The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

In this episode, I'm delighted to be joined by Professor Charles Li, author of the brilliant new historical fiction novel, Lord Guan. We chat all about Professor Li's expertise in languages and linguistics, and I pick his brain for worldbuilding tips and advice to help you craft your own languages for your fantasy stor

I'm thrilled to be joined by bestselling fantasy author, Jim C. Hines for an extended interview about his two new books, Kitemaster and the relaunch of the beloved classic, Goblin Quest. Jim opens up about his writing journey, what it's like to be a writer—even down to the earnings—and shares some of his best advice fo

In this episode, I’m joined by New York Times Best Selling fantasy author, Kel Kade.  Kel’s new book, Sanctum of the Soul, was published by Tor in February 2025 and completes her brilliant new trilogy. As well as discussing the new book, we also dive into the character creation process and how to create fantasy worlds,

Award-winning YA author Sarah Arthur returns to the Toolshed to discuss her brilliant new book, Once A Castle. Sarah also shares her experiences following the release of her debut YA novel (Once A Queen), what it was like writing book two, and how theme has played such an important role in the writing of both. We also

In this episode, I'm joined by fantasy author and ER doctor, HB Reneau. HB talks all about injuries we commonly see in fantasy worlds--usually inflicted by swords and magic, and explains how we can best portray things like wounds and infections. We also talk about the impact of injuries and trauma and mental health too

In this episode, I'm joined by Brianna Summers, literary agent assistant with Holloway Literary. Brianna also works as an editor with Of Metal and Magic Publishing. Brianna shares her wisdom after spending several years working in the literary agency field. She tells us what it's like for agents on a day-to-day basis a