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Science Fiction University

Driftglass and Blue Gal

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Each episode Driftglass and Blue Gal discuss one work of classic science fiction plus one science fiction movie. The two pieces share a theme, whether it be time travel, unreliable narrators, dystopias, etc. Join the adventure at sciencefictionuniversity.com
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Plot Blueprint

Alicia Rasley

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Writing a story? Here's a podcast where two story creators brainstorm about various aspects of plotting and characterization. We talk about openings, we talk about endings, we talk about unreliable narrators, we talk about character torture.... Join us for deep-dive conversations about the issues and interests working story-writers encounter. Original music by Nick Weber and Heartland Heretics.
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The Writing Life

National Centre for Writing

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We’re a podcast for anyone who writes. Every week we talk to writers about their writing journeys and techniques, from early career debuts to self-publishers and narrative designers. We’ve featured Margaret Atwood, Jackie Kay, Sara Collins, Antti Tuomainen, Val McDermid, Sarah Perry, Elif Shafak and many more! The Writing Life is produced by the National Centre for Writing at Dragon Hall in Norwich.
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Build creative confidence and grow your writing world with Dr Rachel Knightley and Emily Inkpen. Every episode, we’ll discuss key writing topics while exploring the goals, exercises, tools and techniques necessary to discover what you really want from your writing — and what your writing really needs from you.
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Take a walk down a very dark path with these haunting tales of love, death and uncanny transformations. Poised on the boundary between gothic and horror, four women meet their shocking destinies in these stories of twisted relationships and thwarted desires, examining obsession, identity and sexuality from the viewpoint of some troubled and unreliable narrators. This is razor sharp literary fiction that packs a gut punch in some very unexpected ways. Embrace the unknown and take a flight on ...
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Phil, Chris, Bob, and Jerry play and discuss a campaign they’ve created and are playing. Now, instead of just hearing them talk about the theory of gaming and game mastering of the games they’re playing you can actually hear what they do at the table. It’s come full circle in their exploratory play series, MM Plays.
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Super Fantastic Nerd Hour!

Ali Mattu & H.A. Conrad

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The Super Fantastic Nerd Hour is a podcast dedicated to all the things that nerds love. We explore science fiction, fantasy, comic books, TV shows, movies, video games, and sometimes action figures. During the INFINITE CROSSOVER CHAMBER we mashup our favorite characters against each other to see who would win (because that’s what nerds do when they get together). Each episode also includes cool recommendations for stuff you might like. Hosted by Ali Mattu and H.A. Conrad.
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In this episode Rachel and Emily look at unreliable narrators and how to create and use them in your writing. With examples from literature we look at the ways in which unreliable narrators can give your stories depth, authenticity and a plot-twist or two to keep your readers guessing. The references in today’s episode include Pale Fire by Vladimir…
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In this episode of the podcast we’ll be looking at the art of generating characters for your fiction. We’ll look at the secrets of creating believable and authentic characters that can drive your story forward. Emily and Rachel will talk about their own characters, the inspiration behind them and the ways in which they have shaped events in their f…
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It’s part four of the final story, PROSPOCALYPSE NOW. Gunny, Ti, Bo, Meseme, and Silas engage Casey and work on rescuing Gunny’s dad in this episode. This episode uses sound and music clips licensed from Envato and Stephen Arnold Music Misdirected Mark Productions Patreon Misdirected Mark Productions Twitter Encoded Designs itch.io page Never Unpre…
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In this episode of The Writing Life, NCW Chief Executive Peggy Hughes is joined by writers and members of The Martineau Society Stuart Hobday and Gaby Weiner to discuss their new book Reintroducing Harriet Martineau: Pioneering Sociologist and Activist, which explores the innovative, sociological approach adopted by Harriet Martineau in her efforts…
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You can watch this discussion as unedited video. It’s a new, discussion-only format, just for this episode (and perhaps some rare ones in the future)! When we write, how much is planned vs. improvised? How much is inspirational vs. double-or-triple checked? How does this factor weigh into how much music we release, how eclectic our sound is, and ho…
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In this episode of the Writers’ Gym Podcast we will be thinking about starting to write. Writing the opening page of your story needn’t be a battle against that glaring white first page and all the psychological demons it implies. Rachel and Emily offer tips, advice and hacks for starting to write and share examples and anecdotes from their own wri…
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It’s part three of the final story, PROSPOCALYPSE NOW. Gunny, Ti, Bo, Meseme, and Silas start the true search for Gunny’s dad in this episode. Angels, and Magic, and Casino’s Oh My! This episode uses sound and music clips licensed from Envato and Stephen Arnold Music Misdirected Mark Productions Patreon Misdirected Mark Productions Twitter Encoded …
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In this edition of the Writers’ Gym Podcast with Dr Rachel Knightley and Emily Inkpen we take a look at one of the most common pieces of advice offered to writers: “Write what you know” We examine this advice to consider what it means for our writing and consider how it works in the worlds of science fiction and fantasy as well as in general fictio…
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It’s part two of the final story, PROSPOCALYPSE NOW. Gunny, Ti, and Silas talk with Vincent Flameworth about Gunny’s dad and mind magic. Then the trio return to school to deal with the fall out of prom. This episode uses sound and music clips licensed from Envato and Stephen Arnold Music Misdirected Mark Productions Patreon Misdirected Mark Product…
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In this episode of The Writing Life, NCW Head of Programmes & Creative Engagement Holly speaks with novelist Michael Donkor about crafting identity in fiction. Michael Donkor was born in London to Ghanaian parents. He studied English at Wadham College, Oxford, followed by a Masters in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway. His first novel, Hold, was l…
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We talk about the new Apple TV series "3 Body Problem," which we highly recommend. We also relate it to lots of other science fiction works. Looking for political content? We were on The Brad Cast on Monday https://bradblog.com/?p=14989 More at sciencefictionuniversity.com. Our podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessionalLeft Supp…
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It’s part one of the final story, PROSPOCALYPSE NOW. Gunny, Ti, and Silas are dealing with the fall out from prom and begin learning about what they need to do to stop the Prospocalypse. This episode uses sound and music clips licensed from Envato and Stephen Arnold Music Misdirected Mark Productions Patreon Misdirected Mark Productions Twitter Enc…
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Illinois singer/bassist Paul had his first release in 1985 and joined with drummer Ric Menck to form a band that was eventually called Velvet Crush, which released six studio albums from 1991-2004. He has since played a lot in Matthew Sweet’s band and has now released two albums with drummer John Richardson under the name The Small Square. We discu…
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In this episode we look at the art and science of laying out and formatting your writing. We ask when you should begin to format your work, how you should go about doing it and explore a few good reasons for starting the process early …or indeed later. We look at some of the formatting skills and techniques you’ll need for getting your manuscript r…
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In this episode of The Writing Life, former NCW Communications Assistant Molly speaks with author Naomi Wood about writing subversive women. Naomi Wood is the award-winning author of three novels, including the bestselling Mrs. Hemingway. Her stories have been published in the Mid-American Review, Washington Square Review, Joyland and Stylist, and …
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In this episode Rachel Knightley and Emily Inkpen look at the process of worldbuilding for fiction writers. Normally associated with science fiction and fantasy writers, world building skills can also be applied to real places adapted for fiction. In our conversation we mentioned the map creation services of Dewi Hargreaves who you can follow on tw…
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In this episode Rachel Knightley and Emily Inkpen look at the role and influence of place in creative writing. We look at the ways in which setting can influence you as writers and affect your characters. As usual, we offer creative writing challenges to help you consider the influence of place in your own work. In this episode Rachel references “T…
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In this episode of The Writing Life, writer and translator Daniel Hahn speaks with three former virtual residents Nur-El-Hudaa Jaffar, Sim Wai-chew and Tse Hao Guang about the quirks of virtual residencies, and how their expectations compared to reality. We were delighted to host them from June to December 2023, in a virtual residency generously su…
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Graham is the quintessential British singer-songwriter. Though often compared to Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson, he started before either of those guys, with his first album as Graham Parker & the Rumour coming out in 1976. He released five albums with them by 1980 and then went solo for another 15 albums (sometimes with a backing band, sometimes e…
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In this podcast we’ll talk about the art and techniques of editing. We’ll discuss approaches to editing, what you should take out and keep in and some of the best and worst editing advice we’ve received. Subscribe to The Writers’ Gym in your favourite podcast app to be notified of all new episodes as they are released. New episodes will appear ever…
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In this episode Rachel Knightley and Emily Inkpen discuss the art of giving and receiving feedback. We’ll have advice on how and who to ask for feedback, when feedback will be useful and how you should use feedback as part of your creative process. Subscribe to The Writers’ Gym in your favourite podcast app to be notified of all new episodes as the…
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In H.G. Wells' classic short story, a father and his son Gip wander into an antique shop run by a curious man who claims to be a magician. But the father feels something is not right. This magician seems he can make anything disappear...even Gip! In this episode, Sophie and Raymond discuss science, magic, hypnotism, and what it means to have childl…
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This is our trailer for The Writers' Gym Podcast. We'll be releasing episodes weekly each Wednesday from 6th March and we'll cover topics such as How not to give feedback Editing 101 Unreliable narrators World building "What's Your Wessex" : A guide to place in fiction Layout "Write what you know" : A discussion Each episode features Rachel Knightl…
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We take a short break from Science Fiction to dive into the 1941 film noir masterpiece The Maltese Falcon, comparing and contrasting that Humphrey Bogart classic with two earlier versions, one made in 1931, and a Bette Davis comedy (?) version, "Satan Met a Lady," made in 1936. More at ScienceFictionUniversity.com Support the show…
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Coming from a family who played traditional cajun music in Louisiana, violinist Louis and his accordion-playing brother Andre have released nine albums (plus some live releases and EPs since 2001), winning two Grammy awards, plus Louis has had a couple of releases under the name Michot’s Melody Makers, and he just released his first solo album. We …
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In this episode of The Writing Life podcast, NCW Senior Communications and Marketing Manager Steph speaks with author Heather Parry about writing the grotesque body. Heather Parry was born in Rotherham and lives in Glasgow. She has won the Bridge Award for an Emerging Writer, Cove Park's Emerging Writer Residency and the Laxfield Literary Launch Pr…
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In this episode of The Writing Life, NCW Emerging Translator Mentorships Programme Manager Annie speaks with author Polly Atkin about writing with a chronic illness. Polly Atkin is a multi-award-winning writer, essayist and poet. She is the author of the poetry collections Basic Nest Architecture, which won a Northern Writers' Award, and Much With …
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After Matt’s “paisley underground” band Rain Parade recorded two albums and an EP from ’83-’85, he was a member of Crazy Horse (taking the Neil Young guitar role in Neil’s absence), and released a few albums intermittently as he worked in law enforcement. Now that he has retired, he’s back devoting all his time to music, and Rain Parade has been to…
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Acclaimed actor, poet and novelist Nigel Planer joins Dr Rachel Knightley for a very special, between-series episode of The Writers’ Gym podcast. From writers’ geographical landscapes to the love of flares and the influence of Pratchett on their lives and works, this is a sneak preview of Nigel Planer and Friends, featuring Nigel, Rachel and filmma…
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In this episode of The Writing Life, NCW Programme Officer Ellie speaks with author and NCW mentor Chip Colquhoun about oral storytelling and writing for younger audiences. An NCW Associate Artist, Chip is a storyteller and children’s author. He’s trained teachers through the Department for Education’s English Hub, young creatives through Rathbone …
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Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about? Sophie and Raymond do! In this VERY BELATED Christmas episode (listen, nobody ever said we were reliable), your hosts discuss the 1965 short film, A Charlie Brown Christmas. What makes Charlie Brown a hero for the masses? What is the difference between a real tree and a poor tree? Can Sophie…
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Bruce is best known for his first album The Way It Is (1986), but has come light years since then through 18+ albums, experimenting with different styles, playing over 100 shows with the Grateful Dead, and scoring numerous projects for Spike Lee. He’s won three Grammys and recorded with music royalty including Elton John, Ornette Coleman, Branford …
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Does your game have consequences or damage, or both? Does it affect how you GM and Play the game? How does it affect the flow of the game itself? We examine those questions and more on this episode of Misdirected Mark Plays. Misdirected Mark Productions Patreon Misdirected Mark Productions on X (Formerly Twitter) Misdirected Mark Productions YouTub…
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It’s part 7 of A Magical Night. The crew of Gunny, Silas, and Ti are back in the back rooms and things are reaching their climax with Kurt, Meseme, and Urlis. Will Meseme be reconstituted? Will Kurt get what’s coming to him? Will Urlis get her revenge? Tune in and potentially learn the answers to these questions and more on Children of the Shroud. …
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In this episode of The Writing Life podcast, NCW Programme Officer Ellie speaks with American author Margot Douaihy about the development of the noir genre in crime writing. Margot Douaihy is the author of several noir titles including the mystery novel Scorched Grace, the inaugural title of Gillian Flynn Books. Douaihy is originally from Scranton,…
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After winning a TV reality competition in 2007 to become Sandy in Grease on Broadway, Laura went on to perform on (and off) Broadway in shows like South Pacific, Bonnie & Clyde, Anything Goes, and Cinderella. In 2021 she left Broadway over anti-vax sentiments and now stars in Hallmark Channel films while writing and recording country songs. We disc…
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Today we talk about how Genre and Theme impact your tabletop RPGs as players, game masters, storytellers, and designers both before play, during prep, and at the table. Misdirected Mark Productions Patreon Misdirected Mark Productions on X (Formerly Twitter) Misdirected Mark Productions YouTube Channel Encoded Designs itch.io page Never Unprepared …
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It’s part 6 of A Magical Night. The crew of Gunny, Silas, and Ti are back in the back rooms and things are heating up with the Prosperity Cult of the Wyrm. Will Meseme be recovered and reconstituted? Will Kurt get what’s coming to him? Will we get to see Beau’s weapon? Tune in and potentially learn the answers to these questions and more on Childre…
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In this episode of The Writing Life podcast, Head of Programmes and Creative Engagement Holly speaks with novelist Hannah Vincent about point of view and different types of narration. Hannah Vincent is a novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her first novel, Alarm Girl was published in 2014 and her second, The Weaning in 2018. Her 2020 short…
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The title says it all as we’re hitting a bunch of small topics this week on the show. Misdirected Mark Productions Patreon Misdirected Mark Productions on X (Formerly Twitter) Misdirected Mark Productions YouTube Channel Encoded Designs itch.io page Never Unprepared AudiobookBy Chris Sniezak
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Jason plays bass for Bob Mould’s band, is a touring member of Superchunk, and has been making the promo rounds as he tours as guitarist with actor Michael Shannon to play R.E.M.’s debut Murmur live for its 40th anniversary. He’s a singer-songwriter who played as Verbow in the 90s, and more recently as Split Single. We discuss two Split Single tunes…
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It’s part 5 of A Magical Night. The crew of Gunny, Silas, and Ti are finally at the PROM. Things start heating up as there’s dancing, food, intrigue, and a secret meeting of the Wyrm clan to find out about. Tune in as we’re back from our Holiday Break This episode uses sound and music clips licensed from Envato and Stephen Arnold Music Misdirected …
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In this episode of The Writing Life, NCW CEO Peggy Hughes speaks to four dazzling voices in contemporary poetry. On Wednesday 22 November, Jay Bernard, Anthony Vahni Capildeo, Gail McConnell and Joelle Taylor gathered to celebrate the launch of exciting new poetry archive collection, ‘Towards a Centre for Contemporary Poetry in the Archive'. This p…
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Raymond may be doubtful about the reality of love at first sight, but it's nonetheless a story that has captured the imagination of people for generations. In this episode, Sophie and Raymond dive into a diverse discussion about the roots of rivalry, racism, and romance in Steven Sondheim's retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Support us on…
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Eric Goulden started in 1977 as label-mate to Elvis Costello and Ian Dury, but after three albums he went indie and was an early practitioner of home recording, releasing albums in the second half of the ’80s under various band names like Captains of Industry and The Len Bright Combo. He eventually re-embraced his Wreckless Eric moniker and now rec…
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