“One Question: Your Ideal Protagonist” from WorldCon 2012

Myke Cole – author of ShadowOps: Control Point, first in the ongoing ShadowOps trilogy – graciously returns to the Roundtable to help workshop a tale by writer John Walker. John’s story idea is the second in his series the Statford Chronicles about a scruffy gumshoe who is also the defender of humanity. When his character is called upon to defend the devil, Myke, Brion, and Dave step up to lend a hand. Mythology, religion, gumshoes, murder, and the Devil… sounds like a recipe for mayhem, and we certainly dove in to the fray!

Myke Cole – author of The Shadow Ops Series returns to the ARCHIVOS virtual Studio to discuss Shadow Ops (trilogy one AND two), his grim dark medieval fantasy series coming from Tor.com, his negotiations for a non-fiction book on ancient military history, and more!

Join Dave Robison and Ben Delano as they explore the insights and experience offered by Saladin Ahmed, Peter V. Brett, Myke Cole, Carrie Harris, Jim C. Hines, and Kat Howard regarding this one simple question:

What is your ideal antagonist?

Mur Lafferty returns to the Archivos virtual studios for yet another marvelous 20(ish) minutes of writerly discourse, exploring her discoveries in writing the “I Should Be Writing” book, her strategies and perspectives regarding NaNoWriMo, how she decides what to write, and more.

Myke Cole is a remarkable gentleman. He’s incredibly well read and knowledgeable on a vast array of topics from nerd culture to the foundations of speculative fiction to military theory and practice (after three tours in Iraq, that last bit comes as no surprise. But it goes beyond that. If you’ve ever heard his interviews or seen him at a con, you cannot help but be swept up in the energy and passion he infuses with every word. We were delighted to have Myke join us at the Roundtable and share some of that fire with us.

Myke Cole – author of the much-lauded “Shadow Ops: Control Point” and the forthcoming (and much anticipated) sequel “Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier” – returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable, bringing his experience and insights to bear in the workshopping of a tale offered up by Guest Writer Tim Niederriter.

Tim’s YA story concept of a world where dreams are being converted into energy – and the nightmarish (yes… I went there) fallout of that industry – was not only a blast to explore, but was a great opportunity to discuss the YA genre, working out protagonist motivations, and ratcheting up the stakes in a story. In short… a classic RTP experience in digging up a great shiny stack of Literary Gold.

Mur Lafferty – author, podcaster, editor, and purveyor of awesomeness – grabs a seat at the Roundtable to help workshop a story by Dan Latham that’s a unique twist on the superhero tale. As always, the story sparks a fabulous discussion that delves into the “darker” superpowers, alternatives to classic villain tropes, and the transformation of spirit that having superpowers can have.

Myke Cole – author of The Shadow Ops Series (including “Gemini Cell”, “Javelin Rain” and the forthcoming “Seige Line” – returns to the Big Chair in the RTP virtual studios to lend his brainstorming-fu to a tale of future warfare, powered armor, and artificial intelligence.

The Roundtable Podcast will be taking a short hiatus so I can survive convention season with my sanity intact. “Oh…

Alasdair Stuart leaps across the Atlantic Ocean to take a seat at the Roundtable and help workshop a story by the founder of New Fiction Writers, Tony Whitford. Tony offers up the tale of a down-on-his-luck government agent who stumbles upon an alien serial killer which proves to be fertile ground for a fabulous discussion.

Mur Lafferty has a book coming out, a Not-A-Hugo award nomination (trans. the prestigious John W. Campbell Award) is editing Escape Pod and Angry Robot Books Worldbuilder Project and continues to produce the exceptional “I Should Be Writing” podcast and STILL she managed to swing by the Roundtable Skype line. We’re glad she did (and you will, too) as Mur discusses her experiences with depression, her current challenges as a writer, why she writes specfic, and more

We asked thirteen authors, podcasters, and content creators if they thought talent was something we’re born with or something we acquire over time. In this episode, we cover the final. Their answers are as intriguing as the people themselves and Brion and Dave riff extensively off them.

Myke Cole – author of “Shadow Ops: Control Point” and the forthcoming sequel “Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier” – once had a friend remark “one life just isn’t enough for you” and when you speak with him and learn about his many achievements and the passions he’s pursued, you discover that’s an accurate assessment.

His years spent cultivating his craft have given him a broad and informed perspective on writerly pursuits and he shares generously of those informed insights during this exceptional 20(ish) minutes of conversation. We dig into his desire to be a well-rounded writer, discuss the merits and perils of trunked novels, how to convey procedural information effectively, and more.

Mur Lafferty – podcaster and award-winning author “Six Wakes”, “The Shambling Guide to New York City”, and so much more – returns to the Big Chair in the Archivos Virtual Studios to brainstorm a tale of the death and apparent resurrection of a superhero by David “Doc Blue” Wendt.

Mary Robinette Kowal – Hugo Award-winning author of Shades of Milk and Honey, Glamour in Glass, Without a Summer, and Valor and Vanity – returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable to workshop a tale of supernatural murder.