The Fearless Storyteller

Robert Bevan writes and publishes grown-up comedic novels inspired by the likes of Dungeons & Dragons and Goosebumps. 

In this episode, you’ll hear how today’s guest got started with writing and how self-publishing has allowed him to make a career writing satire and parody on his own terms.

As Robert says: “The wonderful thing about self-publishing is the weird voices can be heard.”

To learn more, be sure to listen to today’s episode of The Fearless Storyteller podcast.

About The Fearless Storyteller:

Are you finding this podcast to be a valuable resource? Learn how to support the show (and be benefited in return) on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/ethanfreckleton

Intro Song: “Unlimited Love” (instrumental version) by Ethan Freckleton & Lucas Clebsch

Find Robert Bevan at www.caverns-and-creatures.com.

Once upon a time, I was hustling to become a gatekeeper-approved singer/songwriter.

So, when a mentor figure offered public praise and testimony at a music industry conference, going so far as to call me “the next big thing in Alternative Rock,” I was sent along on a head trip that lasted years. 

Get my Imperfect Take on receiving praise, the head trips that follow, and why seeking the approval of others is a mixed bag. 

About The Fearless Storyteller:

Are you finding this podcast to be a valuable resource? Learn how to support the show (and be benefited in return) on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/ethanfreckleton

“Free to be the Monkey” (Ethan Freckleton, BMI)Vocals, Guitars - Ethan FreckletonBass - Ed McKenzieDrums - Duff DrewBacking Vox - Wynne C BlueEngineering/Mixing - Johnny SangsterMastering - Ed Brooks

Mike Disa is a film director, screenwriter, and animator, who describes himself as “working class Hollywood.” 

Growing up in Chicago with immigrant roots, Mike spent his childhood watching and deconstructing films with his father. He moved to Hollywood—not to work in an assembly line, but to be an Artist (with a capital ‘a’). 

After years of working in animation for the likes of Steven Spielberg and Disney, he slowly began to “grow miserable without understanding why.” He realized he needed to strike out on his own to make the kinds of movies that he finds fulfilling. 

Be sure to listen to today’s episode to learn more about how Hollywood films and animations are produced, what Mike views as the differences between Art and Entertainment, and how he approaches filmmaking today. 

About The Fearless Storyteller:

Are you finding this podcast to be a valuable resource? Learn how to support the show (and be benefited in return) on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/ethanfreckleton

Intro Song: “Unlimited Love” (instrumental version) by Ethan Freckleton & Lucas Clebsch

Check out Sentinels: Point of No Return at sentinelspodcast.com. 

Kacey Ezell and Griffin Barber are the co-authors of Second Chance Angel, a sci-fi noir thriller published by Blackstone Publishing.

After meeting at LibertyCon in 2016, today’s guests quickly bonded over their shared backgrounds and mutual interest in noir. In fact, both willingly attribute their successes thus far almost exclusively to attending and networking at professional conventions.

Kacey is an active duty USAF helicopter pilot and two-time Dragon Award finalist. Griffin is an active duty police officer best known for his short stories and collaboration with Eric Flint on 1636: Mission to the Mughals.

To learn more about their journeys and successes with traditional publishing, be sure to check out today’s episode of The Fearless Storyteller podcast. 

About The Fearless Storyteller:

Are you finding this podcast to be a valuable resource? Learn how to support the show (and be benefited in return) on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/ethanfreckleton

Intro Song: “Unlimited Love” (instrumental version) by Ethan Freckleton & Lucas Clebsch

To learn more about the authors, please visit:griffinbarber.comkaceyezell.net

 

Gail Carriger is a 13-time NYT Bestselling hybrid author. Not bad for someone who always considered writing a hobby. 

It was only when she needed a distraction from her PhD work in Archaeology that she decided to try her hand at writing a novel. That book went on to become SOULLESS, the first of five books in her bestselling Parasol Protectorate series.

With thirty-plus books in her backlist, the common foundational element to all of her work is The Heroine’s Journey. She’s so passionate about this subject, that on October 1st of 2020, she self-published a non-fiction writing resource on the subject—and how it contrasts with The Hero’s Journey.  

To learn more about Gail’s journey, traditional publishing vs self-publishing, and The Heroine’s Journey, be sure to listen to today’s episode of The Fearless Storyteller podcast.

About The Fearless Storyteller:

Are you finding this podcast to be a valuable resource? Learn how to support the show (and be benefited in return) on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/ethanfreckleton

Intro Song: “Unlimited Love” (instrumental version) by Ethan Freckleton & Lucas Clebsch

For all the latest news and information about Gail Carriger, check out her website.

Laying Martine Jr. is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and author of the memoir, Permission to Fly.

For today’s guest, it all started with the thrill of hearing an $80 demo of his first song. For the next 45 years, he was hooked on the process of writing and pitching songs. 

But who gave him permission to fly in the first place? 

Layng credits his mother, who never put him down and always gave him the leeway to try things out his own way—even if that meant figuring out how to deal with the consequences on his own.

To learn more about Layng’s journey—including getting hits with Elvis Presley, Reba McEntire, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Pointer Sisters, and more—be sure to listen to today’s episode of The Fearless Storyteller podcast.  

Check out some of Layng's hit songs on this Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2h5cmNaotNvSC8NjCY06R6?si=ywLC_mp4SKuvYQtA9Bbahw

About The Fearless Storyteller:

Are you finding this podcast to be a valuable resource? Learn how to support the show (and be benefited in return) on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/ethanfreckleton

Intro Song: “Unlimited Love” (instrumental version) by Ethan Freckleton & Lucas Clebsch

Learn more about Layng at his website.

A fan of asking big questions, Christopher Ruocchio must’ve been right at home studying English Rhetoric and Classics in college. 

So, what could be better than than getting a job as a published author or editor of science fiction and fantasy after graduation? How about getting both jobs at the same time? 

By the time he’d graduated from college, Christopher had his first traditional book deal—and he’d managed to land a job as an editor at Baen Books.

Learn why today’s guest believes there’s no such thing as a useless degree in writing, as well as how his parent’s neutrality around his interests growing up was actually a good thing. 

About The Fearless Storyteller:

Are you finding this podcast to be a valuable resource? Learn how to support the show (and be benefited in return) on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/ethanfreckleton

Intro Song: “Unlimited Love” (instrumental version) by Ethan Freckleton & Lucas Clebsch

Learn more about Christopher at his website. 

Nitanee Paris is an award-winning songwriter. She’s also the Director of A&R at ArtistMax (in partnership with legendary producer Ken Caillat). 

Like many, today’s guest started out in the corporate world and came to realize that something was missing. Soul searching and exploration led Nitanee to try a songwriting class at UCLA and she’s been hooked ever since.

With a focus on lyrics and melody, collaborations are at the heart of her process. And, given her track-record working with Grammy- and Emmy-winning musicians, it’s no surprise that she’s full of insights and tips into writing with authenticity, evoking emotions, and so much more.

Listen to learn more about Nitanee's journey and the contemporary professional songwriting landscape!

About The Fearless Storyteller:

Are you finding this podcast to be a valuable resource? Learn how to support the show (and be benefited in return) on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/ethanfreckleton

Intro Song: “Unlimited Love” (instrumental version) by Ethan Freckleton & Lucas Clebsch

Learn more about Nitanee Paris at her website: nitaneeparis.com 

 

Aaron Wolf is an actor and director of the production company, Howling Wolf Productions. 

Thanks to his grandfather, a rabbi from Nazi Germany who promoted interfaith, Aaron credits growing up with people of all colors, faiths, and creeds around his dinner table as a major influence on his subsequent storytelling career. 

His award-winning first feature film tackled the topic of learning disabilities and helped create dialog in schools around the country. 

In the intervening years, Aaron has focused on meaningful work that creates dialog, even if the process can be difficult and uncertain.

To paraphrase Aaron: “Fear propels me…If it’s too easy, then why am I even doing it?”

To learn more about Aaron’s story, be sure to listen to today's episode of The Fearless Storyteller. 

About The Fearless Storyteller:

Are you finding this podcast to be a valuable resource? Learn how to support the show (and be benefited in return) on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/ethanfreckleton

Intro Song: “Unlimited Love” (instrumental version) by Ethan Freckleton & Lucas Clebsch

To learn more about Aaron and his production company, visit HowlingWolfProductions.com.

For over ten years, Joanna Penn has been the voice behind the seminal writer’s podcast, The Creative Penn. 

She started out by building a business around her non-fiction work, but deep down she always knew that writing fiction was the bigger dream. Since taking the plunge, she’s published nearly twenty works of fiction, including a Finalist in the International Thriller Writer Award for Best Ebook Original. 

In the year of COVID, Joanna’s been thinking a lot about the idea of New Normal as she navigates a series of pivots big and small, not just in her daily routines and habits, but also her long-term goals. 

Listen to this interview to find out what’s shifted for Joanna and how she’s thinking about success moving forward. 

About The Fearless Storyteller:

Are you finding this podcast to be a valuable resource? Learn how to support the show (and be benefited in return) on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/ethanfreckleton

Intro Song: “Unlimited Love” (instrumental version) by Ethan Freckleton & Lucas Clebsch

Learn more about Joanna's non-fiction world at The Creative Penn or her fiction at JFPenn.com.