Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering a big question from a new writer: do you need to read a ton of books before you can write one? If you’ve been worldbuilding and dreaming up stories but haven’t read much outside of anime and games, is it even worth starting?

We’re breaking down the real relationship between reading and writing, why it’s okay to start before you feel “ready,” and how to build skill through reps, not perfection. Plus, we’ll talk about short stories as training wheels, how to reverse-engineer great scenes, and why practice only works if you know what you’re fixing. This is a must-listen for anyone wondering if their lack of reading disqualifies them from writing. (Spoiler: it doesn’t!)

Email your own advice prompt to [email protected] or join our Discord and let us know what's on your mind. You can find the discussion prompt we referenced on the show right here.

Check out my new short story "Men Who Are Strong," which was published this past week in "The Evolving Gaze" issue of IHRAM Press's literary magazine! Available in print and online.

Fantasy Writing for Barbarians‘ host is Jon Negroni, author of The Pixar Theory, Killerjoy, and more. Our producers are Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock. You can find all our episodes and various podcast app options here.

Intro music: "Adventures in Adventureland" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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