“Get to know your characters and really understand how they perceive the world. So that you can write the book in their voice.”In this latest episode of How To Write the Future, host Beth Barany continues to guide listeners through her Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap as she explores step 3 and discusses the different types of writers, core elements of story development, and why you want to get to know your characters.✅ Sign up and receive a copy of Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap wo...

“To write a novel, you really need to be able to already be able to sit down and write. Even if it's just a little bit at a time.”This episode is part of a mini-series based on the “Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap” where Beth Barany discusses the method she developed to help writers go from idea to published science fiction and fantasy novel.In “Writing practice. ‘I can do this.’" (Step 2) How To Write the Future podcast host, Beth Barany continues her exploration of the roadmap where she a...

“I help you go from idea to finished science fiction or fantasy novel that you are proud of.”How To Write the Future host, Beth Barany kicks off her first episode based on her Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap method called, “You are Here: Take an Assessment and Clarify your goals (Step 1)” where she explains why it’s important to clarify your goals, and asks you two key questions to help get you started.Work the roadmap! Sign up and receive a copy of Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap workboo...

“I really recommend that you trust your own style and voice. Don't let anyone tell you that what you are trying to do is wrong or bad, or that you're wrong or bad for doing it. Trust yourself, trust your heart.”In the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, “Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap for Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers (Ep. 125)” host Beth Barany, kicks off an 9-part mini-series on her Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap, the method she developed to help writers go from idea...

“I want you to own the relationship with your reader. It should be your website they're buying on, not mine. So they're buying on your website. They're experiencing your process.”-- Damon Courtney In “Interview with BookFunnel creator Damon Courtney, part 2” How To Write the Future podcast host, Beth Barany continues her interview with Damon Courtney where he explains the importance of direct sales with BookFunnel, explains its features. Plus they discuss how traditional publishing is fo...

“I set out really just to write myself a set of instructions that I could give to readers who joined my list. And ended up building BookFunnel.”-- Damon Courtney In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, “Interview with Bookfunnel creator Damon Courtney” host, Beth Barany interviews Bookfunnel creator Damon Courtney where Damon shares the inspiration behind creating the author service and why authors need their own mailing list. Together they discuss the many helpful features the platf...

“What I'll tell people is to find your writing group, find your writing family.”-- R.A. ClarkeIn this episode, “Interview with Science Fiction Western novelist, Rachael Clarke, Part 2 Part 2” podcast host Beth Barany continues her interview with Rachael Clarke where they discuss Rachael’s writing process, including one of the biggest points of struggles. Plus, they share why it’s important to be a part of a writing community.Listen to part 1 where they both discuss Rachael's first full-length...

“I'm passionate about sci-fi and I was thinking, I just I love horses so much, and I started thinking, what would horses be like in the future? What does that look like? What would happen? My brain started like kind of spiraling and brainstorming with this, what would a horse be like in the future?”-- R.A. ClarkeIn this episode, “Interview with Western Science Fiction Novelist, Rachael Clarke, Part 1” podcast host Beth Barany talks to Rachael Clarke where they discuss Rachael's first full-len...

“I know for me what I'm working on, especially at the beginning of creating a story I'm asking, because stories have to have escalating conflict, I ask: What is the worst thing that could happen now to my dear lovely character? And now what?What's worse than that? And what's worse than that? And that's how I build my plot.”-- Beth BaranyIn this episode of How To Write the Future podcast, host Beth Barany continues her interview with game designer and entrepreneur, Randy Lubin. They share...

“I think games are excellent at building intuition for complex systems, and if you're trying to think through the future, trying to get a grasp of the system dynamics and second order effects and points of leverage are all super helpful.”--Randy LubinIn this episode of How To Write the Future podcast, host Beth Barany interviews game designer and entrepreneur, Randy Lubin. They discuss how games can be used as powerful tools for shaping the future and how world building games help you write s...

“If you are having fun and you're playing and you're experimenting, it is all gonna feed into what you're doing.”-- Melissa Dinwiddie In this How To Write the Future episode, “Dealing with Perfectionism, Interview with Melissa Dinwiddie, part 3” podcast host Beth Barany wraps up her interview with former professional artist and trained improviser, Melissa Dinwiddie, where they discuss the importance of setting “ridiculously achievable” goals to help you succeed in your creative practice ...

“I'm leading people through some kind of an activity. So often when I tell people that I use play-based methods, or particularly if I tell people that I use improv, they will often jump to the conclusion that I'm doing some kind of role playing.”-- Melissa DinwiddieIn this How To Write the Future episode, “Let's Play A Game, Interview with Melissa Dinwiddie, Part 2” host Beth Barany continues her interview with former professional artist and trained improviser, Melissa Dinwiddie, where t...

“So every day after breakfast, I lead these creative catalyzing sessions, which is basically a bunch of improv games to get people laughing and moving. And people will say often that it's their favorite part of the retreat.“ --Melissa DinwiddieIn this latest How To Write the Future episode, “Bring Improv to Your Life, Interview with Melissa Dinwiddie, Part 1”host Beth Barany interviews former professional artist and trained improviser, Melissa Dinwiddie, who shares her personal journey about ...

“It's very common in the urban fantasy genre for there to be a group of magical beings of various kinds.”In the latest How To Write the Future episode, host Beth Barany answers a question from a listener on “How to bring magical elements into your contemporary story (Q&A)” and shares what elements to consider. Beth also shares about her gift, the “World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers,” to help you develop compelling story worlds.ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTThe How To W...

“Do you need to think bigger? Do you need to think of a map that would encompass all of your story worlds, and maybe they're all connected.”In this How To Write the Future episode, “How do I rein in all my ideas? (Q&A),” host Beth Barany answers a listener’s question on how to manage so many ideas for your story and hint: it has something to do with setting boundaries for your story worlds. Beth also shares how you can get your copy of her “World Building Workbook For Fiction Writers.” RE...

“You want the reader to experience backstory from the perspective of your point of view character, who is living in the present and responding and going after their goal and accounting obstacles.“In this podcast episode of How To Write The Future, host Beth Barany answers a question from a listener on where and how to add the backstory in your novel. Beth also shares about her “World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers” to help you develop compelling story worlds.ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE ...

“How do you tell if there are too many details? It all comes down to the reader experience. What is the reader experience that you want your readers to have?”In this episode of How To Write The Future podcast, host Beth Barany answers a question from a historical romance writer about how to strike the right balance of detail in your novel and how picking one of the five senses can help characterize and captivate your reader's experience without overwhelming them. Beth also shares her “World B...

“I think maintaining our own individual health is a really important part of being able to contribute to broader social health.”-- Jennifer BrowdyIn this latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany continues her conversation with Jennifer Browdy, PhD Professor of Comparative Literature & Media Arts, publisher of Green Fire Press, and award-winning author. Together they discuss Jennifer’s “Women Write the World” class where she shares why it’s important to maintain a p...

“Human creativity, the amazing thing about it is that we can come up with a thought that's never been thought before. We have these dreams that come to us that are totally unique and nobody but each one of us can have that particular perspective tied into our life experience and our culture and our location and who we are uniquely.“— Jennifer BrowdyIn this latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany interviews Jennifer Browdy, PhD Professor of Comparative Literature &...

“Every culture is telling different stories to some degree. And when we share our each other's stories and we read and learn and engage and practice empathy, then we stand a better chance of understanding the ways in which our diversity is a tool for the future.”--Michael KilmanFollows on from the mini-series where host of the How To Write The Future podcast, Beth Barany, delved into the book Build Better Worlds by Michael Kilman and Kyra Wellstrom. In Episode 109, “Interview with Michael Kil...

“I think if you're writing truthfully, because that's what we're trying to do a lot of times as author, telling a good story, but being honest in our writing and in terms of the human experience, I think it really helps to have some sort of guidepost for how do we build these human experiences?”-- Michael Kilman Following on from the mini series where podcast host Beth Barany delved into the book Build Better Worlds by Michael Kilman and Kyra Wellstrom, in this latest episode Beth chats to co...

“I want to encourage you to have it rooted in heart. In fact, I bet you, it already is. What you care about is what you're writing about. So, Where is the heart in your work?”In “The Name of the Game is Change” episode, novelist and podcaster, Beth Barany, reflects on her two-year anniversary of How To Write the Future podcast and shares what she has learned in the process including her inspiration, tools used, and what’s next for the podcast.ABOUT THE HOW TO WRITE THE FUTURE PODCASTThe How T...

“Humans have been shaping culture from the very beginning. And we are obviously continuing to do so even today.And. I really believe that through the stories we tell ourselves, through the stories we tell each other through our art and all the mediums of art, we're actually impacting what is possible for the human race, for human culture, and in all, its incredible diversity.”In this episode, “106. Books to films: Why the switch,” host of How To Write The Future Beth Barany shares the challen...

“All this to say, exercise your creativity. Find ways to put disparate things that don't normally go together, put them together and see what happens. Ask yourself: "What if...?" Such a powerful question. Every day find ways to learn something new, do something new, go someplace new.”In “Your Creativity vs. ChatGPT” How To Write the Future podcast host Beth Barany shares how to invite AI tools into our creativity and how they are not to replace us but instead here to help us. Beth also shares...