Inking Neon: Light Up Your Stories

What to do when your writing professor offers advice you don’t like? How to handle an agent’s suggestions? What is the most useful advice you’ve ever gotten and what are some of the worst pieces of advice bouncing around the writer world—bad advice that just won’t die? Taking criticism is hard enough, but it’s made much harder by the prevalence of bad writing advice. Join us as we discuss some of the greatest hits on the list of shame, and what works instead.

Olivia Atwater is a best-selling and award-winning author of great wit, insight, and style—best known for her Regency Faerie Tales which offer a winning mix of romance and fantasy. If something like Bridgerton written by Terry Pratchett sounds like your cup of tea, then Olivia Atwatter has the whole kettle. 

Check out: Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater - https://oliviaatwater.com/book/half-a-soul

The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater - https://oliviaatwater.com/book/the-witchwood-knot 

New! Rosemary & Thyme by Olivia Atwater - https://oliviaatwater.com/book/rosemary-thyme 

In 2006 Peter Watts published Blindsight, a darkly creative and hugely popular sci-fi novel about first contact. We’re reacting to this classic, appreciating its themes, and trying to extract lessons for ourselves as writers. How do you challenge your readers with really creative ideas without losing them? Watts managed it, and we think we know how.

Edited by Cullen McHael

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Matt Dinniman’s breakout best seller is certainly popular, but is it good? We explore 7 reasons for its runaway success and try to extract some lessons to apply to our own writing. Jump on the ride and let us know what you think we missed!

The book itself: https://mattdinniman.com/books/dungeon-crawler-carl/

00:00 Introduction to Lit RPG and Its Appeal

04:38 Reason #1: The Vibe of Carl

11:15 Reason #2: Unhinged Chaos 

17:38 Reason #3: Keeping Up with the Kardashians

21:25 The Two Kinds of Humor

23:18 Reason 4: Viscera

28:57 Absorb For +1 to Humor. Don't Sell Your Day Job.

37:52 Reason #5: They Call Them "Novels"

45:33 Short Readings

49:23 Reason #6: Can You Go Wrong With a Talking Cat? (Yes)

56:57 Reason 7: The Payoff Paradox

01:00:48 Summary and Final Thoughts

Date Record: Mar 28, 2026

Date Publish: Apr 4, 2026

Edited by Cullen McHael

Produced by Cullen McHael

Hosts: Stuart J. Tanner, Cullen McHael

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InkingNeon

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories/id1838329557

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qSplbBX4oYmd2pYoSAzOF

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c7826f91-085a-4509-9c69-d90fef1bdb5b/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-inking-neon-light-up-your-294206954

PodBean: https://inkingneon.podbean.com/

Cullen McHael: https://cullenmchael.com 

Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XW3G4WG/ https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-of-Story/dp/B08JL6GJBR/

In episode 7 of Inking Neon we sit down with author J.A. Merkel to discuss sustaining energy in a long running series, and techniques for building emotional realism. J.A. Merkel is the author of The Fall Gauntlet, a gladiatorial science-fantasy series. 

Pick up your copy of Bear by J.A. Merkel here: https://store.jamerkel.com/products/the-fall-gauntlet-book-1-bear-ebook

00:00 Introduction to JA Merkel

03:01 Reading from Bear - Book 1 of The Fall Gauntlet

16:59 Short Stories As Strategy for Finding a Market

21:41 Turning a Short Story Into a Series

24:50 Planning for a Long Series

31:35 Merging Old and New: The Deeper Themes of Science-Fantasy

46:40 Writing Emotional Realism

53:34 Game Design Informing Fiction

57:55 Final Thoughts on Writing and Market Awareness

Follow us!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InkingNeon

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories/id1838329557

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qSplbBX4oYmd2pYoSAzOF

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c7826f91-085a-4509-9c69-d90fef1bdb5b/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-inking-neon-light-up-your-294206954

PodBean: https://inkingneon.podbean.com/

Cullen McHael: https://cullenmchael.com 

Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XW3G4WG/ https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-of-Story/dp/B08JL6GJBR/

J.A. Merkel: https://jamerkel.com

Author Sill Bihagia reads from her book Red Demon and shares insights about how to find your family in science fantasy, what’s next in the world of mushroom brain science, and loads more. Join us and explore the craft of storytelling (and mycelia social networks)!

Pick up your copy of Red Demon by Sil Bihagia here: https://www.sillauthor.com/book-for-sale 

00:00 Introduction

03:01 Reading from Red Demon by Sill Bihagia

18:57 Diving Deeper into Found Family

23:42 Fight Scene Dynamics

29:43 The Fascinating World of Mushroom Magic and Hard Science Souls

31:37 Neuroscience and Memory

34:49 Mushroom Community

44:11 Global Reach of Indie Authors

46:54 Character Development and Found Family Dynamics

50:02 The Importance of Kindness in Character Interactions

54:56 What Readers Want

59:32 The Essence of Found Family

01:05:49 Embracing Unconventional Relationship

Follow us!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InkingNeon

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories/id1838329557

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qSplbBX4oYmd2pYoSAzOF

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c7826f91-085a-4509-9c69-d90fef1bdb5b/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-inking-neon-light-up-your-294206954

PodBean: https://inkingneon.podbean.com/

Cullen McHael: https://cullenmchael.com 

Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XW3G4WG/ https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-of-Story/dp/B08JL6GJBR/

Sill Bihagia: https://www.sillauthor.com

Swashbuckling adventure author Nicholas Atwater joins us to share hard-earned insights learned from writing his book, Echoes of the Imperium. We discuss how to make your protagonist interesting in more than one way, and also how most great things come from spite. Well… most of our great things. You be the judge? 

00:00 Introductions

02:32 Reading from Echoes of the Imperium, Chapter 1

09:02 Why a Goblin Captain?

15:54 How to Write Big Ensembles? 

23:06 Protagonists Worth Rooting For

32:06 Managing Reader Bandwidth, and Understanding What You're Asking

42:17 The Evolution of the Mission

50:04 Characters as Investment Opportunities

59:19 Conclusions

Grab your copy of Echoes of the Imperium: https://www.nicholasatwater.com/ 

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Nicholas Atwater: https://www.nicholasatwater.com/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InkingNeon

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories/id1838329557

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qSplbBX4oYmd2pYoSAzOF

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c7826f91-085a-4509-9c69-d90fef1bdb5b/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-inking-neon-light-up-your-294206954

PodBean: https://inkingneon.podbean.com/

Cullen McHael: https://cullenmchael.com 

Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XW3G4WG/ https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-of-Story/dp/B08JL6GJBR/

Stuart says you’ve got to plot your stories. Cullen isn’t so sure! Maybe you can just fly by the seat of your pants? We lay out our arguments in the (timeless?) Pants vs Plot debate. Also featured: Joseph Cambell was a moron; is Save the Cat worthless?; the creativity of David Lynch; and examples of stirring scenes from Dune Part II and The Fellowship of the Ring.

00:00 The Plotter vs. Pantser Debate

02:15 The Plotter Opening Statement: The Importance of Plotting in Speculative Fiction

05:29 The Pantser Opening Statement: The Joy of Discovery in Writing

10:56 The Utility of Knowing Your Story's Themes

14:59 The Simplicity at the Heart of Complex Stories

20:40 Navigating Plot Structures

28:41 Exploring the Themes of 'The Lord of the Rings'

40:29 Exploring David Lynch's Creative Process

45:30 Dune: Themes of Power and Revenge

52:27 Stuart's Pathos, Ethos, and Logos Toolkit

57:16 Closing statements: The Balance of Plotting and Discovery in Writing

Stuart’s Examples:

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien Interpreted by Peter Jackson, screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Stephen Sinclair

DUNE by Frank Herbert Interpreted by Dennis Villanueva, Screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Dennis Villanueva, Eric Roth.

Referenced in this conversation:

The Hero With A Thousand Faces, Joseph Cambell

Seven Basic Plots, by Christopher Booker

Save the Cat, by ​​Blake Snyder

The Writer’s Journey, Christopher Vogler

The Heroine's Journey: Woman's Quest for Wholeness by Maureen Murdock

Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes

Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screenwriting

Date Record: Oct 14, 2025

Date Publish: Oct 15, 2025

Music by Cullen McHael

Edited by Cullen McHael

Produced by Cullen McHael

Hosts: Stuart J. Tanner, Cullen McHael

Follow us!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InkingNeon

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories/id1838329557

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qSplbBX4oYmd2pYoSAzOF

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c7826f91-085a-4509-9c69-d90fef1bdb5b/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-inking-neon-light-up-your-294206954

PodBean: https://inkingneon.podbean.com/

Cullen McHael: https://cullenmchael.com 

Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XW3G4WG/ https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-of-Story/dp/B08JL6GJBR/

Stuart J. Tanner and Cullen McHael trade examples of compelling antagonists in speculative fiction from Sci-Fi to Fantasy, deconstruct the role of the antagonist, and offer advice from hard earned lessons about how and when to consider your antagonist in your writing process. Cullen lists nine kinds of antagonist, which one are you?  

0:00 Intro

Follow us!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InkingNeon

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories/id1838329557

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qSplbBX4oYmd2pYoSAzOF

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c7826f91-085a-4509-9c69-d90fef1bdb5b/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories

iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-inking-neon-light-up-your-294206954

PodBean: https://inkingneon.podbean.com/

Cullen McHael: https://cullenmchael.com 

Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XW3G4WG/ https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-of-Story/dp/B08JL6GJBR/

Music by Cullen McHael

Edited by Cullen McHael

Produced by Cullen McHael

Hosts: Stuart J. Tanner, Cullen McHael

Stuart J. Tanner and Cullen McHael share hard-earned lessons about getting your fight scenes right.

0:00 Intro

Edited by Cullen McHael

Questions of the Day:

Book Recommendations

On this first episode of Inking Neon, journalist, author, and teacher Stuart J. Tanner is sent to Baghdad at the height of the Iraq occupation and discovers that and other strange worlds. We discuss what makes for compelling characters, the process of investigation in writing, and read from Stuart's book Devas: A Sci-Fi adventure in which a serial murder case spirals out of control when a detective discovers an alien civilization.

0:00 Intro

Buy Devas, by Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XWSCFP9