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How To Write The Future
The How to Write The Future Podcast offers fiction writing tips for science fiction and fantasy authors who want to create optimistic stories because when we vision what is possible, we help make it so. By science fiction and fantasy author and fiction writing coach, Beth Barany.
Episodes
143 episodes
143. Elizabeth Moon: Crafting Strong Female Protagonists in Science Fiction
“So I highly recommend Elizabeth Moon, if you like military ship captains who are these strong, interesting women. I also really adored her fantasy.”In this episode, titled “Elizabeth Moon: Crafting Strong Female Prot...
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Season 1
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Episode 143
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6:02
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142. How Science Fiction and Fantasy Can Change the World
“ I would say I live in this space with my Janey McCallister Space Station Mystery series. I think a lot about the sweet spot between current technology and future speculation.”In this How To Write the Future podcast ...
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Season 1
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Episode 142
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8:13
141. Favorite Science Explainers on YouTube (part 2)
Science Explainer: That is a term that has come out in the last bit of years to explain someone or to describe somebody who shares about science to the general public.In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, h...
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Season 1
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Episode 141
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5:45
140. Favorite Science Explainers on YouTube (Part 1)
“As you may have noticed, these are all women science explainers and scientists, because I really want to highlight women doing science.”In the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, host and science fiction ...
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Season 1
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Episode 140
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5:36
139. Simple and Powerful Storytelling Structure with Leon Conrad
“Because It's grounded on a very simple principle. Story, well told, well crafted, well structured, will have a pattern of ebb and flow. The ebb is where the tension builds up, and the flow is where it releases.”-- Leon Conrad&n...
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Season 1
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Episode 139
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26:43
138. Building Authentic Stories: Real-World Elements in Fantasy and Sci-Fi with Lewis Jorstad
“I really enjoy leaning on real world history to write my stories.”-- Lewis Jorstad In this episode of How To Write the Future, host Beth Barany chats with bestselling author and editor Lewis Jorstad about how to incorporat...
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Season 1
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Episode 138
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26:24
137. The Art of Editing Speculative Fiction with Kristin Noland
”What if we could travel to a different galaxy? And then that's what the book is about. What if there were superheroes in the world? What if women ruled the world? Those types of things— It's the what if question and the answ...
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Season 1
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Episode 137
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22:43
136. Exploring Futuristic Events in 2025: A Guide for Science Fiction Writers
"Once or twice a year, I like to do an episode about upcoming events that you can participate in. And this is especially helpful if you're looking for inspiration about how to think about the future, whether you're a science fiction writer,...
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Season 1
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Episode 136
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5:14
135. Creative Writing Resources: Power Up Your Fiction in 2025
“All I have to say, I know it can take a long time. And I really respect that it takes time to be ready to take the next step.“In the first episode of 2025, How To Write the Future podcast host, Beth Barany shares creative ...
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Season 1
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Episode 135
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8:35
134. Top 6 Most Popular Episodes in 2024
"From planning your writing life to exploring tropes, storytelling, and world-building, these episodes showcase the diverse topics we've covered this past year to help you write positive futures."In this episode of How To Write ...
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Season 1
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Episode 134
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14:59
133. You did it! You've a finished science fiction or fantasy novel you’re proud of. (Step 8)
“I want you to really deepen into what this experience could be like. What would it be like to hold the book in your hands?”This episode is last part of a 9-part mini-series based on the “Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap” where...
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Season 1
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Episode 133
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7:52
132. Launch and publish your novel (Step 7) (Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap)
“There's a lot of ways to launch a book. And you get to decide what is the way that feels the best for you.”This episode is part of a mini-series based on the “Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap” where Beth Barany discusses the m...
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Season 1
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Episode 132
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6:07
131. Trust-Your-Heart Marketing (Step 6)
“It helped me see that marketing is really about you offering your gift, your book, which is your gift.“In "Trust-Your-Heart Marketing (Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap, Step 6)" podcast host Beth Barany explores ho...
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Season 1
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Episode 131
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8:52
130. Take 2-95! Revise for your readers. Writing is rewriting. (Step 5)
“We write for ourselves, And we revise for our readers.”In “Take 2-95! Revise for your readers. Writing is rewriting. (Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap, Step 5)" How To Write The Future podcast host, Beth Barany foc...
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Season 1
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Episode 130
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8:20
129. Take 1. Write Your Messy First Draft. (Step 4)
“Give yourself an opportunity to be perfectly imperfect.”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...
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Season 1
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Episode 129
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6:14
128. Story Development (Step 3)
“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 listen...
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Season 1
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Episode 128
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8:31
127. Writing practice. "I can do this." (Step 2)
“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 ...
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Season 1
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Episode 127
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7:02
126. You are Here: Take an Assessment and Clarify Your Goals (Step 1)
“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 meth...
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Season 1
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Episode 126
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6:32
125. Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap for Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers
“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 lates...
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Season 1
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Episode 125
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7:50
124. Interview with BookFunnel creator Damon Courtney, part 2
“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 wit...
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Season 1
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Episode 124
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16:00
123. Interview with Bookfunnel creator Damon Courtney, part 1
“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, “Intervi...
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Season 1
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Episode 123
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16:34
122. Interview with Science Fiction Western novelist, Rachael Clarke, Part 2
“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...
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Season 1
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Episode 122
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12:32
121. Interview with Science Fiction Western Novelist, Rachael Clarke, Part 1
“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 brainst...
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Season 1
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Episode 121
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13:04
120. Using Games to Design our Futures with Randy Lubin, part 2
“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...
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Season 1
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Episode 120
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16:03
119. Using Games to Design our Futures with Randy Lubin, part 1
“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.”
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Season 1
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Episode 119
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13:20