers years before that. I taught English to non-native speakers when I was 30, did it here in the United States, as well as abroad in Paris, France. 

I have been a writing teacher since, gosh, since about over, over 20 years now. I actually started teaching short story writing when I was teaching English to non-native speakers. 

All that to say, I am passionate about storytelling, passionate about helping writers. 

[01:47] The Power of Storytelling 

And I believe that your unique vision, that you are sharing in your stories, can impact the readers in unknown and amazing ways. 

Stories shape how we see ourselves. Stories shape how we see the world. In fact, I would say that everything is a story — our belief systems, our organizations, the way we do things. Culture. Even science is a story. 

Being human means being story makers, and this applies whether you are a writer or a creative, or an artist of any kind. We are all looking through the lens of stories to see the world. Another way of talking about this is mental maps. We all see the world through our own particular lenses. 

If all we know is maybe a hundred-miles radius from where we live, then our sense of self and our sense of the world is entirely shaped by that. 

On the other hand, if we could travel to a space station in high Earth orbit and turn around and see the Earth, from that vantage point, How would our sense of self and the world change? 

Over the last three years of running How to Write the Future Podcast, I have done several story success clinics, and I’ve answered questions like, How do I not overload background into my stories? Also, how do I do collaborative writing? Everyone’s always asking me how to handle backstory. We did that with Amy Johnson.

Uh, in episode 21, we did a story success clinic with Melissa Green, who’s a sci-fi writer, and one of my clients also, we did a story success clinic with Hugh Tipping, also one of my clients, and discussing his questions about deep point of view. We did one on tropes and niching, and this was with Fantasy novelist, Katie Willem, also one of my clients.

And then I spoke with Ann Burack, who’s an educator and a writer. And we spoke to her about her writing, and I took her questions. So you can see I have helped different writers with their issues 

The kinds of questions that I have been asked in the Story Success Clinic range from editorial craft questions to story structure and marketing.

[04:33] Understanding the Story Success Clinic

I started off this podcast sharing with you about my Story Success Clinic and why I’m offering this service. It is a way that I can help writers do a few things. Get more exposure for your books. Brainstorm ideas to make your story world come alive, and also brainstorm ideas around marketing. 

[04:56] Marketing and Exposure for Authors 

So I will cover those topics in our discussions and help you gain clarity and inspiration, and motivation. Because by the time you’re done with our chat, I want you to leave with your next step. We’re not trying to solve all the world’s problems in 30 minutes. We’re just going to help bring some clarity and get you inspired and motivated for the next step. And of course, this is my way to showcase my skills as a coach. 

So, if you want to work with me further, you are invited to have that conversation with me. That’s a separate conversation. This is not a selling conversation. This is a conversation, me being helpful to you. Also, me giving you the opportunity to get some exposure as an author. Learning how to market your books and yourself as an author is such a key skill. 

I look forward to speaking with you. If you have any questions about the Story Success Clinic, contact me through email or LinkedIn. Those details are in the show notes. 

[06:02] Final Thoughts and Contact Information

All right, everyone. Have a wonderful writing day, and I look forward to speaking with you in our 30-minute Story Success Clinic.

 Write long and prosper. 

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061 

Need instructions on how to leave a review? Go here.

***

Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

 

***

ABOUT BETH BARANY 

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

 

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

CONNECT 

Contact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580

Email: beth@bethbarany.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethbarany/

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethbarany/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bethbarany

X: https://twitter.com/BethBarany

CREDITSEDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA (Refer-a-Friend link)MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/fuzz-buzz License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. “Fuzz buzz” by Soundroll. Commercial license: https://musicvine.com/track/soundroll/fuzz-buzz.DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465 (Refer-a-Friend link)SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth BaranySHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c 2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

For more “How To Write the Future” episodes, go here.

If you’d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note here.

Like the work we do? Tip us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

The post You’re invited to the Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Should I Register A Trademark On My Book Title? by Kelley Way

Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Kelley Way as she shares with us “Should I Register A Trademark On My Book Title?” Enjoy!

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Trademarking and Author Branding

There are many ways authors can use trademark law to protect their brand.

Registering a trademark on their book title is usually the first application authors consider.

So, is trademarking your book title a good idea?

Can You Trademark a Book Title?

The first thing authors need to know is that you can’t trademark a title for a single book.

After all, you’re protecting a brand, and one book doesn’t create a brand.

But once you have a series (i.e., two or more books), a brand has been created, and you can register a trademark for the series name.

For example, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” would not be eligible for trademark protection, because it’s a single book.

“Harry Potter and ________,” on the other hand, can be and very likely is a registered trademark, because all the book titles in the series follow this formula and it’s instantly recognizable to consumers.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Registering a Trademark

That said, registering your series name can certainly be beneficial.

It gives you exclusivity and allows you to build your brand around your series.

On the downside, it’s an expensive and lengthy process, and enforcing your brand may take a lot of time and effort if your series name is popular (or if you achieve that magical dream of bestseller status and everyone is trying to copy you deliberately.)

Tips Before You Register

If you’re thinking of registering a trademark for a series, make sure the series name is unique, so there are fewer chances of someone copying you by accident.

And it goes without saying (but I’ll still say it!) that you should also check to see if anyone else has thought of this trademark before you go to print.

The only thing worse than getting infringed on is finding out you infringed on somebody else.

So, should you register?

In true lawyer fashion, the answer depends on your circumstances.

While it is probably a good idea in most circumstances, you’ll need to run the cost-benefit analysis and decide if the hassle is worth the protection.

Need Help Deciding?

If you want to discuss the costs and benefits of trademarking your book title, my door is always open. You can reach me at kaway@kawaylaw.com.

***

Want to read more articles like this one Writer’s Fun Zone? Subscribe here.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelley Way was born and raised in Walnut Creek, California. She graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. in English, followed by a Juris Doctorate. Kelley is a member of the California Bar, and an aspiring writer of young adult fantasy novels. More information at kawaylaw.com.

The post Should I Register A Trademark On My Book Title? by Kelley Way appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Next Step Critique Group: Your Publication Journey Starts Here

Are you ready to take your writing to the next level?

Are you ready to commit to your dream of becoming a published author?

Then apply for the Fall 2025 Session of the Next Level Writing Group here: https://bethbarany.com/next-step-writers-group/

This workshop-based critique group will help you take your writing to the next level. Only 12 spots available. Apply by Aug. 22.

Transcript

Next Step Critique Group: Publication FocusIntroduction to the Podcast

Hey everyone. Beth Barany here with How to Write the Future Podcast. This is a podcast where I offer tips for writers, specifically science fiction and fantasy writers, but all writers. And it’s also a podcast for anyone who wants to create positive, optimistic futures. Because I believe when you imagine what is possible, you help make it.

[00:25] Introducing the Next Step Writers Group

so this week I’m gonna talk about critique groups.

So this, critique group that starts really soon, September 8th, uh, is called Next Step Writers Group. And it’s gonna be, it’s not an ordinary writers group of peers. It’s actually gonna be moderated and led by Julia. So Julia is a science fiction writer, also a literary writer and instructional designer.
And she came to me because she wanted to have a critique group and she is really passionate about, having regular. structured writing and editing practice, and this critique group is in support of that. It’s for writers who really want to be publication focused. You’re all moving towards publication, which is awesome.

[01:10] Benefits of Critique Groups

And I don’t know about you, but I have learned a tremendous amount by being in critique groups. If you’re stalled out on your writing, one of the biggest things I see in over 20 years of helping writers is that you’re often writers are afraid to share their work for feedback. And getting feedback from an editor can be really scary, but getting feedback from your peers can be a lot easier, especially if they are in your, if they’re in a similar stage as you are.

[01:40] Constructive Feedback in Peer Groups

Also, peer groups, peer critique groups work really well when they have constructive, compassionate feedback. That’s really important. You wanna be around other writers who can point out what isn’t working in your writing and what is working in your writing, but they are not making it personal. They’re not saying you this and you did this wrong.

No. They’re just saying, oh, I like it when you did this with your character. But over here I was confused, uh, what about this? Or what about that?Also, critique groups are great when you’re with dedicated committed writers.

[02:12] Dedicated Writers and Genre Focus

I highly recommend finding other writers who are dedicated and committed, and that’s what we’re offering in this group.

Also, this group is for genre fiction and literary writers. You could be writing any kind of science fiction or fantasy, any kind of speculative fiction, romance, mystery. If you’re interested in writing stories, this group is for you. It is for people writing novelists or short stories because both those forms Julia can help you with.

[02:41] Learning by Doing

We also believe here that writing is a learned skill. If you wanna learn how to write, you can. When I started out as a fiction writer, I didn’t know how to be a fiction writer. I learned by doing so, we both Julie and I, come from that. School of thought where we learn by doing. So the best way to learn how to be a better writer is to write, get feedback, write some more, get feedback, and learn how to integrate the feedback.

[03:07] Persistence and Improvement

And lastly, a good critique group believes that no one is a hopeless case. You can continually learn and continually approve, uh, improve. It can feel devastating to receive feedback, but then you can pick yourself off the floor and go, oh, huh, how could I incorporate that feedback? Or do I even want to incorporate that feedback?

[03:30]Workshop Details

So both Julia and I know that persistence is the name of the game now, Julia is gonna lead this, workshop and I’m hosting it.

[03:39] Introduction to the Critique Group

This critique group is gonna be for the fall and winter months of 2025.

[03:44] Application Details and Requirements

It’s gonna go from, uh, the beginning of September into mid-December, and it is by application only.
So you can see the link in the show notes. I’ll also put it up on the screen and you can apply.
There are some requirements because we wanna make sure that you are a good fit and we’re a good fit for you. And we do ask you to submit a piece of writing, for this, to be considered.

[04:10] Meeting Schedule and Costs

Basically you’re gonna meet twice monthly for four months, and there is a cost. So be sure that that works for you.
And we’re charging $250 for this, uh, which is a very, uh, which is comparable to what other groups charge. So if you have any questions about it, let me know.

[04:28] Additional Information and Deadlines

And if you are, curious about all the details, be sure to check out, the website, link that we have here in the show notes. All the dates are on the page and all the requirements and how to apply and everything. There is a deadline for application.

[04:43] Future Opportunities and Conclusion

And if you are listening to this recording, after the deadline has passed, be sure to sign up for our newsletter list because you will be able to hear about the next one. We plan to run them, hopefully, um, once or twice a year.

All right. This is a special episode of How to Write the Future ’cause I wanna get it out before the deadline, for, uh, this critique group, which is August 22nd. Alright, Write long and prosper.

The post Next Step Critique Group: Your Publication Journey Starts Here appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Emily Golden and Rachel May on Story Theme, World Building, and Conflict

Emily Golden and Rachel May on Story Theme, World Building, and Conflict – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 166

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“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 their collaboration journey and touch on diving into character arcs and the messages that drive stories. Plus, they explore why asking “why” is so crucial to helping writers develop their unique character arcs for their stories.

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify | Amazon Music| YouTube

RESOURCES

FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS

Sign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.

https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/

Support our work for creatives!

Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING – START HERE

Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/

GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

About the How To Write the Future podcast 

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers.This podcast is for readers too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

ABOUT EMILY GOLDEN AND RACHEL MAY, BOOK COACHES 

Emily Golden and Rachel May are the founders of Golden May. Their joint love of amazing stories and mutual fascination with writing craft evolved into a book coaching business devoted to helping tenacious writers develop the unique writing craft, process, and mindset that works for them—because every writer is different. If you’re ready to stop fighting what your writing life ‘should’ look like and start dreaming about what’s possible for you, they’re the coaches for you!

Get the goodie: THE MAGIC OF CHARACTER ARCS: A free email course to craft the backbone of your story. https://goldenmayediting.com/arcsmagic

Site: https://goldenmayediting.com

Community program: https://www.tenaciouswriting.com/

INSTAGRAM:

https://www.instagram.com/ebgoldenbooks

https://instagram.com/bookcoachrachel

https://instagram.com/tenaciouswriting

SUBSTACK:

https://ebgolden.substack.com/

Transcript for episode 166 Emily Golden and Rachel May on Story Theme, World Building, and ConflictIntroduction and Guest Welcome 

BETH BARANY: Hey everyone. Welcome back to How To Write the Future Podcast. I’m your host, Beth Barany. I’m a writing teacher, coach, editor, and also science fiction and fantasy writer. I’m excited to bring two people who together make one unit. They told me they’re one brain. I’m so excited to bring you both in.

[00:18] Meet Emily Golden and Rachel May 

BETH BARANY: We have Emily Golden and Rachel May. Welcome. 

EMILY GOLDEN: Hi. Thanks so much for having us. 

BETH BARANY: Yeah. I’m so excited. Let me read your bio so everyone can know who you are. 

Emily Golden and Rachel May are the founders of Golden May. Their joint love of amazing stories and mutual fascination with writing craft evolved into a book coaching business devoted to helping tenacious writers develop the unique writing craft process and mindset that works for them. Because every writer is different. If you’re ready to stop fighting what your writing life should look like and start dreaming about what’s possible for you. They’re the coaches for you.

I love your bio so much. I am totally in line with your philosophy. 

RACHEL MAY: Welcome to Golden May.

BETH BARANY: Thank you.

RACHEL MAY: Pleasure to have you. Take you in. Come on in. We are now. Golden May Barany. We edit, we coach, we write. 

EMILY GOLDEN: We have a community. 

BETH BARANY:That’s so wonderful. It’s so so wonderful. 

[01:16] Discussing Theme and Message in Writing 

BETH BARANY: Well let me put myself on the spotlight here and ask you, the first question and, and this will be free flow, free flowing. 

Since I help primarily science fiction and fantasy writers, but also character driven writers, something that people struggle with and also I never come up with until I’m in editing toward final edits and sometimes not even then, which is theme. Some people get a little angsty about themes.

Some people are really good at deciding what is their story theme, but some people really do have a message also.

So how would you distinguish theme versus message and how do you define theme? And I guess my big question is also: Why theme? How is it important?

RACHEL MAY: Do you wanna start, Emily? 

EMILY GOLDEN: Sure. Yeah. I can take it. 

RACHEL MAY: Great. 

EMILY GOLDEN: Yeah. So theme is one of those things that I always struggle with ’cause it’s so amorphous, right? It’s just this: what are your themes? And so we often talk about what Lisa Cron calls the story point.

Where it’s the message of your story essentially, right?

That’s how Lisa defines a story point, is, you have something that you’re trying to teach your reader, or through your characters, right? Your character learns a lesson and therefore your reader learns the lesson through their experience.

And so it’s this takeaway from your story. It’s what your story is about at its core. And then I like to think of theme as sort of the pieces of the story point.

So, I wrote down some examples ’cause I feel like it’s, the definition’s hard. So let’s say, if we take the first Game of Thrones novel, for instance, right?

We have that story point of that book is that there’s no room for honor in the game for power.

And so the themes that are kind of baked into that story point are themes of power. We’re gonna explore, like what is power, what is honor? How are those things related, themes of politics and the games that are played in politics.

And so I like to think of, your story doesn’t usually have one theme. It’s usually looking at the intersections of different themes, right?

The intersection of family and love, or the intersection of perfection and belonging, right? And exploring how those themes work together.

And so I think often times when folks try to start with theme it feels a little bit too amorphous, but if you can start to think through what is the actual takeaway that I want my book to have, then you get to explore what are the themes that are baked into that, and are those the themes that I wanna explore. Anything to add, Rachel? 

RACHEL MAY: I remember learning about theme in like eighth grade, right? Where your English teacher asks you to read a novel and tell me what are the themes of this book? And you’re like, I have no clue. I think that carries into this process of like, I wish I could tell you what they are.

And I know when I first started writing, I remember very distinctly filling out like a character interview sheet or like a novel planning sheet. And one of the questions was what are the themes of this book? And being like, hell if I know, I don’t know. I haven’t written it yet.

So I really align with what you were saying, Beth, of sometimes I don’t think you can truly see what this book is about until you’ve read it. I remember feeling like, if I don’t know what it’s about, how am I ever gonna write it? But I think the difference of what, when I learned what the story point was when I went into Lisa Cron’s teachings and understood that is a specific message that you aim towards, that gives your story cohesiveness.

Then I started to understand okay, so if the point of my story is that Love heals all wounds, and I want my reader to learn that, and I want my characters to learn that. Then I have something to aim towards with my story choices. But if I just say, this story’s about love. Okay, what about love?

How, why? Like, where are we going?

So I think getting more specific with a story point or with a message of your story just helps you focus, it gives you some focus, and it gets refined over time. I don’t think I ever truly know what the themes of my story are, or even what the message of my story is until after the second, or like the first draft. The second draft. I think I usually go into it with like, I’m aiming for something like this. Let’s see what happens.

Because it, it changes, it shifts, especially for me, when my characters take on life and a journey of their own and their flaws come to light. So it’s very impactful to give your story cohesiveness, but there’s not any one right place where you need to know what it is.

I think discover these things and they firm up the further you get into the process. 

BETH BARANY: Yeah, that’s great. 

I really appreciate what you’re all saying here about theme and message because I too, I have clients who angst about this, who worry about this.

And I co-teach with my husband and he usually decides on theme as he’s planning. ’cause he is more of a plotter, whereas I discover it toward the end of revisions and then again, also sometimes, not even until the book is published and people are like, oh, you’re writing about this. 

I just wanna shout out to Lisa Cron. I have her books. I met her. I love Wired for Story. I have two of her other books, which I haven’t yet read, but I am often referring to things that she said as well. And so it’s really wonderful that you’re both using her material. I think it’s so rich.

RACHEL MAY: Yeah, the story point, we learned a lot from Story Genius, so I totally recommend that book. Wired for Story is incredible, but I think all of the tools that she has for baking into story is just all about there, there are parts of the whole, so it’s about strengthening the whole by understanding what are you doing with this story?

Why are we here? Why do we care? 

BETH BARANY: Yeah. 

RACHEL MAY: And then, when you tighten all those pieces up, which world building is one of those pieces that we’re gonna talk about today? 

BETH BARANY: Yeah. 

RACHEL MAY: You end up getting a really powerful and meaningful and like resonant, memorable, memorable story. 

BETH BARANY: Absolutely. Yeah. I love that so much.

[06:50] Exploring World Building 

BETH BARANY: So yeah, let’s move a little bit more into world building. This is definitely my domain. I’m teaching a class on setting. I talk a lot about world building in this podcast. And obviously as a science fiction and fantasy writer, this consumes me because I’m in love with thinking about these things.

Why should writers tie the cultures in, in your world, in your story world, even if it’s contemporary, to your themes? Let’s talk about the importance of WHY. 

RACHEL MAY: Yeah, I think why goes back to similar why vein of theme in general, which is just to have a message, to have a point gives us cohesiveness, it gives a story direction.

And tying the world building back to that can really aid you in number one, enforcing that message. Like making it clear on the page, helping your characters learn it, but also, um, it helps it stay on track.

So if we have like a culture that feels really beautifully built out. We put so much effort into building it, but it has nothing to do with the point of what you’re trying to say, there’s going to be friction there, there’s going to be confusion points.

So what does it look like? How? We’ll get into that. But to give you like an example, if I’m telling a story about empowering women to stand up and claim their space in their world and to do that, they need to have power.

Then I might have a world that systemically takes away from women’s power. I might have a world that’s built around maybe a magic system that’s built around women’s pain. Or maybe like a magic, a, a cultural system that puts women lower in the social strata. And that’s, that’s not like unheard of, like that’s a, I feel like a pretty common world building structure.

But that’s a world building that ends up getting tied to story’s themes, because the whole world is about women being told they’re less than. And our journey of change is about breaking that system apart, you know? And making a new system where women are not less than.

But if I had this women learning about women empowerment and going on this journey of change, but then their world is women are at the top and yay, nothing about that would be wonderful. Yay utopia. But women are at the top. Or like our magic system maybe has to do with water. Okay, that’s cool.

But like why? What’s the meaning behind that and how does this tie to the point? If it doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world, but if it does, you’re creating a cohesive experience where all these different Par, Peets, parses. All these different parts or pieces working together.

EMILY GOLDEN: The parses 

RACHEL MAY: The parses are working together. 

EMILY GOLDEN: I love it. 

BETH BARANY: Just came up with a new concept. Yeah. I love that. I love that. It’s got my wheels turning. How about you, Emily? Do you have anything to add about why we need to–

EMILY GOLDEN: Yeah, I think so much of it comes down to character, right?

Because the message of your story is usually something that your character needs to learn whether they have a positive or negative arc, right? 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.

And so for them to have flawed beliefs that are the opposite of the story point. And for them to go on this journey and need to have to learn the story point, then you almost have to bake in the themes into the world anyway, because the world is where they get their beliefs from, if that makes sense.

So if you have a character who believes that they have to be perfect in order to be loved, right? It’s a basic thing, right? Who’s teaching them that? Probably their culture, their society. And they have to learn the opposite of that, right? Some story point about how striving for perfection or something prevents love or, that might be the message of the story.

I think a lot of people accidentally, quote unquote, nothing’s an accident in writing. But I do think this is why often times a pantser will reach the end of their novel and be like, oh, there actually are themes in here, right? Because everything is connected, right?

Your character believes certain things ’cause the world has taught ’em those things. And so you end up with more in your novel, even when you’re not intending, plotting everything out. Because all those things are tied together. 

BETH BARANY: Oh, yeah. So I agree with you so much, and I can see as I’m in the middle like a “plotser”, do some planning and then a lot of follow my nose, follow my characters, follow my heart, that it’s a struggle in edits, in revisions to go, okay, I’m really in my intuition is saying create the world like this. My character is in this frame of mind at the beginning of the story. I know roughly her character arc from here to there. I’m in this place right now, in revisions, this setting needs to be acting a bit more upon my character.

The world, she’s in a new location, a new space station, so she’s a stranger in this place. And it’s impacting her, and it’s starting to shift her, change her in ways that she does not understand. And me, as the writer in revisions, I’m like, okay, I haven’t nailed it yet. I haven’t made this setting specific enough and I haven’t made what’s going on with her a little clear enough there.

Some of my beta readers are like, wait, what? What’s going on? It seems like it feels like you’re spending too much time on her interior life. I know that the reason they’re saying that is because I don’t, we don’t know where she’s going.

The reader is lost. And if the reader is lost, that means I haven’t made the connections because I haven’t quite decided on what they are yet. I’m just feeling my way through it still, to help writers bring it more explicit. And obviously I’m chewing on this right now.

[12:14] Interplay Between World Building and Character Arc 

BETH BARANY: How can world building be used to amplify your character’s change arc? And how can we more specifically tie it to theme also?

And I just also wanna underscore, I totally love what you said about how the character’s problem, the character’s limited belief and, it is baked right into their environment.

It’s from their culture, their upbringing, all the things, right?

The mix of nature, nurture the mix of received and perceived beliefs from everything around them and the people around them and the history and everything that came into the moment where they get to experience their life.

I try to write character change stories, transformation stories. I’m writing mysteries so often in those stories, the main character doesn’t change a lot. But this book is actually meant to be like a big pivot, big pivot book from the previous four books that are published into kind of a new orientation for my character, but not totally new, but new enough.

Anyway, I’m talking a lot. Um, I’m curious. As you can see, I’m, I’m always working on my story. Um, yeah, so that interplay, I guess we’re talking about: How can the world building of the science fiction and fantasy world be used more specifically for character change? What in the environment is impacting on the character and how they can change and then connecting that back to theme?

EMILY GOLDEN: I think there’s a lot of different ways to do it. There’s a lot of entry points, so what we’ve talked about a lot is figuring out what your story point is, whether that’s you do it now or you do it after your first or second draft whenever.

But having that story point message, however refined, gives you a center point for this, for an interconnected web right? Of how you’re going to tie all these things together. And so I think if you’re starting with a brand new idea, I would ask: What is the thing that is exciting you about the story?

And so for some people, that’s the character and the wound that they have for other people, it’s a cool part of the world and that’s awesome, right? If you know, this is not how it worked for me, or my series that’s out, Behind The Crimson Curtain, my main character can change her face.

That’s the only magic that’s in the world is face changing. I actually didn’t start with the face changing. That came in my second draft of the first act. But my point is I didn’t start there, but I could have started there, and if I had started there, right? Oh, I have this idea for a story where I want my main characters, I want her to be able to change her face. 

It’s okay, that’s cool. What themes are baked into that magic, right? Well, you’ve got themes of deception, you have themes of truth, like who is she really? And you can start to follow that path to like, okay, what kind of journey? Like what kind of change, arc of change could I send that character who can do that magic on, right?

And you can enter that way through the world if that’s where your interest starts, or as actually happened with me, I had a character who I knew I wanted to be a con artist. She came to me as a con artist, and I knew she wanted to be someone who lies to everybody about who she is.

And so then I was able to be like, okay, what magic could she have? She could change her face, right? And so there’s just like a lot of ways that you can enter the web, but making sure that every, all of your choices are connected and thematically intersect, I think is the way to build a cohesive story.

BETH BARANY: I love that. Yeah. It makes me think about how the whole reason I built this space station is that I wanted people to come together with an idealistic vision, and so my attention goes, okay, I need to go back to that backstory. I have, I’ve come up with the character who’s the builder, who she is, where she comes from, and then how she makes it happen and why she makes it happen.

It predates my story by 80, 90 years, something like that. But it is baked into the physical environment that my main character’s walking around in. And it is a part of the story that is still not completely locked in, which is my critique partners are like, Where are we? Do you have a map of this place?

By their questions, I can tell there’s a big hole here that I need to design so that even though my main character doesn’t know where she is and is discovering the location as she travels and meets people, et cetera, that me as the world builder, I know what it is.

And so to do that, I have to go and create a little better the, the whole origin story of the place, which is in, in like broad brush strokes right now. So I know as soon as I, once I lock that in and it’s not just how it was built and it’s also with what was it built, so, uh, ’cause I have this whole plant thing going on, and it impacts the present of the story.

That’s where I need to go.This is my revision process. 

Thank you for letting me share. 

And Rachel, did you have anything to add to this idea? The interplay between world and character arc and theme? 

RACHEL MAY: I 100% agree and what I would add is probably like a 201. Okay, what’s next?

We feel interconnected and I think in speculative worlds there, a lot of times there’s more than one culture. So how do we play with that? 

[16:58] Exploring Multiple Cultures in Writing 

RACHEL MAY: How do we build multiple cultures? How are all of these different cultures staying in conversation with our message or our point? How are we gonna connect them all?

[17:07] The Power of Asking “Why” 

RACHEL MAY: And I think one of the biggest questions that helped me, especially my early days, but even now and in the way that I coach writers, is a simple little why. Why are we doing that? I hate it. I hate it. Being asked why? Because you’re telling me I have to explain myself? But I do think that asking that question why is very helpful and very impactful.

[17:28] Critique Partners and Evolution of Stories 

RACHEL MAY: When I first met Emily, we met as critique partners and we met on Twitter, and that’s how we grew a relationship. And then we decided, oh, we should become coaches after a while. But, we met as critique partners and one of the first things that she asked me, why? And I was like, because.

And like, unfortunately, because isn’t a great response. 

BETH BARANY: No. 

RACHEL MAY: So like I had a world where there was a nuclear war and then in the fallout of that, people gained magic abilities. And then my whole, that was the whole backdrop of the world. And then, Emily would be like, why? And I’m like, because that’s just what happened, sorry. 

But the reason that question existed was because it had nothing to do with my character’s journey. That was an interesting thing about the world, was that there was nuclear war, then suddenly people could use magic. But what did that have to do with the characters in my world?

So WHY is a really good one. 

[18:26] Conflict and Culture in Storytelling 

RACHEL MAY: And I think asking that question to multiple different cultures can introduce a lot of really interesting conflict. I think conflict is also part of culture, and conflict is part of journeys of change. So they work really well together. So if you have multiple cultures, how are they different?

Why, or even within a culture, is there conflict? What’s it like? Are there multiple factions? How has that conflict shaped your characters and how do they live within that conflict?

And it doesn’t have to be huge. There’s so many different kinds of conflict. There’s oppression and then there’s also conflict where you’re taught that if you express yourself, you get in trouble.

There’s so many different kinds of conflict, which can create really interesting cultures. So, however many you feel like you have, we’re still asking that question: Why? How did this happen? How did this create our characters? How does this tie into the journey that we’re going on? 

BETH BARANY: That’s great.

This is so fascinating. I think our, our listeners are gonna get a lot out of this, especially writers out there. If you are a total pantser or somewhere in between, or even someone who tends to plan ahead of time, but then your story gets away from you. I think if you can hear from what Rachel and Emily are saying about the interplay, it keeps shifting and changing as we work on our revisions.

I hope writers, you’ll take away from it that you know, revisions its process and uh, and I love, back to your original message in your bio, like there isn’t one right way to go about writing a book. I tell my clients this all the time and my students. It’s really, our job is to learn our own process and to really embrace what’s working and come from strengths. My perspective anyway, and so a lot of the work I do as a coach is helping people excavate their own like interests and that thread, that kind of like magical fizzy, electric, passionate golden thread that is their guide and helping them find their own, to use another metaphor as some north star, you know, and help them really trust themself.

And so I really feel like you both are coming from that perspective as well. It’s so beautiful. 

[20:28] Writing the Future: Perspectives and Hopes 

BETH BARANY: So I have a little lightning round question then, um, I would love to find out from each of you: When you hear How to write the future, what does that mean to you?

RACHEL MAY: I think to me it, it means like, um, I mean obviously there’s, there’s looking ahead, but there’s looking ahead with hope or trepidation or concern or fear and I, I think there’s a lot of different ways to look at the future and whatever we’re saying with our stories, we’re like exploring those emotions.

Just like what will it be like and how do I feel about that? Do I want it to be that way, a different way? What can I picture?

So I hope I am always going to be a glass half full kind of person. So even though there are more than likely going to be big problems in the future, I also think that there still will be humans with big hearts and big hope. And so I, that’s what I think about when writing the future. I would want my stories to speak to that. 

EMILY GOLDEN: Yeah, it makes me think of, I feel like all science fiction and fantasy in some way, shape, or form, right? Because we’re re-imagining the world in some way, shape, or form. And I think there are all exercises in what could the world look like, even with magic and all that stuff, right? It’s really about the people. It’s about the relationships, the connections, like who’s in power, what does that look like? Who has power? How is it used? And so I feel like those are the big questions that, that this genre, these genres specifically look at.

And I think there’s a lot of imagination that can be used to kind of project, right? We’re exploring, what could happen? What do we want to happen? And I think that’s important. I think it’s really important, especially as things fall apart, we have to put them back together somehow.

BETH BARANY: Yes. Oh, I love that so much. And I love what you both said there, so thought provoking. I really do believe fiction is where we get to explore and we get to play and we get to ask what if. And we also get to try it on like children who do dress up. Stories are a way for us as writers, but obviously also for the readers to go, oh, yeah, I want to explore. What could I do in that situation? Or how? How could I be and what could I learn? And thank you character for going through that hardship. 

EMILY GOLDEN: Yeah. 

BETH BARANY: So I don’t have to.

EMILY GOLDEN: Yeah. It’s a safe place to explore those what ifs. Yeah. 

BETH BARANY: Yeah. 

[22:47] Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans 

BETH BARANY: I have enjoyed this conversation so much with you both and I look forward to continuing more conversations.

I’m gonna be on your podcast right at some point? 

EMILY GOLDEN: Yeah. Sometime here soon.

RACHEL MAY: Tabling stories. We can talk about writing. Yeah. World building. Anything .

BETH BARANY: That’s so great. I’d love it. Okay. I’m gonna just say, thank you so much both for coming on How To Write The Future, and I’m gonna do my typical sign off for everyone. Write long and prosper. That’s a wrap. ​

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ABOUT BETH BARANY

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

 

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

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The post Emily Golden and Rachel May on Story Theme, World Building, and Conflict appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.