192. Author Z. T. Bright uses fantasy to explore issues with social media
Z. T. Bright is a Writers of the Future winner with his story "The Magic Book of Accidental City Destruction: A Book Wizard’s Guide." He was the winner of the inaugural Mike Resnick Memorial Award and was published in Galaxy’s Edge magazine in 2021. He writes anything speculative, ranging from sci-fi short stories to middle-grade fantasy novels. Writers of the Future was his second sale.
193. Brian D. Meeks discusses the top 5 most powerful words in copywriting
Brian D. Meeks, author of Mastering Amazon Descriptions, on the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contest Podcast.
194. Crystal Crawford introduces Amazon Vella episodic publishing platform
In this episode, Crystal Crawford discusses the new Amazon episodic publishing platform—Vella. Crystal has been involved with Vella since its implementation a year ago and answers many questions regarding the platform. Vella is one of the fastest-growing publishing platforms and is very much worth checking out as a reader and author. It provides a new revenue stream for authors who can make a very sizable income monthly.
194. Crystal Crawford introduces Amazon Vella episodic publishing platform
In this episode, Crystal Crawford discusses the new Amazon episodic publishing platform—Vella. Crystal has been involved with Vella since its implementation a year ago and answers many questions regarding the platform. Vella is one of the fastest-growing publishing platforms and is very much worth checking out as a reader and author. It provides a new revenue stream for authors who can make a very sizable income monthly.
Fantastic interview with the forum’s own @ccrawford! Kindle Vella sounds like a fascinating new platform and a great opportunity for writers who can produce story on a regular schedule.
Death and the Taxman, my WotF V39 winning story is now a novel! (Click Here >).
Death and the Dragon launches on Kickstarter August 27th. (Click Here >)
Subscribe to The Lost Bard's Letter at www.davidhankins.com and receive an exclusive novelette!
New Releases:
"The Missing Music in Milo Piper's Head" in Third Flatiron's Offshoots: Humanity Twigged
"To Catch a Foo Fighter" in DreamForge Magazine
"Milo Piper's Breakout Single that Ended the Rat War" in LTUE's Troubadours and Space Princesses anthology
"The Rise and Fall of Frankie's Patisserie" in Murderbugs anthology
"Felix and the Flamingo" in Escape Pod
"The Devil's Foot Locker" in Amazing Stories
195. Evan Leikam TikToker Book Reviews Kill
Evan Leikam, perhaps better known by the handle “Book Reviews Kill,” is a pioneer TikToker with around 150k followers. In this podcast, we discuss how to create a TikTok brand and the value of BookTok.
196. SLX FanX Panel: Judges Brandon Sanderson, Todd McCaffrey, and Writers of the Future winners
The Writers of the Future Panel was held at the Salt Lake City FanX Convention in a very packed hall. The panel pictured from l to r: Darci Stone, Eric James Stone, Todd McCaffrey, Brandon Sanderson, John Goodwin, Wulf Moon, Kary English, Z. T. Bright, and Martin Shoemaker. Plus, a 5-minute video from Anne McCaffrey on Writers of the Future and her tips to writers. The first half of the panel was discussions on creating short stories, and the second half was open mic Q&A. We almost got through every question. Enjoy!!
Thanks for sharing; while I was present for that panel, along with taking some notes, I, regrettably, didn't record it (should have!).
#196 was great. I loved hearing our own forumites together, too. @johngoodwin moderated as smoothly as ever, and @karyenglish, @wulfmoon, @zeeteebeez, and @martin-l-shoemaker all had plenty of pearls of wisdom to offer, completely standing toe-to-toe with the industrial giants of Branderson, McCaffrey, and the Stones.
VOL 40 2nd Quarter: Third Place ("Ashes to Ashes, Blood to Carbonfiber")
Past submissions: R - HM - HM - HM - HM - HM - SHM - SHM
www.jd-writes.com
Kindle Vella - Ashes to Ashes, Earth to Kaybee
197. SLC FanX Illustrators of the Future: How to make it as an artist
The Illustrators of the Future Panel was held at the Salt Lake City FanX Convention in a packed hall and is now turned into a podcast. The panel pictured from l to r: Xiaomeng Zhang, Nick Jizba, Emily Jones-Goodwin, and Brian C. Hailes. The first half of the panel was discussions on how to create a career as an artist, and the second half was open mic Q&A. Enjoy!!
198. Science to Science Fiction: Jeffrey A. Carver, Edward M. Lerner, Alan Smale, Edward Willett
From science to science fiction: Jeffrey A. Carver, Edward M. Lerner, Alan Smale, Edward Willett discuss their journey from aspiring writers to award-winning and bestselling authors. We cover how they transitioned technical careers to hard sci-fi, alternate history, and space opera.
199. Elizabeth Wein from Contest winner to #1 New York Times bestselling author
Elizabeth Wein was a Writers of the Future Volume 9 and later a #1 New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Verity and discusses her career as an author and her trajectory to success. She transitioned from Arthurian legend to science fiction—including a Star Wars novel—and thrilling adventure. Her storytelling is character driven and she explains how she goes about doing this. She became a pilot using her royalty advance from her second book to pay for it. Her knowledge as a pilot played a key role in Code Name Verity.
200. Celebrating With: The Professor Was a Thief
Today is a very special show in celebration of episode #200. During the Writers of the Future Volume 38 workshop week, a live performance of L. Ron Hubbard’s “The Professor Was a Thief” was presented to the Contest winners and judges. Why “The Professor Was a Thief”? Because it is the L. Ron Hubbard story included in Writers of the Future volume 38. So sit back and enjoy the performance. It’s only 30 minutes, and it will be followed by a Q&A with actors R.F. Daley, Travis Oates, and Roger Scott.
201. Thomas P. Vitale has produced over 350 movies discusses successful pitches
Thomas Vital was Exec VP of SciFi Channel and produced over 350 movies. He now has gone independent, making his own movies. We discuss a movie he is producing a movie called 57 Seconds starring Morgan Freeman and Josh Hutcherson, based on a short story he read called Lucifer by E.C. Tubb. We discuss what TV and movie series buyers are looking for in Intellectual Property. Original work is great, but books, short stories, and graphic novels are better. Then we discuss how a script is created from the story.
202. Brian Trent from winner to published author of Red Space Rising
Brian Trent, who I originally met almost 10 years ago when he was a Writers of the Future winner, published in volume 29 with his story “War Hero.” His work appears in the New York Times bestselling Black Tide Rising series, Weird World War series, Analog Science Fiction, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, The Year’s Best Military and Adventure SF, Escape Pod, Galaxy’s Edge Magazine, and in 2019 he was the winner of Baen Books’ Readers’ Choice Award. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since we met back in 2013. He just published a fantastic novel that I read in preparation for this podcast, Red Space Rising. It was based on his winning Writers of the Future short story, which we discuss.
203. Hank Garrett from Harlem Hoodlum to Hollywood Heavyweight
Hank Garrett published an autobiography, From Harlem Hoodlum to Hollywood Heavyweight, and this interview discusses his journey through life and creating this book. Hank was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and has received a New York Film Critics Award and Lifetime Achievement Award. Some of you old enough will know him as Officer Nicholson on the TV Series Car 54 Where Are You? And pretty much everyone will know him as the postman in Three Days of the Condor with Robert Redford. He openly acknowledges Sammy Davis Junior for helping save his life.
204. Artem Mirolevich world-class artist from Belarus
Artem Mirolevish was born in Minsk, Belarus. He traveled to the United States when he was 17. Artem won Illustrators of the Future in 2007 and was published in Volume 23 has participated in over 100 solo and group exhibitions in museums, galleries, and art fairs worldwide, including solo shows in England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Japan, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and the USA.
That is one bodacious resume. 
Today's science fiction is tomorrow's reality-D.R.Sweeney
HM x5
Published Poetry
2012 Stars in Our Hearts
Silver Ships
205. Jonathan Maberry Top Horror Author and creator of V-Wars
Jonathan Mabery is a New York Times best-seller, five-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, recipient of the Inkpot Award, three Scribe Awards, and was named one of the Today’s Top Ten Horror Writers. We discuss many things, including the importance of research. He is the author of the Joe Ledger series, with which I am most acquainted. He is the creator, editor, and co-author of V-Wars, a shared-world vampire anthology adapted into a Netflix series. And we will address the role of research in how this series came about. We met at Superstars earlier this year, and I found him to be an incredibly nice person who I am excited to have on this podcast.
206. Rebecca Hardy Author of The House of Lost Wives
Rebecca Hardy (pen name for Rebecca Danese) is a writer, photographer, and artist working in London while residing in West Sussex, England. The House of Lost Wives is her debut adult novel set in 1813, pre-Victorian England, which relies upon the existence of ghosts that only the protagonist can see. We discuss her journey to becoming a published author and why she chose the route she did. Hers is a very interesting story to arrive as a published author, and I am very happy I could interview her. I initially met her after she wrote a blog post on the cameras of Battlefield Earth.
207. Hugh Howey returns with Across the Sand a sci-fi thriller
This is my second interview with Hugh Howey. I've now read three of his books: Wool, Sand, and the just-released Across the Sand. They are all science fiction thrillers. But they allude to a not-too-distant future, never stated but knowable of a world turned upside down but moving forward. We tackle superstition vs technology and the lessons taught by the nomads that you are the only one holding yourself down. Plus the function of morality and integrity as an author.
208. Illustrator Natalia Salvador and her journey from self-taught to pro
Illustrators of the Future winner Natalia Salvador, from Spain, discusses her new illustrated children's book and how she is creating her career as an artist. She started as a self-taught artist who then studied art in college but quit her art after being told that illustration wasn't valid. It required family and friends to get her to create her art again.
209. JL George author of The Word and how disinformation changes nations
JL George lives in Cardiff, Wales, and writes weird and speculative fiction. She was a winner published in Writers of the Future Volume 36 with her story "Catching My Death" and has just released her novel, The Word. She also writes contemporary/urban fantasy as Louise Long. We discuss the importance of having great titles for your work. We discuss the power of language and how it affects a population while presenting a cautionary tale of what may lie ahead for us as social media disinformation creates such divisiveness. You can reach her at jlgeorgewrites.wordpress.com.
210. Scot Noel Editor of DreamForge Magazine
Scot Noel was published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 6 in 1990, which helped launch a very successful career as a writer and in starting his own science fiction and fantasy magazine, DreamForge. This is his story. He also reveals what he is looking for from authors wanting to be published. Scot views the world with the perspective that the glass is half full and the future will always be better. He has created a special offer for podcast listeners at www.dreamforgemagazine.com/wotf. The first 50 new print subscribers get a free copy of Worlds of Light & Darkness, and the first 50 digital subscribers get a print back issue. (offers limited to US only) Discover DreamForge at www.dreamforgemagazine.com.
211. Douglas Richards Wormholes are real
Douglas E. Richards discusses the blur between science and science fiction. He speaks to the furious pace of progress, and how he's come to believe that almost nothing is out of reach. This is a topic covered in his recent novel, Portals. We also discuss addiction, not drugs, but all forms and how it fits into Portals. DIA is researching "Traversable Wormholes, Stargates, and Negative Energy" and the speed with which science fiction is moving to science fact. Learn more at www.douglaserichards.com.
212. Ron Collins Writing Space-Based Science Fiction
Ron Collins was a very enthusiastic writer winner back in 1998. His is one of our iconic photos for Writers of the Future with him kissing his framed certificate after having been announced. He was initially published in WOTF 14 as a finalist with the story “The Disappearance of Josie Andrew” and then the following year as a winner in volume 15 with his story “Out of the Blue.” He has since gone on to write at least two dozen novels in multiple genres, sci-fi, fantasy, and political thriller. In this interview, we tackle space-based science fiction centered around his Stealing the Sun Series, which evolved from his 24-hour story written at the Writers of the Future Workshop. Learn more at www.typosphere.com.
213. "Hillbilly" and Benjamin with Three Ravens Publishing
Today’s guests are William Joseph Roberts, AKA Hillbilly, and Benjamin Tyler Smith. Hillbilly is an award-winning author for the JTF Legends. He is also an editor and publisher of Three Ravens Publishing. Benjamin is a writer of sf & f and is one of the co-publishers of Three Ravens Publishing. Their dream has been to help other authors get published and we became best of friends since virtually meeting during the pandemic when Hillibilly took the Writers of the Future Online Workshop, then meeting him at DragonCon last year, and now spending time at Superstars 2023. This is their story of building Three Ravens Publishing.
214. James A. Owen - Here, There Be Dragons
James Artemis Owen is an amazing artist and brilliant author. He is known for his creator-owned comic book series StarChild, and his fantasy series, The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica titled Here, There be Dragons, which I just finished reading in preparation for this very fun interview! Learn more at www.jamesaowen.com.
215. Ray Porter, audiobook narrator and DC Comics Darkseid
Raymond Porter is an American actor and audiobook narrator who is most widely known for portraying the DC Comics villain Darkseid in Zack Snyder's Justice League. But for this interview, he was best known as the voice talent for Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger Series and for Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary which we discussed. I also learned that Ray had narrated several L. Ron Hubbard stories. We discussed the many facets of recording audiobooks, both technical and philosophical. We had a lot of fun and he explained what works and doesn't work in storytelling from his perspective as a voice actor.
Andy Riddle's Project Hail Mary
Should be Andy Weir, I believe.
Ray narrates audiobooks without reading them first?! That's incredible.
