Long Story Short: The Official Podcast of The British Fantasy Society

Mahmud El Sayed, author of The Republic of Memory talks about his journey as an author, and the evolution of his debut novel, winning the prestigious 2023 Future Worlds prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour, and his work in a genre he is calling Arabfuturism.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find out more about Mahmud here: https://belllomaxmoreton.co.uk/fiction/mahmud-el-sayed

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

 

Time stamps

(00:50) Mahmud introduces The Republic of Memory

(02:45) world-building: architect or gardener?

(05:19) the role of language

(08:08) Mahmud’s personal ‘pitch’

(09:15) viewpoints / following characters / A-B structure

(13:05) teasing the novel

(13:45) watching the detective

(17:25) keeping it in the family

(20:14) Katie Bruce reviews WARRIOR PRINCE, by JC Duncan

(22:00) human technology

(24:15) “Fletcher!!”

(26:00) Mahmud’s author journey

(28:20) the power of luck

(30:35) conventions / in at the deep end

(33:43) secret writing

(35:20) what’s up next?

Prodigious creator Janet Forbes joins us to talk all things World Anvil; 3 million members can’t be wrong! Robin & Dave learn to ‘put a tea cosy’ over their brains’ worst impulses and let the auto-magic do the rest; TTRPG chat in abundance, and more than one moment when the whole cast slips sideways into an alternate reality.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here:  https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find World Anvil here: https://www.worldanvil.com

…and everything Janet, here: https://www.janetforbes.com

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

 

Time stamps

(01:15) an overview of World Anvil

(03:30) the history of making World Anvil

(09:00) the World Anvil team

(11:55) World Anvil’s wider resources and initiatives

(17:00) the podcast leaves the rails, jumps the shark, and disappears down a dark hole that probably belongs to the white rabbit (younger listeners should look away now…)

(18:00) the World-building Awards

(22:15) the heart of creativity / the shared spark / system improvements

(25:30) Katie Bruce reviews THE NIGHT ENDS WITH FIRE, by KX Song

(27:15) finding the time to write / accountability & motivation

(33:30) sources of inspiration / backhand compliments

(36:45) the case for the writer / claiming the identity

(43:55) what got Janet “hooked into Fantasy”?

(46:27) the Dark Crystal TTRPG, and… others?

(49:32) how best to start with World Anvil?

We talk to author Jo de-Lancey about many things, of which several are video games and films, but we do squeeze in some book chat. Plus, Dave’s back! and together we aim to pressgang Jo (in the nicest possible way) into attending Glasgow Fantasycon.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here:

            https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find out more about Jo de-Lancey here: https://jodelancey.com

Find Jo’s books on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Jodelanceyauthor

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

 

Time stamps

(00:45) Jo and Jo’s books

(02:20) Final Fantasy VII and VIII, and Pong

(06:50) back to Jo’s authoring

(10:05) second book / the accident / the impact

(17:55) Jo’s writing process / reapproach to Book 2

(19:25) wrestling the draft in a barn

(21:30) being ready / the old man was right

(24:00) film chat / “Nic Cage action”

(25:45) confidence vs ‘the syndrome’

(28:35) where to find Jo’s books / “they’re quite pirate-y”

(32:10) Katie reviews The Bone Raiders, Jackson Ford

(33:50) Monkey Island / trips to Cornwall

(35:05) DNFing The Windwaker

(36:06) Killian’s origin story

(39:00) casting the movie

(40:20) let’s play “Robin can’t pronounce…”

(41:56) plans for Book 3 / character behaving

(45:45) American Fiction (the movie) / Aftersun

(48:35) sweet emotion… and rum

(50:35) Jo’s convention plans

(52:20) an impression of Jo’s books

[This one’s a bit sweary here and there, he is an Aussie, after all.]

If you only listen to 30 seconds of this cast, listen from time stamp 28:45. In addition to discussing Tim’s work, hear him rail against the threat of A.I. to creativity, and even that of technology to human memory. We also talk novellas, Australian publishing and the power of art to rehabilitate.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find out more about Tim Napper here: https://nappertime.com

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

 

Time stamps

(02:10) 36 Streets

(03:20) short fiction as career hack

(07:20) starting again while on submission

(10:00) ideas are not the problem [***STRONG LANGUAGE***]

(11:25) Hydropunk? / that Space Wizard story, again, in 60 seconds

(13:15) publishing in Australia

(14:35) Neon Leviathan / building a career / word-building strategy

(20:40) Tim’s novella, Ghost of the Neon God / selling novellas

(24:35) What about A.I., Tim? [***STRONG LANGUAGE***]

(25:55) a month of art / a rehabilitation programme

(28:45) A.I./ “losing faith in ourselves as human beings”

(32:13) Katie reviews The Bone Door by Frances White

(34:22) The Escher Man

(43:05) Tim’s writing process

(50:33) What’s up next? / Tim’s new fantasy world

Come join the fun as Robin speaks with A.K. Caggiano, author of the Villains & Virtues, Falling for Demons, and Vacancy series. We discuss the truth of comedy, transition from selfpub to trad, and sharing the writing of a series.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find out more about Ashley here: https://akcaggiano.com

Visit Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

And David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

 

Time stamps

(0:55) Ashley as a writer

(2:11) the transition to mainstream

(3:05) the process of serialised blog fiction

(4:25) writing group as support network

(6:08) Ashley’s books in audio

(08:15) Robin minds his Ee’s

(10:18) Throne in the Dark

(17:39) planner or pantser!

(19:04) Book 2, coming… when?

(20:04) Xander’s spin-off

(23:03) the truth of comedy

(25:00) all hail YVLcon!

(28:15) Katie reviews Call of the Black Wing by Tristan Gray

(30:02) promotion/the shyness of the trad-published author

(34:11) what’s up next?

(36:54) writing process / short winter days

(38:34) where to start reading A.K. Caggiano?

(41:32) Ashley’s reading recommendations

(43:32) Sharing books