The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

We're absolutely thrilled to bring you a very special interview with bestselling author and former FBI special agent, Joe Navarro.Joe is a world-leading expert on body language. In his career, he conducted over 13,000 interviews and oozes a passion for the subject that you can't help but admire. Body language plays such a huge role in storytelling, from written fiction to that found on-screen. But it can be underused and ill-understood. To help us better our understanding and appreciation, there's no better person to ask than Joe. In this deeply insightful interview, packed with examples, Joe provides vital guidance and advice for writers to help master this form of communication that's arguably more important than dialogue. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.comJOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITYTo join our writing group as well as access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OUR GUESTSJoe Navarro - https://www.jnforensics.com/ | Buy The Dictionary Of Body Language - https://amzn.to/3Y2VNMZSounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx

I've had a lot of specialists on the podcast in recent months but it occurred to me that I've never really reflected on my own experiences as a lawyer and how that can be applied to writing.When I got to pondering I realised I draw upon these experiences an awful lot. And it was then I began to appreciate just how much scope there is to inject your stories and worlds with conflict.So in this episode, I reflect upon my time working as an accident and injury lawyer. I discuss the impact that injuries can have on a person, from minor ones to major ones, and how you can utilise these ill-used details in your stories, both from a character creation perspective and a worldbuilding one. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.comJOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITYTo join our writing group as well as access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx

I'm always keen to chat with book bloggers to get an insight into the latest trends in reading. Fantasy romances, for example, are particularly in demand right now. But as well as that, I'm always keen to chat with reviewers to learn more about their experiences. Above all, I want to know how I, and other writers like you, can forge better partnerships with them.I was delighted then to chat with Blaise Ancona from Under The Radar SFF Books about these very things. Blaise runs both a podcast and a website devoted to highlighting fantasy and sci-fi novels that haven't got the credit they deserve.What began as a lockdown hobby has grown into something quite remarkable. We talk about how it happened and his experiences as a book blogger.  If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.comOUR GUESTSBlaise Ancona of Under The Radar SFF Books - https://undertheradarsffbooks.com/ | https://twitter.com/undertheradarb2Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/OdysyxJOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITYTo join our writing group as well as access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed 

We're delighted to welcome to the Writers' Toolshed bestselling fantasy author, Stephen Aryan.Stephen has published eight novels to date with both Orbit and Angry Robot. This year sees the release of the first in a new trilogy: The Judas Blossom. He's an author at the top of the game and has some wonderful insights to share. We have a grand old natter about writing, editing, the publishing industry, working with agents, and ways to improve your writing.It's a very open and honest interview packed with insights and advice on specific topics ranging from creating memorable characters to building immersive fantasy worlds. You're guaranteed to learn something new.If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.comABOUT ANGRY ROBOT BOOKSThis episode is sponsored by the award-winning publisher, Angry Robot Books. You can learn more about them by clicking the link below:https://angryrobotbooks.com/THE JUDAS BLOSSOMhttps://angryrobotbooks.com/books/judas-blossom/OUR GUESTSStephen Aryan - https://stephen-aryan.com/ | Stephen's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZlaVQ9rks4GaN-x3Jkos0ASounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/OdysyxJOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITYTo join our writing group as well as access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed OTHER RESOURCESHow to write a villainHow to write a battle scene in a bookThe many races found in the fantasy genreWhat is a creative writing class?

In the final episode of 2023, we welcome Vickie Lan to the Toolshed, host of the Speculative Sandbox Podcast.Vickie is a specialist in deconstructing fantasy tropes. Her show sees her joined by top authors to discuss everything from The Chosen One to beardy wizard mentor figures. In our chat, we cover the epic fantasy quest—its classic features and how you can spin them. We also discuss tropes around resurrections and mentor figures, as well as tropes generally.And Vickie shares some fantastic examples of books and writers who have spun things to create something brilliant and original.If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.comTo access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed If you're interested in writing classes, head here - https://richiebilling.com/online-writing-classesLearn more about the fantasy writing podcast here - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITYJoin our community here - https://bit.ly/join-our-writing-groupOUR GUESTSVickie Lan - https://vickielan.com/podcast | https://www.instagram.com/speculativesandboxSounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/OdysyxOTHER RESOURCESCharacter PlottingAvoiding Tropes And Cliches When Writing FantasyHow To Write A Battle Scene In A BookMen Writing Women Characters - Things To Watch Out ForExamples Of Sensory LanguageFree Worldbuilding Template And Guide

Award-winning journalist and Afrofuturist author Denise Crittendon stops by the Toolshed to discuss her debut science fantasy novel, Where It Rains In Color, published by Angry Robot Books on 6th December 2022.  Denise tells us about the new book, how she created her unique and incredible worlds and characters, and reveals some of her favourite writing tips. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.comTo access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed If you're interested in fantasy writing classes, head here - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing-classesLearn more about the fantasy writing podcast here - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast BUY WHERE IT RAINS IN COLOR - https://angryrobotbooks.com/books/where-it-rains-in-color/JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITYJoin our community here - https://bit.ly/join-our-writing-groupOUR GUESTSDenise Crittendon - https://denisecrittendon.blog/ | https://twitter.com/denicrittendonSounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/OdysyxOTHER RESOURCESThe Best Podcasts About Writing - https://richiebilling.com/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast/best-podcasts-about-writingA Free Name Generator Tool For Knights - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-name-generator/knight-name-generator