Time to fire up the Literary Gold machine! We are delighted to have Cavan Scott - author, audio playwright, and storyteller extraordinaire - return to the big (and comfy) chair at the Roundtable to apply his splendid and insightful writerly mojo to a classic RTP brainstorming session!

Our creageous (creative and courageous) Guest Writer for this episode is Peter O'Malley who brings with him a steampunk tale of alchemy, mechanical prodigies, thwarted romance, and the secret of immortality. Joined once again by co-host Terry Mixon (author of "Empire of Bones" and "Veil of Shadows" and co-host on the Dead Robots' Society podcast), we delve into Peter's story, exploring the gears and cogs of his story world, rooting through the intricacies of the characters, and emerge with armloads of Literary Gold. There's plenty to go around, so click that "PLAY" button and get some for yourself

Cavan Scott has written... well... just about every type of story there is to write. Audio plays for Dr. Who, Blake 7, Iris Wildthyme and more... fiction for Dr. Who, Skylanders, WarHammer 40K, and more... paranormal YA like "The Hunted", and non-fiction like sourcebooks for (not to be redundant, but) Dr. Who, Skylanders, Angry Birds, and yes... even more. His range of genre and format, story and character, is a rich nuanced storyteller's tapestry so you KNOW we're going to be laying out a feast of writerly goodness on this episode.

Joining me in the co-host's chair is the sharp and savvy Terry Mixon - author of "Empire of Bones" and the "Veil of Shadows" and co-host on the fabulous Dead Robots' Society podcast - and together we burn through 20(ish) minutes of writerly discourse with Cavan, exploring the reasons why he writes, the distinctions between narrative formats, the key to mastering a character's "voice" and more. This is classic RTP goodness fraught with fabulosity... hit that "PLAY" button, friends, and let's get into it! (and you do NOT want to miss Cavan's Workshop Episode, airing January 27).

This week, Janet Morris and Chris Morris - creators and editors of the "Heroes in Hell" series, The Tempus Thales saga, and so much more - return to the Big Chairs at the Roundtable to workshop an epic space opera tale. We couldn't ask for better hosts to infuse this tale of galactic empires, rapacious alien races, and strange technological discoveries with their vast experience and insight.

The tale is offered up by our "creageous" Guest Writer, Paul K. Ellis, whose story of a conquering race subjugating humanity's expansion to the stars is rich food for our brainstorming buffet. Joining me as co-host is J. Daniel Sawyer and, for those that know him, that means the heady rush of "awesome" will soon be filling your earways. There's all of interstellar space to explore so, of course, we return with a cargo hold chock full of Literary Gold.

The last time they were on the show (back in October), we all had such a blast that we promised we’d do it again soon. We’re very happy to keep that promise and welcome back Janet Morris and Chris Morris for another 20 minutes of writerly discourse, laughs, and unique insights into the storyteller’s craft.

As an added bonus, I’m delighted to have J. Daniel Sawyer – author, raconteur, and one of the evil geniuses commanding the fabulous Escape Artists series of podcasts (check out the EA Meta-Cast or this post from Alasdair Stuart for details) – seated beside me as wingman on this Ascent into Awesomeness. Between Dan, Janet, Chris, and myself, we delve into the possible origins of the current dystopian craze in genre literature, a glance back at the fandom of yesteryear, and the on-going pursuit of “truth” in our stories. It’s 20(ish) minutes unlike any other we’ve had so far... click “PLAY” and join the discussion!

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.

Joining me is Uvi Poznansky, Tom Barczak, Walter Rhein, and Janet and Chris Morris, a panel of astonishing artists and storytellers who have expressed their tales beautifully in both formats. Together, we set out to examine this old/new art form, sharing observations and insights to better understand the new oral tradition.

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.

Our creageous Guest Writer and catalyst for this creative maelstrom is Scott Couchman, who brings a wild tale of elves and dwarves in space, ancient enemies lurking in the shadows, and an intrepid trio who's job it is to thwart galactic destruction. We dive in and unearth not only some valuable insights into the writerly arts, but a fair pile of Literary Gold as well. It's yours for the taking, friends... just hit that "PLAY" button!

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.

Joined by author, editor, and gamer (do you see a trend here?) Jennifer Melzer, we spend 20-ish minutes in astonishing writerly discourse with this Renaissance Man of geekery. For those of you with OTD - Obsessive Temporal Disorder - the "ish" allows us an extra 15 minutes without violating any truth-in-advertising laws... and you'll be glad we do as Jennifer, James and I discuss the merits of outlining and fostering discovery, the difference between an "artist" and an "artisan", the creative power of deadlines, and more. Wrap your head in an Ace Bandage, kids, 'cause we're gonna blow your mind.

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.

(Spoilers... it's fabulous)

Our creageous (creative and courageous) Guest Writer is Austin Malone who brings a YA fantasy tale of an island forged by three goddesses and fueled by a powerful magic. Austin's tale of Peth and his quest thwart his destiny and purge the island of corruption sends Jeanne, myself, and co-host Doc Coleman on an epic journey of writerly brainstorming, weaving threads of story mojo into a tapestry of Literary Gold. Cuz... that's pretty much what we do around here. Click the "PLAY" button and see for yourself

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.

Joined by my good friend and podcasting colleague, Doc Coleman, we indulge in 20(ish) minutes of exploration into some of the challenges facing writers (and how to overcome them), what makes a scene an "effective" scene, and we even indulge in a little Tolkien rap (aw yeah, baby... phat tracks from Tom Bombadil!). You don't want to miss this one, gang :)

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.

The story is presented by "creageous" Guest Writer Martin Spernau and his tale of a man rendered unkillable by the protection of a guardian angel unleashes a torrent of inquiry and speculation. Exploring the nature of the angel, the orientation of the protagonist, and describing his descent (and possible destruction) made for a stimulating discussion... and hopefully inspiring listening as well. Literary Gold is just a click of the "PLAY" button away!