The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

In this episode, we're donning our helmets and hefting our axes and shields before diving headfirst into battle with a look at medieval warfare. We'll tell you everything you need to know about making your fantasy battles as realistic and gritty as possible, as well as giving you a few neat ideas to use.

We're also looking at folklore, one of the main inspirations for the fantasy genre. We share our favourite folkloric tales and discuss how you can use these as inspiration for your own fantasy stories and worldbuilding.

And we've also got the latest calls for submissions, community announcements, and some very interesting news on creating book covers using artificial intelligence.

Write to us at [email protected]

Support us on Patreon and get fantasy writing books and writing classes, workshops and courses - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed

Learn more about the podcast - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast

RESOURCES

A Guide To Writing Fight and Battle Scenes - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/fantasy-writing/how-to-write-fight-scenes

Fantasy Writing Classes - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing-classes

WOMBO Dream - https://www.wombo.art/

JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY

Join our community here - https://mailchi.mp/be6082d43b39/the-writers-toolshed

OUR GUESTS

Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from the Fey Fellows podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/3fZb25t8f4KdW6x7y5zv6v?si=e74e177759d3422e

Aidan Mattis from The Lore Lodge podcast - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLoreLodge

Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx

Learn more about Richie Billing - http://richiebilling.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we take a look at the interesting relationship between magic systems and science with fantasy author Rachel Emma Shaw.

We also take a look at day to day life in the medieval period to provide you with ideas and inspiration for your worldbuilding and fantasy stories.

And I reveal the early results from my Book Blogger Survey, essential listening for anyone pitching to book reviewers and book bloggers right now.

Plus, I also have some news from the world of writing and our community announcements.

The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed is a bi-weekly fantasy writing podcast with new episodes out on 14th and 28th of each month. Our purpose is to create a show that’s as helpful, interesting and entertaining for fantasy writers as possible.

Write to us at [email protected]

Support us on Patreon and get fantasy writing books and writing courses - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed

Learn more about the podcast - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast

RESOURCES

The Lives Of Medieval Lords - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/the-life-of-the-medieval-lord

The Pesky Peasantry Of The Middle Ages - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/lives-of-medieval-peasants

The Lives Of Medieval Women - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/maidens-wives-and-widows-the-lives-of-women-during-the-middle-ages

The Book Blogger Survey - https://forms.gle/TC59tvLFEMXTJT776

Article - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/feb/27/a-dirty-secret-you-can-only-be-a-writer-if-you-can-afford-it

List of 250+ Book Reviewers - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/writing-tools/list-of-book-reviewers

JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY

Join our community here - https://mailchi.mp/be6082d43b39/the-writers-toolshed

OUR GUESTS

Aidan Mattis from The Lore Lodge podcast - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLoreLodge

Rachel Emma Shaw from the Science In Fantasy YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelEmmaShaw

Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we take a look at worldbuilding, specifically the scientific side, and how writers can make use of the likes of biology to create unique and interesting worlds.

We also take an in-depth look at archery, particularly from the medieval period.

And we also explore Norse mythology, something that's grown in popularity over recent years.

We also share the latest calls for submissions and our community announcements.

The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed is a bi-weekly fantasy writing podcast with new episodes out on 14th and 28th of each month. Our purpose is to create a show that’s as helpful, interesting and entertaining for fantasy writers as possible.

Write to us at [email protected]

Support us on Patreon and get fantasy writing books and writing courses - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed

Learn more about the podcast - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast

RESOURCES

Natural Worldbuilding - Richie's comprehensive guide to building a fantasy world - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/fantasy-writing/natural-worldbuilding-guide

Fantasy and Archery - The Ultimate Guide - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/fantasy-writing/archery-and-fantasy-a-complete-guide

JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY

Join our community here - https://mailchi.mp/be6082d43b39/the-writers-toolshed

OUR GUESTS

Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from the Fey Fellows podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/3fZb25t8f4KdW6x7y5zv6v?si=e74e177759d3422e

Aidan Mattis from The Lore Lodge podcast - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLoreLodge

Rachel Emma Shaw from the Science In Fantasy YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/RachelEmmaShaw and check out Rachel's latest book, Sacara Nights - https://amzn.to/3F9eLIJ

Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx

Learn more about Richie Billing - http://richiebilling.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we look at how to edit a novel, the mythologies and folkloric tales that have inspired the fantasy genre, and we take a look at the diseases that ravaged the medieval era.

We also share the latest calls for submissions and our community announcements.

The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed is a bi-weekly podcast with new episodes out on 14th and 28th of each month. Our purpose is to create a show that’s as helpful, interesting and entertaining for fantasy writers as possible.

Write to us at [email protected]

Please consider supporting us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed

Learn more about the podcast - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast

RESOURCES

[Download] - Step by step guide on how to edit a novel - https://bit.ly/how-to-edit-a-novel

Killer Diseases Of The Middle Ages - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/killer-diseases-of-the-middle-ages

How To Edit A Novel - https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/how-to-edit-novel

JOIN OUR WRITING GROUP

Join our community - https://mailchi.mp/be6082d43b39/the-writers-toolshed

OUR GUESTS

Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from the Fey Fellows podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/3fZb25t8f4KdW6x7y5zv6v?si=e74e177759d3422e

Aidan Mattis from The Lore Lodge podcast - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLoreLodge

Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx

Learn more about Richie Billing - http://richiebilling.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we're delighted to welcome Evan Gow to the Writer's Toolshed for a very special chat about Story Origin, the book marketing platform Evan's created by hand.

Story Origin brings together a host of different book marketing services, such as group promotions, newsletter swaps, advanced reader copy distribution and book reviews.

Evan has built this all with user feedback and continues to add new features, as well as develop existing ones. He and Richie chat about the creation process, Story Origin's key features, and Richie explains how he utilises its features to grow his mailing list each month.

To learn more about Story Origin head here - https://storyoriginapp.com/

Or to read Richie's guide on 5 reasons why every writer should use Story Origin, go here - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/writing-tips/5-reasons-why-every-writer-should-use-story-origin

Please consider supporting us on Patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed). You can join our community of writers, get access to exclusive fantasy writing workshops, and copies of acclaimed books on how to write fantasy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this mini-episode, JM gives his editor’s perspective on submissions and short stories in particular.

He provides some quick tips on manuscript format and cover letters, and then he identifies some of the recurring issues he sees in the short fiction submissions he’s been receiving, namely point of view, character arcs, and length.

JM’s tips on short stories: https://ofmetalandmagicpublishing.wordpress.com/2021/05/30/on-writing-short-fiction-writing-in-short/

Tips on cover letters (for short fiction): https://www.janefriedman.com/perfect-cover-letter-advice-lit-mag-editor/

Richie's tips on writing cover letters: https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/a-quick-guide-to-cover-letters

Please consider supporting us on Patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed). You can join our community of writers, get access to exclusive fantasy writing workshops, and copies of acclaimed books on how to write fantasy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn how to create memorable fantasy names for characters, cities, and worlds, with practical rules to avoid confusion and improve readability.

Naming is one of the trickiest parts of fantasy writing. A great name can bring a world to life—while a bad one can confuse readers and pull them out of the story.

In this episode, I’m joined by J.M. Williams to break down how to create fantasy names that are clear, immersive, and memorable.

We cover the key principles behind effective naming in fantasy, including:

• How to create names that feel unique without being confusing
• Why overly complex names (and too many apostrophes) can hurt your story
• Naming conventions for characters, cities, and entire worlds
• How culture, language, and history influence believable names
• Techniques to make names easier for readers to remember
• Common naming mistakes—and how to avoid them

If you want your fantasy world to feel richer and more cohesive without overwhelming your readers, this episode will give you the tools to name everything with confidence.

JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY

https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠

LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING

To join our writing community, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more, head over to our ⁠Patreon⁠ page - ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠

In this episode, Richie is joined by PR guru and award-winning writer, Alex Greenwood, who shares some fantastic marketing tips that writers can utilise as lockdown begins to ease. From book launches to signings, we cover it all.

As well as chatting about marketing, Alex also shares lots of great insights on writing mystery and thriller novels, two genres quite similar to the fantasy genre in some respects.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed). You can join our community of writers, get access to exclusive fantasy writing workshops, and copies of acclaimed books on how to write fantasy.

Links:

Alex Greenwood's website > http://alexgpr.com/

PR After Hours podcast > https://prafterhours.com/

Mysterious Goings On podcast > https://mgopod.com/

Learn more about the John Pilate Mysteries > https://www.amazon.com/gp/kindle/series/B07PQM8HVM/

Richie's guide to growing a mailing list > https://richiebilling.com/book-marketing/fast-way-to-grow-your-mailing-list

Of Metal and Magic Publishing > https://ofmetalandmagicpublishing.wordpress.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn how to build immersive fantasy worlds with practical techniques from a real-life worldbuilder who transformed his home into a living fantasy setting.

Worldbuilding is at the heart of great fantasy—but how do you create a world that truly feels real, lived-in, and immersive?

In this episode, I’m joined by John Tarrow, a fantasy author and real-life worldbuilder who has spent over 25 years transforming his home into the extraordinary Talliston House and Gardens.

We explore how building a physical fantasy world has shaped John’s approach to writing—and what writers can learn from it.

Inside the episode:

• The core principles of immersive fantasy worldbuilding
• How real-world design can improve your fictional settings
• Creating history, culture, and depth that readers can feel
• Practical worldbuilding techniques you can apply immediately
• How environment shapes character and story
• Common worldbuilding mistakes—and how to avoid them

If you want to create fantasy worlds that feel tangible, believable, and unforgettable, this episode will show you how to bring your setting to life—on the page and beyond.

ABOUT JOHN TARROW

Find out more about Talliston House > https://www.talliston.com/

Learn more about John > https://www.tarrow.co.uk/

JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY

https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠

LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING

To join our writing community, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more, head over to our ⁠Patreon⁠ page - ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠

In this episode, JM reflects on the first few months in his role as editor-in-chief for Of Metal and Magic Publishing. He discusses upcoming releases, including Pariah's Lament and Call of the Guardian, and provides some crucial tips and advice on when it comes to submitting stories to publishers.

As always, get in touch if you have a question or query by clicking here.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon! (https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed). You can join our community of writers, get access to exclusive fantasy writing workshops, and copies of acclaimed books on how to write fantasy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.