***

Recently I had the pleasure of sitting down with Khafre Jay, an artist, educator, and community builder whose work keeps circling back to one core idea: creativity isn’t fluff. It’s a tool for survival, agency, and real-world change.

We covered a lot in 34 minutes (including music, business models, community spaces, and the messy realities of making culture sustainable). (I’ll be sharing another conversation we had back in February soon on the How To Write The Future podcast.)

What I want to share here — especially for my fellow creative writers — is what Khafre kept returning to: make what fits you, make it specific, and make it useful.

Who Khafre Jay is (and why writers should pay attention)

Khafre doesn’t talk about creativity as a vague “follow your dreams” slogan. He talks about it like a strategist.

At one point he described a workshop he created for college students who don’t see themselves reflected in the traditional pipeline:

“It basically centers on taking your identity, your culture, something that you’re passionate about, and trying to imagine that as a job, as a business, as a company… What would that look like…?”

Even if you’re not trying to build a nonprofit or run community programs, that mindset is gold for writers.

Because the same question applies to us:

• What do you care about enough to keep returning to it?
• What do you already do naturally (even when you’re tired)?
• How do you shape that into stories, offers, teaching, or services that actually fit your life?

Khafre’s advice for creatives: start with what you love

When I asked what he would say to a working novelist trying to translate skills into service, Khafre went straight to energy and alignment:

“First off, what skill are you the most excited about? What skill do you love the most? It has to be self-fulfilling.”

Then he added a twist I appreciate because it’s honest:

“I really disagree highly with [‘Do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.’]… I think if you find something you love, [you’ll] work your fingers to the bone if you’re not careful.”

That’s real. Loving something doesn’t magically remove effort. But it does change the emotional math—especially over the long haul.

For writers, this can be a relief. It means you don’t need permission to lean into what you genuinely love (themes, settings, obsessions, questions, subgenres). You can treat that love as data. A compass.

A practical framework writers can borrow

Khafre offered a concrete way to narrow the field when you have many interests:

“Pick the top five things that you like to do and imagine which one you think will be the easiest… take the least amount of input, effort, [and] will be the most rewarding… And do that one first… because really it’s just order of operations.”

Writers often get stuck because we have too many valid paths:

• Which book next?
• Which marketing strategy?
• Which platform?
• Should I teach? freelance? self-publish? query?

This “top five + easiest-rewarding-first” approach isn’t about shrinking your ambition. It’s about reducing friction so you can keep moving.

Niche isn’t a cage. It’s a power move.

Khafre’s examples were vivid (and delightfully weird in the best way). He talked about taking a passion and letting it shape both business and art:

“Some people think of just painting and how do I get out there… Some people think, ‘Hey, I’m going to make my own gallery.’ … It becomes fulfilling.”

And then he brought it directly into storytelling:

“If they like pottery, write a mystery novel about pottery… there’s shards of pottery with little cuneiform codes on it…”

Later he doubled down on the same idea with another example:

“If you’re a novelist and you like knitting… make a crime novel that has to do with yarn… Make a sci-fi space knitting…”

I’m sharing these not because you need to write “space knitting” (though honestly, if you do, please send me the link). I’m sharing them because Khafre’s point is bigger:

• Your specific interests are not distractions.
• They can be the very thing that differentiates your work.
• They can create a demand you didn’t realize existed.

Creativity as resilience (and why it matters right now)

Early in our conversation, Khafre said something that stuck with me:

“Creativity is the only thing that is going to get our minds out of this kind of sleepiness.”

If you’ve been writing (or trying to) in the middle of anxious times, you know what I mean. Sitting down to write can feel like an act of reclaiming.

Creativity doesn’t ignore reality. It gives us language, shape, and meaning-making. And for many of us, it’s one of the few places we can still choose our attention.

One more craft gem: voice through embodiment and repetition

As a writer and teacher, I’m always listening for process details—the “how do you actually do it?” part.

Khafre described a method he uses to write raps while driving: no paper, building line by line, repeating until it locks in. What struck me wasn’t just the memorization—it was how embodied it is. Rhythm, tone, melody, syllables. He said:

“You’re not just writing the words, you’re writing the tones… the syncopation.”

Writers can borrow this by experimenting with:

• Reading scenes out loud (yes, really)
• Repeating a paragraph until the cadence is right
• Letting voice emerge through sound, not just meaning

What I’m taking with me (and what I hope you take too)

Khafre’s overall message to writers is beautifully simple:

“I don’t think anything’s too crazy. [I] just think that we’re crazy to try things that don’t fit us perfectly. It’s a waste of time.”

So here’s your Writer’s Fun Zone invitation, straight from that spirit:

• Name what you love.
• Make your weirdness specific.
• Choose the next step with the best effort-to-reward ratio.
• Build stories (and a creative life) that actually fit you.

That’s not just craft advice. It’s creative strategy.

About Khafre Jay

Khafre Jay is a Bay Area hip-hop educator, organizer, and public health advocate who builds welcoming cultural spaces where people can get on the mic, be heard, and grow.

His work centers on turning creativity into a practical strategy for survival, community care, and leadership, especially for Black youth and other students who’ve been told they don’t “fit” inside traditional systems.

Khafre brings a deep love of rap craft (voice, rhythm, memory, performance) alongside a fierce commitment to making spaces that are rooted in peace, love, unity, and accountability — spaces where people can start, experiment, and get better without being shamed.

Khafre is focused on creating and sustaining Flow Lab: free, consistent, community-based open mic and rap-writing spaces that keep hip-hop culture alive and accessible, and that help artists build real momentum — and real income — over time.

He also hosts a Sunday radio show on KPOO (12-3pm PT) highlighting local Bay Area hip-hop artists, and partners with community organizations to bring hip-hop into public health and family-support spaces.

All the details about his hip-hop events at HipHopForTheFuture.com.

How to support Hip Hop for the Future: (Yes, I am a supporter.)

Hip Hop for the Future Events

FloLab (weekly in Berkeley)

FloLab is a weekly rap-writing contest and open mic cypher focused on building skills, courage, and community. The night begins with an open mic to warm up and encourage people to step up, and then moves into the contest — artists perform what they wrote to the beats and the crowd chooses who advances. The winner takes home a $300 cash prize. Flow Lab is designed to push back on the misconception that rap spaces are automatically harsh or humiliating; the vibe is rooted in support, growth, and cultural respect.

SF Pregnancy Village (monthly in San Francisco)

Khafre Jay partners with SF Pregnancy Village, a community event held on the second Saturday at the Bayview YMCA (Hunters Point, San Francisco). It’s a space for connection, community support, and collaboration with local organizations (including partners like Rafiki Coalition.)

Sunday radio show on KPOO (San Francisco)

Khafre hosts a Sunday hip-hop show on KPOO 89.5 FM (streaming online), featuring three hours of local Bay Area hip-hop artists. It’s a platform for community voices and a way to stay connected to what’s happening right now in the Bay’s music culture.

***

Article by Beth Barany (award-winning science fiction and fantasy novelist, creative entrepreneur, writing coach, creativity coach, writing teacher, and bookish business strategist)

*Note: This post was created with the assistance of Notion’s AI and Canva.

• Get Your Edit Your Novel checklist to go from “What do I do now that my manuscript is done?” to being proud to holding your published novel in your hands! Congrats!
• Take the Creative Business Style Quiz if you’re thinking about starting a bookish business.

The post Creativity as Strategy: Lessons from Khafre Jay appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Uncertain Times: Five Creative Superpowers – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 200

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“What is creativity? Here’s the short of it. For me, creativity is about combining disparate elements, elements we might not even think of putting together. For us, for us as science fiction and fantasy writers, what might this look like? Well, this will be a fusion of tropes and genres and settings and your own personal spin.” – Beth Barany

In the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode titled “Uncertain Times: Five Creative Superpowers” host, Beth Barany shares what creativity means to her and what the five “superpowers” are that writers can use to enhance their writing.

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify| YouTube

***

RESOURCES

JOIN: For fiction writers! You’ve finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?

Join the Future-Ready Writer membership and get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe

FREE: Sign up here to get your World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers

Overwhelmed by world-building for your sci-fi/fantasy novel? Use these prompts to brainstorm your story’s world: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/

SHOP**: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts:** https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74

Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!

FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS

Sign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.

https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/

Support our work for creatives!

Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

About the How To Write the Future podcast 

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers. This podcast is for readers too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

Transcript for episode 200 – Uncertainty: Five Creative Superpowers

Uncertainty and Opportunity 

BETH BARANY: We are living in a deep age of uncertainty. Societal, economic, political. All the rules of the road are shifting fast and have been shifting fast for a while. And it’s all, it’s clear to everyone that we are in a age of uncertainty. 

Here’s the good news. I think that creative people, especially fiction writers, we can bring our creative skill sets into real life for decision making in this time of uncertainty.

And of course, we can really lean into those skills for our writing. 

[00:37] What Creativity Means 

First off, I wanna talk about what is creativity and also welcome you. Welcome to How to Write the Future Podcast. I’m Beth Barany, your host, award-winning science fiction and fantasy writer, podcaster, filmmaker, and writing teacher and creativity trainer.

So what is creativity? Here’s the short of it. For me, creativity is about combining disparate elements. Elements we might not even think of putting together. For us as science fiction and fantasy writers, what might this look like? This will be a fusion of tropes and genres and settings and your own personal spin.

For example, I’ve been writing science fiction mysteries where I’m blending detective tropes using cultural and sociocultural, anthropological look at different groups, and of course, themes of justice. Or I know a writer who’s taking fairytales and using those as inspiration into writing modern day novels with thriller elements.

Those are just a few examples.

Now, today I wanna talk about what are our superpowers or skills that we can use to enhance in our own writing, but also transfer into our daily lives if we want to, to help us handle this age of uncertainty. And today I’m gonna talk about five skills or superpowers.

Five. ’cause we like five. Five is a, five’s a good number. 

[01:59] Skill One: Flow State 

Number one. Core creative skill number one is our ability to flow or to channel. No matter the stage you’re in, whether you’re drafting, editing, or planning your story, there is an element of listening. Listening to something we don’t even know what, and then capturing that on the page. That listening, that being in the flow, being connected to the ideas and putting them on the page, that is an amazing skill.

So how can you use that in your daily life to make decisions? Are you listening to what is coming in? Just like the way you listen when you are writing your stories.

[02:38] Skill Two Many Options 

Core creative skill number two. This is about knowing how to generate lots of possibilities and then choosing the one we’re gonna use. And this shows up at any stage of the creative process, whether you are designing your story, planning it, plotting it, you are choosing amongst many ideas and you’re putting that down. Whether it’s editing, picking the best word, or maybe changing a scene a little bit and deciding what your characters are gonna say, or maybe even changing the motivation for your character, or maybe even changing the setting or adding more details or changing the telling detail.

We are making a choice at every moment when we’re creating stories. This is an amazing muscle that we have built, maybe without even realizing it. And then when you are choosing this word or that, this plot point or that plot point, this story structure or that story structure. Where to end a scene, where to start a scene. What lets you know that you are making the right decision?

[03:37] Somatic Compass and Titles 

I have a personal somatic compass. Somatic meaning the body. I feel it in my body a certain way, a certain zing, a certain kind of energy that goes through me. Or sometimes it’s a relaxation, a way I take a deep breath when I’ve settled on an idea that just feels right. So what is your somatic compass? How do you know that your decision, out of all the possibilities, feels right?

And here’s a, an example that actually happened to me for one of my books in my Janey McCallister mystery series Book two. It’s called Lured by Light, but it took over 60 brainstorming options with my book concept designer to figure out which was the best one. 

We had some parameters. It needed to have a color. It needed to be two or three words. It needed to feel in alignment with the other three titles that had already been chosen. And we both needed to be excited about it. And Ezra, my husband, was there and he was listening to us as we were brainstorming, and he was responding also to all these titles that we were coming up with. And he too had a really positive response to the one we finally landed on, which is Lured By Light because picking a title, it’s a marketing tool. It needs to convey emotion, it needs to have intrigue, and it needs to feel in alignment with your genre. This was a process. It took us maybe an hour, I don’t even remember.

This was an example of generating lots of ideas and then choosing and using our bodies, and not just mine, but my cover design concept artist and my husband, who’s also a writer together, we are figuring this out. Titles are really a group exercise because it’s for the reader. It’s for many readers.

All right, so that’s core creative skill number two. Being able to generate a lot of possibilities and then choosing which is the best one. 

As I said, core creative skill number one is about flow channeling, really listening to the idea and then capturing it.

[05:36] Skill Three: What If 

So let’s move on to core creative skill number three. This is your ability to say what if. Writers, we are using what if all the time to build our story ideas, to build our scenarios. I don’t know about you, but I come up with lots of what ifs before I land on a story idea that I really love. One of my stories was inspired by two different images on the wall.

One was an image of a street scene of Paris, and one was an image of a dragon, a beautiful drawing, like out of a fantasy novel. So I asked myself, what if there was a dragon in Paris? And that was one of my stories. And I knew immediately it would be perfect for the series that I was writing at the time, which was paranormal and set in different parts of France.

Now, how does this apply to you in the real world? In, in the real world. IRL, in your walking around world, when you’re not writing?

You could even use it to help yourself come up with different ideas to challenges that you’ve never seen before.

Because yeah, with all this uncertainty, that means we’re gonna be presented with scenarios we have never seen before.

So we could ask ourselves, well, what if I did this instead of that? Or, what if this could happen? Or what if that could happen in the different areas of our life, be it about work or money or lifestyle or relationships.

So remember your what if tool as a story writer and practice it in your daily life. 

[07:00] Skill Four Commit Anyway 

Here is the fourth core creative skill. And this is about commitment, despite incomplete information. When we’re writing a story, whether you’re planning it, writing it, or editing it, I don’t know about you, but it always feels like I could be making it better.

Or if I just did a little bit more research, it would be whizzbang way more interesting. But at some point I have to stop and I have to let the story go. So I just trust in myself and I am committed to the process. And I know that even though I don’t know everything, the story is doing its job. I know enough. I don’t know if you would consider this a superpower, but I do because when we show up to write every day and work on our stories or on a regular basis, however you show up, we are operating off of incomplete information. And yet we are still committed to writing our stories.

How does this apply to you in daily life?

There’s a lot of times we are faced with decisions, needing to make a decision, and we don’t have all the information, but we need to commit and make a choice and move on.

So think about how you already are committed to your creative work and how that kind of commitment and trust in going forward and taking step after step can show up in your daily life.

[08:16] Skill Five: Evoke Empathy 

And lastly, number five. Our core creative skill number five is about evoking emotion. Novelists, our job in fiction is to evoke emotion. And by the way, all art, I believe that’s their job, is to evoke emotion. Well, when we evoke emotion in our audience, that emotion leads to empathy because our job is to help our readers step into another person’s life and experience it through their eyes. And have an emotional roller coaster and do it in a way that feels seamless and organic and really earned. And it’s very powerful when done well.

So I believe that us as creative writers, writing science fiction and fantasy and all genres, actually, our job is to really enhance human’s ability to feel for other kinds of people who are different than them. And when we write in a different point of view from our own, we also build empathy in our own, in ourself, and we expand what is possible for ourselves.

So writing fiction really builds empathy for the reader and for the writer. Now there’s a lot of things we can do with this skillset. We can put complicated ideas into our stories and let the readers feel and learn about the different angles and come to their own choice. We can show compassion for people and times that aren’t, maybe in the mainstream or even aren’t considered normalized in today’s culture, and we can expand people’s hearts through our art. 

[09:50] Five Skills Recap 

So those are my five skills or super powers. These five core creative skills. 

Number one, this ability to flow, listen to our creative idea and write it down. 

Number two is to generate lots and lots of possibilities, and then choose the one that feels right using your somatic compass, your body.

Number three is using the What If scenario building of course in our stories, but also in our real life to open up the possibilities, give us more choices. 

Number four is about commitment, follow through. The step-by-step work we do to write, especially write long form, write novels and still trust that this is turning into something.

And number five is really this, writing, building empathy. We are building empathy through our stories for ourselves and for others.

All right, those are my five points on your creative superpowers. 

[10:44] Final Encouragement 

In this age of uncertainty, I believe in you. The world needs your stories. All right. That’s it for this week, everyone.

Write long and prosper. 

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061 

Need instructions on how to leave a review? Go here.

***

Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

***

ABOUT BETH BARANY 

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

CONNECT

Contact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580

Email: beth@bethbarany.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/

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CREDITS

• EDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA (Refer-a-Friend link)
• MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/fuzz-buzz License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. “Fuzz buzz” by Soundroll. Commercial license: https://musicvine.com/track/soundroll/fuzz-buzz.
• DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465 (Refer-a-Friend link)
• SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
• SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c 2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

For more “How To Write the Future” episodes, go here.

If you’d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note here.

Like the work we do? Tip us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

The post Uncertain Times: Five Creative Superpowers appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

***

Copyright Ownership When You Work Alone

Copyright ownership is easy when you work alone:

You’re the sole author, so you have 100% ownership of everything you create.

But what if you decide to collaborate with someone?

What if you hire a ghostwriter?

What if you contribute to a collection of works? 

Who owns the copyright then?

Co-Authoring and Joint Ownership

Let’s examine each of these scenarios to find out who owns the copyright:

If you want to create something with someone (e.g., co-author a book), you are considered joint owners.

Both of you share copyright ownership equally.

If there are more than two authors, everyone still has an equal share.

But an interesting point about co-ownership: 

You only need your co-author’s permission to grant an exclusive license to your work.

If you want to give a nonexclusive license (i.e., multiple people can have rights to the work), the permission of all authors is not required.

That said, you still must account to your co-authors for any money made from these nonexclusive licenses, and you should really think about how this will impact your relationship before you move on this.

Hiring Someone to Create Work (Work for Hire)

Hiring someone to make something for you is a different story.

This would fall under the “work for hire” doctrine, which states that the copyright belongs to the person who commissioned the work, not to the employee who actually performed it.

But if the person is not a literal employee, then there is a question of whether the work-for-hire doctrine applies.

To be safe, you should always have a written agreement stating who is the author and who owns the copyright (you’d think those are the same thing, but they’re actually not.)

Contributing to a Compilation

Contributing to a compilation (e.g., a collection of essays or short stories being published together) raises some questions.

Generally, you own the copyright to your contribution, and you’re granting a license to the editor or publisher, but there are some scenarios where this is considered work for hire.

When in doubt, look at the contract. (Hint: if you don’t see a formal contract, look at the terms for submission.)

Questions About Copyright Ownership

If you have questions about who owns the copyright after a collaboration, hire situation, or another scenario not mentioned here, feel free to contact me at kaway@kawaylaw.com.

***

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***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelley Way was born and raised in Walnut Creek, California. She graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. in English, followed by a Juris Doctorate. Kelley is a member of the California Bar, and an aspiring writer of young adult fantasy novels. More information at kawaylaw.com.

The post Who Owns the Copyright? What Happens When You Collaborate or Hire Out by Kelley Way appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Use Divination Cards to Spark Stories – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 199

*****

“If you need help with ideas, if you want to play with randomness, to inspire you, to jumpstart your creativity, to come up with new ideas that you wouldn’t have ordinarily thought of.” – Beth Barany

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Use Divination Cards to Spark Stories,” host Beth Barany shares her personal journey with Tarot, plus how you can use Tarot and the Mythulu Desk for your science fiction and fantasy stories. Discover practical tips for writers, including how to develop your characters using these decks.

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify| YouTube

RESOURCES 

JOIN: For fiction writers! You’ve finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?

Join the Future-Ready Writer membership and get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe

FREE: Sign up here to get your World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers

Overwhelmed by world-building for your sci-fi/fantasy novel? Use these prompts to brainstorm your story’s world: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/

SHOP**: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts:** https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74

Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!

FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS

Sign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.

https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/

Support our work for creatives!

Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

About the How To Write the Future podcast 

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers. This podcast is for readers too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

Transcript for episode 199 – Use Divination Cards to Spark Stories 

Introduction 

BETH BARANY: Hey, everyone. Beth Barany here with How to Write The Future podcast. I am a science fiction and fantasy writer, and at heart, I have always, always, always loved magic since I was a girl. And I wanted to be magic. I might’ve mentioned that in one of the previous podcasts. 

[00:19] The Intersection of Tarot and Writing 

And recently, a fellow writer asked me if I would talk about tarot or tarot and writing. And what’s so funny is I sat down to write a book about tarot and writing, gosh, 20 years ago. But instead, what came out of me, because I am so process-oriented, what came out of me was my book, The Writer’s Adventure Guide, which is basically the hero’s journey as applied to writing. 

[00:44] Personal Journey with Tarot 

It’s a self-coaching guide for writers. And even though I’ve been doing tarot since my early twenties, actually, no, I think I started when I was 19. And I was even a professional tarot reader for a moment in my thirties. I went off in this other direction as a writer, as a, as a writing teacher. I went towards structure. I went towards how to overcome writer’s block, and here we are. I now fast forward, you know, 20 plus years later, I’ve got this question about using tarot and writing. And for me, it was like the most obvious thing. Why do I need to talk about this? There are so many books out there.

There’s even wonderful, um, at least one resource that I know, written by someone on how to use tarot specifically for your writing. It’s awesome. I love it. There’s so many resources out there. 

[01:29] Using Tarot and Mythulu Deck for Writing 

I actually don’t use tarot much anymore for my writing. I use the Mythulu deck, but I used to use the Tarot deck, and I love the Crowley Thoth deck. That was my favorite Crowley designed by Lady Frieda Harris. And there’s so many decks out there, I have many decks here at home. 

So, how do you use tarot cards or the Mythulu deck or any divination card for your writing?

So I’m gonna give you some quick tips today and invite you to play with these tools if you need them. And maybe I should address why do people need them?

Well, you only need them if you are stuck. If you need help with ideas, if you wanna play with randomness, to inspire you, to jumpstart your creativity, to come up with new ideas that you wouldn’t have ordinarily thought of. 

That’s why I love the Mythulu deck so much, is because it isn’t based on any system like tarot is based on a, a very old system that has come down through the ages and has has offered many archetypes to us throughout the ages. 

And if you’re trying to write something new, then I really point you toward the Mythulu deck, because that is more random. It has all kinds of beautiful art on it, and it’s not based on an archetypal system, although it includes many archetypes in there. Uh, so the reason for choosing cards is when you are stuck. 

[02:56] Practical Tips for Writers

Uh, how do you use these decks? Any deck that you use, I highly recommend that you go to them with a question.

So you ask a question like: What could be this character’s motivation? What do they fear the most? What might happen next? What is the worst thing that could happen to them next? 

[03:16] Character Development with Cards 

I often use it to do deep dives into character. So I want to know what drives them and then what drives them below that, so I might start with one card and say, what drives them to behave like this? Or what is the reason they would say yes to this incident? Or what other way could it be?

Broad open-ended questions. So, I encourage you to play with these tools when you are stuck, and you could even do it in groups.

It’s fun to hear what other people think of those cards. 

Another way you can use cards, and this comes from traditional tarots where you have a standard layout. 

[03:52] Story Structure and Card Spreads 

And actually, I used cards like this years ago when I was learning story structure as I laid out, for example, five cards for the five parts of a story, like the Inciting Incident, the rising Action, the Crisis, the Climax, the Resolution. 

So that’s just five. That’s a five-point story structure inspired by Story Grid, Shawn Coyne’s book, Story Grid, that I use a lot to think about a scene and a story.

So that again is the inciting incident, uh, rising action, which is actually rising conflict, more things becoming difficult. That’s number two. 

Number three is the crisis, which is often the form of a question where the protagonist has to make a choice. This way or that way. They can’t have it both ways. They have to choose. 

And then the climax, which is the protagonist choosing, and then the resolution. How do they feel afterwards?

So you could pull a card for each one of these and see how they spark inside of you, the story that you have in mind. That’s one way to use it. 

[04:54] A Character’s Secrets, Role, Desire 

Another way to use it is character development. You could think about: What is my character’s outward role in the world? That’s one card.

The next card is: What is their secret face? The secret face they only show themself. 

What is a secret in their past? Put that on the left-hand side.

And then on the right: What is it they desire? 

So that’s a four-card spread, for example.

So if you would like more ideas on card spreads and how to use divination cards, let me know.

[05:24] Conclusion and Call to Action

This is just a short episode on using divination cards and writing, and writing your stories. I’m eager to hear from you.

If you would like any further resources, let me know.

That’s it for this week, everyone. Write long and prosper. 

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061 

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***

Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

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ABOUT BETH BARANY 

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

CONNECT

Contact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580

Email: beth@bethbarany.com

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CREDITS 

• EDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA (Refer-a-Friend link)
• MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/fuzz-buzz License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. “Fuzz buzz” by Soundroll. Commercial license: https://musicvine.com/track/soundroll/fuzz-buzz.
• DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465 (Refer-a-Friend link)
• SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
• SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

For more “How To Write the Future” episodes, go here.

If you’d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note here.

Like the work we do? Tip us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

The post Use Divination Cards to Spark Stories appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

***

“The primary benefit of practicing any art, whether well or badly, is that it enables one’s soul to grow.” — Kurt Vonnegut Jr., American author

Art Came Before Agriculture

On a recent trip to the Smithsonian in DC, I discovered this timeline —

100,000 years ago, modern humans made specific tools for fishing and capturing dangerous prey.

About 60,000 years later, humans created paintings and figurines; art.

After 30,000 years of decorating the cave, humans got around to domesticating plants and animals.

First, meat to give our growing brains more protein, next make art, and after that grow wheat to make crackers to serve at the next gallery/cave opening.

Cave art can be carbon-dated, but we can conjecture that even before cave art, 60,000 years ago, humans were decorating wood and cloth, singing, telling stories, creating and sharing dances, all of it necessary to build community, pass along traditions, and make sense of the world.

As humans, we want and need meaning so much that we make it ourselves.

We all are artists. 

And you share that impulse.

“But I’m Not Artistic…”

But you protest, I was an accountant!

My profession does not welcome creative interpretation. 

Until yesterday, I didn’t know what the A in STEAM stood for.

How can I change my life with art if I can’t do art?

Remember How You Played

Recall the spontaneous activities you did as a kid.

Did you play outside?

There is an entire generation that still remembers going outside to play.

And what did we play?

Mostly activities that risked mortal injury: cobbling together weapons from stones, branches, and string — concocting soup from dirt and leaves (and if you convinced your brother to drink the soup, you were management material).

We made things. 

We made up games.

Even children inclined to stay indoors (the next generation) invented or explored.

My children built a working trebuchet in the living room and leveraged that skill to build a giant slingshot to fly cans over the neighbor’s house to the street beyond.

Good times.

From Career Back to Play

After you’ve spent a successful marketing career convincing people to drink dirt soup, what is the second phase?

If your play became your career, walk it back from the career back to the play.

Reclaiming Your Creative Energy

We can resurrect an art from our past in a new way (like playing the ukulele instead of the guitar or piano).

Or we can go big and take all the energy and enthusiasm of our youth and reapply it.

Why not?

Answering the Call to Art

A good life goal is to wake to the call of your art.

You ignore the ache in your lower back, that funny clicking sound from your knees, and hobble to your work — your art.

Working towards a large purpose, the zone, flow, creates beauty.

Your face glows with creation.

All those minor irritations that drove former conversations?

Gone with every step you take towards creating something bigger than yourself.

When you are interested, the world responds by becoming more interesting.

Embrace Imperfect Beginnings

Embrace the fact that all first attempts will be bad.

You’ll throw out a lot of failed glass jewelry, or paintings, or shitty first drafts (thank you, Ann Lamott).

Tossing out all those first artistic attempts can be more difficult than it sounds.

Your instincts scream, don’t ruin a perfectly good canvas with your beginning paint splashes.

Don’t tarnish that beautiful notebook with a clunky poem.

You worry about “wasting” propane and electricity to create a sculpture that looks nothing like the vision in your head.

Yet, if you don’t use your materials, how will you justify their purchase?

How will you justify buying more?  

Start Small, Build the Habit

Take a deep breath, pick up the pen, and start.

Work for 15 minutes, or as long as it takes to finish that first cup of coffee.

Done.

You may now go on with your day.

Remember, you are building a habit, and you just accomplished that first step.

Review, Reflect, Repeat

Return to the studio (at first, the dining room table) the next day.

Review the work: Blue on the canvas?

A better word in the poem?

Start completely over?

All legitimate responses and all reasonable as you evaluate and learn.

Finding Value in “Failed” Work

After a week of learning, stop.

How wet is that canvas?

How many cross out words in the poem?

Is the golden-edged journal ruined?

Good.

Yet, maybe that first painting is not as hopeless as you thought.

What colors did you use?

Why?

Is there a movement or moment in the painting that absolutely sings but can’t come through because of its dysfunctional surroundings?

Did you write an awkward sonnet as an experiment?

Great!

Is there a line in that poem that stuns you with its truth to power?

Is there a repeatable metaphor?

Did you line up a single weld that will shape nicely into a stunning arch?

Save What Works

In the review of your “failed” art piece, remove the great line, the perfect swoosh, the newly invented color, and save them in an inspiration file or box.

What gave you joy? 

What have you discovered that is worth repeating?

The more comfortable you become with experiments and with making art that doesn’t work at all, the easier it will be to try new things.

Save the pieces you like for later inspiration.

As you progress and work, your own art will feed the generative process.

You will become your own inspiration.

You Are an Artist

The successful day is one where you worked on your art.

Or played in the studio.

Or connected the green dot to the yellow dot.

Say, today I am an artist because I’m holding a pen, brush, harp.

Making art makes you a member of the (somewhat dubious) artist club.

Enjoy.

Learn More

Learn more in my new book — Take Up Space — Art is Your Second Act.

www.catharine-bramkamp.com

***

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catharine Bramkamp is a successful writing coach, Chief Storytelling Officer, former co-producer of Newbie Writers Podcast, and author of a dozen books including the Real Estate Diva Mysteries series, and The Future Girls series. She holds two degrees in English and is an adjunct university professor. After fracturing her wrist, she has figured out there is very little she is able to do with one hand tied behind her back. She delights in inspiring her readers.

The post But I’m Not Artistic by Catharine Bramkamp appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

***

As we wrap up this article series on the eight habits of mind writers can use to strengthen their creative practices, we’re going to focus on one of my favorite habits.

This habit acts like a golden thread that ties all the others together.

You can practice it on its own and pair it with the other mindset shifts we’ve explored to turbocharge their effectiveness.

The final habit on our list is metacognition.

What is Metacognition?

Many of the mental habits we’ve talked about are pretty obvious-sounding: creativity.

Curiosity.

Persistence.

All important tools to have in your writer’s toolbox!

Fewer people are familiar with the idea of metacognition.

It refers to the ability to think about your own thinking.

That might not clear things up all that much, but you might be surprised by how often you’re already practicing this skill!

Do you practice mindfulness meditation? 

Do you write Morning Pages?

Do you keep a journal?

Those are all forms of metacognition, because they allow you to reflect on what you think, how you think, and why you think that way.

The Framework for Success on which this article series is based further defines metacognition as a practice of reflecting on “the individual and cultural processes used to structure knowledge.”

This type of metacognition might look like gathering several books in your genre and analyzing them, or assessing your own writing practices — what works?

What doesn’t?

Metacognition enables us, as writers, to be intentional about our thoughts and actions.

It helps us recognize patterns, adjust our mindset, and improve our writing more quickly.

How Do Writers Practice Metacognition?

Working on metacognition is essential for writers.

As mentioned above, metacognition is something you can practice on its own or in conjunction with another one of the habits we’ve already talked about.

Keeping a daily journal or writing Morning Pages is a great way to start working on metacognition by itself.

Focus on writing about your thoughts.

What do you notice about how you think? 

What patterns show up after you’ve been tracking and reflecting on your thinking for a few days?

The more familiar you get with your thoughts, the quicker you will catch mindset gremlins like impostor syndrome, procrastination, and distraction.

You’ll start to recognize the thought patterns that derail your writing before the train is completely off the tracks, and take back the power to direct your thoughts where you’d like them to go (ideally, to your writing!).

Pairing metacognition with another habit of mind is a way to turbocharge both of them.

In the previous article in this series, we explored flexibility as a habit of mind.

Flexibility is about responding to changing circumstances, seeking alternate paths to your goals, and adjusting your perspective when you need to.

How do you know if you’re doing those things? 

Metacognition!

The next time a situation arises that requires some flexibility, you can also practice metacognition.

Notice what you’re thinking during that situation — are you feeling frustrated and reactive, or open and adaptable?

What thought patterns are keeping you stuck, and which mindset shifts help you move toward flexibility?

Metacognition combined with other habits of mind can help you build new mental skills and recognize the progress you’re making.

Metacognitive Activities for Writers

Cultivating your ability to think about your own thinking and to assess your writing practices can help you level up your skills and confidence.

The goal of metacognitive work isn’t to navel-gaze, but to get intentional about your thoughts.

A limited or self-defeating mindset won’t change unless you recognize what’s going on and take steps toward shifting it.

Metacognition is your power tool for making that change.

As you gain insights into your habitual ways of thinking, you can make conscious decisions about what you want to adjust and how you want to pair metacognition with the other habits of mind.

You can start simply. 

Reflection questions are a great way to prompt metacognition, especially as part of a journaling practice.

• What do I notice about my internal dialogue, especially when it comes to my writing?
• How do I think/talk to myself when I am facing a writing challenge?
• What influences my thinking?
• What choices am I making in my writing? Why?

Starting to practice metacognition will help you identify areas of your writing practice where you might want to focus on growth, self-kindness, and increased engagement.

The following activities address the different elements of metacognition.

The first focuses on assessing your own thinking and behaviors, and the second looks more closely at context and external influences.

Perform a Practice Analysis

A great metacognitive activity for writers is to analyze your writing practices.

Many of us build our writing practices by default — based on common pieces of writing advice we hear all the time (“write every day”) or the habits we built in school (waiting until there’s a deadline and then rushing to cram in all the writing at once).

We don’t often stop to audit our writing practices or think about how they could be improved.

Taking some time to do this analysis is a powerful metacognitive activity that can transform your approach to writing.

All it takes is time and a willingness to be honest with yourself.

Here are some questions you can ask as part of this analysis.

• What does your writing practice look like right now? How often are you writing? How much writing do you get done?
• How do you feel about your writing practice right now? What emotions come up when you think about sitting down to write?
• Why does your writing practice look this way? What past experiences or advice are you drawing on?
• Does your writing practice feel effective? Why or why not?
• What’s working really well? What is holding you back?
• How might you want to change your writing practice going forward?

Take some time to dig into what’s going on under the hood of your writing practice.

Bring your assumptions and unstated beliefs about writing to the surface and examine them in the clear light of day.

Which of those beliefs supports you?

Which ones come with baggage attached?

As you reflect on your writing practice, you can give yourself permission to imagine new ways of writing that best serve your creativity and your energy.

Become a Genre Detective

Another important aspect of metacognition is understanding how writing works in different contexts — what processes, outcomes, and expectations are attached to writing short stories vs. epic fantasy, or science fiction vs. scientific communication?

Reflecting on elements like genre conventions, common tropes, publishing trends, and audience expectations can help you make deliberate choices about your approach to writing and publishing.

Becoming a genre detective is one way to practice this form of metacognition, and it can be a lot of fun!

Here’s how it can work:

Go to your local library and check out three to five books in the genre you write most frequently. (If nothing else, this activity is a great excuse to visit your library!)

Read and analyze those books, focusing on elements like:

• Structure and format—what do they have in common? What do they do differently from one another?
• Genre conventions and tropes—what do you notice about themes, settings, characters, or approaches to writing? Who adheres to the conventions and who upends them? Why?
• Publishing trends—when were the books released? How are they similar to other books released around the same time? What changed over time? Think about elements like cover art, blurbs, topics, genres and subgenres.
• Audience expectations—were the books well-received by readers? What types of reviews did they get? What common themes do you notice in positive and negative reviews?

This type of metacognitive work is about deepening your understanding of the broader context you’re writing in and what makes writing successful or unsuccessful in your genre.

As you build your library of genre knowledge, you will also sharpen your ability to make decisions about your writing practice, how you want to improve your craft, and the publishing opportunities you pursue.

Metacognition is a powerful tool!

Reading Recommendations

• Creative Acts for Curious People (affiliate link)

• How to Think More and Better (affiliate link)

• Sit with Me: A No-BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation (affiliate link)

• Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing

***

About the Author

Dr. Bailey Lang is a book coach, writer, and editor.

At The Writing Desk, she helps authors build sustainable, enjoyable writing practices that take their books from draft to done.

Bailey has a PhD in rhetoric and writing studies and loves geeking out about writing.

You can sign up for Bailey’s free newsletter, Word to the Wise, for more writing advice and regular author interviews.

Website

Newsletter

The post Habit of Mind: Metacognition by Bailey Lang appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Beginning, Middle, End — And Mess – How To Write the future podcast, episode 198

***

“Life is messy. Life is unpredictable, and so is creating. Make room for that. Create compassion.” – Beth Barany

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Beginning, Middle, End — And Mess” host Beth Barany shares why embracing the mess in creativity can have powerful results.

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify| YouTube

RESOURCES

GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING – START HERE

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Support our work for creatives!

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GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING – START HERE

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GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

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About the How To Write the Future podcast

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers. This podcast is for readers too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

Transcript for episode 198 – Beginning, Middle, End — And Mess

Introduction and Personal Anecdote 

BETH BARANY: Mr. Rogers changed his shoes. I changed my glasses. Hi everyone. 

[00:10] Understanding Story Structure

Today, I wanted to talk about how working on a book is not a one-size-fits-all operation. It’s highly tailored, highly customized to you, and that can look all kinds of ways. For me, I didn’t really understand what plot meant, but over the years, I’ve come to understand what people want it to mean.

But what I prefer is the word structure. 

To me, writing a novel is like building a house. There’s structure to it. There’s foundational work, there’s scaffolding work, there’s filling in the details. And then making sure it is a great experience for the people who are going to live in the house. 

For the people who are gonna read your book, you wanna make sure they have a wonderful experience.

Well, that comes toward the end with the massaging of the words, but also, you think about them at the very beginning. When you think about, well, what kind of story do people wanna have? Just like you think about what kind of house do you wanna live in or do you wanna create for someone else to live in?

So story is to me a very structural process, and if you don’t know story structure, then it can be very challenging to understand what is meant by beginning, middle, and end, which is the most basic structure. There are a lot of different kinds of stories in the world that we have read, seen, and heard all our life.

So I wanna say pay attention to story structure and pay attention to beginnings, middles, and ends of the kinds of stories that you like and the kinds of stories that you want to write. 

[01:46] Tailoring Your Writing Process 

I’m gonna give some examples, and, but first I also wanna talk about what are some of the other things that are tailored to you in this writing process. And then I also wanna talk about being messy. So when you write, what time of day you write is specific to you. There’s no one right way. Some people are morning writers, some people are nighttime writers. I, myself, am mostly an afternoon writer, early afternoon too, not too late.

I like to write just after lunch, ideally for fiction. I do other writings at other times of day. I tend not to do creative work after about three or four o’clock,

What’s important is that you honor when is your highest, creative time and you give that to yourself. 

[02:33] Embracing Messiness in Creativity

Lastly, I wanna talk about messiness. Here I was talking about structure, and now I’m gonna talk about messiness because part of being creative is trying new things, and that’s gonna look every which way. You will not know how something will come out. And that is beautiful. The mystery of being creative is multiple. We don’t know where ideas come from. We don’t really understand how we are this way. I mean, we could point to our training and our upbringing and and all that kind of thing, but we don’t really truly understand how it all works. 

Life is a mystery, and that is such a beautiful thing. So that means that your first drafts are gonna be messy. That is the nature of creation from a human standpoint. And even if you look at nature, of which we are a part, just like my cat, who, if you’re watching the video, you might see his tail pop up in the video.

We need to leave room for the mystery and for the mess. It’s only toward the ending parts of cleaning up a story that things in my stories start to look neat and nice and tidy and powerful and amazing. There’s a lot of mess in the creative process. 

Life is messy. Life is unpredictable, and so is creating. Make room for that. Create compassion. What I would love for you is to make friends with the messiness, make friends with the best time of day for you. 

[03:54] Conclusion and Final Thoughts

And when I work with clients in my one-on-one programs, they’re not specific programs. there’s not a map. I mean, there is a map to follow, but it’s very tailored to you, to the client.

So remember: story structure, messiness, compassion.

Alright, everyone, that’s it for this week. Write long and prosper. 

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061 

Need instructions on how to leave a review? Go here.

***

Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

***

ABOUT BETH BARANY 

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

CONNECT

Contact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580

Email: beth@bethbarany.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethbarany/

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethbarany/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bethbarany

X: https://twitter.com/BethBarany

CREDITS

• EDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA (Refer-a-Friend link)
• MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/fuzz-buzz License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. “Fuzz buzz” by Soundroll. Commercial license: https://musicvine.com/track/soundroll/fuzz-buzz.
• DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465 (Refer-a-Friend link)
• SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
• SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c 2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

For more “How To Write the Future” episodes, go here.

If you’d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note here.

Like the work we do? Tip us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

The post Beginning, Middle, End — And Mess appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

***

If you’d like to be considered for an interview, check out our guidelines here.

***

About Catharine Bramkamp

Catharine is a world traveler, poet, and belly dancer.

In her spare time, she serves as a writing coach and workshop facilitator.

She has authored 30 fiction, non-fiction, and poetry books.

She is busy exploring all kinds of art, including outlets in which she has no talent.

But it’s fun.

On to Our Interview!

Q. Tell us who you are and what inspires you to write

A. I’m Catharine Bramkamp, a lifelong writer.

What inspires me the most is listening to people talk about their frustrations with art or writing, and from there, I create books to help.

Q. How did you get to this place in your life? Share your story!

A. Like so many writers I worked real jobs all my life from fundraising to non-profit projects, to event planning.

I use those skills in my volunteer work, which is very satisfying, but now that I’m retired, I can devote much of my time to creating books and helping others create theirs.

Q. What are you most passionate about?

A. I am passionate about the arts, in a time when budgets are being cut, libraries are under threat, books being banned, it’s critical we pay attention and help support and spread the arts.

Think of reading, all alone, with no supporting electronics, it’s practically an act of rebellion, sometimes an act of courage.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process, routine, and/or rituals around your writing?

A. I write best in the morning.

I work hard to protect that time, saving calls and committee work for the late afternoon (when there is compensating wine).

It’s hard to schedule the time to do your art.

In my book Take Up Space, I address that very challenge with ideas on how to protect your time as well as how to look busier.

One of the challenges with art and writing, is we spend a lot of time staring out the window.

Some people do not consider that work.

It’s work.

Q. What are a few challenges you faced in creating, marketing, or publishing your creative work? And your solutions to them.

A. AHHHHH Marketing and publishing is an artist’s least favorite activity.

We have little choice to market and get our books out into the world, but it can be a heavy lift.

Some solutions to that lift are:

Find outlets you can control — like scheduling a group of blogs on Substack, or scheduling on Instagram.

So you can batch your work and your output during a time when you aren’t concentrating on your work.

If you can afford a social media scheduling program like Missing Leter (the t is missing, get it?), that can help streamline that output.

I use Facebook and by default, Instagram.

And I’m on Substack — Art Expands the Universe, and I’m very grateful to both subscribers.

I do like in-person connections with potential readers: conferences, speaking engagements, and podcasts.

Do what you enjoy, and just leave the rest.

Q. What do you wish you had known before you started writing fiction?

A. Fiction is hard!

You must be very clear about your work, where you work is going, what your characters have to say.

One thing I learned is that when a strong character comes to me, I can write what she says, almost take dictation, and the story flows far better.

I am a character-driven writer, and knowing that makes the work so much easier.

Some writers need the plot all laid out; that works too.

Others just blurt out the whole book onto the page and fixes things later, that’s more my process as well.

Writing may not make you rich; in fact it probably won’t.

But aren’t you having fun doing it?

Q. What’s next for you in your creative work?

A. My next project is creating a long apocalyptic poem loosely based on the Odyssey.

It is one of those impossible, enormous projects that will likely outlive me.

And that is a glorious thought.

Our huge projects keep us up at night, color our dreams and lead us to all sorts of adventures as we pursue our art.

That is the win.

Q. Is there anything else you wished I’d asked? Please share!

A. Thank you for publishing my blogs every month.

It’s a pleasure and an honor to be featured in Writer’s Fun Zone!

Take Up Space: Art is Your Second Act by Catharine Bramkamp

A guide to living creatively, vibrantly, and unapologetically after fifty.

What if your best years — your most creative, passionate, fulfilling years —  are just beginning?

Inspired by Jenny Joseph’s iconic poem “When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple,” Take Up Space invites you to turn joyful rebellion into lasting self-expression.

Whether you paint, dance, garden, write, or dress like the masterpiece you are, art can become your path to meaning, vitality, and connection.

This book is for anyone ready to:

• Reinvent life after 50 through creativity and self-expression.
• Stay mentally sharp, physically active, and joyfully engaged.
• Build community through shared artistic adventures.
• Turn small moments into daily acts of creation.

With warmth, humor, and practical guidance, author Catharine Bramkamp shows that making art — in any form — keeps you active, connected, and alive to life’s joys and possibilities.

It’s time to stop shrinking back and start showing up.

Pick up a brush, a pen, or your favorite red hat  — and take up space.

Connect with Catharine Bramkamp

Site Link www.catharine-Bramkamp.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/catharine.bramkamp

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/catharinebramkamp

Instagram cbramkamp

The post Q&A with Catharine Bramkamp appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Business Advice Creatives Can Actually Use – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 197

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“Traditionally, at least for the last 200 years, there’s been a cultural divide between being in business and being a creative, which is born out of a lot of images of the starving artist and really different movements that thought being an artist is totally different from being in business.” – Beth Barany

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode titled “Business Advice Creatives Can Actually Use” host Beth Barany shares business advice for creative entrepreneurs and creative writers. From pitching your work, filtering advice that suits you, as well as Beth sharing an early business struggle of hers, this episode will inspire you to get creative in your marketing.

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify| YouTube

RESOURCES 

FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS

Sign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.

https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/

Risk Taking Without Desperation: Write From Trust

https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2026/03/02/risk-taking-without-desperation-write-from-trust/

Support our work for creatives!

Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING – START HERE

Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/

GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

About the How To Write the Future podcast

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers. This podcast is for readers, too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

Transcript for episode 197 – Business Advice Creatives Can Actually Use

Business Advice Disclaimer 

BETH BARANY: Hi everyone. You are not a one-size-fits-all person, and nor should the advice that you bring in. If you feel like this advice doesn’t fit you, then throw it out. Today I wanna talk about business advice for creative entrepreneurs and creative writers. I understand creative writers, you may not think of yourself as a business, and that is totally okay, but if you wanna be publishing your books, then you need to be understanding some of the elements of business.

And if the word business makes you cringe, then maybe this episode is not for you. And that’s totally fine. 

[00:38] Creatives and Business 

Hi, everyone. I’m Beth Barany. I run How to Write the Future Podcast, and I have a YouTube channel, so if you’re watching this on YouTube, welcome.

I am growing my YouTube channel this year. So excited to do that.

Traditionally, at least for the last, gosh, 200 years, there’s been a cultural divide between being in business and being a creative, which is born out of a lot of images of the starving artist and, and really different movements that thought being an artist is totally different from being in business.

But actually, Leonardo da Vinci had to go and pitch his work to get commissions. Artists have always had to pitch their work to get commissions. Artists have always had to showcase and learn how to talk about what we do. I think it’s just in the recent past that there’s been such a strong divide between being in, in business and being a creative, and by recent past, I mean about the last 200 years.

Now, of course, I’m generalizing, so please take what you know of history and add some salt to that. 

I definitely did grow up in an artistic family that really separated being in business, making money, from being creative, and they were like anathema to each other.

My artist family just didn’t seem to focus a whole lot, at least not consciously, on the marketing, although I did see marketing happening, which was awesome because every artist, every creative writer, every, any creative, playwright, dancer, filmmaker, we all need to market our work. So being in business is really about saying, Hey, everyone, I have this awesome thing for sale.

And learning how to communicate that in a way that has value for the people that you’re talking to. 

[02:20] My Early Business Struggle 

Lemme say this. When I first started my business 20 years ago, I looked around, and I asked some creative writers who are also running their own businesses, like editors or graphic designers, things like that.

I’m like, can you please gimme some advice around running a business? And so I talked to them and I interviewed them, and I recorded it, and I was coming at it with my journalist hat and I got a lot of information, but none of it felt right for me, and I was very disappointed. No fault of their own, they brought me what they knew, but they were all coming from a business perspective, purely business perspective, numbers, making money, profit ledgers, which it’s all important to understand. It’s important to learn budgeting. I’m finally like getting my hands around budgeting in a deep way.

I’m constantly learning in my business. I don’t have it all figured out and, they didn’t talk to this thing that I really cared about, which is I wanna run a business, but I wanna also be a writer. I’m not giving up on creative writing. When I opened my business 20 years ago, I had not yet published any fiction or even, I had published journalist articles as a journalist, but I had never published fiction.

And I think I maybe had one little story that had been published actually years previous when I was in college, in a little tiny newsletter, which was awesome. But that’s it. And then my articles, my nonfiction articles. 

But I had been working as a writer. I mean, I had been working on my writing. I was a novelist. I think I was on my third novel by then.

So they weren’t speaking at all to how do you be a creative, come from that creative place of intuition and trusting yourself and taking risks. You can listen to my other episode on risks, and I’ll put that link in the show notes, but nobody really was speaking to being a creative soul who is running a business. And even today, when I go out into the literature, I rarely find there’s a little bit out there, but not very much about this. 

[04:10] Filtering Others Advice 

So what does this mean for you? Any kind of business advice is obviously gonna be rooted, grounded in that other person’s experience.

And like my experience is not the same as your experience. And where I came from and how I was raised and all my training isn’t gonna be the same as yours. So when we hear other people’s business advice, we have to realize we don’t actually come from the same place. So how do we sift through that business advice?

Something I did learn over the years, and hearing lots of repetitive, oh, everyone is saying this, and everyone is saying that, like, okay. Some of those things, if we boil it down to their fundamental concern. Okay, let me understand that from my perspective. So, for example, I understand as a creative writer, I write novels, and I spend a lot of time, like in the cave, writing novels separate from others.

Then I start bringing it out for beta readers, critique partners, and editors and all of that. I start entering the marketplace. So first, a lot of. Especially writers, we tend to create on our own, or maybe you have a writing partner. We tend to create on our own with our writing tools, and then we start inching forward into the marketplace, testing our art.

Are you changing your story because of what everyone says? Maybe a little bit, but you still have to sift it through yourself. And I talked about receiving feedback in a, in a previous episode, so I’ll put that link in the show notes too. How do we handle all the feedback we get? 

[05:34] What Business Really Means 

My point here today is that a fundamental of being in business is that you actually have something to sell.

You have a product, like a book, or you have a service like a coach, or a teacher,or a trainer, or, um, an assistant. Or you have products or workbooks, courses, trainings, being in business, meaning is about having something to sell. And learning how to sell it in a way that your audience can understand, and also meets a need that they have.

[06:02] The Needs We’re Meeting as Fiction Writers and Service Providers 

In fiction writing, what need are we meeting? We’re meeting the need for entertainment, the need for escape, but it’s also deeper than that, and I teach science fiction and fantasy writers how to market their work. What can you say that really meets the need? 

The reader is reaching out for books. Ooh, they want to read some new things, and you as the author, like, here, I have a new thing for you. And it’s like this. And you say some words about what it’s like, and there’s a match.

Same with marketing, a service or a product as a creative entrepreneur, as a creative writing teacher or coach, or virtual assistant, or maybe you design books or you produce books for people. There’s a lot of ways to serve writers. So your job, as you hear all the advice out there, is to filter it through what feels right for you. And there’s an element of risk, which I mentioned in the risk episode, where you might wanna, what is your appetite for risk? What can you test? What can you try? 

[06:59] No One Right Way 

Now, when I hear business advice, I try and think about, well, where are they coming from? Are they coming from purely talking about let’s make money, which doesn’t include anything about like my personal, one’s, personal thoughts and feelings, and and emotions and body awareness, whether or not this advice is right for me.

Some people just throw advice at you and they say, you gotta do it. You gotta do it ’cause if you don’t do it, you’re not in business. And actually, I question that.

Being in business is about bringing your product to market and inviting people to buy it, and bringing your service to market, inviting people to buy it.

Other than that, there’s a million and one ways we can do that, and things are constantly shifting in the world– technology, culture, everything like that. So ultimately, there is no one right way, I think, to be in business other than to create this um, playground ’cause to me, I see it as like, create a safe space where you can do that, where you can bring your product to market.

Now, should you trust what I have to say? No. Bring it through your own filter, your own personality, your own life experience. Not everybody’s advice is gonna be right for you, including mine.

All right. 

[08:05] Wrap Up and Bootcamp

Uh, I just wanna let you know we are running a Creative Entrepreneur bootcamp in March called Find Your Creative Entrepreneur Niche. We’re gonna help you narrow down, bringing together your strengths, helping you have clarity, giving you some structure, and giving you some feedback.

Go ahead and register for that using the link in the show notes.

And be sure to take our quiz. Our creative business style quiz so you can understand what is actually your approach to business. It’s gonna really help you filter other people’s business advice. 

Alright, that’s it for this week, everyone. Take care and write long and prosper. 

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061 

Need instructions on how to leave a review? Go here.

***

Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

***

ABOUT BETH BARANY

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

CONNECT 

Contact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580

Email: beth@bethbarany.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethbarany/

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethbarany/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bethbarany

X: https://twitter.com/BethBarany

CREDITS 

• EDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA (Refer-a-Friend link)
• MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/fuzz-buzz License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. “Fuzz buzz” by Soundroll. Commercial license: https://musicvine.com/track/soundroll/fuzz-buzz.
• DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465 (Refer-a-Friend link)
• SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
• SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c 2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

For more “How To Write the Future” episodes, go here.

If you’d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note here.

Like the work we do? Tip us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

The post Business Advice Creatives Can Actually Use appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

***

One of an author’s largest struggles when publishing their book is looking for artists to make their book cover — and any other art-related things that will help accentuate the book!

After all, book covers are one of the first things readers look at.

Plus, nowadays many authors look to character art and interior art to not only decorate their books but to also use it for promotional marketing on social media…and special editions may have illustrated endpapers, sprayed edges, and bookish merch like stickers to really add that little extra pizzazz.

So, how do we separate the scammers from the real ones?

RED FLAGS

1. Direct Messages (DMs)

Social media is a jungle out there.

Do not answer any direct messages from “artists” pestering you for commission work.

They are most likely scammers.

However, if you met an artist on Instagram or another platform in the comments section, for example, and both of you mutually agree to go to direct messaging, then that’s totally fine.

The messaging must be mutual. 

From an artist’s standpoint, it’s a lot better if the author reaches out to ME rather than I reach out to THEM.

Also, don’t be afraid to block artists if they continually pester you for work after you said no.

2. Social Media Presence

A good way to see if your artist is legitimate is to look at their social media.

If their account looks fairly new, then stay clear.

Many scammers will create bot accounts that were just made last week.

Low follower count, not a lot of posts, or none at all can also be good indicators.

Plus, see if you can look up their social media tag on other platforms.

For example, my Instagram handle is the same on Threads, TikTok, and X, so it’s easy to find me wherever you look.

Not to mention if you suddenly see artwork on their social media that you know you saw a month before the account was even made, they may be stealing artwork from other artists.

Don’t be afraid to out them at that point to help save others from being scammed.

3. No Consistent or Naturally Evolving Style

Be suspicious of “artists” who used to draw terribly, then 1 week later are posting artworks that are fully rendered realism without any warning or indication that they were doing so.

Something ain’t right there. 

I draw in about 3 different styles, but you can see I have been naturally evolving with those styles (as I experiment to get better at my craft) long before AI appeared, and the progression can be seen on my Instagram.

After all, we artists learn from our mistakes.

It’s how we evolve. 

If I suddenly created photorealistic artwork after showing no progression to how I got there, it would look very suspicious.

Other tells include fingers, clothing, and hair “melting” into other aspects of the piece.

If you ever suspect something you see or something an artist you commissioned sent you is AI, you can always have an artist friend help you look for inconsistencies.

In some cases, you may be able to ask the artist if they have the drawing or sketch phase of the artwork under the guise of curiosity without explicitly accusing them of AI.

I personally wouldn’t mind, as I would rather someone ask because they’re curious instead of outright accusing me of using AI without any proof (which has happened before, and they got real quiet after I showed them work-in-progress pictures).

Also, do not be afraid to add a “No AI” clause in a contract that an artist sends you, so if the work turns out to be AI, they are in breach of contract, and you may be able to take legal action.

• Side note: Do not submit ANY artwork into an “AI Detector” website. 99% of the time, it will say partially AI or AI or something along those lines. That’s because AI is trained on stolen artwork, so of course, artwork made by real humans would appear as AI, even when it’s not.

4. Payment Up Front

While this is more of a gray area, if an artist requires payment in full before starting a project, it may be a scammer.

My payments are made upon completion of work for X amount of dollars.

Others may ask for a small deposit to add you to their schedule, which will then count toward your commission, and then the rest upon completion.

Half up front, then half upon completion, is also a common payment method.

Any artist worth their salt will explicitly state payment type in their contracts.

5. Lack of Previous Works

If they can’t provide you with references, such as what other clients they worked with, for example (such as “I did artwork for this book, here is the link to purchase it”), it will not help their credibility.

This is also a great way to vet artists, as you can follow the trail to who commissioned the artwork (see the Previous Works section under Green Flags).

GREEN FLAGS

1. Ease of Discoverability

Good artists will not “hide” themselves.

They will not make it difficult for you to find their portfolio and other social media handles.

Many keep links in their bio, so looking at them more in-depth is only a few clicks away.

Don’t be too discouraged if they just have Instagram and a website, though.

I’d take a website over 5 social media accounts any day.

2. Website

Now, some artists will solely have their portfolio on sites like Instagram; however, I am a firm believer in a website for professional perusal.

Professionals will have their website linked to their social media, or an easy Google search will pop up.

In addition, their website domain name will look professional/reflect their business name (websites that were created for free on sites like Wix will have a “yourdomainname.wixsite.com” as part of the web address).

Artists who keep much of their portfolio on a website will more than likely purchase a domain name + pay to host the website on whatever platform they choose.

For example, my website is www.annaleitensdorfer.com, which does not have “.wixsite” after my name, since I own the domain name and pay for hosting through Wix.

3. Branding

If an artist has consistent branding across their entire online presence, then that makes for a very green flag (I say online since that’s how many authors find artists, though it’s also good to see in print media as well).

If their logo is seen across all their social media pages/website, that means they took the time to make sure their brand is recognizable regardless of where you see it.

Plus, scammers typically are not that detail-oriented.

4. Previous Works

Artists who call out who they did the work for is a major key.

You can then look up the author’s name (in this case) and see if the author has the artwork posted on their social media, or if you really want to be thorough, you can politely ask to message or email the author to ask how their experience was with that artist.

I list any work I have done for an author with their name, book title, and publication date (if applicable).

This is all done with permission from the author.

5. Contracts and/or a Licensing Agreement

Any artist who works on commissions MUST have some sort of contract.

These contracts are made to protect both you, as the client, and the artist.

No verbal agreements!

Get it all in writing!

However, please read over any contracts you receive carefully before signing.

This goes for pretty much anything, regardless of what type of work it is.

Some contracts will have a Licensing Agreement built in, but I have mine on a separate document, which lays out commercial licensing (what you can and can’t do with the artwork).

6. Works-in-Progress

In this day and age of AI, we artists must be extra careful to prove we are not making AI slop.

Artists who are open about sharing their process, such as having screen recordings, process videos, or JPEGS of the different stages of an artwork, help add more to their legitimacy.

Plus, should you hire an artist, DO NOT BE AFRAID to ask for progress pictures throughout your commission.

An artist who has nothing to hide will be happy to provide them to you.

This is also a way to catch an AI scammer if they fail to provide any proof of original work — or if they just send you a finished work without you even seeing any sketch phases!

I regularly post on my social media progress pictures (with the author’s permission) and send progress pictures via email to the client frequently during the project.

• Side note: In the future, AI may be able to copy/mimic process videos. Some tells include weirdly fluid movement and blending into surroundings. Of course, follow your gut feeling if something feels off.

7. Communication

We love being on the same page!

Artists who check in with you weekly with updates or ask questions during the project to make sure they get everything the way you want are golden.

I provide progress pictures in a PDF flat book with my branding on it during certain stages of an artwork.

Too many times, I have seen authors get ghosted by artists after they commission a work, or they don’t have it even close to finish when the deadline comes around, and then the author has to move on and find a new artist.

I predominantly communicate through email once contracts are signed, as I personally find it more professional, and the author has records of everything we send to each other.

8. They are just as excited about the project as you!

We want to get lost learning about your world, your characters, and your story.

It’s also about building trust and a rapport with the authors, as we want to see you succeed, too!

9. Transparency

Basically, all the points I have made thus far as far as green flags boil down to transparency.

It’s how an artist can build trust with their client, and how you can avoid being scammed.

This also ties into price transparency.

Green flag artists will have their prices listed on their website or on a pinned post on their Instagram.

In other words, you’re not digging for that information.

Some artists are solely custom-price based because every commission they do may not be able to have a standard pricing structure.

That is a gray area, so I wouldn’t discount them; however, do your research on them to vet them first before contacting for pricing.

Conclusion

I hope this guide took out some of the stress when it comes to vetting artists.

Now that you’re an expert on green flags vs. red flags, what kind of art will you be seeking for your book?

***

About the Author

Anna Leitensdorfer is an illustrator, animator, and author who began offering creative services to fellow writers in 2024.

She provides illustration for children’s books, storyboarding, cover design, character art, interior art, maps, and promotional artwork for marketing.

A 2018 graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in Animation, Anna continues to pursue her passion for storytelling through visual media.

She is currently developing her original animated feature film, Art of Auld Lang Syne, while also expanding her work in book design and print formatting.

In addition to supporting other authors, Anna writes her own fiction and recently completed a supernatural horror manuscript.

When she’s not behind her drawing tablet, she can usually be found playing video games or taking her two “little monsters,” Shelby and Percy, bowling.

She is open to commissions in animation, game design, and illustration.

The post HOW TO SPOT SCAMMERS AND AI “ARTISTS” IN YOUR BOOK ART SEARCH: Green Flags vs. Red Flags by Anna Leitensdorfer appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Fun Values Check-In for Sci-FI/Fantasy Writers – How To Write the Future podcast, epsiode 196

***

“ I care very much about your success and I really believe that our future is in our hands and as creatives, we have some incredible skill sets we get to bring to that.” – Beth Barany

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Fun Values Check-In for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writers,” host Beth Barany shares what values are most important to her, why that matters, how values can guide the choices we make, and about an upcoming creative business training. Beth also reveals how she found inspiration for her current work in progress, something about marinating.

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify| YouTube

RESOURCES 

Find Your Creative Entrepreneur Niche Bootcamp: March 20-24, 2026 online event

https://bethbarany.thrivecart.com/findyourniche

FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS

Get your Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success:

https://bethbarany.com/quiz/

Support our work for creatives!

Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING – START HERE

Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/

GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

About the How To Write the Future podcast 

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers.This podcast is for readers too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

Transcript for episode 196 – Fun Values Check-In for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writers

What Matters Most 

BETH BARANY: What is truly important to you? Really. What is like the most important thing in your life? Whatever your answer is, I’m a yes. Yes! What you value as important, those are your values. Now we can talk about non-tangible things and tangible things. So today I’m gonna talk to you about what are your values and why this is an important discussion.

[00:25] Meet Beth Barany

Hi everyone. I’m Beth Barany. I run How to Write the Future Podcast and a YouTube channel for creative writers and creative entrepreneurs. I care very much about your success and I really believe that our future is in our hands and as creatives, we have some incredible skill sets we get to bring to that.

Not only, can you write a story, but you could also write your own future as a creative entrepreneur.

So that’s what I’m talking about today. Today I wanna talk about values and I also will share with you about a creative entrepreneur training that we’re running, pretty soon.

Alright. Values. I asked at the top what is truly important to you, and I’m really curious. Please, if you’re listening to this on YouTube or you feel called, write me, DM me. I wanna know what do you actually value in your life. 

[01:15] Relationships As A Value 

So the first thing that pops up to me when I say this is my relationships. I was gonna say my love connection. 

Yeah. The people I love. My husband, my cats, my friends, my family. I thought, oh, you know, life is so much better when I get to spend it with the people that I care about.

So I have really made a point in my my creative writing, business, and my creative entrepreneur business as a, as a book coach,and an editor and a trainer to work with people that I really think are awesome, awesome people. Yeah. Life is too short to be spending time with people that I don’t have much in common with. I’m like, lukewarm. I wouldn’t wanna be spending time with them. I wouldn’t wanna hang out and have coffee with them. So that’s a really high value for me.

[01:58] Play And Joy 

Another high value for me is having fun. Let’s play. Let’s experiment. Let’s try this. Let’s try that. That’s not to say I don’t get stuck. Oh boy. I get stuck. I get stuck a lot, and that’s maybe why I’ve really leaned into playfulness, because when we start playing with things, then I get unstuck. I’m like, oh, I hadn’t thought of that.

So that is a really high value for me. Play. And all the forms of that. Play involves joy. Play involves experimentation. Play involves taking little risks.

[02:28] Why Values Guide Choices 

Okay, so values. why is this important? I, I read some article on LinkedIn how most people, or a lot of people don’t do values explorations, couldn’t tell you if you ask them what do they value? ‘ cause they’ve never really thought about it. Okay, well, I invite you to think about it, and I think it’s so important because it allows us to make decisions.

Very important as a creative writer. As a creative entrepreneur. No matter what you’re doing in life, when you know what is important to you, that helps you say yes or say no to things.

That comes up to me as like the biggest thing, right? It helps you choose, but it also, so here’s another reason why knowing your values is important, is it helps you commit.

[03:08] Persistence Through Roadblocks 

So I have been stuck many times in my creative writing process. I’m working on a, my fifth sci-fi mystery, in my Janey McCallister series, and I’ve been stuck for a little while. And instead of giving up. I just give myself a break because it is really important to me, and I know, because I’ve written lots of novels, that when I hit this kind of roadblock in my creative writing in the story, um, and I’m in editing mode, that there’s an element missing that I don’t yet have.

There’s like a piece of the puzzle I don’t yet have. So I have learned to put the story on the back burner and let it like marinate. I stir it a little, right? I love cooking metaphors. And I have been thinking about it and I have been thinking about some of the suggestions my critique partners gave me about the rewrites, yet again, for chapter one.

And I am committed to getting the story done because I’m committed to the story. I’m committed to why I am writing these books and my value of sticktoitiveness. So that’s another one of my values. I know it’s a silly word, sticktoitiveness. I love this word. Another word is persistence. That’s the same thing.

I love writing fiction, and the dream has not gone away. And I’ve had the dream of being a novelist since I was 18, 19 years old. And when I think back to all the time, the near decade, over a decade, I spent wishing and wanting to be a novelist. And then when I finally started, like the joy I get from the fact that I really started on my dream, and then also the fact that I’ve continued and that I’ve handled step by step, every one of the roadblocks I’ve hit, like now I’m an experienced writer, but I still hit roadblocks, and that’s okay. I know there’s some ingredients missing, so because of my value of persistence and my love of the work and my love of storytelling and my track record too, and loved ones reminding me that, uh, I hit these roadblocks on occasion, I, I’m gonna stick with it.

So when you know your values, you can stick with your commitments, even if you are gonna hit ups and downs, and you know what, you’re gonna hit ups and downs. That’s the nature of life. As day turns into night and night turns into day, we’re gonna have ups, and we’re gonna have downs.

[05:15] Share Your Values 

So share with me what your values are, and I would love to hear. Post in the comments if you’re watching on YouTube. DM me on the socials. I’m all over the place. Write me through my website and on how to write the future.com. You can hit contact me, you can just leave me a note. You can also leave me a voicemail. I love those and thanks to those of you who’ve left me those. That’s so awesome. 

[05:37] Creative Entrepreneur Paths

Alright, so why am I telling you all of this? It’s because I’m passionate about helping creative writers who wanna start their own businesses, serving other writers. Maybe you wanna be an editor, or a coach or a virtual assistant with social media, or an organizational virtual assistant. Or maybe you wanna help with book production, getting people’s books up on Kindle and Apple. Or maybe you wanna help writers set up their own stores. That would be a really awesome niche to be in. I would like to talk to you if you’re interested in that, ’cause I need some help with that.

Book design, copy editing, proofreading, line editing, developmental editing, coaching mindset, coaching, book coaching around the process of writing. 

There’s a lot of jobs out there for us creative writers who wanna serve other creative writers, and there’s more. Creating products, creating books, workbooks, trainings, coaching masterminds like I do.

In-depth one-on-one, deep work. I do a combination of mindset coaching and developmental edit and story coaching. I got a lot of skills. 

[06:37] Niche Bootcamp Invitation

So if you are interested in starting your own creative entrepreneur business, or you’ve already started, but you want some more support, come join our Find Your Creative Entrepreneur Niche Bootcamp.

That’s gonna be in the middle of March, March 20th to 24th. The link to register is in the show notes. And, uh, we’d love to have you there. It is a paid event because it is a training. We’re giving you training so that you can have clarity, so you can really assess your strengths, so that you can get support. And so you can walk away with a statement on what is your niche. 

We really care about both the inner work that you’re gonna do. And the tangibles that you’re gonna walk away with. We have worksheets, we have live support for you during the event, and we have the opportunity for you to optionally upgrade to a VIP mini mastermind that we’re gonna run on the very last day of the bootcamp. So you can see the registration link in the show notes, and also.

[07:35] Take the Creative Business Style Quiz 

Because you are unique, go ahead and take our quiz. We have a creative business style quiz for you, and that link is in the show notes as well. That will give you an idea of how you approach being a creative entrepreneur. 

[07:47] Wrap Up And Farewell

Alright everyone. That’s it for this week. Write long and prosper. 

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061 

Need instructions on how to leave a review? Go here.

***

Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

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ABOUT BETH BARANY 

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

CONNECT 

Contact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580

Email: beth@bethbarany.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethbarany/

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethbarany/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bethbarany

X: https://twitter.com/BethBarany

CREDITS 

• EDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA (Refer-a-Friend link)
• MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/fuzz-buzz License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. “Fuzz buzz” by Soundroll. Commercial license: https://musicvine.com/track/soundroll/fuzz-buzz.
• DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465 (Refer-a-Friend link)
• SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
• SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c 2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

For more “How To Write the Future” episodes, go here.

If you’d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note here.

Like the work we do? Tip us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

The post Fun Values Check-In for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writers appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

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Using Third-Party Images in Books and Media

It’s happened to all of us.

We are cruising through the Internet or checking our social media when we come across this great image.

It would be perfect for that post we’re drafting (or blog article, book, etc.).

So, we ask ourselves, can I use this picture?

For random images on the Internet, the answer is probably not.

Most images on the Internet are still copyrighted, and you risk the owner coming after you if you use them without their permission.

But there are a few options for safely finding and using images:

1. Get a License

If the owner gives written permission, you’re golden.

Reaching out to a specific image owner can be difficult, but there are sites where you can buy a license without speaking with a person (e.g., Getty Images or Shutterstock).

Be aware that you’ll usually need to pay for a license, but it’s the safest way to get an image you can use.

2. Go to a Free Picture Website

Not all image databases require payment.

Sites like Pixabay and Unsplash let you download images for free.

Just make sure that the website is legitimate and the owners have given permission for their images to be in the database.

3. Look for a Creative Commons License

For those who haven’t encountered the Creative Commons, it is a collective that believes that content should be freely shared without restrictions.

To facilitate this, they created some standardized licenses that can be attached to images and other content, which act as a shorthand for when and how the content can be used.

The Creative Commons website has a search function to find images and other content that have been tagged with a Creative Commons license.

Most search engines also have a filtering tool that can search for images that have been tagged for reuse.

4. Use Public Domain Images

“Public domain” means that there is no copyright; either the copyright has expired or it was never copyrighted in the first place.

Images from 1930 or earlier would fall into the first category, but I imagine demand for those images would be limited.

A better bet would be images with no copyright protection, such as images created by a government entity or a machine.

AI-generated images would fall into this category, but be aware that while the lack of copyright protection means it’s free to use, it also means you can’t get exclusive rights to it either.

Final Thoughts

I hope that helps answer the question: Can I use this picture?

If you have questions or would like me to review your use of an image, feel free to reach out to me at kaway@kawaylaw.com.

***

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***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelley Way was born and raised in Walnut Creek, California. She graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. in English, followed by a Juris Doctorate. Kelley is a member of the California Bar, and an aspiring writer of young adult fantasy novels. More information at kawaylaw.com.

The post Can I Use This Picture? by Kelley Way appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

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If you’d like to be considered for an interview, check out our guidelines here.

***

About Pamela Reitman

Pamela Reitman is a Jewish Book Council Network Author and an award-winning writer, most recently Winner of the Fall 2025 PenCraft Book Award for Literary Excellence.

She has numerous publications in literary journals, news outlets, and magazines.

She holds a B.A. with honors in English from Columbia and a master’s degree from UC Berkeley.

She is retired from a career in public health, also from community service aimed at reducing the stigma of mental illness.

Pamela is past Director of Makor Or: A Jewish Meditation Center in San Francisco.

She is lay ordained in the Zen Buddhist tradition.

On to Our Interview!

Q. Tell us who you are and what inspires you to write

A. I’m retired.

I was visiting the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco — this was 2012 — where there was an exhibit of paintings by Charlotte Salomon from her masterpiece, Life? Or Theater?

On display were 250 or so of the 769 (in total) watercolor/gouache paintings, telling the story of a coming-of-age during Hitler’s rise to power and a coming-to-terms with a legacy of female suicide.

Her paintings delivered an emotional punch.

Her story was heart-wrenching and inspiring.

What she achieved was miraculous.

I knew I needed to bring her to life in literature.

Q, How did you get to this place in your life? Share your story!

A. I was born to Jewish parents.

When I was sixteen, I heard these words: six million.

I wanted to understand the Holocaust, and I never could because what had happened was beyond comprehension.

Even though there were no survivors in my family that I knew of, I considered myself a remnant of Eastern European Jewry.

Then, in my 50’s, I began to feel compelled to respond.

When I encountered Charlotte Salomon’s work, the moment resonated with my sixteen-year-old self and with the part of me that longed to respond.

And so, I wrote Charlotte Salomon Paints Her Life.

Q. What are you most passionate about?

A. I am most passionate about writing as a means of expression for myself.

There have been times in my life that I thought I would rather not be alive than not be able to write.

I don’t feel that way anymore.

Still, writing is very important, anything: fiction, poetry, essays.

And I’m passionate about reading.

It is my favorite way to fall asleep, to wake up, to go for a walk (audio then), to spend a lazy afternoon, which hardly ever happens, but still.

I care very much about the lack of justice and equality in the world and the extent of cruelty and how we can turn this ship toward what is humane and kind.

On the lighter side, I am currently obsessed with Sudoku on my phone.

I’m determined to get to the Expert level.

But playing is cutting into my reading time.

Yikes!

More hours in the day, please!

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process, routine, and/or rituals around your writing? 

A. When I was writing Charlotte Salomon Paints Her Life, I treated it like a job.

I reported to my desk by 9:00 AM and wrote until 1:00.

I had lunch, and in the afternoon, I did research, reading, and planning next scenes.

I frequently worked in the evening, especially on days that I needed to run errands in the afternoon or had appointments.

I worked seven days a week.

I rarely went out with people.

One routine I had was to keep a log in which I recorded the time I sat down at my desk and the time when I got up, even if it was for a 15-minute break.

I wanted to know how much time I was actually working as opposed to how much time I thought I was.

At the beginning of the month, I created a written plan.

At the end of the month, I detailed what I had accomplished.

These days, while I’m writing, I don’t have a routine for that activity, but I do keep to a routine for book promotion which requires a lot of writing, just not fiction.

Still, I’ve managed to write a long short story.

I don’t know how.

Q. What are a few challenges you faced in creating, marketing, or publishing your creative work? And your solutions to them.

A. I was not going to be able to afford to travel to Europe.

How would I learn what I needed to know?

The library system in San Francisco is fantastic, linked to many other libraries in California and Nevada.

Of the more than 100 sources I needed, I found all but one through that system.

The biggest challenge in publishing was finding a publisher!

When I first sent my work out, the feedback from agents and publishers made me realize I had to do an overhaul.

Originally there was a secondary narrative.

I had to take it out.

It wasn’t tied in closely enough to Charlotte’s story.

I had to change from the first-person to the third.

And I had to deepen Charlotte’s character.

Cutting the secondary narrative gave me a large word count to work with to accomplish that task.

In marketing, it was difficult to make the transition from being a writer with a very private life to understanding that as an author I am a public person.

I abhorred the idea of selling myself, but what helped was realizing that I was wanting to share who Charlotte Salomon had been.

I wanted to honor her.

Q. What do you wish you had known before you started writing fiction? 

A. I started writing fiction in the 1990’s.

I wish I had known the importance of story structure and how to develop it.

An idea is one thing — a story is another.

It took me a long time to figure that out and then find a way to learn it.

I wish I had known how long it would take me to learn many elements of craft: how to compose a scene, create a character, design a conflict, write a dialogue, incorporate flashbacks.

It’s very important to be part of a literary community and a good citizen within it.

I was not so good at that during the years of writing Charlotte.

I thought I didn’t have the time for networking.

I would never get the book written.

I was right, but I should have done it anyway.

I wish I had known how much I would have to sacrifice to write a novel.

For me, the writing life is all-consuming.

Well, nearly so.

Of course, I have friends and go to dinner, but I still report to work at my desk, even though these days it’s mainly for book promotion.

And I’m so lucky!

I love this life!

Q. What’s next for you in your creative work?

A. I’ve been working on a long short story for the last year.

And I understand that there are some literary journals and such that are particularly seeking the long form.

It’s fun because it’s different for me.

It still needs a little work, but I like finishing something in one year instead of twelve.

I could possibly explore expanding this story into a novella.

Hmm?

I also have a full-length manuscript for another novel.

It needs some sizable revision.

I have a memoir, too, which is also a full-length draft in need of revision.

It seems for me that when someone I love dies, I’m inclined to write poems.

I have a set for each of three people (my father, my brother, my son).

I could make a chapbook of these on loss and grief.

A bit baffled at the moment as to which direction to head in.

I might try working on more than one thing at a time.

Not my style at all . . . but could be!

Q. Is there anything else you wished I’d asked? Please share! 

A. I would like your audience to know that I have a program entitled “Survival Through Art: The Life and Work of Charlotte Salomon,” a slideshow presentation with full-color paintings by the artist and photos of Charlotte’s family and friends.

This program focuses on how the creative force, the making of her masterpiece Life? Or Theater?, transformed the many traumas of Charlotte’s young life and saved her from suicide.

It celebrates her courage to create under dire circumstances, and to risk her life to ensure her legacy.

This is an in-person presentation.

To book this program, contact me through my website.

I also am available for Q&A sessions with book groups.

In person or on zoom.

Again, to book, contact me through my website.

Charlotte Salomon Paints Her Life: A Novel by Pamela Reitman

Reitman’s re-creation of Salomon’s life is composed of two opposing themes: art as a tool to interpret trauma, and the intractable tentacles of family secrets and shame that threaten to choke artistic expression. Blending fact with fiction, the novel is a touching synthesis that celebrates Charlotte’s fearless belief that only in art can one defy “the erasure of identity.”

Charlotte Salomon Paints Her Life is a powerful historical novel, at turns winsome and wrenching, about a gifted artist caught in the maelstrom of madness and war.

—Peggy Kurkowski, Foreword Reviews

Connect with Pamela Reitman

Website: https://pamelareitman.com

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GAhCW_ODSw

Facebook: https://bit.ly/45VzPBG

The post Q&A with Pamela Reitman appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Trust Your Creative Process – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 195

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“In difficult days when I’m struggling with my story or I’m struggling with my creative entrepreneur business. I turn to what I know and to what I trust, which is my emotions, my breathing, my physical body, and often it’s a sign I need to do a bunch of self-care.” – Beth Barany 

What can you trust? Who do you trust? How To Write the Future host, Beth Barany asks you these questions in her latest episode, titled “Trust Your Creative Process” where she shares how learning to trust her emotions lead to understanding her creative process, plus she invites you to the  Find Your Creative Entrepreneur Niche Bootcamp which Beth is co-hosting with Gala Russ.

This bootcamp will provide you with support, guidance, and how to discover your strengths to help you take steps towards being a creative entrepreneur.

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify| YouTube

RESOURCES 

Find Your Creative Entrepreneur Niche Bootcamp: March 20-24, 2026 online event

https://bethbarany.thrivecart.com/findyourniche

FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS

Get your Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success:

https://bethbarany.com/quiz/

Support our work for creatives!

Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING – START HERE

Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/

GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

About the How To Write the Future podcast 

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers.This podcast is for readers too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

Transcript for episode 195 – Trust Your Creative Process 

Trust and Creativity 

BETH BARANY: Let’s talk about trust and your creative work and running a business as a creative person. Hi everyone. I’m Beth Barany. I run How to Write The Future Podcast. Welcome, so glad that you’re here. I’ve been doing a mini series around creative entrepreneurship, and I really wanna talk about trust. 

Trust in yourself. Trust in other people. Trust in what’s out there in the world. Who do you trust? What do you trust? 

[00:29] Trust Recession Reality 

I’ve heard some people talk about the trust recession, and okay, I get it. And when I hear that, I feel, honestly, I feel like it’s a little bit of a cop out, but I also understand, because there is so much misinformation out there because with today’s tools, the AI tools, we can create fake this and fake that.

But at the end of the day, when you are sitting in front of someone or when you’re with yourself talking to yourself, journaling, working on your creative work, the question comes down to you. What do you trust? Who do you trust? I hope the answer is: yourself. Trust yourself. 

[01:07] Berkeley Turning Point 

When I was 19 years old in, in a major transition in my college education, I was leaving pre-med, actually, this might’ve been happening right before I decided to leave pre-med.

I remember walking across campus at UC Berkeley, and they have that beautiful, um, Sather Gate, beautiful gate, and it’s a bridge. You’re actually crossing over a creek. And I remember walking across through the gate over this creek and just feeling lost and confused. I’m like, I’m not doing well in biology. I love biology, but I’m not doing well. The chemistry is kicking my butt. I barely passed chemistry my first year. Here I am my second year, my fall semester, first semester of my second year, and I’m just sad and hating, hating life. But I’m 19 years old and I have a, normally a very positive, hopeful outlook, but I was sad.

I was depressed. 

[01:58] Grounding in the Real 

And I remember walking across that bridge and saying to myself, well, what is real? What do I know? I feel completely lost. I feel completely unmoored. This dream of being a doctor that I had said I wanted to be since I was six years old, was slipping away. I’m like, if I can’t even pass biology, what’s the point?

And I remember asking myself What is real? And I was feeling my breathing, and I was feeling my steps and I was listening to the beautiful redwood trees that were blowing in the breeze that were lining the creek. And I heard the creek flowing under the bridge, and I’m like, well, if nothing else, those things are real.

My footsteps, my breathing, the trees, the water, the earth, and I knew everything would be okay. I still didn’t have any answers. I hadn’t yet made the decision to leave the sciences and stop my pre-med path, but I was sure of those things. I’m like, if nothing else, I am sure of those things. 

[02:54] Meditation and New Path 

And I actually used meditation to get through finals that semester ’cause this must have been around finals time. I remember meditating for 20 minutes before I started studying for finals every single day for like five days to just calm my system down and be able to just show up and take tests. I was an excellent student up to then, but I was, I think I got like a B minus in biology by the end of the semester, ‘ cause the chemistry, as soon as they reintroduced chemistry halfway through the, the term, my ability to understand everything was going downhill.

So long story short, I dropped out of pre-med, and I went into the social sciences, and I learned that my strength was conceptual thinking, not equations.

I learned at that turning point in my life that I could trust my physicalness, the earth’s physicalness, and sometimes that’s all we have.

[03:47] Applying Trust to Business 

So, in difficult days when I’m struggling with my story or I’m struggling with my creative entrepreneur business. I turn to what I know and to what I trust, which is my emotions, my breathing, my physical body, and often it’s a sign I need to do a bunch of self-care. 

Now, what does this mean for you? If you’re a creative writer and you’re curious about starting your own business, or maybe you’ve already started your own business and you’re looking for some guidance, I invite you to ask yourself: What can you trust? What do you trust? What do you already trust? 

[04:18] Writers Trust Superpower 

Creative writers, we have a superpower. If you’re writing fiction, if you’re writing science fiction and fantasy, and that’s who I primarily speak to, and that’s who I primarily help in my own writing business.

Then there is a lot of trust you’ve actually already built up as you work on your stories. I hope.

And there is a risk involved in trusting ourselves, ’cause maybe your instincts are telling you to go in a different direction than the common ideas out there, and that is a clear indication that you are thinking forward, you’re thinking into things that haven’t yet been created.

And that’s what we do as creative writers. So there’s a lot of trust inherent already in being a creative writer.

And if now you’re turning your attention to helping others and serving others, whether through service or products or a combination like I do, then there is a lot of trust involved in that too.

You get to trust what you know, you get to trust your own experiences, which I imagine are vast and interesting and diverse. I look forward to getting to know you, and the reason I’m saying that is 

[05:22] Business Pivot and Audience 

I’m making a big change in my business, and I’ve actually been making this pivot for a while, since about a year now, by the time you listened to this. And I’m very excited to be moving into also serving creative writers, fiction writers who want to serve other creative writers. And maybe you write in any of the genres, and maybe also memoir, short stories, children’s book writing.

Yes. It’s a yes to all of that. And now you wanna serve other writers, whether, like I said before, service provider products, or a combination. Maybe you wanna offer trainings or maybe you wanna offer workbooks. Maybe you wanna be a coach or maybe you wanna be an editor, all of that. Awesome. 

[06:02] Niche Bootcamp Invitation 

So I am inviting you to our Find Your Creative Entrepreneur Niche Bootcamp happening March 20th to 24th.

It is a paid event. We’re gonna help you with clarity, with support, with getting clear on what your strengths are. What you bring to the table so that you can walk away from our event with a niche. A niche, I can’t even say it.Sometimes a niche. Niche statement that will guide you as you take steps forward.

And of course, we’ll be inviting you to check out our further trainings, ’cause four days is four days. You can learn a lot in four days, and it’s just the beginning. 

[06:36] Quiz and Final Encouragement 

So be sure to check out the registration link in the show notes, and also get to know yourself better in business by taking our creative business style quiz that my co-teacher, Gala Russ, made for us.

I just love this quiz. 

Take the quiz. It’s short. We’ll put you into a combination of, of four types and mix and match through you answering some questions, and you’ll have some more clarity. And you can decide, hey, does this suit me? Does this not Now what? So you can bring that quiz results to the bootcamp.

That’s what we’re hoping, so we can help you more with that. 

[07:12] Closing Sendoff 

Alright, everyone, trust yourself, trust your gut, trust your body, trust your mind, trust your heart, and I look forward to having you in our bootcamp. That’s it for this week. Write long and prosper. 

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061 

Need instructions on how to leave a review? Go here.

***

Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

***

ABOUT BETH BARANY 

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

CONNECT 

Contact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580

Email: beth@bethbarany.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethbarany/

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethbarany/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bethbarany

X: https://twitter.com/BethBarany

CREDITS 

• EDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA (Refer-a-Friend link)
• MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/fuzz-buzz License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. “Fuzz buzz” by Soundroll. Commercial license: https://musicvine.com/track/soundroll/fuzz-buzz.
• DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465 (Refer-a-Friend link)
• SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
• SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c 2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

For more “How To Write the Future” episodes, go here.

If you’d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note here.

Like the work we do? Tip us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

The post Trust Your Creative Process appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

***

Art Is Not a Luxury explores how creativity became elite — and why making art remains essential to human flourishing and freedom.

“Creativity belongs to the artist in each of us. To create means to relate. The root meaning of the word art is “to fit together” and we all do this every day. Not all of us are painters, but we are all artists. Each time we fit things together we are creating–whether it is to make a loaf of bread, a child, a day.” — Corita Kent, American artist and designer

The Question: Is Art a Luxury?

As I created this idea of Art as our second act, I was asked, “But isn’t Art a luxury?”

It is now.

It didn’t use to be.

How Art Became Exclusive

In the US, two centuries of rampant industrial growth, organized and championed by the very few who profited from the grinding work of the many (that last sentence wears a Marxist hat), the art impulse, native to humans, was discouraged, vilified and finally, reserved for only the few.

Why?

When your goal is to make sure every worker is productive for as long as possible, art making is defined as a waste of time.

Any activity that does not produce income is wasted time.

Playing an instrument doesn’t make money.

But downloading music does.

When the Wealthy Claimed the Arts

In the mid-19th century, the last time the gap between the rich and poor was as wide as it is today, the very wealthy wanted art — theater, opera, dance, visual arts — all to themselves.

Art was purposefully elevated so high that it was unreachable to the masses.

Theater: From Participation to Policing

Theater is a good example.

To keep commoners away from “their” theaters, the wealthy created strict attendance rules.

In order to appreciate opera, you must follow an expensive dress code, adhere to behavior rules and pop for ruinously expensive tickets.

Oh, and be quiet.

There were many rules about noise.

The thing was, noise had always been part of the theatrical experience.

During a performance in the Greek Theater, the audience was expected and encouraged to take part in the show.

They yelled out helpful information to the actors, they booed, they cheered and behaved as if a Euripides play was a stock car race.

No one knows if Greeks dressed in opera capes.

Drawing the Line Between Art and Entertainment

During the 19th century, the elite worked very hard to drive a wedge between art and entertainment.

The parameters were made very clear: Art was passive, quiet, and dignified.

Entertainment was loud, raucous, and participatory.

Want to make a living as an artist? 

Cater to the wealthy and adhere to their definitions and codes.

Skip the landscapes, you’ll pay your rent creating beautiful portraits of rich matrons (and yes, the artist painted those ladies lovelier and thinner.)

You played classical music even if your heart was with jigs and later, jazz.

Shakespeare was staged to be dignified, it was not raucous, it demanded education and lectures.

The uneducated need not attend.

Until they did.

We often think of Shakespeare plays as the tedious section in Sophomore English.

But in the recent past, Shakespeare was a thing (to paraphrase 250 years of scholarship.)

He was the play, and many people were players.

And rioters.

When Shakespeare Sparked a Riot

In 1849, two popular actors, William Macready and Edwin Forrest were booked to perform in downtown New York City on the same night, in the same play, MacBeth.

Macready was British with a subdued, elegant style.

He was hired to perform at the newly built Astor Place Opera House, an exclusive theater that enforced all the above rules and few made up on the spot.

Forrest, equally popular, was famous for his emotional and expressive interpretations (some say histrionics.)

Forrest was booked to perform in a theater just down the street from the new Opera House.

His audience was less inclined to invest in top hats and tails.

It was like pitting the Def Leppard comeback tour against a solo concert by Yo Yo Ma.

What could possibly go wrong? 

That night, Forrest Fan Boys infiltrated the new Opera House, raising havoc even before the actor reached the stage.

Tensions, fueled by far more than disagreements over top hats, boiled over — both resentment of the wealthy but also resentment of the British.

With art as the excuse, both audiences spilled into the streets and erupted into the most deadly riot in New York City history, holding the record at least two dozen dead, many more injured.

Both actors fled town.

Shakespeare survived.

Art Belongs to the People

During the Gold Rush (same year, 1849) miners routinely entertained each other by performing scenes from Shakespeare.

During the Civil War, George Custer, who sported beautiful blond curls, had been tapped to play Juliet in his unit’s Shakespeare production just before he was fortuitously transferred to another unit.

Just in time.

Making Art Is Not a Luxury

As popular as Shakespeare was, art collecting was still considered a luxury, but making it?

Not a luxury at all.

One could argue it is not even very fun.

Art that is now commanding millions of dollars (luxury) was created by artists (like Monet, Renoir, Cassatt, Sargent, and Degas) who lived in a constant state of both housing and food scarcity.

Yet their art was unquestionably necessary.

Making it was key to their mental health, their vision and their wellbeing even more than food. 

The Impressionists earned enough from selling their paintings to buy bread and wine — a lot of wine.

They weren’t rich and they weren’t popular, but they persisted.

Creativity and Human Flourishing

Martha Nussbaum, a contemporary philosopher, links creativity to the human capacity to flourish, as well as developing emotional intelligence.

She argues that creativity is a vital part of human well-being and moral imagination, enabling us to step outside our personal perspectives and imagine the lives of others.

In her works, she connects creativity with empathy, moral reflection, and personal growth.

“The imaginative life opens up a space for empathy, for seeing things from another’s point of view, and for moral creativity in the world.”

Take Back Art

Working for the man every night and day may enrich that man, but it doesn’t necessarily enrich the worker or even the world.

Only creating and sharing our art can do that.

Take back art. 

Make it your own.

Produce a Shakespeare play that encourages audience participation.

Because Art is not a luxury, it is essential.

Look for my new book — Take Up Space — Art is Your Second Act.

www.catharine-bramkamp.com

***

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***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catharine Bramkamp is a successful writing coach, Chief Storytelling Officer, former co-producer of Newbie Writers Podcast, and author of a dozen books including the Real Estate Diva Mysteries series, and The Future Girls series. She holds two degrees in English and is an adjunct university professor. After fracturing her wrist, she has figured out there is very little she is able to do with one hand tied behind her back. She delights in inspiring her readers.

The post Art Is Not A Luxury by Catharine Bramkamp appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Risk Taking Without Desperation: Write From Trust – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 194

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“Every creative project involves risk, whether you are writing a novel, creating a play, a film, or starting your own creative entrepreneur business.” – Beth Barany

In the this episode of How To Write the Future podcast, titled “Risk Taking Without Desperation: Write From Trust,” host Beth Barany discusses how taking risks is unavoidable in both the realm of storytelling and being a creative entrepreneur.

She shares her own business growth and future plans, including different ways she thinks about risks.

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify| YouTube

RESOURCES 

FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS

Sign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.

https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/

Support our work for creatives!

Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING – START HERE

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GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

About the How To Write the Future podcast

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers.This podcast is for readers too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

Transcript for episode 194 – Risk Taking Without Desperation: Write From Trust

Introduction

BETH BARANY: Every creative project involves risk. Whether you are writing a novel, creating a play, a film, or starting your own creative entrepreneur business. 

Hi everyone. I’m Beth Barany. I’m here today to talk to you about taking risks both in the realm of storytelling and in the realm of building your own creative entrepreneur business, because I am developing a whole new wing of my business where I help people like myself who are already creative writers, who want to also serve other creative writers. Yes. How to Write The Future Podcast is my sandbox where I am playing with lots of interesting ideas, to bring you into the kind of future you would like.

Whether you’re writing science fiction or fantasy, or whether you want to create your own creative business that speaks to you, that serves you, that really feeds you, that brings you joy. 

[01:04] Risk in the Body: Calculations vs. Sensations

So today, let’s talk about risk. I think of risk in a few different ways. I think of the calculations that we can make around numbers and time and pros and cons, sort of the linear left brain, the things you can write down and look at a list. And the things you can, that are tangible in your life versus the body sensations of taking a risk. How does it feel when you think about the next risky thing that you want to write about, whether it’s the next chapter or the next book? How does that feel in your body?

[01:40] “Scare-sighted” Storytelling: Writing the Hard Parts

A friend of mine, Gala Russ, who is my co-teacher with the Creative Entrepreneur trainings, she got a word from her kids when they were small, and that word is scare sighted. I love that word, scare sighted. Are you a little bit scared, a little bit excited about this new step you wanna take in your writing?

I know that when I am writing my science fiction fantasy adventure stories, I really need to put my characters in difficult positions. And one of the ways I know I’m doing that is if I feel a little bit scared and a little bit excited, and then because I’m writing a story, I go ahead and write it and just see, well, what could happen?What might that be like? 

And it’s always turns out better than I expect actually. I’m always surprised at how fun it is to write it, but also how well it works for the story. 

[02:34] Trust & Intuition (and a Real-Life Tangent)

Because if you are listening to me right now, and it also, if you have listened to my previous episodes, you may know that I come from an intuitive, organic place when it comes to my fiction writing.

Well, guess what? It also has evolved. I have evolved to really trust my own instincts. 

[02:53] Don’t Decide from Desperation: A Better Creative Mindset

I was brainstorming this episode with one of my creative entrepreneur grads, Iman. And Iman is an operations assistant and handles the behind the scenes for creative people. And she said something really great. She said, desperation shouldn’t be your tool in making decisions. So even if you’re, if you’re writing a story, do you wanna come from a place of desperation? Like, oh my God, I have to hurry this, or else. I personally find that very difficult to write from. In fact, I can’t write if I’m in that state. I have to write from a place of trust, from a place of love, and from a place of like being fully engaged and committed to the story and to my characters. Same with being a creative entrepreneur.

If you would like to serve other creatives and you’re being called to help other creative writers, then if you are doing it out of a place of desperation, like maybe financial desperation or some other kind of desperation, it can be very difficult to make decisions from that place. So how do we wanna make decisions and how do we make, already risk related decisions in our lives?

[04:04] How I Make Big Decisions: Sleep on It, Get Input, Gather Data

So I would encourage you to think back, well, the last time you had to make a very difficult decision. How did you go about doing that? Now you may be like me, in which, when it comes to making a hard decision, you need to sleep on it. In fact, I sleep on it for about two to three days, depending on how big the decision is.

And I also talk to other people, loved ones, people I trust, advisors who would know more about the topic than I do. Do I turn to AI? Sometimes. Search engines? Sometimes. I am gathering information. The more information I can gather, then when I sleep on it, it’s like my body can digest and can really think through the highs and the lows, the pros and the cons.

And not only am I gathering intellectually information, but I’m gathering emotional information about whether or not this is a good decision for me. Now it’s not quick. And that’s because I really come from an emotional, physical place. 

[05:01] Your Personal Risk Process (and Resisting Pressure)

Now, of course, you might be different, you might make a decision really quickly and you might base it on your intuition or base it on all the pros and cons.

That’s okay. 

I want you to think about how do you take risks and what are the best ways, what is your process for that, versus letting anyone pressure you to take a risk, take a step that you don’t like, that doesn’t feel right for you and, even if it’s illogical. 

[05:27] Risk Never Goes Away: Writing, Marketing, Hiring, and Business Choices

When you are a creative. When you are a creative writer, there are a lot of risks to take every step of the way from deciding what to write about, to deciding who to pitch your story to or who to market your story to. Deciding how to really make things challenging for your characters. All of those involve risk.

Same with running a creative entrepreneur business. At every step of the way, there’s gonna be risk. And the risk actually never goes away. Every decision I have to make, whether or not I do business with certain people, whether or not I invest my money in certain projects or programs or pieces of software, or marketing channels.

I do hire people for support around creating images. I’ve done that in the past. Maybe I hire someone to edit videos, right? Like anytime I’m asking for help, especially in the marketing realm, to me, that feels like a big risk because I have to communicate my vision and the messaging and the branding, and who’s my audience. And there’s a lot of factors at play, and I’m taking a risk. Will they understand my messaging or not? Will they get it? Will they really help me meet my goal? And we don’t know. Everything involves risk when you run a creative business. 

[06:38] Wrap-Up + Invitation: Bootcamp, VIP Mastermind, and the Quiz

Alright, I’m gonna stop here for today. Thank you so much for listening about me discuss risk, both for being a writer and for being a creative entrepreneur. 

And if you are curious about what is involved in being a creative entrepreneur and you’re a writer who wants to serve other writers, come join our March bootcamp. The link will be in the show notes. You can register for that. Join us for four days, get a lot of great education, get a lot of great hands-on training with me and Gala, and you will get some live support from us ’cause we will be there with you while you watch our trainings. We’re gonna be there with you answering all the questions that you have, and then there’s an optional upgrade for a small, intimate mini VIP mastermind where you’re gonna get live help from us, in a small group. 

So check that out if you’re interested. and be sure to also take our quiz. 

Go ahead and put “quiz” in the comments if you’re watching this on YouTube, and we’ll be sure to give you the link to the quiz, so you can see what kind of creative business style you have.

All right, that’s it for this week, everyone. Write long and prosper.

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061 

Need instructions on how to leave a review? Go here.

***

Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

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ABOUT BETH BARANY

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

CONNECT

Contact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580

Email: beth@bethbarany.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethbarany/

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FB: https://www.facebook.com/bethbarany

X: https://twitter.com/BethBarany

CREDITS

• EDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA (Refer-a-Friend link)
• MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/fuzz-buzz License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. “Fuzz buzz” by Soundroll. Commercial license: https://musicvine.com/track/soundroll/fuzz-buzz.
• DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465 (Refer-a-Friend link)
• SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
• SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c 2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

For more “How To Write the Future” episodes, go here.

If you’d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note here.

Like the work we do? Tip us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

The post Risk Taking Without Desperation: Write From Trust appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

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Writing to genre is, essentially, the art of crafting your story to meet the expectations of a specific genre reader.

In this article, we’ll explore the importance of conforming to a genre’s core promise and discuss how to master its common conventions.

We’ll finish by offering a few practical pieces of advice on how to gain genre readers in 2026.

Let’s go!

1. Understand the Core Promise of Your Genre

Have you ever felt “in the mood” for a certain genre?

Perhaps you’ve had the urge to curl up with a cozy fantasy after a long day, or maybe the crisp chill of October calls for a spine-tingling horror story.

But have you ever stopped to consider why?

The answer lies in what’s known as the “genre promise” — a kind of unspoken contract between author and reader about the emotional experience a book will deliver.

Here are a few examples from popular genres to demonstrate:

• Romance: A love story with an emotionally satisfying, optimistic ending (the quintessential “happily ever after”).
• Mystery: A crime or puzzle that the reader can feasibly solve through logical deduction.
• Horror: A confrontation with fear that evokes dread, whether supernatural, psychological, or even physical.
• Literary Fiction: Deep character exploration with an emphasis on ornate prose.
• Historical Fiction: An immersive trip back in time that blends education with emotional storytelling.

If you’re struggling to identify the core promise of your genre, spend some time reading and researching before you write.

Brush up on the classics and a few contemporary hits, and ask long-time readers what draws them to these books.

Before long, you should have a solid understanding of what makes any given genre great.

And of course, if you really want to “write to genre”, you must resist the siren song of significant subversion.

If you end your romance with a happily-never-after, readers won’t applaud your masterful defiance of tropes.

Instead, they’ll just feel frustrated; when a book is marketed as a romance, that brings the implicit expectation that your leads will end the story as sweethearts, not sourhearts.

Of course, if you’d like to tell a tale of heartbreak and woe, you’re free to do so — just don’t call it a romance, lest your review page look as bleak as your protagonists’ failed relationship! (On a topical note, think about a story like Wuthering Heights; a tragic tale of revenge that’s been marketed as a romance has led to a lot of confused readers, at least in my circles).

2. Master Your Genre’s Typical Tropes

As I touched on above regarding the HEA in romance, a crucial part of “writing to genre” is understanding the tropes.

This is arguably most important with romance — think of all its iconic tropes like enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, “there was only one bed”, etc. — but it comes into play with every major genre in literature.

Let’s consider mystery as another example.

Above all else, a mystery novel must play fair with the reader.

Each clue should be available for them to solve the crime alongside the detective.

Therefore, for a story to qualify as a mystery, the only essential elements are:

1. A crime or puzzle to solve.
2. Fair clues presented to the reader.
3. A logical solution.

Beyond that, everything else is up to you.

Think about tropes like: incompetent police officers hindering our genius detective, a “closed circle” with a limited number of suspects, or even a dramatic twist ending.

A great mystery can include all of these tropes, some of them, or even a few elements borrowed from similar genres like thriller and horror.

Mix and match as you see fit!

Also, take this with a grain of salt… but adding a small twist to a genre convention can be great for marketing purposes.

For instance, most mysteries traditionally feature a lone (but brilliant) detective solving the case.

So if your mystery features two rival detectives trying to solve the same murder — with conflicting theories — your story will have a distinct draw that seasoned mystery readers won’t be able to resist.

Speaking of marketing…

3. Connect with Genre Readers Online

Now that we’ve covered writing to genre, let’s discuss how to market your genre fiction effectively — because truthfully, finding and attracting those readers is half the battle.

First, think carefully about how to strike the right marketing balance.

You want genre readers to know this book is “for them” — with all the delicious tropes and familiar stylistic flourishes they love — but at the same time, you want it to stand out from the pack.

So despite what I’ve said about mostly sticking to genre conventions, this is where you should also think about what makes your book unique.

Perhaps you’ve written a cozy romantasy with an unorthodox setting, or maybe you’ve crafted a psychological thriller in which the detective and killer are estranged siblings.

Once you’ve thought about how to present both your classic genre tropes and your more unusual story elements, you can start seeking out an audience.

Of course, in 2026, there’s no better place to find readers than social media (TikTok and Instagram, especially).

But instead of chasing well-known creators with massive followings, focus on smaller influencers who specialize in your subgenre.

A creator with a small but devoted romantasy following will drive more sales than a bigger name with a more general fanbase.

Plus, these content creators receive fewer partnership requests, making them far more open to featuring books from debut or indie authors.

Online ads (specifically on platforms like Amazon) are another key avenue for reader discovery.

That path to success is strikingly similar to the creator-collaboration strategy we just discussed; instead of targeting major search terms, look for smaller, much more “niche” keywords.

Rather than remaining buried on page 47 of the “Horror” tag, your book will see more success if you rank No.1 for “Gothic Horror with Female Protagonists”.

At first, writing to genre may feel a bit creatively stifling.

But adhering to certain conventions doesn’t have to cost you your originality — and indeed, your own singular take on the genre will arguably stand out more when readers have quite cut-and-dried expectations.

Once you know what makes your book unique, you can use that hook to get your story in front of an audience that will love it.

Good luck!

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About The Author

Savannah Cordova is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects authors with resources and professionals to help them publish a book.

In her spare time, Savannah enjoys reading contemporary fiction, writing short stories, and analyzing literature into the ground.

The post How to “Write to Genre” and Gain Readers in 2026 by Savannah Cordova appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

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Maps are such a fantastic way to add some more of that worldbuilding lore to your novels.

While they are more prominent in fantasy books, they are also very useful in dystopian and historical novels.

Not only that, but they can also be utilized as a great marketing tool — or if you just need a quick reference to orient yourself (and your characters).

A good map can really draw your readers in — and they are commonly within the first few pages (or endpapers) before Chapter One.

They will be the first thing many readers will see when they open the book, so nail that first impression!

Do-It-Yourself!

1. Rice/Bean Method

This is a very popular method.

The gist of it is, you get a handful of rice or beans and toss it onto a large sheet of paper.

Draw around chunks to make landmasses and islands and add in rivers/lakes/mountains/etc later.

You can then scan or take a picture of it to transfer to your computer and draw on top of it in a drawing program if you so wish.

A few clients of mine have sent their preliminary maps this way.

In reality, you can use pretty much anything instead of rice or beans.

I’ve seen people use a large handful of paperclips too!

Pro tip: look to history.

When people settled new lands, cities and towns were commonly near waterways/rivers as they were prime spots for transport and trade.

Remember, using some real-world examples will make your map — and your world — more believable.

2. Silhouette Method

This is my personal favorite.

You can use globs of paint or watered down ink but if you’re savvy with programs like Photoshop you can select a super crazy brush, (I lean toward foliage/leaf brushes) size it up a bit, then just go crazy creating shapes.

Make a few passes, create like 3 silhouettes, pick one you like, then refine.

Draw around the silhouette to create the landmass on a different layer (outline it.)

Don’t follow the edges of the silhouette too closely; let your hand be a little jagged as you outline.

After you get an outline you like, then you can add rivers, lakes, mountains, oceans, and other topography that will give your map some depth.

Add in your titles, names, and cities.

And there you have it — a map!

Other Options:

Hire an Artist

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of artists available that specialize in cartography.

When looking for an artist, look at their style, previous works, and if they are familiar with formatting for books.

This route can be expensive, so start saving early while comparing artists and their prices.

On the flip side, you’ll have a high-quality asset to add to your book and use for marketing.

Keep in mind, though: you get what you pay for.

You don’t have to go all out, but you will still need to have a quality product that will impress your readers.

You can find many of them online through social media by searching “fantasy map cartographer” (or similar keywords) or make a call for artists on Instagram or Threads.

Or, look at some of the books you own with maps inside and see if you can find out who created the map and search them that way (sometimes they are credited on the copyright page).

Also, don’t be afraid to talk to other authors who have already gone through the process of looking for the right artist.

Use an App

For some, an artist may be out of budget.

Some popular apps to use to make maps include Inkarnate.

That being said, if you use ANY map-making program, you MUST check the licensing!

Commercial use is what you are looking for (you must have a commercial license to include in your book).

On top of that, paid versions include more benefits such as access to a larger asset library.

As of right now, Inkarnate’s Studio paid option appears to be the only one that offers commercial use.

If you are tech savvy, another app you can use is Procreate, which can be found on the Apple app store.

I use it on my iPad and the user interface is pretty friendly.

Now, you don’t have to know anything about drawing as there are many brush packs online which provide ready-made assets for maps.

I did a search on Etsy for “Procreate Fantasy Map Bundles” where you can then select and download packs you like. Some packs will be readymade; as in, instead of drawing everything out by hand they’ll be more like stamps.

Need a mountain?

Select it on Procreate’s brush panel and tap to make a mountain.

Make sure you download the right version depending on what drawing app you’re using!

And, you must check and see if the brush pack/asset pack you’re purchasing has a commercial use license.

Hands-On Worldbuilding

Remember, there are PLENTY of options to create a map for your book without having to resort to AI!

Now, get out those beans, paperclips, brushes, or your computer, and start making some crazy shapes!

About the Author

Anna Leitensdorfer is an illustrator, animator, and author who began offering creative services to fellow writers in 2024.

She provides illustration for children’s books, storyboarding, cover design, character art, interior art, maps, and promotional artwork for marketing.

A 2018 graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in Animation, Anna continues to pursue her passion for storytelling through visual media.

She is currently developing her original animated feature film, Art of Auld Lang Syne, while also expanding her work in book design and print formatting.

In addition to supporting other authors, Anna writes her own fiction and recently completed a supernatural horror manuscript.

When she’s not behind her drawing tablet, she can usually be found playing video games or taking her two “little monsters,” Shelby and Percy, bowling.

She is open to commissions in animation, game design, and illustration.

The post HOW TO CREATE A MAP FOR YOUR BOOK: DIY version + Other Avenues to Explore by Anna Leitensdorfer appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Marketing and Selling Tips for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 193

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“Marketing and selling, especially learning how to do it in written form, is also a form of magic. It’s just using words in a different way.” — Beth Barany

Are you ready to learn the skills needed to market your novel? In this episode of How To Write the Future podcast, titled “Marketing and Selling Tips for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers” Beth takes listeners on an encouraging journey to guide you over the fear of marketing your novel. From crafting effective marketing hooks to using emotional tropes to how your own writing can market itself. Own your fear and get marketing ready with the supportive guidance from host and award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Beth Barany.

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify| YouTube

RESOURCES

FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS

Sign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.

https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/

Support our work for creatives!

Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING – START HERE

Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/

GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

About the How To Write the Future podcast 

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers. This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

Transcript for episode 193 – Marketing and Selling Tips for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers 

Introduction and Overview 

BETH BARANY: Hey everyone. Beth Barany here with How to Write the Future Podcast. 

[00:03] The Stigma Around Marketing for Writers 

There’s a camp of writers that looks down their nose at anything to do with marketing and selling, as if marketing and selling are totally separate from their dreams.

That is to say, if you wanna be a published writer, you need to learn how to market and sell your work. There’s no way around that. But it can be very, very scary because over the ages, the last, um, multiple hundred years, people have separated marketing and selling from being creative. As if they happen to, um, be two different people. As if they can’t talk to each other. As if these two skill sets have nothing to do with each other.

But actually when we sit down to write our stories, we are already selling. We are selling our readers on this illusion that they could be another person, that they could walk around in this other world and, and go on adventures and, and have dramatic ups and downs. That’s amazing. What we do as fiction writers is amazing. To me it’s magical. 

[01:08] The Magic of Marketing and Selling 

So marketing and selling, especially learning how to do it in written form is also a form of magic. It’s just using words in a different way.

If you can learn how to be a fiction writer, then you can learn the skills of marketing your own work. 

Now it is a completely different hat. 

[01:27] Learning the Skills of Marketing 

The hat and the tools that we use to write fiction feel like totally different than the tools and the hat that we wear from marketing, but they can be learned.

Most writers I know had to learn how to be a fiction writer, didn’t just flow out of them, they had to work hard to become fiction writers. I know I did, and same with marketing and selling. I had to learn those skill sets.

So here’s a plug that you can learn marketing and selling. If you learn how to write fiction and are learning to write fiction, you can learn how to do marketing and sales.

[02:00]  What’s the big difference here? 

What’s the big difference here?

In writing fiction we are creating a deep emotional experience for our readers with all the twenty six letters of the alphabet and words and punctuation and all kinds of things, right? Deep point of view and great word choice, and rhythm, story, pacing and structure, all these things, right?

So many things.

[02:23] Crafting Effective Marketing Hooks 

With marketing, we may have to learn how to write really short, right? 

Instead of writing a eighty thousand word novel, a hundred thousand word novel, now we’re learning how to write in ten words, twenty words, thirty words, how to describe what our book is about.

And this is more like how to craft an appetizer.

It’s a hook.

I heard Taylor Swift, in an interview, when she was asked, well, what would you do if you weren’t writing songs? 

And she said, oh, I’d be in advertising ‘ cause it’s all about hooks. So she’s very focused on the hooks. And when you write pop songs, you have to be all about the hook. When we write our back cover blurb or our query, our marketing pitches, our memes, our things that we send out through social media, or email, those all are hooks.

So how do you give someone a little taste, a little taste of your book, uh, and you do it? 

[03:19] Emotional Core and Tropes in Marketing 

With practice obviously, and experimentation and feedback and all the things that we do when we’re writing fiction and we think about what is that one thing that my reader is reaching for?

If you had to look at your huge novel, eighty thousand words, oh my God, a hundred thousand words and what is the main emotion in that novel that readers are reaching for? Then, oh, how do I write about that in one sentence? 

So I think of my Henrietta The Dragon Slayer material, and also the short film I’m working on and I think, oh, adventure. Okay. That’s all right. I think bravery. I think courage. 

So what I’m trying to do is find like that emotional core that gets people to sit up.

If you’re watching this on video, you may have seen me like, sit up. 

You sit up and pay attention.

If you’re writing romance and you’re writing fantasy romance, paranormal romance, you might think of sweetness.

I write sweet paranormal romances. I called them like little bite sized, sweet romances, like having a little piece of chocolate. So I’m associating the book with an emotion. 

Maybe you write dark fantasy or dark romance or something heavier or darker or more dramatic. Then, uh, what is the emotion associated with that? The deliciousness of the, of the drama? How do you encapsulate that? 

Now we can talk about our tropes when we mark it, we could talk about the emotion, we could talk about our main character. Those are predominantly the things that draw readers in. We could also mention our setting. Setting is a huge draw, so these are the things that will evoke emotion in our reader. 

[04:57] Similarities Between Writing and Marketing 

So what’s similar between writing fiction and marketing is that you are still evoking emotion.

What’s different is obviously a novel’s much longer and marketing is much, much shorter. 

But you’re gonna use the same skillset that you use to pick the best word in a sentence, in in, in your writing with marketing. So it’s still about wordsmithing and it’s still about how does this idea, concept, trope, image land for my reader.

So that’s my spin on marketing today. 

[05:29] Conclusion and Encouragement 

I teach writers on how to market, and I have some fun things coming in that direction later in this year. Stay tuned.

But that’s what I’m gonna say today about marketing for fiction writers, and especially for science fiction and fantasy writers, we have a lot of things going for us. 

So our job is to bring those out in our marketing and learn how to make them very short, and I encourage you to experiment. And if you have any questions on the topic, let me know. 

That’s it for this week, everyone. Write long and prosper. Oh, and Happy marketing. 

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061 

Need instructions on how to leave a review? Go here.

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Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

***

ABOUT BETH BARANY 

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

CONNECT 

Contact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580

Email: beth@bethbarany.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethbarany/

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethbarany/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bethbarany

X: https://twitter.com/BethBarany

CREDITS 

• EDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA (Refer-a-Friend link)
• MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/fuzz-buzz License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. “Fuzz buzz” by Soundroll. Commercial license: https://musicvine.com/track/soundroll/fuzz-buzz.
• DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465 (Refer-a-Friend link)
• SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
• SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c 2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

For more “How To Write the Future” episodes, go here.

If you’d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note here.

Like the work we do? Tip us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

The post Marketing and Selling Tips for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.

Level Up with Writer Feedback – How To Write the Future podcast, episode 192

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“If you start asking for feedback too soon, it can really destroy the creative process for you. It can make you doubt the direction you’re going in. There’s all kinds of reasons why I recommend that you get feedback after you finish your first draft.” – Beth Barany

Do you want feedback on the first page of your manuscript? Need to know if there’s something just missing?

In “Level Up with Writer Feedback,” this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany guides you through receiving creative writing feedback, with tips on joining local or online groups, reaching out to developmental editors, or potentially receiving feedback from Beth herself as she also explains the importance of finishing your first draft.

Platforms the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts | Buzzsprout | Spotify| YouTube

RESOURCES 

FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS – BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS

Sign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.

https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/

Support our work for creatives!

Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany

GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING – START HERE

Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/

GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH

Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

About the How To Write the Future podcast 

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers.This podcast is for readers too if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

This podcast is for you if you have questions like:

– How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?

– How do I figure out what’s not working if my story feels flat?

– How do I make my story more interesting and alive?

This podcast is for readers, too, if you’re at all curious about the future of humanity.

Transcript for episode 192 – Level Up with Writer Feedback 

Introduction to Creative Writing Feedback 

BETH BARANY: Today I wanna talk about one of the most important elements of being a creative writer. And this applies of course to science fiction and fantasy writers and all writers. Fiction writers and nonfiction writers alike. Now I specialize in helping science fiction and fantasy writers, but recently I was in conversation with a contemporary romance writer, and what we were talking about totally applies to all of you, and that is how to get more feedback on your writing. 

[00:28] Importance of Finishing Your First Draft 

Now this is especially important, after you have finished your first draft, so please finish your first draft before you search out feedback. If you start asking for feedback too soon, it can really destroy the creative process for you. It can make you doubt the direction you’re going in. There’s all kinds of reasons why I recommend that you get feedback after you finish your first draft. 

We’re already critical of our own work, so I really recommend that you finish your first draft so that someone evaluating it and giving you feedback is looking at something that is a whole, even if it’s an imperfect whole.

[01:03] Where to Get Feedback 

Okay, so getting feedback.

There’s a lot of places you can get feedback. Yes, you can hire an editor, a developmental editor, someone who can read your story and give you feedback on character and plot and setting, and how does one thing flow into the other, and do you have a deep point of view. 

All kinds of things.

But actually most first time fiction writers, when you’ve completed your first draft, you actually need something else. 

[01:32] Manuscript Review vs. Developmental Edit

And that’s called a manuscript review. 

Now, I don’t do manuscript reviews anymore, nor do I developmental edit by itself.

I do that inside of my group mastermind where I teach people how to edit their work. 

Manuscript review, and I, I know plenty of people who do this, is where someone will read your book and give you feedback on: the story, the plot, the characters, the setting, the flow, the point of view, but they won’t mark up your manuscript, they’ll give you pages of notes, and it might be smart to handle this, in a smaller bit. That is, don’t hire someone to do your manuscript review, for the entire book, have someone read your first chapter. Have someone read your first page. 

[02:15] Page One Assessment Service 

Now as a taster service, I do a Page One Assessment.

For a small fee, I will read your page one and I’ll give you an assessment based on key factors. 

So what do I offer in the Page One Assessment? 

Basically it’s to help you figure out: Is my book any good? Am I starting in the right place? Am I delivering the kind of story I hope to? So meeting and exceeding genre expectations. Does my opening hook the reader? Is the narrator interesting and compelling?

Now if you are wondering all of those things and you finish your first draft, and you are a science fiction or fantasy writer, but also any genre fiction anything but horror, I don’t do horror. I will read your page one and give you written notes. This is a bite-size look at your work to answer the questions above, and I will also notice the big picture, story structure, character arc, and world building, and I can tell from page one, how those are going. 

I can also take a look at your prose and give you a quick assessment on that. Now, this isn’t a quiz, this is a real, customized, personalized look at what’s working and what needs improvement by a real person. Me, I do not use AI for this. 

This is only for page one, not for any other pages.

Sometimes when people sign up for the service, it is a paid service, they hesitate to send me their one page. And I don’t put a deadline on it because I understand the tenderness of sharing your work with someone.

But I do recommend that you send it pretty soon. I, I have on my landing page here six to eight weeks, but really, sooner is better if you can. If there is, it really is meant to be a nurturing place. What I mean by that is, I’m not here to attack you. I’m here to help you see what’s working and help you see what you need more of.

Now, if your story isn’t science fiction or fantasy, but some other kind of speculative fiction, happy to look at it. If you like my vibe and you are writing some other kind of fiction, I’m open to that as well. I have written science fiction and fantasy and, and paranormal romance. And, also I’ve written sci-fi mysteries.

This offer is great for you, if you are a science fiction or fantasy writer that includes romance, mystery or thriller elements, or if you have contemporary romance, I can look at that as well. 

Your work is done. It’s better to have your manuscript be done. And, if all you have is your first chapter and you are wanting feedback, I will look at it as well, but I really recommend that you have your whole manuscript done. 

[04:54] Additional Feedback Resources 

Now, there are a few other ways you can get feedback, and it’s quite fun to consider them. There are contests. There’s also different organizations that will allow you to submit your work to get edited, different editors and developmental editors, like Rev Pit. I see that Reedsy has, uh, that service. I wanna mention a few other things. Um,

There’s also a place called scribophile.com where you can critique other people’s work and once you develop enough points by doing that, then you can get your work critiqued. You can also search Facebook for “critique groups” and depending on where you are located, you can also look at your local writer’s club and meet in person with other writers and find critique partners that way.

[05:49] What’s working and what’s not 

Critique partners, where you exchange pages with them, will not only give you an opportunity to get your work looked at, but it’ll also give you the opportunity to learn how to articulate what is working and what is not working in other people’s work.

[06:04] What we talked about today 

So today we talked about getting a developmental edit if your work is ready. First time authors often need more of an assessment at first, or you could hire someone like me to give you a Page One Assessment. Also you can look for critique groups. You can look for online communities like Scribophile. You can look at offers, like Reedsy has and you can also look at the amazing, free competition called Rev Pit. And those resources will be in our show notes. 

[06:34] Conclusion and Final Thoughts 

So, getting feedback on our work is actually critical. Nobody writes in a vacuum. We’re all impacted by our culture. And then when it comes time to edit our work and put it out into the world, we actually all get our work read and we all receive feedback. 

One of the biggest stumbling blocks I see for writers is they never show their work to anyone and then nothing really happens because they’re afraid to put themself out there. And I get it. It is very, very scary. So your ideal situation for getting feedback is a supportive environment where you feel safe with people that you like and respect.

And you can put some other requirements on looking for critique partners as well, like you all share similar genres. You’re all working on similar genres. 

[07:22] Wrapping up – contact me!

All right. If you have any other questions or you’re curious about my Page One Assessment, do contact me. I am out there @ BethBarany. You can also write me through my website, howtowritethefuture.com. 

And and reach out if you would like support or further resources on this topic.

Alright everyone, that’s it for now. That’s it for this week. Write long and prosper. 

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061 

Need instructions on how to leave a review? Go here.

***

Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

***

ABOUT BETH BARANY

Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She’s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, “How To Write The Future.”

Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites: 

Author site /  Coaching site / School of Fiction / Writer’s Fun Zone blog

CONNECT

Contact Beth: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/podcast/#tve-jump-185b4422580

Email: beth@bethbarany.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethbarany/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethbarany/

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethbarany/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bethbarany

X: https://twitter.com/BethBarany

CREDITS

• EDITED WITH DESCRIPT: https://www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA (Refer-a-Friend link)
• MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/fuzz-buzz License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. “Fuzz buzz” by Soundroll. Commercial license: https://musicvine.com/track/soundroll/fuzz-buzz.
• DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465 (Refer-a-Friend link)
• SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
• SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c 2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

For more “How To Write the Future” episodes, go here.

If you’d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note here.

Like the work we do? Tip us! https://ko-fi.com/bethbarany 

The post Level Up with Writer Feedback appeared first on Writer's Fun Zone.