ARCHIVOS Podcast Network

Michael Sullivan - erudite and eloquent author of the "Riyria Revelations" and the forthcoming "Riyria Chronicles" - returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable to help us workshop a fantasy noire tale offered by Ben Love (co-host of the "First Million Words" podcast). The synergy around the table is amazing as everyone weighs in, exploring, expanding, and rhapsodizing on Ben's excellent idea, building on each others inspirations. It's classic Roundtable goodness, friends, with the inevitable outcome... Literary Gold for everybody!

Michael Sullivan is incredibly dedicated to his craft. He studied and scrutinized the styles of the greatest writers in literature, taking the best of each to craft his authorial voice. The hard work shines through in his "Riyria Revelations" novels which have been lauded and recognized by literati and and reviewers since they hit the shelves. In this intriguing 20(ish) minutes, Michael shares generously with me and Ryan Stevenson some of his insights into POV, the writing of prequels, using dialog to handle world-building and backstory, and more.

Lauren Beukes - author, journalist, comic scribe, and storyteller extraordinaire - returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable to infuse this week's workshop with the insight, experience, and vision that is the hallmark of her many works in the world. She's joined by Guest Writer Joshua Cordasco who brings a tale of a magical power play that sees 99% of the world dead and our heroes - including a disgraced devil - left to figure it all out. Between Josh's fabulous story and Lauren's keen sense of story, this is classic Roundtable goodness fraught with Literary Gold!

Lauren Beukes will do anything to avoid writing. In spite of her best efforts, however, her literary credits continue to find their way into the world (which is a very good thing indeed). She's a journalist, a writer of animated TV series, producer of documentaries, author of novels (non-fiction fiction, and graphic), a shark swimmer, and Queen of Cape Town. With such a broad canvas splashed with such startling and remarkable works, you KNOW the 20(ish) minutes I and Ryan Stevenson have with her is not only a pure delight, but also brimming with writerly goodness.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt - author of the Davi Rhii series, editor of and contributor to anthologies, and SpecFic explorer - returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable to help workshop a very cool post-apocalyptic tale offered up by Guest Writer Jason Ramsey.

While this was - by far - the weirdest episode we've ever recorded (between the wrath of the Internet Gods and an inadvertent road-trip starting in the middle of the episode), Jason's core framework serves as a launching point for some really stellar explorations and insights into character, genre and theme. Writerly goodness and LOTS of Literary Gold for all!

It has been a remarkable journey these last 30 days as we followed these writers through their unique challenges of NaNoWriMo. As each of them shared their strategies and experiences, we all gleaned a wealth of insight into what it takes to reach the 50K goal. And now, with NaNoWriMo complete, we reach out to them one more time to learn how they did and what comes next.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt has lived life wide and tall and true. He has pursued so many forms of storytelling - from film to music to writing - that his combination of life experience and craft provide a unique and informed insight into the entire process. His passion, enthusiasm, and witty repartee made is 20(ish) minutes fly by as we explored his transition into writing, his process, and his perspective on SpecFic, and more!

Cecilia Tan - author, visionary, and activist who's passions are as diverse as the literary works they inspire - returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable to infuse this Workshop episode with he unique and eloquent brand of literary awesomeness. We are joined by Guest Writer Nobilis Reed, a veteran author in his own right with a wealth of stories, podcasts, and audio adventures to his name. His erotic noire steampunk fantasy (yeah, that's right... a four-genre mash-up. One might say a veritable orgy of genres *rimshot*) inspires a vigorous discussion from all sides of the table, which leads - as always - to a mighty hoard of Literay Gold.

Cecilia Tan is a visionary author whose interests, passions, and achievements span a broad spectrum of experience. To say "she is best known for [something]" is a difficult sentence to complete for exactly that reason, but that is also what makes this 20(ish) minutes with her such a remarkable and inspiring conversation. Join us as Ceclia discusses the application of spiritual divination to modern writing techniques, the value of fantasy and scifi to our culture, and the processes of engaging activity with your creative mojo.

Jerry Gordon - editor of anthologies and author of tales (check his "Coming Up" section below for all his awesomeness) - returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable for an ​epic​ story workshop. Guest Writer, Dan Scholes, brings a scifi tale of a distant culture dominated by nanites that infect every aspect of society. Dan's story becomes the foundation of one our most intriguing and in-depth workshops ever. You'll be raking in the literary gold like autumn leaves, friends... just hit that "play" button.