Episodes

View a collection of all the Roundtable Podcasts here
There's No Punk Like a Steampunk
Workshop Episode 84 (Guest Host: Zig Zag Claybourne)

Zig Zag Claybourne – author of “The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan”, “Historical Inaccuracies”, and so much more – electric boogaloos his way back to the Big Chair at the Roundtable to lend his unique and insightful writerly mojo to brainstorming a steampunk tale of divided societies, betrayal, and revolution.

The story is offered up by Guest Writer Gabriel Snell, a tale of kindred spirits separated by a cultural divide, enslaved populations, and airship pirates. With Brion Humphrey returning once more to the co-host’s chair, we dive in to Gabriel’s story, gender flipping protagonists, delving into true character motivations, and generally doing that voodoo that we do so well. Literary Gold? Check!

Zig-Zag-Claybourne
20 Minutes with Zig Zag Claybourne

Besides being funkalicious, Zig Zag Claybourne is a storyteller whose vision comes from deep within the creative forge. He brings to life tales you’ve never heard before about people you know, characters you recognize in situations you could never imagine. I can’t think of a better definition for “speculative fiction” and Zig is building a whole new wing on that venerable estate.

As fabulous as any conversation with such a gentleman would be, this particular dialog is made even more fabulous by the return of Brion Humphrey, the man who started the RTP with me oh-so-many years ago. With these two visionaries at the Table we launch into a superb 20(ish) minutes of writerly discourse, exploring the creation of conflict, the nuances and practicalities of diversity, authentic character development and more. Buckle up, kids… this is an “E” ticket ride!

CW LaSart
20 Minutes with C.W. LaSart

Award-winning author CW LaSart is serious about her storytelling. Her passion for the writerly arts is evident in the clarity and insight with which she speaks about her craft. LaSart’s “Ad Nauseam” and her contributions to to over a dozen publications and anthologies (including “Grimm Mistresses” from Ragnarok Publications) are just the first installments in her canon of tales that push the boundaries of horror.
Joined by the mighty Mike Luoma, we indulge in 20(esque) Minutes of seriously writerly exploration, uncovering some startling truths about the nature of short fiction, the dynamics of discovery writing, the key to building suspense, how much is too much in horror, and more. Great googly-moogly, gang… have your pencils poised and your seat belts strapped, then click that “PLAY” button and hold on!

Courting the Dark Muse...
Workshop Episode 82 (Guest Host: Andrew Weston)

Andrew Weston (author of many tales of thrilling adventure, like “The IX” from Perseid Press – returns to the BIG Chair at the RTP to lend his storytelling mojo to to a tale of evil queens, twisted cobblers, and ultimate balance of power.

The tale is offered up by Guest Writer Clara Robertson, a storytelling trickster in her own right. Her story of the Wicked Witch returning to her land after her defeat from Prince Charming and the mayhem that ensues serves as a marvelous feast for workshop delights. Joined by fabulous co-host Mike Luoma, we dive into brainstorming deep waters, exploring the nature of interweaving characters, the value of foreshadowing, and so much more. Literary Gold awaits you… just click that “PLAY” button!

Seth Skorkowsky
20 Minutes with Seth Skorkowsky

Don’t be fooled by all that seems familiar about Seth Skorkowsky. Yes, he’s written several novels, including “Damoren” and “Hounacier” (of…

Peter Orullian
20 Minutes with Peter Orullian

Peter Orullian – author of the Vault of Heaven series, including “The Unremembered” and the recently released “Trial of Intentions”…

Justin Landon
20 Minutes with Justin Landon

Justin Landon knows stories. As host of the fabulous Tor.com podcast “RocketTalk“, co-editor of the “Speculative Fiction 2012: The Year’s Best…

Dr. Jilly Dreadful
20 Minutes with Jilly Dreadful

Jilly Dreadful – with a Ph.D. in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Southern California, Associate Editor of NonBinary Review and Unbound…

Jake Kerr
20 Minutes with Jake Kerr

Jake Kerr is a most skilled and accomplished wordsmith. His whole life has focused on weaving words into tapestries of delight,…

Sam Sykes
20 Minutes with Sam Sykes

Sam Sykes – author of the Aeon’s Gate series and the newly released “The City Stained Red” – is a distinctive…

KC Wayland
20 Minutes with K. C. Wayland

Few people have impacted the world of audio theater in recent years like this week’s Guest Host, K.C. Wayland. Back in 2009, while the most of the world was just waking up to podcasting and the notion of audiobooks (and “Walking Dead” was still a year and a half from its debut), KC was writing and producing the award winning “We’re Alive” audio drama series, a tale of survival set against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse. The superior production, performance, and storytelling of “We’re Alive” raised the bar on audio entertainment and inspired a renaissance of tales told through the “theater of the mind”.

That alone would make this a spectacular 20(ish) minutes, but wait… there’s more. My co-host for this episode is none other than the creator of the remarkable “Leviathan Chronicles” audio drama, Christof Laputka! With these two storytelling maestros together in the virtual RTP studio, you KNOW this is going to be a fabulous discussion. Tune in as we explore the distinctions between literary and audio storytelling, crafting action scenes in audio drama, killing characters, sensory challenges in audio drama, and more.

RTPDialogs_04
RTP Dialogues #4: The Changing Face of Storytelling

E-books, audiobooks, websites, podcasts, transmedia, social media, Scribd, WattPad… compared to just a decade ago, the ways to tell a story have multiplied exponentially. Readers (or listeners) can not only find the stories they want with a click of the mouse, but they can also find the authors themselves, creating a whole new dynamic of fandom.

As formats and delivery models transform and evolve, the question has to be asked: Has the ancient craft storytelling – an instinct hard-coded into the DNA of every human being – been changed as well? And if so, how? And, more importantly, what should an author know in order to tell their stories in this ever-shifting terrain?

Joining me to help address this question is Cat Rambo, Joe Bonadonna , Michael A. Armstrong, and Janet and Chris Morris, veteran tale-weavers straddling the traditional and the modern. Together, we set out to examine the “new” storytelling models, discussing ebooks, audiobooks, mobile technologies, episodic and serial storytelling, and more.

Tom Barczack, Janet Morris, Chris Morris, Uvi Poznansky, Walter Rhein
RTP Dialogues #3: Audiobooks, The New Oral Tradition

Tales around a fire. That’s how it started… the oral tradition, the first way knowledge was stored and transmitted.

Thousands of years later, we’ve rediscovered the power and presence of the human voice in the telling of new tales. Digital technology has made the recording and delivery of high-quality audio narration both convenient and affordable. Now storytellers everywhere are lifting their words from the page (or pixel) and breathing new life into their tales through audio fiction podcasts and audiobooks.

Translating a written tale into an audio presentation has unique rewards and challenges… and that’s the terrain we set out explore on this Roundtable Dialogue episode.

Brainstorming
Workshop Episode 69 (Guest Host: James Sutter)

We must have been VERY good this year, ’cause Santa really came through and gave us James Sutter – author, musician, Managing Editor at Paizo Publishing, and co-creator of the fabulous Pathfinder role-playing game – as a Guest Host! We’re delighted to have James return to the Big Chair to lend his patented writerly mojo to our stock and trade here at the Roundtable… brainstorming stories. With author/editor Jennifer Melzer in the co-pilot’s chair, we buckle in for another adventure in awesomeness.

James Sutter
20 Minutes with James Sutter

Rocker. Author. Editor. Gamer. Co-creator of “Pathfinder”, the biggest selling role-playing game in the world. Managing Editor at Paizo Publishing, the good people who MAKE Pathfinder (for those of the non-RPG persuasion). If there is anyone who has been a contributing factor to the recent (and long overdue) trend of geeks being cool, it’s James Sutter. From his early days as a journalism student to his current standing as author of the much (and justifiably) lauded “Death’s Heretic” and it’s sequel, “The Redemption Engine”, AND Managing Editor of Paizo’s fiction line, James has been all about the story.

Brainstorming
Workshop Episode 68 (Guest Host: Jeanne Cavelos)

If you’re going to workshop a story, you might as well do it right… bring in a scientist who has also been an editor with Dell, founded two editorial lines of books, published three novels for a hugely successful television franchise, AND has spent the last 20 years leading one of the top literary workshops in the industry. That’s exactly what we did, inviting Jeanne Cavelos, founder and lead instructor of the Odyssey Writers Workshop back to the Big Chair to brainstorm a story idea.

Jeanne Cavelos
20 Minutes with Jeanne Cavelos

Jeanne Cavelos – Scientist, former editor at Dell Books, author of the Babylon 5 trilogy “The Passing of the Techno-Mages”, and founder/director of the Odyssey Writers Workshop – has pursued her passions at every stage of her life. From scientist to editor, author to teacher, with each path she has gathered intriguing insights and a deep understanding of the storyteller’s craft. We’re delighted to have her take the Big Chair and share some of those writerly jewels with us.

Forging a fabulous story
Workshop Episode 67 (Guest Host: Mercedes Yardley)

Mercedes Yardley – author of astonishing “whimsical horror” tales like “Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love”, “Nameless: The Darkness Comes” and the newly released “Pretty Little Dead Girls” – returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable to ply her wicked storyteller mojo to a fabulous story workshop. With author Paul Ellis in the co-pilot’s chair, we have great fun brainstorming a unique tale of angelic intervention, bloody rebellion against an oppressive regime, and unleashing the dark side of human desire.

Mercedes Yardley
20 Minutes with Mercedes Yardley

Mercedes Yardley’s literary voice is singular, beautiful, and striking in its poignant honesty. If you read anything from her marvelous canon – including “Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love”, “Nameless: The Darkness Comes” or the newly released “Pretty Little Dead Girls” – you will discover tales that defy category (she calls them “whimsical horror”) and will be a splash of wonder that will wake up and delight you.