I’m sorry, gang… truly. And this one I can’t even blame on corrupted audio. This was all me. Seriously? Life…
2016 February
Returning to the big chair at the RTP this week is the astonishing Madeline Ashby – futurist and author of “Vn”, “iD”, and the soon-to-be-released “Company Town” – leveraging her storytelling mojo in a brainstorming session for a grimdark tale of political intrigue, entangled destinies, and ancient corruptions.
The tale is offered by Guest Writer David de Burgh, the story of an diplomat caught between four nations, who must unravel the mystery of the current conflict and his own past in order to prevent a devastating war. We are joined once more by the eloquent (and efficient) Lauren “Scribe” Harris – podcaster, narrator, and author of the Millroad Academy Novels “Exorcising Aaron Nguyen” and “The Girl in Acid Park” – and together we have a truly memorable conversation exploring the qualities of an authentic matriarchy, balancing the number of POVs, and so much more. It’s an incredible workshop fraught with Literary Gold… come get some for yourself!
Madeline Ashby – futurist and author of “Vn”, “iD”, and the soon-to-be-released “Company Town” – is most definitely ‘a danger to those who profit by the way things are.’ It says so right on the title of her blog (drawn from a quote by Ursula K. LeGuin) and she’s earned that appellation through her rigorous studies into diverse disciplines and her fearless expression of her discoveries and beliefs through her beautifully wrought prose.
Joined by Lauren “Scribe” Harris – my podcast sister and author of the Millroad Academy Novels “Exorcising Aaron Nguyen” and “The Girl in Acid Park” – we indulge in (far more than) 20 minutes of writerly – and geeky – discourse with Madeline, exploring her perspective on the fundamental motivation of many writers, the spirit of fandom in relation to genre fiction, how to write a sterling first scene, and more. Bring your back-up brain… you’re gonna need it!
Michael R. Underwood – author of “The Shootout Solution” and the soon-to-be-released “The Absconded Ambassador” of the fabulous Genrenauts novella…
Michael R. Underwood brings a rare combination of perspectives to any literary discourse. His insights into the industry and market of speculative fiction is informed by his experience as North American rep for Angry Robot Books. His knowledge of narrative form and structure is refined by his academic achievements. But his understanding of storytelling comes from a deep commitment and practice of the craft.
Joined by co-host Giles Hash (co-host of the Beyond the Trope podcast) we engage in (far more than) 20 minutes of writerly discourse of Michael, exploring the structure and execution of the novella, the effective utilization of tropes in storytelling, and a unique perspective on framing your writing towards a specific market. Writerly goodness is at your fingertips, friends… just click that “PLAY” button!