How to Write Successful Character Driven Fantasy | Starr Z. Davies | Stormvalor

Why We Fear What We Can't See | Miles Tritle | The Warning Woods

In this episode of Storyline Sessions, horror author and podcast creator Miles Tritle discusses writing audio horror, building dread through sound, what makes stories truly frightening, why audiences love being scared, and much more. Find Miles Here - https://thewarningwoods.wordpress.com/ [https://thewarningwoods.wordpress.com/] Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ [https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/] Listen to Storyline Sessions on other streaming platforms - https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions [https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions] Support Storyline Sessions on Ko-Fi - Ko-fi.com/storylinesessions [http://Ko-fi.com/storylinesessions] Riverside.fm [http://Riverside.fm] affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko [https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko] Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:42 - Conversation start 00:56 - Starting a horror fiction podcast 03:29 - Writing a story every week 06:06 - Audio production 08:49 - Looking back at older work 09:48 - My bookshelf is haunted - SPOOKY 10:00 - Narrating his own work and personal connection to the stories 12:37 - Listening to horror stories before sleep and benefits of audio vs print 17:23 - Writing for audio 18:48 - The Warning Woods name and writing different types of horror 22:43 - Getting personal in his writing 24:49 - Choosing the right ideas and research 28:26 - The "A-ha" moment and deadlines 32:53 - What does Miles look for in horror and chatting about trends 40:06 - Balancing the past and modernity in horror, mixing genres 44:38 - Writing longer form and the difference in process 48:22 - Audience reactions and horror prejudice 51:13 - Finding his audience 54:21 - Creating a community and a relationship with the audience 01:00:00 - Change of direction and other genres 01:02:00 - Stories to get into The Warning Woods 01:04:14 - Outro

What Makes Nobledark Fantasy Different? | Michael Vadney | Crownfall

In this episode of Storyline Sessions, author and podcast host Michael Vadney talks about his debut nobledark fantasy novel Crownfall, writing multiple POVs, politics in fantasy, magic systems, his writing method and much more. Find Michael here - https://michaelvadney.com/ [https://michaelvadney.com/] Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ [https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/] Listen to Storyline Sessions on other streaming platforms - https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions [https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions] Support Storyline Sessions on Ko-Fi - Ko-fi.com/storylinesessions [http://Ko-fi.com/storylinesessions] Riverside.fm [http://Riverside.fm] affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko [https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko] Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:51 - Conversation start 01:04 - What is nobledark - talking about genre 05:26 - Political fantasy 09:02 - Scope, perspective and single location stories 10:55 - Plotting stories and authors as D&D DMs 15:12 - Setting writing goals for yourself 17:54 - Staying confident and motivated 19:13 - Initial vision for Crownfall vs the final draft 22:10 - A system for writing multiple POVs 24:45 - Beta readers, writing groups and feedback 30:50 - Genre homework 34:14 - Project Arcanist 35:43 - Standalone vs series 38:31 - Writing to market 41:41 - How do you know when you're done? 45:39 - Key takeaways after writing the debut 47:53 - Podcasting and importance of community 54:35 - Dealing with reading goals 58:02 - What does a magical engineer do? 01:02:05 - Two important things for a good magic system 01:06:05 - Influences that aren't Sanderson, spice and old school fantasy 01:12:03 - Getting the right cover art 01:16:11 - Advice for other debut authors 01:17:54 - Outro

Exploring the Human Side of Cyberpunk | Adam Bassett

In this episode of Storyline Sessions, author and illustrator Adam Basset talks about his short story collection Digital Extremities, worldbuilding, the art of making maps and much more. Find Adam here - https://www.adamcbassett.com/ [https://www.adamcbassett.com/] Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ [https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/] Listen to Storyline Sessions on other streaming platforms - https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions [https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions] Support Storyline Sessions on Ko-Fi - Ko-fi.com/storylinesessions [http://Ko-fi.com/storylinesessions] Riverside.fm [http://Riverside.fm] affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko [https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko] Timestamps: 00:00 - Start & disclaimer 01:03 - Conversation start 01:42 - Reacting to readers' comments 03:35 - Short vs long form writing 10:35 - Connected world building through separate stories 12:20 - Adam's writing process 14:56 - Black Mirror Comparison and character-focused Sci-Fi 18:25 - The future is now - the cyberpunk of today 21:57 - Choosing story locations 25:30 - How do you know when you're ready to publish? 29:40 - Working with beta readers and editors 31:27 - Campfire and getting into fantasy 36:20 - Making maps, the science behind it and current trends 47:05 - Book cover design 49:36 - Best medium for Digital Extremities to be adapted 51:35 - Writing for games 54:00 - Outro

How to Write Successful Character Driven Fantasy | Starr Z. Davies | Stormvalor

In this episode of Storyline Sessions, bestselling author and winner of the Firebird Book Award, Pinnacle Achievement Award, and runner-up Page Turner Award winner Starr Z. Davies talks about the launch of her new book - Stormvalor: A Noblebright Fantasy (Divica Stormborn Chronicles Book 1) that marks her genre shift from dystopian fiction to epic fantasy. Find Starr Here: https://www.starrzdavies.com/ [https://www.starrzdavies.com/] Watch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@StorylineSessions [https://www.youtube.com/@StorylineSessions] Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ [https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/] Listen to Storyline Sessions on Spotify or Deezer - https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions [https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions] Riverside.fm [http://Riverside.fm] affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko [https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko] Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:47 - Conversation start 01:20 - How does this release feel different from the others? 02:10 - Marketing vs Writing 02:50 - Beta readers, initial reviews and changing the ending 04:18 - Making the first book feel more than just a setup for sequels 07:00 - Difference in writing and worldbuilding process between genres 08:28 - Deciding to shift genres 10:18 - From YA to adult 12:04 - THE CHARACTER ASSASIN - letting go of your characters 16:24 - Surprising yourself and choosing the POV for your story 18:20 - Organized chaos and worldbuilding 20:40 - MAPS! 23:10 - Naming characters 24:30 - How to be a prolific writer and stick to a schedule? 28:38 - Writing awards 33:22 - Finding the right artrwork 36:34 - Kickstarter process and crowdsourcing 40:55 - Audiobooks 44:32 - Self publishing vs Trad vs AI 48:05 - Building your audience 50:15 - What would you do differently if this was your first series? 53:02 - Future plans 55:16 - Outro

Why Do Gaming Magazines Matter? | Storyline Sessions

In this solo episode, Storyline Sessions host Marko Bogdanović shares his story about growing up with gaming magazines in the 90s and early 2000s, nostalgia, jorunalism and tries to clean up his apartment. Game Informer Is Back - https://www.gameinformer.com/letter-from-the-editor/2025/03/25/game-informer-is-back [https://www.gameinformer.com/letter-from-the-editor/2025/03/25/game-informer-is-back] Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ [https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/], https://www.theverge.com/news/635915/game-informer-return-gunzilla-games [https://www.theverge.com/news/635915/game-informer-return-gunzilla-games] Listen to Storyline Sessions on Spotify or Deezer - https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions [https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions] Riverside.fm [http://Riverside.fm] affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko [https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko]