A multiverse isn't the only way to create different versions of the same characters, worlds, and stories.

In this episode of Fiction Writer's Toolshed, I'm joined by my longtime collaborator, editor, and Absolute Tabletop co-founder Matt Click to explore polycontinuity: a method for building multiple distinct continuities from the same fictional property.

Matt and I discuss how to identify the core elements that make a fictional property recognizable, how new continuities can create more creative freedom, and how writers can reinvent familiar material without erasing or contradicting the original version.

If your fictional universe has become crowded, restrictive, or trapped beneath the weight of its own canon, you may not need another timeline.

You may need a new continuity... polycontinuity, that is.

Is multiverse fiction overused? Is introducing a multiverse or time travel simply lazy writing when it is handled incorrectly? What makes a multiverse story feel fresh and unique instead of repetitive or confusing? And is there a better way for writers to create alternate universes, reboots, and new versions of familiar characters?

This episode introduces an answer to all of that and more-- polycontinuity, a storytelling framework that helps writers build separate fictional continuities without connecting them through a traditional multiverse.

Is writer's block real? I make the case that it absolutely is-- but that almost everyone misunderstands what's actually happening when they experience it.

This week I'll talk about writer's block in a new way, and I'll hand you a simple three-part equation for getting unstuck and moving again.

If you've ever pushed all the way to the end of a project only to feel like the ending didn't quite itland, this one's for you.

Come find me on Threads @makeexist-- I'd love to hear what you're working on.

This week's episode is my current best approach on getting into the water of writing, and a specific mentality while doing it.

I'll also discuss a specific, sneaky kind of danger that catches-- and often KILLS-- more writers than the big scary projects ever do. There's a warning in here I really want you to hear, and some good old fashioned inspirational talk to get you writing. We need you.

Ready to free dive?

This episode is for every writer who has ever stopped cold in the middle of a scene because they didn't know the perfect line, the perfect detail, the perfect plot turn, or the bravest thing the story was asking them to say.

We're talking about what happens when a draft opens up a gap, and how writers can keep moving instead of freezing at the edge.

If you've ever felt stuck because you didn't know enough yet, this one's for you.

Learn the two keys on the keyboard that are a secret bridge.

Your favorite characters weren't born perfect-- and yours won't be either.

In this diagnostic follow-up to "You're Strangling Link, Wolverine, and Mario," we look at the warning signs that you're trying to perfect your story before it has had a chance to exist. From getting stuck wit Name Lock to hiding in the Lore Panic Room, polishing endlessly on the Page-One Treadmill, this episode gives you practical tools to stop suffocating your ideas and start letting them grow.

Make the 8-bit version first.

The icon can come later.

Your favorite characters weren't born perfect. Wolverine, Mario, and Link all started as strange, rough, and surprisingly humble ideas before evolving into cultural icons over years-- sometimes decades.

In this episode, we explore why modern creators often get trapped trying to perfect their work before anyone ever sees it, and how that fear can suffocate great ideas before they have the chance to grow. By looking at the fearless creative process behind classic comics and video games, we uncover an important truth: iconic things become iconic through evolution, experimentation, and time-- not perfection on day one.

Every writer knows the feeling: the cursor blinking, the page going nowhere, the project that started with such promise now collecting dust.

In this episode of Fiction Writer's Toolshed, I sit down with Ramona Ausubel-- award-winning author and longtime teacher-- to talk about her new book Unstuck: 101 Doorways Leading from the Blank Page to the Last Page (a LitHub Most Anticipated Book of 2026).

Whether you're staring down a first draft, stalled in the middle, or trying to finish something you've been carrying for years, this conversation is a doorway of its own. We had a great conversation that will help any auther get Unstuck.

In this episode, we go to a quiet corner of the toolshed, where I sit down with author J.A. Merkel to talk worldbuilding, long-term creative projects, and the ideas behind The Fourth Portal (1 book released) and The Fall Gauntlet (3 books released, with 4 coming this summer).

From early inspiration to publishing ambitious, interconnected stories-- this episode is all about what it really takes to bring big ideas to life. Get your ebook copy of The Fall Gauntlet, Book One here: https://jamerkel.com/newsletter-sign-up/

About The Fall Gauntlet:

Seventeen-year-old Benji Calyx finally has a chance to save his mother from her off-world prison. All he has to do is win the Fall Gauntlet, an ancient, fight-to-the-death tournament designed to please the gods and goddesses, and keep them at bay. Benji has made it to the finals. He's trained for this moment for seven long years. There's just one problem. The hulking man behind the bear mask is his estranged younger brother, Soren. Things just got a lot more complicated.

You should try the Unstoppable Maker newsletter. You'll get simple, practical writing tools to stop overthinking and start finishing stories. Click here to try it: https://makeexist.beehiiv.com/ -=-=-=-=-=-

You're probably not stuck-- you're just not aware of what part of the journey you're on.

In Part 2 of The Creation Funnel, I'll give you a full diagnostic of the 8 stages of making anything, so you can figure out where you are and what to do next.

Each stage comes with:

• Signs you're there
• Signs you're struggling
• What's really going on
• And one practical tool to move forward

Because when you don't know where you are… every part of the process feels wrong.

Clear the confusion. Stop spinning your wheels. Do the work that belongs to the stage you're in.

Let's go.

You should try my Unstoppable Maker newsletter. You'll get simple, practical writing tools to stop overthinking and start finishing stories. Click here to try it (it's free): https://makeexist.beehiiv.com/ -=-=-=-=-=-

There's a moment on a long road trip where it feels like you should already be there… but you're not even halfway.

Most writers quit in that moment.

Not because they're incapable-- but because they don't realize it's part of the journey.

In this episode, I lay out The Creation Funnel: a practical framework for understanding exactly where you are in a creative project-- and why it feels the way it does. It's a map for your creative journey.

If you've ever wondered:

• "Why is this so hard right now?"
• "Was this idea ever good?"
• "Why can't I finish anything?"

This episode might change how you see your work entirely.