Shows
So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep84 – Interview with Curtis EllettOliver sits down with the editor of the longest running, still-extant S&S magazine, Swords & Sorcery Magazine, Curtis Ellett!
https://swordsandsorcerymagazine.com
2025-04-2847 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep83 – Interview with Charles TyraIn which Oliver sits down with a fellow publisher who is about to launch their second magazine.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crtyra/goblins-and-galaxies-magazine
https://goblinsandgalaxies.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570266211248
2025-04-1443 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep82 – The EyrieTHE PENULTIMATE STORY OUTLINE
THE LAST STORY OUTLINE EPISODE FOR...PROBABLY QUITE A WHILE
Voe and Oliver dive into The Weird by way of a "Zone Story", as both seek a way for Voe to escape cosmic debt slavery to a still-mysterious entity! What does all that mean? Listen to find out!
2025-01-061h 01So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep80 – Love Letter to a SailorIn which Oliver writes a love letter/homage to Sailing to the Future, the first third of Michael Moorcock's most excellent Sailor on the Seas of Fate starring Elric of Melniboné. In this way Voe finds herself to encountering multiverse fatigue, an Eternal Champion labour union, a nihilist scientist, and more!
2024-12-231h 01So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep78 – The Final ActTHE NOVEL RETURNS! Yes, in this episode we provide a refresher on the novel and its contents so far, then do an overview of what the final act is about, and what Oliver needed to figure out before drilling down into its individual stories that will tell a tale of cosmic horror and Voe's indebted servitude to a mysterious entity...
2024-12-0937 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep77 - Interview with Graham Thomas WilcoxOliver speaks with Old Moon Quarterly editor about his Gothic Fantasy novella, Contra Amatores Mundi, that grew out from a story he published in the magazine.
2024-12-021h 05So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 73 – Double-Edged Interview with Bryn Hammond(AUDIO FROM THE FOLLOWING LIVESTREAM)
Our Double-Edged Sword & Sorcery book is inspired by the old ACE Doubles. Two novellas back-to-back: WASTE FLOWERS is by Bryn Hammond, cover art by Goran Gligović. Flip the book over for WALLS OF SHIRA YULUN by Dariel Quiogue, cover art by Artyom Trakhanov.
Follow the link for more details and exclusive perks: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/brackenbooks/double-edge-sword-sorcery?ref=SIWAN
2024-09-281h 07So I'm Writing a Novel...NESS Book Club #1 - The Tower of the ElephantCHECK OUT DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD & SORCERY BEFORE OCT 19TH: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/brackenbooks/double-edge-sword-sorcery?ref=SIWAN
Join Timeaus Bloom, Valerie Valdes, Jeremy Pak Nelson and Kirk Johnson for a discussion of Robert E. Howard's 'The Tower of the Elephant' for Cimmerian September! As Short Story Chats cover contemporary S&S, so the Book Club will cover classic S&S with an extra helping of participation from the chat.
You can read Tower for free here: https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/060... and join in with the discussion by posting comments and questions - see...2024-09-281h 05So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 72 – Oliver & Jay Discuss EditingOliver Brackenbury and the editor of Beating Hearts & Battle-Axes, Jay Wolf, discuss the art of editing short fiction. This was originally a livestream as part of the crowdfund for Beating Hearts!
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
OLIVER'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/obrackenbury
Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): https://linktr.ee/obrackenbury
2024-08-051h 01So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 71 – Interview with Matt HolderOliver sits down with Matt Holder, author of the first book in the Keen Blades line - "HURLED HEADLONG FLAMING or, the Bishop's Tale".
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
OLIVER'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/obrackenbury
Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): https://linktr.ee/obrackenbury
2024-07-081h 10So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 70 – Crossover Episode: Two Books, Two BrosPlease enjoy this dual interview by a pair of pals, each with new books to share!
Oliver's Book: THE BEATING HEARTS & BATTLE-AXES CROWDFUND IS LIVE NOW!
Matt's Book: TO WALK ON WORLDS - Oliver designed the cover!
2024-06-261h 21So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 69 – The Return of Jirel! An interview with Molly TanzerAs part of the successful New Edge Sword & Sorcery 2024 crowdfund, Oliver sat down with Molly Tanzer in a livestream interview focused on C.L. Moore's most famous creation, Jirel of Joiry!
2024-03-261h 01So I'm Writing a Novel...Short Story Chat #7 – "Cock and Bull" by Kirk A. JohnsonRecorded Feb 27, 2024 New Edge Sword and Sorcery Editor Oliver Brackenbury is joined by NESS Copy Editor Valerie Valdes, Editor Jay Wolf, and special guests to discuss "Cock and Bull" by Kirk A. Johnson.
This was part of the ongoing crowdfund for issues #3&4 of NESS, which ends at 8am EST, on March 16th: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/brackenbooks/new-edge-sword-sorcery-2024?ref=SIWANkirk
2024-03-111h 12
Breakfast in the RuinsNew Edges For Old Heroes w/ Oliver BrackenburyOliver Brackenbury returns to Derry & Toms to talk about the next phase of his excellent mag New Edge Sword and Sorcery. Moorcock talk, uncovering and unleashing a golden age hero anew and copious amounts of caffeine and lemsip dominate.
JOIN US.
Be sure to check out the Backerkit link for New Edge Sword and Sorcery issues 3 and 4 and Oliver's podcast So I'm Writing a Novel...
The conversation about The Dreaming City and The Folk of the Forest is on Youtube
Also check out Dan Charnley's podcast, Dan Rambles and the Preston Sp...2024-02-271h 19So I'm Writing a Novel...New Edge Sword & Sorcery 2024 Crowdfund is Live!As I type this we're at 98% funding! WILL YOU BE OUR HERO?
https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/brackenbooks/new-edge-sword-sorcery-2024?ref=SIWAN
2024-02-1700 min
TangeneticThe past, present and future of New Edge Sword & Sorcery - with Oliver BrackenburyOn this special Episode we once again catch up with the wonderful Oliver Brackenbury and chat about the trials and tribulations of Issues 1&2 of New Edge Sword & Sorcery, the run up to the Kickstarter for issues 3&4 and what lays in the future for New Edge Sword & SorceryShould you wish to back issue 3&4 please head to the following link : https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/brackenbooks/new-edge-sword-sorcery-20242024-02-151h 27
Swords & SapphicsSwords & Sorcery with Oliver BrackenburyIn our second episode of the new season, we bring an exciting interview with Oliver Brackenbury, the editor of New Edge Swords & Sorcery magazine. He shares some exciting secrets and lots of his plans for the future, as well as everything readers and fans of the genre can expect next!Theme song: Forces of Attraction by Scott Holmes Music Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2024-02-141h 05So I'm Writing a Novel...Short Story Chat #6 – Elric 1961 and 2023Recorded Jan 9, 2024, New Edge Sword & Sorcery editor Oliver Brackenbury is joined by fellow editor Jay Wolf, New Edge social media coordinator Kevin Beckett, and author Christopher Rowe, to compare & contrast Elric's first appearance ("The Dreaming City" in Science Fantasy issue 47, June 1961) with his latest ("The Folk of the Forest", in New Edge Sword & Sorcery #1, Nov. 2023).
New Edge Sword & Sorcery #1 is available here, in three formats: https://newedgeswordandsorcery.com/product-category/new-edge-sword-sorcery/issue-1/
"The Dreaming City" can be found in many incarnations across decades of different Elric collections, but the original can be read here on The...2024-01-261h 41So I'm Writing a Novel...Short Story Chat #5 - Dara’s Tale by Mark RigneyRecorded Dec 13, 2023, New Edge Sword & Sorcery editor Oliver Brackenbury is joined by fellow editor Jay Wolf and special guest Matt Holder, reviewer at Strange Horizons, to discuss "Dara's Tale" by author Mark Rigney for the Sword & Sorcery magazine Tales From The Magician's Skull, a publication from Goodman Games which was released on August 1, 2022.
Find out more about the author discussed here: https://markrigney.net/
Matt Holder's reviews at Strange Horizons: http://strangehorizons.com/author/mat...
Download our free New Edge Sword & Sorcery issue #0 at our website! https://newedgeswordandsorcery.com/
2024-01-151h 01So I'm Writing a Novel...Short Story Chat #4 - Evil Honey by James EngeRecorded Nov 22, 2023, New Edge Sword & Sorcery editor Oliver Brackenbury is joined by fellow editor Jay Wolf and special guests Matt John of The Rogues in the House podcast, and Old Moon Quarterly editor Graham T. Wilcox to discuss "Evil Honey" by author James Enge for magazine Old Moon Quarterly #3 a magazine that is currently running a Kickstarter to increase the word count of stories and insert black & white illustrations for the magazine in 2024.
Find out more of the author here: https://jamesenge.com/
Old Moon Quarterly: https://www.oldmoonpublishing.com/
Old Moon Kickstarter...2024-01-091h 11So I'm Writing a Novel...Short Story Chat #3 - The Wolves of Winter Road by author T.A. MarkitanRecorded Oct 18, 2023, New Edge Sword & Sorcery editor Oliver Brackenbury is joined by fellow editor Jay Wolf and special guest Matt Holder, reviewer at Strange Horizons, to discuss "The Wolves of Winter Road" by author T.A. Markitan for the Sword & Sorcery anthology A Book of Blades Volume II, a publication from the Rogue In The House Podcast which was released on June 28, 2023.
Find out more about the author discussed here: https://www.facebook.com/T.A.Markitan/
2023-11-1355 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Short Story Chat #2 - Dog in The Corner by Stephen Graham JonesRecorded Sep 19, 2023, New Edge Sword & Sorcery editor Oliver Brackenbury is joined by fellow editor Jay Wolf and special guest Matt Holder, reviewer at Strange Horizons, to discuss "Dog in the Corner" by horror author Stephen Graham Jones for the Cullen Bunn edited Sword & Sorcery anthology Swords in the Shadows, being released to the public by Outland Entertainment on Oct 24, 2023.
Find out more about the author discussed here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Stephen-Graham-Jones/151691780
2023-11-0649 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Short Story Chat #1 - The Second Death of Hanuvar by Howard Andrew Joneshttps://newedgeswordandsorcery.com/
Recorded Aug 23, 2023, New Edge Sword & Sorcery editor Oliver Brackenbury is joined by fellow editors Graham Wilcox (Old Moon Quarterly) and Jay Wolf to discuss the sword & sorcery short story "The Second Death of Hanuvar" a modern classic in the making from Howard Andrew Jones.
Find out more about the author discussed here: https://www.howardandrewjones.com/
2023-10-3059 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 68 – Hanuvar with Howard Andrew JonesReturning guest of the show, Howard Andrew Jones, is kicking off an amazing Sword & Sorcery book series starring his most excellent character - Hanuvar!
Join us for a craft-centric discussion of Howard's writing techniques & development, as seen through the lens of his exciting new series.
Check out the book!
www.howardandrewjones.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
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SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
OLIVER'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/obrackenbury
Oliver's Link Tree (For everything...2023-08-281h 00So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 67 – So I’m Still Writing a Novel...In which Oliver discusses the status of the novel, the revamp of our Patreon, how publishing New Edge Sword & Sorcery magazine has benefitted his writing, and more!
Check out the first ever published Voe story, "Something Oath-like" over in a Book of Blades Vol. 2!
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
OLIVER'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/obrackenbury
Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): https://linktr.ee/obrackenbury
2023-07-1720 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 66 – Queen of Swords Press, with Catherine LundoffWhen most of us think about publishing we tend to think of one of the Big Five (Four? How many are we down to now?), but there is a whole world of smaller, independent publishers to explore!
Wanting to learn more about that world, Oliver spoke with Catherine Lundoff about her own experiences launching and running Queen of Swords Press.
https://queenofswordspress.com (Twitter, Facebook, Patreon)
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
...2023-05-2952 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 65 – Interview with Oliver BrackenburyOliver was recently approached by a 5th grader looking to interview an author as part of a school project. The results were pretty fun, and perhaps even helpful for those looking to write themselves!
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
OLIVER'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/obrackenbury
Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): https://linktr.ee/obrackenbury
2023-05-151h 02So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 64 – Interview with Charles E. GannonAs an author and a reader, Oliver's interests include science fiction, alternate history, fantasy, game design…author Charles E. Gannon has written them all, so you better believe when we got the opportunity to speak with him, we leapt on it.
His most recent publication is “Into the Vortex”, the second in his first ever fantasy serial, the Vortex of Worlds series, so of course we talked about that, but Charles has the kind of mind that travels far and absorbs everything, so we think anybody listening will get to learn something of interest to them!
Ch...2023-05-011h 24So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 63 – Solarpunk Magazine"Sometimes the protest comes in the form of literature."
Oliver speaks with Abriana Tuller from Solarpunk Magazine about this social issue driven, solution-focused scifi subgenre, the magazine named after it, and more.
https://solarpunkmagazine.com
www.soimwritinganovel.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
OLIVER'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/obrackenbury
Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): https://linktr.ee/obrackenbury
2023-04-1749 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 62 – Interview with Jonathan MaberryOliver recently talked with author Jonathan Maberry, discussing his duties as editor of the birthplace of Sword & Sorcery - Weird Tales Magazine, how he manages an incredibly full & productive writing schedule, writing techniques he uses in his epic fantasy Kagen series, and a whole lot more.
Jonathan's Website (FB, TWITTER, IG)
Weird Tales magazine
Swords in the Shadows Kickstarter (Runs until 11am on Thurs, April 17th, 2023).
www.soimwritinganovel.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https...2023-04-031h 06So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 61 – Swords in the Shadows with Cullen BunnOliver sits down with comic book superstar Cullen Bunn to discuss his putting on his editor hat for the prose Sword & Sorcery & Horror anthology "Swords in the Shadows"!
Swords in the Shadows Kickstarter
www.cullenbunn.com
www.soimwritinganovel.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
OLIVER'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/obrackenbury
Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): https://linktr.ee/obrackenbury
2023-03-1358 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...BONUS EPISODE - Sword & Soul Roundtable with Milton J. Davis, Kirk A. Johnson and Sarah Macklinhttps://www.kickstarter.com/projects/oliverbrackenbury/new-edge-sword-and-sorcery-magazine
2023-02-271h 07So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 60 – Broadswords & Blasters
Magazine Month (tm) continues here at SIWAN as we speak with Matthew Gomez of Broadswords & Blasters about the life, death, and rebirth of the SFF magazine he co-edits.
Broadswords & Blasters (Facebook)
Matthew Gomez's author site (Twitter)
www.soimwritinganovel.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
OLIVER'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/obrackenbury
Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): https://linktr.ee/obrackenbury
2023-02-2758 min
RPG RamblingsE108. “A Sword and Sorcery Magazine” with Oliver Brackenbury3.7
Welcome RPG Ramblings with Jeff Jones. This is a weekly show exploring the various details of the TableTop RPG hobby through discussions with interesting people.
Today, Oliver Brakenbury joins me. He, and a whole troop of people joined forces to create and Sword and Sorcery magazine full of new stories and evocative art. We discuss the path that took him here and the genre in general.
I have a Patreon and if you want to hear content that hit the cutting room floor, we have it served fresh….off the floor. Think of it...2023-02-251h 42So I'm Writing a Novel...BONUS EPISODE - Gemma Files on Horror, Sword & Sorcery, The Weird Tales 100th Anniversary, and more!https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/oliverbrackenbury/new-edge-sword-and-sorcery-magazine
2023-02-2056 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 59 – Old Moon Quarterly
It's "Magazine Month" on SIWAN this February, which we're kicking off by interviewing Graham and Caitlyn, two thirds of the people behind a new Sword & Sorcery magazine which debuted in the summer of 2022 - OLD MOON QUARTERLY!
Their Website (Twitter and Instagram)
www.soimwritinganovel.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
OLIVER'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/obrackenbury
Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): https://linktr...2023-02-1348 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...New Edge Sword & Sorcery Kickstarter is LIVE!Click these magic words to go to the Kickstarter! We made a very cool video and campaign page with all the details...
2023-02-0201 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Oliver’s Other Podcast ”Unknown Worlds of the Merril Collection”In which I discuss Climate Fiction with scifi luminary Kim Stanley Robinson.
Unknown Worlds of the Merril Collection (Also available everywhere people find podcasts)
The Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy
The Friends of Merril
New Edge Sword & Sorcery (that magazine Oliver mentions he's making)
2023-01-0450 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 58 – Worldbuilding with J.M. Frey
Worldbuilding is one of the most enjoyable aspects of genre writing, but it can also be quite daunting. Luckily J.M. Frey, author and giver of nearly ten years worth of talks on the subject, is releasing a new book to help!
Check out the book on Jess' author site
Architect Breaks Down “Bridgerton” Mansions | Architectural Digest
New Edge Sword & Sorcery Mailing List, FB, Twitter, IG, and the site itself.
www.soimwritinganovel.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com...2022-12-1959 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 57 – Publishing and Promotion with Sean CW KorsgaardHow do publishers promote their author's books, and what kind of decision-making goes into that? Why don't they just press the big red button marked "Instant Best Seller"?
Wanting answers, we recorded Oliver's conversation about all this with Sean CW Korsgaard, who works on the promotion side of Baen Books in his roles as Assistant Editor and Media & Military Liason.
Baen Books ( Facebook, Twitter)
www.soimwritinganovel.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://t...2022-12-051h 00So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 56 – Interview with Scott OdenOliver sat down with author Scott Oden to discuss the challenges of writing in another person's voice, especially one as well known as Robert E. Howard, and spiraled off into a wide variety of topics related to the life of a writer.
Scott's Author Page (FB, Twitter)
www.soimwritinganovel.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
OLIVER'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/obrackenbury
Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): https://linktr...2022-11-2159 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 55 – Writing Workshops with Christopher Rowe
Oliver talks with author and writing teacher Christopher Rowe about writing workshops, such as The Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop, where he recently taught. What exactly does a workshop involve? How do you get into one, and what can you expect to get out of it? How, if at all, are they changing with the times? They discuss all this, and more.
Christopher Rowe's author site (Socials: IG, FB, Twitter)
Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses
The Whetstone Tavern Discord
2022-11-0756 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep54 Weird Fiction & Sword & Sorcery with Scott DorwardWeird Fiction is a term from the days which birthed Sword &Sorcery, arguably a key ingredient in the genre, but what is it exactly?
To discuss this curious intersection of horror, science fiction, and S&S, Oliver sits down with Scott Dorward, an experienced horror TTRPG author, podcaster, and scholar of fiction both weird & Weird...
The Good Friends of Jackson Elias (Scott's podcast he co-hosts)
Beyond Lovecraft (Oliver's other interview with Scott, over on Unknown Worlds of the Merril Collection)
The Tale of Satampra Zeiros (The Clark Ashton Smith story whose name you'll...2022-10-2458 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep53 New Edge Authors Say HelloOliver talks with the authors behind all six original Sword & Sorcery short stories featured in New Edge Sword & Sorcery magazine in a round-robin of mini-interviews! Did....did we mention he's the editor of a brand new magazine, who's first issue just came out?
Get the magazine...
FREE ePub/PDF on Payhip
Softcover ($4usd) & Hardcover ($12usd) on Amazon.com (but also available through most other domains)
Super-low intensity mailing list to find out when there are new issues or crowdfunding for new issues.
www.soimwritinganovel.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com...2022-10-101h 30So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep52 The GibbetVoe hits rock bottom, hung high in an iron cage hanging from a post by a major road! How will she get out of this, and what will be left of her?
Among other things, Oliver discusses how to tell when there's enough "there" there, the difficulties of keeping a story interesting in a "bottle episode" , the difficulties of knowing you want to evoke an author's style without just doing a bad imitation, and more!
www.soimwritinganovel.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
...2022-10-031h 03So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep51 Voe Loses ItIn this story Voe is faced with an important choice similar to one from a previous story, and the decision she makes will echo throughout the entire rest of the novel!
Among other things, Oliver discusses how to tell what's good or maybe not so good to kick down the road for Future You to deal with, the challenge of avoiding creating bad pastiche, and how focusing on character can really help with figuring out all the other facets of your story.
Read Rogues in the House by Robert E. Howard for free.
Read...2022-09-2639 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep50 My PeopleOh ho! And thus we enter the third quarter of Oliver outlining Untitled Sword & Sorcery Novel with this novella-length love letter to his favorite Robert E. Howard tale of Conan the Cimmerian, People of the Black Circle.
Read People of the Black Circle for free.
Read THE LEGEND OF GWÂSHBRÂRI, THE GLACIER-HEARTED QUEEN, the myth Oliver mentions in the recording, also for free.
Episode 4 of the podcast, where I break down People of the Black Circle in detail, comparing it with Lin Carter & L Sprague de Camp's Conan the Buccaneer, a nautical tale wh...2022-09-211h 31So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep49 Interview with Alasdair StuartAlasdair Stuart is a professional enthusiast, pop culture analyst, and writer behind the award-nominated weekly newsletter, The Full Lid, as well as a multiple Hugo finalist and co-owner of the Escape Artists podcast network. He's also a really kind and fascinating man, whom Oliver greatly enjoyed chatting with about building your own podcast empire, financing such an empire, balancing writing with other creative pursuits, best practices when trying to promote diversity within the genre writing scene, and a whole lot more!
AlasdairStuart.com (Twitter)
EscapeArtists.net
The Full Lid - Alasdair's weekly, popular pop-culture newsletter.2022-09-0558 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep48 Interview with Steve Babb of Glass HammerOliver finally dives into the musical side of sword & sorcery by speaking with author & composer Steve Babb, of the band Glass Hammer!
https://stephenrbabb.com (FB)
www.glasshammer.com (Twitter, Youtube)
Buy Skallagrim – In The Vales of Pagarna
The Lay of Lirazel
www.soimwritinganovel.com
PATREON: www.patreon.com/soimwritinganovel
BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com/store
SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing
OLIVER'S TWITTER: https://twitter.com/obrackenbury
Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): http...2022-08-221h 01
TangeneticNew Edge Sword & Sorcery - Interview with Oliver BrackenburyThis is our interview with Oliver Brackenbury, editor of the upcoming "New Edge Sword & Sorcery" magazine. This will include a number of short stories curated by Oliver as well as articles about other authors in the sword and sorcery genre If this peeks your interest in the magazine please go to https://newedgeswordandsorcery.com and sign up to the mailing list to be told as soon as issues or information about the magazine go live You can also keep up with the progress of the magazine by following their socials2022-08-1255 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep47 Interview with Kirk A. JohnsonOliver has a great time talking with Kirk A. Johnson about his new sword & soul story collection, The Obanaax and Other Tales of Heroes and Horrors.
We cover the afternoon movies which helped form Kirk's idea of what heroes should be, his own first collision with Conan and Frazetta, why martial arts films were such a big thing in the black community back in the day, is Robin Hood S&S?, Fafhrd & Grey Mouser in The Wire, the film Thief remade as S&S, S&S and the hard boiled crime genre, periods of great economic strife...2022-08-081h 04So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep46 Fresh Blood and New Thunder! Bringing New Readers to Sword & Sorcery, with Sof MaglianoOliver experimented with sending six S&S tales to a younger, contemporary fantasy fan, then got her reactions, and discussed promoting sword & sorcery to younger, more diverse audiences.
Among other things, we discuss the work of Robin Hobb, the dilution of the term "sword & sorcery" and other branding issues, living in a character's head, struggling to connect with Tower of the Elephant, reading trope-setting classics as a contemporary reader, connecting more with emotion-driven sword & sorcery, backfiring magic, quick-moving plots and pacing, how Sof felt S&S has a unified feel and how it differs from the broad...2022-07-251h 13So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep45 Interview with David C. Smith (Part Two)David C. Smith remains a lovely and talented author with whom Oliver spoke for so long we decided to split the interview into two parts. Here's that second part!
In this half we discuss the 80's sword & sorcery publishing implosion, the importance of adapting to changing tastes and not just telling the same limited range of stories ad infinitum, how expanding something - like a genre's possibilities - means more and doesn't take away what's already there that people like, the fallacy of thinking you can write a story with no theme or message or opinions or "...2022-07-1151 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep44 Interview with David C. Smith (Part One)David C. Smith is an author whose career began in the 1970’s during the second wave of sword & sorcery, he still writes to this very day, and Oliver felt very lucky to get the chance to have this epic, first-ever two-part interview with him!
In this first part we cover David's original aspirations to work in film, the incredible role having the right English teacher can play in your life, discovering Conan, the real life model for Norman Bates, how Lord of the Rings helped David see Robert E Howard more clearly, the grounded nature of sword & so...2022-07-0447 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep43 So I’ve Been Doing this Podcast for a Year...It's the one year anniversary show! What have I learned? How have I benefited? What's coming up next?
Feat. Behind the scenes stuff on my launching this podcast/novel project, and how it's been this past year, including details on the technical stuff, promotion, the Patreon, a listener question about liking your antagonist more than your protagonist, and more.
Wanna support the show? There's Patreon, Ko-Fi, Paypal, and even an Amazon wishlist of research materials. There's also sharing the show online and writing a review on Apple Podcasts. Everything helps, and everything's appreciated.
...2022-06-2047 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep42 Writing Anxiety with Mike HarringtonOliver discusses with Mike the ways anxiety has affected them when trying to write, and how Mike overcame a thirty year block to end up making his first ever short story submission!
Subjects they cover include playing Dungeons & Dragons leading to creative writing, the potential long-term impact of complimenting your child's creativity, the validation brought by writing, a state of flow found when writing and the peace found within it, the merits of escapism, the editor in the back of your head, nurturing empathy through writing and reading, when writing anxiety first truly manifested for Mike, conflating...2022-06-061h 03So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep41 Sword & Sorcery & Feminism, with Nicole EmmelhainzOliver and Nicole Emmelhainz discuss her essay on feminism and sword & sorcery, "A Sword-Edge Beauty as Keen as Blades: The Gender Dynamics of Sword-and-Sorcery"!
This covers things like Weird Tales Magazine, Robert E. Howard and Conan, Jirel as "Alice in Wonderland with a big sword", Howard and Lovecraft's correspondence with each other as well as fellow Weird Tales writers like Moore, S&S writing as "an opportunity to expose gender as fundamentally performative in nature", growth and change in Conan, the flexibility of sword and sorcery, what Nicole sees as the necessary qualities for an S&S...2022-05-2359 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep40 Founding a Literary Magazine with Nat WebbReturning champion Nat Webb joins us to discuss his recent founding of a literary magazine, Wyngraf!
Their discussion covers alternate titles for the magazine, defining cozy fantasy & backpack fantasy, conflict in stories and other things that can drive story, writing delicious food scenes, the cozy fantasy scene on Reddit and elsewhere, getting into short stories, his first submission and rejection and what he learned from it all, self-publishing a novel, discovering a love for the technical side of publishing, taking submissions in for the first time, putting one of your own stories in your own magazine, being...2022-05-091h 00So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep39 Carry Me From KholtumOliver takes you through the end of a friendship in this outline of the final Voe & Tiravam story for the novel. Among other things he discusses an epiphany he had which caused him to look at how his outlining had evolved over this first half of the novel, plotting an emotional journey for the reader, and being reminded of how there are certain things you're only able to discover in writing prose!
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SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL...2022-04-251h 02So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep38 Flyting FancyOliver also gets into an outlining snarl which is solved by his trying a whole new method of working out what happens, when it happens, and what the reader learns when it happens.
Tom McHenry comic whose fourth panel Oliver mentions.
Chalicotherex is a fun follow on Twitter.
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Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else...2022-04-181h 01So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep37 Interview with Chase A. FolmarAuthor, and Associate Editor of Witch House magazine, Chase A. Folmar joins Oliver to discuss his upcoming sword & sorcery novella, Frolic on the Amaranthyn.
Chase and Oliver discuss his sword & sorcery and creative writing origin story, that sweet spot of horror and action, mood and plot, finding your voice as an author, the importance of reading outside the genre you write most, elevator pitching, writing a story centered on an established romantic couple, finding that right combination of the unique and the familiar, beauty & horror and the uncanny valley, the Decadent Movement, good old civilization vs barbarism...2022-04-0449 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep36 Interview with Cora BuhlertCora Buhlert is a Hugo-nominated author and genre scholar who Oliver was lucky enough to meet through his research for the novel, and he'd love for you to meet her too!
Oliver and Cora discuss her falling in love with the very American body of work known as pulp fiction while she grew up travelling the world, the survival of dime novels in modern Germany, the irresistible pull of forbidden fiction, Thundarr and He-Man, "the best thing that happened in Germany in 1989", European sword and sorcery comics, a book store that "must have been designed by time-lords"...2022-03-2159 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep35 Interview with Ryan NorthOliver has a fun, informative discussion with author Ryan North, whose new book "How to Take Over the World: Practical Schemes and Scientific Solutions for the Aspiring Supervillain" is now available for pre-order.
They discuss having one footnote for each day of the year, cramming more jokes in the margin to make a comic have more bang for your buck, experimenting with the limits of what a format can do, why they're "choosable-path" adventures that he's written, the benefits of working in a younger medium that isn't fully explored, having unlockable characters in your book, white elephant...2022-03-071h 24So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep34 Interview with Dariel QuiogueOliver chats with Philippine author Dariel Quiogue about his sword & silk novel, "Sword of the Four Winds"!
Their discussion covers portrayal of war elephants in history and stories, Alexander the Great being a war criminal to some, Carter & De Camp (and Nyburg) Conan tales, Howard Lamb's Khlit the Cossack stories (a huge influence on Robert E Howard), drawing from Asian history for his stories - including an intriguing alternate path for Genghis Khan, wanting to write more fiction based in where you're from, being anxious about a lack of experience to the world limiting your fiction, how...2022-02-1445 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep33 Interview with Jason Ray Carney of Whetstone MagazineOliver speaks with the editor of "Whetstone: Amateur Magazine of Sword & Sorcery", covering a wide variety of subjects germane to running a semi-pro literary magazine, online community, and good old sword & sorcery.
Oliver and Jason get to some INTERESTING places in their far-reaching discussion, including subjects like: writing workshops, working class literature, modernist literature, R.A. Salvatore as a literary gateway drug, starting a literary magazine & the origin of Whetstone, why he feels you shouldn't send your best work to Whetstone, "mid-list exposure", submitting for ultra low acceptance rate magazines, elevated language, Clark Ashton Smith, grading English...2022-02-071h 11
The Dark CrusadeEpisode 3.5 ‘Cold Light’ — “Showdown at the Sebbei Corral” with special guest Oliver BrackenburyCold LightFirst Appearance: Death Angel’s Shadow, Warner Paperback Library, 1973Translations: German (1979) Italian (1992)(Warning: Sexual assault and suicide are discussed in this episode.) In this episode, we continued our Dark Crusade through Death Angel’s Shadow with the Kane story “Cold Light.” Jonathan and I were excited to have screenwriter and author Oliver Brackenbury join us for … Continue reading "Episode 3.5 ‘Cold Light’ — “Showdown at the Sebbei Corral” with special guest Oliver Brackenbury"2022-02-021h 08So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep32 Interview with Jordan Smith of Dark CrusadeThis episode will introduce you to fantasy & horror author Karl Edward Wagner, as well as his iconic sword & sorcery supervillain, Kane!
Oliver and Jordan discuss subjects like The Carcosa Papers, the magic of seeing author's original notebooks (and fantasizing about others feeling that way seeing yours), getting deep into why Kane stands out from other well read S&S protagonists, Kane as villain, as manipulator; as being almost secondary to his own stories, erotic horror, how Wagner's psychiatry education enhanced his writing, reading an author's personal issues in their work and then connecting them to your own...2022-01-3152 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 31 Story Consultation with Matt JohnIn this story consult, featuring a personal sword & sorcery tale by Matt John, we discuss a story which was very polished, then submitted to a magazine and...rejected. Happens to pretty much all stories, but what do you do when it happens to you? Matt sought out an editor, Oliver, and in this episode you can hear them discuss strategies for Matt to consider in the next draft of his story. Hey, did you know Oliver's now offering editing services?
In this conversation they discuss working through personal tragedy and difficult emotions in your stories, the "that"...2022-01-241h 17So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 30 Story Consultation with Nathaniel WebbTrying something new for the show, Oliver is sitting down with author Nathaniel Webb to consult him on his latest work-in-progress, a sword & sorcery short story! After a reading of the story so far, and a little getting-to-know-you, you'll get to listen in on a proper story consult where Oliver will discuss Nat's story, focusing in particular on his main concern - how to best weave fun worldbuilding and character backstory info into the story itself.
They also discuss how short stories can turn out to be harder than you'd expect, heist story traditions, considering word counts...2022-01-0659 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 29 Sacred ThieveryIn three acts, Oliver shares the outlining of this second story in the sword & sorcery novel's second quarter, an escalating farce built around the theft of a saintly relic from one church within the same religion as the other, who has hired Voe & Tiravam to perpetrate said theft. Ah, if only it were so straightforward as all that...
Oliver covers the joys of finding the piece of research which unlocks your story for you, interesting historical details of medieval relic theft, judging when the tone of an idea you love doesn't just doesn't fit with your work...2021-12-271h 07So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep28 Kinship in KholtumIn this episode Oliver tells you all about how he outlined the origin story for his protagonist's new friendship, a friendship that would be at the heart of a whole quarter of the novel's stories.
This involves discussion of consulting others when you're feeling lost trying to make a vital decision, puppetry (and avoiding obvious metaphors), elements by which two friends might bond, differing attitudes toward killing for your protagonists, what if DUNE's Bene Gesserit wanted to sell weed, the ol' "They meet in a tavern..." routine, Beer Street and Gin Lane, Bound 2 (?), using index cards to...2021-12-2056 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep27 (World)Building a Fantasy CityWill Oliver succeed in finally naming his dang fantasy city by the end of the episode??? Oliver takes you through the process that got him to where he felt he knew enough about the fictional city where he'd be setting no less than four of his novel's stories in. He covers repurposing research from an older project, choosing when and how to shape setting with theme, when he decided a novel wasn't the story for him to write, figuring out what you need to figure out about a setting/city, feral cities, hyperdense research texts, an interesting lesson he...2021-12-1336 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep26 Creating a Co-ProtagonistOliver takes you with him through the process by which he designed a new best friend for his novel's protagonist, a co-protagonist for the next four stories he has to outline, when Voe and this new best buddy will have swashbuckling, thieving adventures loosely inspired by the Fafhrd & Grey Mouser stories of Fritz Leiber!
The writing book Oliver mentions in this episode, and has mentioned before, is Creating Unforgettable Characters by Linda Seger.
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SO I'M...2021-12-0634 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep25 – Act Two, Part OneA lil' recap of the podcast & novel is followed by Oliver sharing how he figured out the most top-tier planning of his novel's middle, particularly its first half, and how it would fit into the novel as a whole!
This includes discussion of "how much inspiration do you want to take from another author's works?", how to keep your thoughts organized when you finally get to a part of writing a story that you've been looking forward to for ages, gauging how ambitious you might want to be with breaking The Rules, who Oliver sees as the...2021-11-2925 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep24 Interview with Michael CurtisMichael Curtis, while Leiber's Fafhrd & Grey Mouser stories have been a great source of inspiration for Oliver's novel-in-progress, you better believe he was excited to talk with Michael about: Why people should read the Fafhrd & Grey Mouser stories, how these characters so defined by their friendship were born of a real life bromance, what defines Leiber's writing style, what makes F&GM's home - Lankhmar - the ultimate fantasy adventure city, how Michael made writing RPGs his career, what it was like poring over Leiber's original papers at an archive in Houston, and more!
Michael Curtis on...2021-11-2248 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep23 Interview with Julian BernickJulian Bernick has written across a wide variety of mediums, so Oliver discusses with him getting burnt out on novels, the Appendix N Reading List, writing for role-playing games, Jack Vance's Dying Earth series, writing lyrics as the lead singer of several bands, and more - but the focus of this interview is poetry, gothic horror, and how Julian combined the two in his most excellent book Castle Bash: A Record of the Most Unfortunate Doings at Castle Bash - As Told by an Unnamed Poet who was Never Seen Again!
A narrative poem in the Romantic...2021-11-1557 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep22 Interview with Ngo Vinh-Hoi of the Appendix N Book ClubOliver and Hoi discuss fantasy book cover art, the origin story of the Appendix N Book Club, the conservative faction of S&S fandom, finding S&S outside the usual Anglo sphere, podcast show notes (do people read them??? ARE YOU READING THIS???), figuring out how to keep the momentum going with longform creative projects, what makes a good podcast guest, thinking critically about genre fiction or "low art", the Thor belly body shaming fiasco, form and substance in genre writing (and emulation), representation in writing S&S, iconic vs dramatic heroes, fantasizing about being an author when it...2021-11-081h 10So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep21 Interview with Matt John of Rogues in the HouseOliver speaks with a host from the popular sword & sorcery podcast Rogues in the House, Matt John, about the genre, gatekeeping vs helping the S&S scene thrive, the trials of buying books online when you're Canadian, working sword & sorcery and role-playing games into the classroom, Army of Darkness hot takes, He-Man, "Good Rudes", letting go of the things you don't want to write and just writing the things your inner child wants to write, good and bad nostalgia, and "more"!
Rogues in the House Podcast / Facebook / Twitter
Matt's author page on Amazon
Matt's essay...2021-11-011h 08So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep20 Interview with Milton DavisIn this interview we're speaking with author and publisher, Milton Davis. Oliver and Milton have plenty of laughs talking about what it's like being both a writer and a publisher, knowing Charles Saunders and what's going on with the Imaro TV adaptation, when the history nerds come for you, origin stories, designing and playtesting an RPG, and so much more!
www.miltonjdavis.com (Facebook and Twitter)
A Sword and Soul Primer, blog post by Milton.
MVmedia, Milton's publishing company.
Sword and Soul Adventures FB Group, run by Milton.
Nyumbani Tales (Short s...2021-10-2557 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep19 Interview with J.M. FreyOliver has a long, highly informative chat with author, actor, and voice actor J.M. Frey about her experiences as a writer, including what happens when your book grows to around the 200K word mark, self-publishing, the challenges of author exhaustion (incl. frank discussion of how the economics of publishing deals have evolved), when she received her first piece of fan art based on her work, and more! Jess is terribly knowledgeable, and we strongly recommend you check out her site not only for all the great advice it contains, but also to study how Jess presents herself online.2021-10-181h 08So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep18 Interview with Christine BrackenburyWe're kicking off a block of interviews with a chat with Oliver's mum, about her relationship to creativity as both parent and "pre-parent", the book she wrote, the book Oliver's dad says he'll finish, what it's like for both Oliver and Christine to look back on his decision to try making writing what he does for a living, and more. Oh and of course they cover the time she struck back at workplace sexism with a picture of a big ol' penis.
If you'd like to see the jewelry Oliver's parents make together, you can check out...2021-10-111h 01So I'm Writing a Novel...Ep17 Disgrace the StoneWith this, the fifth short story, we've reached the end of the first act! In Disgrace the Stone, the outlining of which Oliver will share with you, Voe is finally a "hero" as she's struggled to be but the events of this story will change her mind about that being what she wants.
The brainstorming for this story involved an unexpected intersection between the webcomic Achewood, Leonard Cohen, and the pandemic (though this isn't a plague story, have no fear). This sent Oliver off on a journey that involved putting the this tale down for an entire...2021-10-0438 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep16 The Boy and the BlacksmithThis time around we're outlining story number four in our sword & sorcery short story cycle!
Oliver sets out to write a sword & sorcery love story, but is that what he ends up with? He also gets into that time the rural Canadian mafia murdered Oliver's brother because his parents wouldn't give them gold, knowing when to break your own format, the dangers of trying to will what you want into existence, and, as always, more.
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BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.oliverbrackenbury.com...2021-09-2746 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep15 Monstrously SlowThis time around we're outlining story number three in our sword & sorcery short story cycle!
Oliver introduces you to the marvelous book which made him want to tell this story, thrusting his protagonist Voe into the middle of a mighty battle between empires in the absolute meat grinder of a canyon floor with arrows raining down from either side! He then goes on to dissect the mentor/mentee relationship, share a formative story from his very Canadian youth (yes, it involves ice skating), and Ursula K Le Guin rears her head once more as Oliver looks to...2021-09-2049 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep14 The Woman Who Floated Through TimeOutlining the rest of the book has begun! Oliver walks you through how he outlined the second story in the novel, currently called "The Woman Who Floated Through Time", which includes discussion of whether or not characters should change over the course of a story, templates vs writing prompts, when its time to really break down who your protagonist is, "poop pipes", and more.
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SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/so_writing2021-09-1342 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep13 Research for Writing FictionOliver chats with you about how easy it is to miss putting Zelda lore in your non-Zelda stories, the deadly disease known as "Wikipedia Mouth", and other aspects of how he handles research for writing fiction.
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2021-09-0628 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep 12 Interview with Howard Andrew JonesAuthor of the recently concluded Ring-Sworn trilogy, editor of the most excellent sword & sorcery magazine Tales of the Magician's Skull, and teacher of a heroic fantasy writing class Oliver recently attended (the next session just opened to registration), Howard Andrew Jones has been a source of inspiration, knowledge, and encouragement for Oliver while our earnest podcast host has worked on his book.
In this conversation they cover a lot of ground about the sword & sorcery genre and writing in general, including Howard's personal definition of S&S, when origin stories are necessary or just tacked on, Robert...2021-08-3057 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep11 Sword and PlanetOliver looks at the risky proposition of mixing some scifi in with his fantasy via the sub-sub-genre known as Sword and Planet, explores S&P and makes some recommendations, then walks you through the thought process that got him to the kind of S&P story he'd like to tell in his Untitled Sword & Sorcery Novel. He also tries to be "a good podcast boy", whatever that is!
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SO I'M WRITING A NOVEL... TWITTER: https://twitter.com...2021-08-2329 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep10 The Red Man And Others w/ Angeline B. Adams & Remco van StratenIn the show's first interview, Oliver speaks with two authors whose work - The Red Man and Others - not only entertained him, it provided him with a great deal of hope for his own novel-in-progress and the future of sword & sorcery in general. Aside from Red Man, they discuss being a couple who also write together, what they like & dislike in author's public presences, the very concept of writing advice, and more.
Buy The Red Man and Others on Amazon in paperback & eBook formats. Doesn't matter what country you're in, you can get it from Amazon...2021-08-1658 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep9 Choosing Seventeen StoriesIn this episode Oliver gets down to the task of choosing exactly what stories are going to go into this short story cycle of a sword & sorcery novel, discusses the importance of order of information, figuring out the word count he wants to aim for and more.
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Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): https://linktr.ee/obrackenbury2021-08-0935 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep8 Language & Race in Speculative FictionOliver gets into universal translators and "The Common Tongue", Robert Howard's prose, reads a few cool paragraphs by Howard and a handful of his S&S contemporaries, gets into writing while not being entirely aware of the precise terminology for the techniques you're using, our old friend racism, and doing your best to avoid the inherent potholes in representing large groups as separate species instead of simply humans with a different culture.
In the listener question segment Oliver answers a request for details on how many short stories will make up Untitled Sword & Sorcery Novel and how...2021-08-0247 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep7 Rereading ”Voe”Okay, NOW I read to you the short story that birthed this novel writing project, "Voe". I'll also explain why I've waited this long, provide commentary on my decision-making while writing "Voe", and discuss how this episode marks an important point in the progress of both podcast & novel.
I will also reveal my greatest strength, which is also my greatest weakness.
In the listener question segment I'll discuss ways I've worked out which idea I want to write when I feel stuck between several, and get into the "Study the Market vs Write What You Wa...2021-07-2653 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep6 The Carrier Bag Theory of FictionIn this episode I share the essay I found that helped me envision the ending of the novel, an almost anti-sword & sorcery essay, The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K Le Guin. First I read it to you (click here if you want to read it yourself), then get into how it helped me see the story I want to tell so much more clearly.
Then in the listener question segment I discuss how I discovered, and was drawn to work with, a remarkable speculative fiction archive, The Merril Collection. In this I promise some...2021-07-1938 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep5 Outlining My OutlineOliver discusses how, after the initial sugar rush of brainstorming for the novel, he stepped back to make several important decisions that would help keep him from getting lost while finishing the outline of the novel, as well as writing the dang novel itself! This involves choosing tense, perspective, primary POV, theme, all that good stuff, as well as discussion of having a healthy attitude toward writing advice, and your own ever-evolving approach to writing.
In the listener question segment he discusses when to call on the services of a story editor, and how he's found the...2021-07-1230 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep4 Compare & Contrast: People of the Black Circle vs Conan the BuccaneerConcerned about just creating a shallow expression of the genre, and wanting to better understand what he likes about sword & sorcery before going further in outlining "Untitled Sword & Sorcery Novel", Oliver compares and contrasts Robert E. Howard's The People of the Black Circle with Lin Carter & L. Sprague De Camp's Conan the Buccaneer to see what he can learn from it. You, dear listener, may wish to read the former (available for free online), but absolutely don't have to in order to enjoy this episode.
In the listener question segment Oliver speaks more about anxieties that have made...2021-07-0547 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep3 Brainstorming StoriesOliver discusses what a short story cycle is in novel form, his initial brainstorming of stories to include in his novel, and reclaiming dry or even dispiriting material from your school days as a source of pleasure later in life.
This episode's listener question comes off of episode two's discussion of protagonists, with Oliver answering in further detail how Norman Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter inspired him, and why he's been drawn to write several protagonists birthed from that inspiration.
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BUY OLIVER'S BOOKS: https://www.o...2021-06-2825 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep2 My ProtagonistOliver shares with you the path he took from being inspired by a famous painting, through to his creating the protagonist of "Untitled Sword & Sorcery Novel", Voe, roughly nine years later. He also answers a listener question about best practices when soliciting and receiving feedback on your work.
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Oliver's Link Tree (For everything else): https://linktr.ee...2021-06-2131 minSo I'm Writing a Novel...Ep1 So, I'm Writing a Novel...Meet host Oliver Brackenbury as he introduces the podcast, himself, and the titular novel "Untitled Sword & Sorcery novel". He also discusses the genre of sword & sorcery, then shares his experience working with an editor on the short story which become the first chapter of the novel.
It can be lonely writing a novel, and Oliver would love some company. Maybe, through the podcast, you'll join him?
Want to see inside The Denim Notebook Oliver mentions, the one where he's outlining the novel? Check out this public blog post over on the show's Patreon!
...2021-06-1434 min
So I'm Writing a Novel...TrailerA brief intro to the host and concept of the show, So, I'm Writing a Novel...
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2021-06-0500 min
Appendix N Book ClubEpisode 96 - August Derleth's "The Mask of Cthulhu" with special guest Oliver BrackenburyOliver Brackenbury joins us to discuss August Derleth's "The Mask of Cthulhu", the Lin Carter Conan stories, competing Appendix N Book Club listener complaints, writing in another author's IP, dem hillbillies who ain't talk too good, being a broke millennial while reading about haunted inheritances, the authorial voice, psychic residue, letting players continue to run their characters during PC possession, the trappings of the Cthulhu mythos, Lovecraft Country, and much more!2021-05-2959 min