Join host M.J. Kuhn as she delves into a mini-masterclass on Writing Mysteries with author Josiah Bancroft and (surprise!) our very own Adrian M. Gibson. During the episode, Josiah and Adrian investigate the clues of writing a mystery, including why we love a good mystery, the evolution of the genre, essentials like setting, atmosphere, hooks and capable protagonists, how to pace a mystery and dish out clues, cohesion and mysteries going off the rails, genre blending a mystery with SFF and more.
Podcast
SFF Addicts Ep. 71: Josiah Bancroft talks The Hexologists, The Books of Babel, Secrets, Lies & More
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they chat with author Josiah Bancroft about his new novel The Hexologists, his fan-favorite series The Books of Babel, SPFBO and lessons from publishing, fancy words that no one understands, happily married couples who do it, fantastical worldbuilding and social commentary, satire and tropes, royal families, secrets of the heart, lies (or truthbending) and much more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 70: Building a Dedicated Fanbase with Robin & Michael J. Sullivan (Mini-Masterclass)
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they delve into a mini-masterclass on Building a Dedicated Fanbase with author Michael J. Sullivan and his wife/business manager Robin. During the episode, Michael and Robin lay out the realities of writing and building an audience, including steps to becoming a well-earning author, selling directly to readers, Kickstarter and crowdfunding, growing a career and community, the importance of series for fan investment, comparing traditional and self-publishing, Goodreads, Royal Road, social media, reviews and more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 69: Michael J. Sullivan talks The Rise and Fall, Shared Worlds, Publishing & More
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they chat with bestselling author Michael J. Sullivan about his new novel Esrahaddon, The Rise and Fall trilogy, writing multiple series in the shared world of Elan, his publishing journey from The Riyria Revelations until today, comparing self-publishing and traditional publishing, writing great dialogue, evolving writing processes, career highlights, wikis and much more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 68: Plot Twists with Aparna Verma (Mini-Masterclass)
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they delve into a mini-masterclass on Plot Twists with author Aparna Verma. During the episode, Aparna deconstructs plot twists, including why we love them so much, what makes a plot twist great, how plot twists work in fiction vs. TV or film, the essential trifecta of set-up, misdirection and reveal, ways in which plot twists can fall flat, tropes, favorite plot twists and more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 67: Aparna Verma talks The Phoenix King, Complex Characters, Pokémon & More
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they chat with author Aparna Verma about her debut novel The Phoenix King, her love of Pokémon (and Charizard), bridging the gap between Indian and American cultures, her writing journey from self-pub to traditional publishing, how The Boy with Fire evolved into The Phoenix King, approaches to writing complex and captivating characters, science fantasy, why fire is awesome and much more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 66: Real Cultures as Inspiration with Gabriela Romero Lacruz (Mini-Masterclass)
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they delve into a mini-masterclass on Real Cultures as Inspiration with author Gabriela Romero Lacruz. During the episode, Gabriela unpacks different facets of culture, including what culture means, countercultures, SFF as a reflection of our world, immersive worldbuilding, pulling from real cultures vs. creating your own, research, cultural appropriation and more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 65: Gabriela Romero Lacruz talks The Sun and the Void, Venezuela, Art & More
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they chat with author Gabriela Romero Lacruz about her debut novel The Sun and the Void, her love of anime, how she got started writing fan fiction, growing up in Venezuela, learning English as a second language, writing compelling characters and family drama, creating fantasy races and magic systems, making visual art as The Moonborn and much more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 64: Norse Mythology & Culture with Genevieve Gornichec (Mini-Masterclass)
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they delve into a mini-masterclass on Norse Mythology & Culture with author Genevieve Gornichec. During the episode, Genevieve unravels the tapestry of Norse culture, including the essentials of Norse history, the popularity of Norse-inspired fantasy, vikings and gods, stereotypes and pet peeves, portrayals of women, balacning history with fantasy, how to approach researching Norse culture and mythology, the Norse living history community and more.
Author Roundtable: South Asian Fantasy (with Gourav Mohanty, R.R. Virdi, Aparna Verma, Gautam Bhatia & Tashan Mehta)
Join authors Gourav Mohanty, R.R. Virdi, Aparna Verma, Gautam Bhatia and Tashan Mehta for another FanFiAddict author roundtable! During the discussion, these five talented authors share their takes on SOUTH ASIAN FANTASY, exploring the growth of speculative fiction in South Asia and its diaspora, the ability for South Asian authors to represent their culture/heritage in their work, how fantasy plays into their own history/religion/mythology, publishing struggles and successes and more.
SFF Addicts Ep. 63: LAUNCH PARTY for The Weaver and the Witch Queen & Thick As Thieves
Join host Adrian M. Gibson for a special book launch episode, celebrating the publications of Genevieve Gornichec’s The Weaver and the Witch Queen and M.J. Kuhn’s Thick as Thieves! During this raucous episode, M.J. and Genevieve talk about their new books, big inspirations, comparing debut experiences vs. second books, reviews, community, dream projects and more. Plus, PARTY GAMES!
SFF Addicts Ep. 62: The Hero’s/Heroine’s Journey with R.R. Virdi (Mini-Masterclass)
Join co-hosts Adrian M. Gibson and M.J. Kuhn as they delve into a mini-masterclass on The Hero’s/Heroine’s Journey with author R.R. Virdi. During the episode, Ronnie explores the complexities of the monomyth, including its origins/development across human history, oral storytelling traditions, creation myths and language, Joseph Campbell’s theory of the monomyth, the heroine’s journey and the work of Maureen Murdock, individualism vs. society and more.