The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

How can science help you create a fantasy world that feels fresh, strange and full of possibilities? Multi-award-winning author and scientist Premee Mohamed joins Richie Billing to explore worldbuilding, character creation and the writing process behind her new novel, Wickhills.

We discuss how bringing science into fantasy can inspire distinctive worlds, where Premee finds her story ideas, and how she develops the characters who inhabit them. Wickhills, a fantasy thriller involving espionage, dangerous magic and a defecting scientist, gives us plenty to dig into.

Premee also draws on her experience working with short fiction publishers and supporting writers as a writer-in-residence. She shares the biggest mistakes she sees writers make, her advice for avoiding them, and how she continues to develop her own craft.

You’ll discover:

• How to combine science and fantasy to create more original worlds.

• How Premee approaches story ideas, worldbuilding and character creation.

• Common writing mistakes she encounters when editing and mentoring.

• How an award-winning author develops her writing process and hones her craft.

Whether you’re working on a short story or building an entire fantasy universe, this conversation offers ideas and practical advice to take back to your own writing.

ABOUT PREMEE MOHAMED

Premee Mohamed is an Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Canada. Her work has won Nebula, World Fantasy, Ignyte, Locus and Aurora awards. Her books include Beneath the Rising, The Annual Migration of Clouds, The Butcher of the Forest and Wickhills. She was Edmonton Public Library’s writer-in-residence in 2024 and an assistant editor at Escape Pod from 2020 to 2024. Her short fiction has appeared in publications including Analog, Augur and Nightmare Magazine.

PREMEE’S BOOKS AND LINKS

Visit Premee’s website

Explore Wickhills and find buying options

Browse Premee’s books

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How do you know when to bring an editor into your manuscript? Fantasy and cozy mystery editor Richelle Braswell joins Richie Billing to discuss the signs, costs and working relationship behind a good editorial choice.

They cover where to find reputable editors, how to assess genre experience and communication style, and why sample edits can help. Richelle also shows how useful feedback diagnoses a storytelling problem instead of stopping at a vague reaction.

The conversation moves into character agency, personal stakes and showing emotion through behaviour. Rates and availability change, so request current terms from any editor you are considering.

You’ll discover:

• When outside editorial help may be useful.
• How to assess an editor’s specialism and process.
• What a sample edit can reveal.
• How strong feedback can deepen character motives and agency.

If you are preparing to hire an editor, this conversation helps you ask better questions before committing.

ABOUT RICHELLE BRASWELL

Richelle Braswell is a professional editor specialising in fantasy and cozy mystery. She discusses how to strengthen manuscripts while respecting an author’s voice.

GUEST AND RELATED LINKS

Visit Richelle Braswell’s website

Explore Richelle’s author resources

Explore Richie’s editing class

CHAPTERS

00:00 Why fantasy stories contain elements of mystery

01:05 When can an editor help your manuscript?

04:27 Where to find a professional book editor

08:12 Green flags and genre specialisation

10:43 Red flags and realistic pricing

12:22 Finding a compatible working style

14:49 Sample edits and authorial voice

16:06 Turning reactions into constructive feedback

18:55 Making motives and stakes personal

21:39 Character depth, decisions and agency

23:56 Showing emotion through action

25:35 Recommended writing and editing books

31:06 Where to find Richelle

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How can anthropology make a fantasy society feel more believable? Author and anthropologist Michael Kilman joins Richie Billing to explore taboos, myths, monsters and the structures that shape communities.

They discuss cause and effect in worldbuilding and how customs can create tension between characters. Michael draws on cross-cultural examples and his teaching to show why a culture is more than a list of decorative details.

His book Build Better Worlds, co-written with Kyra Wellstrom, extends these ideas to fiction, film and game design.

You’ll discover:

• What anthropology can add to a fantasy setting.
• How taboos and myths affect characters.
• Why social structures create story conflict.
• Questions to ask before inventing a culture.

If your world has interesting places but thin societies, this conversation offers a different way to build depth.

ABOUT MICHAEL KILMAN

Michael Kilman is an author, podcaster and anthropologist who co-wrote Build Better Worlds with Kyra Wellstrom.

GUEST AND RELATED LINKS

Visit Michael Kilman’s website

Explore Michael’s YouTube channel

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How has Jayne Ann Krentz kept finding new stories across a long writing career? The bestselling author joins Richie Billing to discuss her “core story” idea, character craft and the connection between romance and suspense.

Jayne writes under the names Jayne Ann Krentz, Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle. They talk about the Harmony setting, gothic fiction and how a romantic turn can change the suspense plot, with Enter the Nightmare among the books discussed.

The conversation also reflects on changes in publishing. The new-release references belong to its recording period, while the craft discussion speaks to writers planning their own long careers.

You’ll discover:

• What Jayne means by a core story.
• How she approaches memorable characters.
• Why romance and suspense should affect one another.
• How a recurring world can reward returning readers.

If you write romance, fantasy or suspense, this interview offers a career-spanning view of story design.

ABOUT JAYNE ANN KRENTZ

Jayne Ann Krentz is a bestselling author who also writes as Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle. Enter the Nightmare is part of her Harmony series.

GUEST AND RELATED LINKS

Visit Jayne Ann Krentz’s website

Explore Enter the Nightmare

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Where can writers find the right magazines for a short story, and can those credits help with an agent search? Chill Subs co-founder Benjamin Davis joins Richie Billing to discuss submissions from the writer’s side of the inbox.

They cover cover letters, formatting, simultaneous submissions and reprints, along with ways to track opportunities. Benjamin also discusses how a publication history may support a later query for a book.

Market rules and platform features change. Check each publication’s current guidelines and Chill Subs’ current tools before sending work.

You’ll discover:

• How to research suitable short-fiction markets.
• What to check in a cover letter and manuscript format.
• Why simultaneous submissions and reprints require care.
• How short-story credits can fit an agent query.

If you are submitting fiction, this conversation offers a practical way to organise the process.

ABOUT BENJAMIN DAVIS

Benjamin Davis is a writer and co-founder of Chill Subs, a platform for discovering and tracking literary submissions.

GUEST AND RELATED LINKS

Explore Chill Subs

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How do you make enemies-to-lovers attraction feel earned? Richie Billing takes a deliberately weak romantasy draft and revises it in real time for the Fixing Bad Writing series.

The scene includes a stolen magic sword, a convenient dragon and romantic tension that arrives too quickly. Richie examines shallow conflict, cliché dialogue and rushed attraction, then makes choices designed to give the characters clearer motives.

The original draft was AI-generated for this writing exercise. The audio explains the edits, while the video version shows more of the live revision process.

You’ll discover:

• Why an enemies-to-lovers premise needs genuine conflict.
• How dialogue can reveal character instead of only flirtation.
• What to change when attraction feels rushed.
• How a live redraft can expose weak story choices.

If you write romantasy, use the episode as a prompt to revise a scene of your own.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Richie Billing hosts Fixing Bad Writing, a series that analyses and revises weak fiction drafts as a craft exercise.

RESOURCES

Watch the full video version

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How do you build an independent author career around both books and readers? Michael Chatfield joins Richie Billing to discuss his writing process, fantasy series and the business choices behind his work.

They explore how Michael develops ideas and characters, as well as how he engages an audience through Patreon. The conversation includes the work of running a growing publishing operation alongside the creative demands of writing.

Subscription features and business arrangements can change. Michael’s experience offers one model to study rather than a guaranteed path to sales.

You’ll discover:

• How Michael develops story ideas and characters.
• What his fantasy and LitRPG series reveal about his process.
• How he has used Patreon to connect with readers.
• Which business questions independent authors need to consider.

If you are weighing an indie publishing career, this conversation brings craft and entrepreneurship together.

ABOUT MICHAEL CHATFIELD

Michael Chatfield is an independent fantasy, science fiction and LitRPG author whose series include The Ten Realms and Emerilia.

GUEST AND RELATED LINKS

Visit Michael Chatfield’s website

Explore Michael’s Patreon

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More From The Toolshed

Get my handbook on writing fantasy > https://richiebilling.com/store/books/a-fantasy-writers-handbook-ebook

Get courses and classes on creating fantasy stories, plus early access to episodes > https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed/

More resources and contact > https://richiebilling.com/

For the full video experience, please watch on YouTube > https://www.youtube.com/@fixingbadwriting

Welcome to Fixing Bad Writing, a new series within The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed podcast, where I take a rubbish story generated by AI and try to make it good, or at least less crappy.

In Episode 1, I tackle the "High Fantasy" genre.

Walk through the story's analysis with me, watch as I edit, before seeing whether or not I can save this terrible story.

If you’re looking for a creative writing challenge or a unique writing exercise, you’re in the right place. This series acts as a writing guide for anyone trying to spot common mistakes and improve their craft.

Whether you are looking for writing exercises for beginners or more advanced story writing exercises, hopefully, this live rewrite will teach you new skills!

🏆 TAKE THE WRITING CHALLENGE

Think you can do better? (You probably can). I want to see your version! And then why not join our Discord community and share it?

Here's the original story:

In the kingdom of Eldoria there was a man called Brin who was a knight but not a very good one, and one day he was told by the king to go and stop a dark wizard named Maldrake who lived in a tower that was quite far away and also spooky, so Brin said yes even though he was a bit tired and hadn’t eaten much, and he got on his horse which didn’t like him very much and set off slowly while thinking about how dangerous it all sounded. On the way he met a strange old woman who may have been magical but it was not very clear, and she gave him a sword that looked important but also a bit rusty, and told him something vague like “you will need this probably,” which Brin thought was helpful enough. When he got to the tower it was taller than expected and had a door that was already open which seemed suspicious, but he went in anyway and shouted for Maldrake who appeared almost immediately which saved time, and they had a fight that was not very graceful but still quite serious, and Brin mostly waved the sword around until something worked and the wizard fell over in a way that suggested he was defeated. After that Brin felt proud but also confused about how easy it was, and he went back to the kingdom where the king thanked him a lot and there was a feast, although Brin kept wondering if the wizard might not actually be fully gone which made the ending feel a bit unsure.

What should a query letter tell a literary agent? Fantasy author Stephen Aryan joins Richie Billing to work through the structure, purpose and decisions behind a submission letter.

They discuss the opening hook, book pitch, author bio and closing, drawing on Stephen’s experience finding representation with Juliet Mushens. The conversation also covers when to seek feedback and how to think about a querying strategy.

Agent guidelines vary and change over time. Use the episode to understand the parts of a query, then follow each agent’s current instructions.

You’ll discover:

• What each part of a query letter needs to do.
• How Stephen approached his own route to an agent.
• When feedback may help a query package.
• Why submission strategy needs current research.

If you are preparing to query a fantasy novel, this conversation offers a paragraph-by-paragraph framework to examine.

ABOUT STEPHEN ARYAN

Stephen Aryan is a fantasy author who discusses the query letter and his experience finding a literary agent.

GUEST AND RELATED LINKS

Read Stephen’s account of finding an agent

Read a literary agency’s cover-letter guide

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Can a fantasy story feel expansive when most of it takes place on a train? Author Rym Kechacha joins Richie Billing to discuss the fae, present-tense storytelling and her novel The Apple and the Pearl.

Rym explains how a confined setting can increase tension and sharpen attention on character. They also discuss “vibe writing”, finding ideas in art and using atmosphere to guide a story while drafting.

The Apple and the Pearl gives them a concrete example of how folklore, tense and setting can work together.

You’ll discover:

• Why fae stories continue to appeal to writers.
• What present tense can bring to a fantasy narrative.
• How a small setting can intensify conflict.
• Ways art and atmosphere can inspire a draft.

If your story does not need a sprawling map, this conversation offers another way to think about fantasy scale.

ABOUT RYM KECHACHA

Rym Kechacha is a fantasy author whose books include Dark River and The Apple and the Pearl.

GUEST AND RELATED LINKS

Explore The Apple and the Pearl

Visit Rym Kechacha’s website

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Follow The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed for more fantasy writing advice and author interviews.