Best Mary Robinette Kowal Podcasts (2024)

1
19.19: A Close Reading on Worldbuilding: An Overview and why A Memory Called Empire 28:38

1h ago28:38

28:38

Why is worldbuilding is essential in your writing? Today, we answer this question and dive into some working definitions of how we want to talk about it. After the break, we discuss why we chose this book Arkady Martine’s “A Memory Called Empire” and highlight what it does well. We dive into the elements that help make Martine’s worldbuilding so ac…

1
19.18: How to Build Fictional Economies 26:36

14h ago26:36

26:36

Sometimes we know the action and themes of your story, but you don’t know how to build an economy that supports those. Well today, we explain just how to do that! What are some questions you can ask yourself about the worth of certain goods and services in the world you’re building? What would a post-scarcity world look like and ask of your charact…

1
Episode 38: Write Now with Scrivener, Episode no. 38: Veronica G. Henry, Fantasy and Mystery Author 30:51

5d ago30:51

30:51

Veronica G. Henry writes fantasy, mystery, and speculative fiction novels. Show notes: Veronica G. Henry The Canopy Keepers Shinrin-yoku - forest bathing How to Store Handwritten Notes and Texts in Scrivener Projects 47North Tracy Clark: Hide Learn more about Scrivener, and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener. If you like the podcast, ple…

1
Five Years of Podcasting! Plus Updates! 34:13

7d ago34:13

34:13

Watch the live podcast on YouTube. Mentioned: EF Go Ahead Tours - https://www.goaheadtours.com/tours A few of my photos from Greece - https://www.instagram.com/p/C5orMwfOgpR/ - https://www.instagram.com/p/C5qZl7-OWsO/?img_index=1 Read my post: "Beyond Bestsellers: Yes, People Still Buy Books" 3000 Years of Longing The Fall of Souls by R. A. Moreau …

1
19.17: Novellas- the Goldilocks of Publishing 28:29

8d ago28:29

28:29

How do you find the right size for your story? And speaking of size, what do novellas do differently than both short stories and novels? What even is the difference between a novel and a novella? How many characters do they usually have? How many subplots? How do you know if your story should take the form of a novella or a novel? We dive into all …

1
19.16: An Interview with Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar 47:02

15d ago47:02

47:02

Today we get to talk to the inimitable Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar. Amal and Max are on the podcast to tell us about how they wrote a book together (hint: they didn’t write it together in the form of one voice.) They talk to us about the practice of writing letters, collaboration, and the revelation of friendship. They talk about the complexit…

1
Imagining Success with P. Djèlí Clark 55:12

29d ago55:12

55:12

“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here. In this interview, I speak with multi-award winner P. Djèlí Clark about the publishing industry, shifting ideas of success, and something all Gen-Xers should…

1
19.15: A Close Reading on Voice: Tying It All Together 25:18

23d ago25:18

25:18

As we conclude our first deep dive of our close reading series, we want to explore how the evolution of voice helped carry readers throughout "This Is How You Lose The Time War." We also talk about the relationship between character arcs and language, learning and voice. Stay tuned for next week’s episode, where we interview Max Gladstone and Amal …

1
19.14: A Close Reading on Voice- Epistolary Storytelling Through Voice 25:54

29d ago25:54

25:54

What's epistolary writing? Well, it's writing through letters. But it's also a lot more than that. As we continue to dive into the concept of Voice, we want to explore the importance and power of the letters that Blue and Red write to each other throughout "This Is How You Lose The Time War." If you haven't already listened to our episodes introduc…

1
Episode 37: Debbie Urbanski, Science Fiction Author 28:42

1M ago28:42

28:42

After many years writing short stories and essays, Debbie Urbanski has published her first novel, After World, about AI at the end of humanity's physical presence on earth. Show notes: Debbie Urbanski After World Alan Weisman, The World Without Us M.R. Caray, The Girl With All the Gifts Marlen Haushofer, The Wall How Daydreaming Can Enhance Creativ…

1
19.13: A Close Reading on Voice: Blue's Perspective - Confidence and Vulnerability 23:33

1M ago23:33

23:33

On our third episode diving into Voice through the novella “This Is How You Lose The Time War,” we begin to explore the different voices that make up the two main characters in the story. Last episode we dove into Red’s voice– if you haven’t already, we recommend you listen to that first! Today, we are doing a close read of Blue at the tea shop and…

1
Choosing the Right POV for Your Novel 23:44

2M ago23:44

23:44

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/umqeMohkOC0 Mentioned: ARC Giveaway - https://lpenelope.com/2024/03/daughter-of-the-merciful-deep-arc-giveaway/ Daughter of the Merciful Deep - preorder Publishers Weekly starred review Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland Write Your Novel from the Middle by James Scott Bell Plot vs. Character by Jeff Gerke Sav…

1
19.12: A Close Reading on Voice - Red's Perspective - Muscular Prose 26:37

1M ago26:37

26:37

Today, we are doing a very close read of Red's opening narration and how Red’s voice communicates both character and world in an effective and efficient way. We read several sections aloud and dive into what each sensory detail is doing. Also Mary Robinette talks about what she thinks is the most effective way to draw your readers attention to some…

1
19.11: A Close Reading on Voice- An Overview, and Why Time War 24:03

2M ago24:03

24:03

The book that became a New York Times Bestseller because of a tweet. Well, it won LOTS of awards when it came out, but it was rediscovered by a Twitter account with a large following. So-- let's get into it! On our first episode diving into Voice using the short novel "This Is How You Lose The Time War", we talk about why Voice is essential and som…

1
Imagining Success with Beverly Jenkins 47:36

2M ago47:36

47:36

“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here. In this interview, I speak with legendary romance author Beverly Jenkins about the power of representation, her unique relationship with her readers, and why…

1
19.10: Introducing Our Close Readings Series 23:30

2M ago23:30

23:30

You’ve probably seen us posting about our Close Reading Series, and in his episode, we finally officially introduce it! For most of the remainder of 2024, we’ll be diving into five core elements of writing by focusing on five different literary texts. We’ll spend five episodes on each one, and then we’re going to… drumroll please… interview the aut…

1
Episode 36: Todd Henry, Productivity and Creativity Author 31:43

2M ago31:43

31:43

Todd Henry writes books helping people improve their productivity, creativity, and teamwork. He calls himself "an arms dealer for the creative revolution." ‌I can't imagine writing a book in anything other than Scrivener. Show notes: Todd Henry The Accidental Creative The Thing You Do Every Day Alone with Your Thoughts Distraction-Free Writing with…

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19.09: LIVE Recording - Rituals, Rites, and Traditions 17:20

2M ago17:20

17:20

Hosts Erin and DongWon are joined by Fonda Lee and Mahtab Narsimhan for a special episode about creating traditions in your fictional writing. In this episode, we'll explore some of the following: -How do you build traditions and rituals in your fictional world (choosing what becomes a tradition or ritual and what doesn’t)? -How can you use rituals…

1
Revising the Outline 25:26

3M ago25:26

25:26

Watch on YouTube Mentioned: Imaginary Worldbuilding course Zcal Meeting Scheduler - https://zcal.co/ My interview on the Wish I’d Known podcast Washington Post mention! https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2024/02/11/romantasy-explainer-maas-yarros/ - Gift article link: https://wapo.st/3uJ2YkN https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ Grammar refresher …

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19.08: NaNoWriMo Revision with Ali Fisher: Working with an Editor 29:04

2M ago29:04

29:04

An agent, an editor, and a writer walk into a Zoom room and record a podcast... but really... that's (part of) what this episode is! First off, a reminder that your agent, your editor, and you are all on the same team! They are all trying to make the same book (your book!) a better book. Whether you've published before or are just starting your fir…

1
Imagining Success with Mary Robinette Kowal 37:54

3M ago37:54

37:54

“Imagining Success” is an interview series where I talk to authors who have achieved career milestones that others only dream about and ask them how they got there and where they go from here. In this interview, I speak with award-winning SFF author Mary Robinette Kowal about the meaning of success and how it evolves over time. She discusses the mo…

1
19.07: NaNoWriMo Revision with Ali Fisher: Intention 25:07

3M ago25:07

25:07

For our second episode in this three-part series on revising your NaNoWriMo novel—or any other larger project you have—we are diving into intentions with Tor editor Ali Fisher. We asked her how she helps writers figure out what their books are about, and how she helps set intentions for revisions. Ali talks with us about how its important to be kin…

1
Getting Early Feedback on an Outline 23:20

3M ago23:20

23:20

Watch on YouTube Mentioned: How to Revise Your Novel workshop Imaginary Worldbuilding course - https://lpen.co/worlds Story Seed workbook - https://lpen.co/storyseed Enneagrams - https://www.crystalknows.com/enneagram/types Pro Writing Aid's romance week - https://lpen.co/romanceweek All the Sinners Bleed by SA Cosby - (Amazon), (Bookshop) The My I…

1
19.06: NaNoWriMo Revision with Ali Fisher: Length 27:27

3M ago27:27

27:27

Ali Fisher, editor at Tor Books and member of the podcast Rude Tales of Magic, joins us for a three-part series on editing. First up: length! How do you edit your work—whether it's a book or a short story or a novella? Maybe you wrote a draft during NaNoWriMo, maybe you didn't-- either way, we want to help you figure out how to make your writing th…

1
Episode 35: George Stevens Jr., Movie Producer and Director 29:49

3M ago29:49

29:49

George Stevens Jr. has been a movie producer and director for decades, and has written a memoir about his life in Hollywood. Show notes: George Stevens Jr. My Place in the Sun George Stevens A Place in the Sun Oppenheimer Lawrence of Arabia Learn more about Scrivener, and check out the ebook Take Control of Scrivener. If you like the podcast, pleas…

1
19.05: LIVE Recording - Revisions with Mahtab Narsimhan 20:08

3M ago20:08

20:08

Some writers love revisions and some would rather scrub the toilet than revise their writing. On this episode, we are joined by author Mahtab Narsimhan, who many will recognize as a host from past seasons! Mahtab talks with our hosts about how she thinks about revisions. How do you revise your writing? What is the difference between revising and re…

1
Crafting the Villain 22:48

4M ago22:48

22:48

Watch in YouTube: https://youtu.be/DeIidsoalEY - Footnotes newsletter - https://myimaginaryfriends.net/footnotes - Savage City is on sale! - https://books2read.com/savagecity - Preordder Daughter of the Merciful Deep - https://lpenelope.com/book/daughter-of-the-merciful-deep/ Mentioned: - Bookbub - ebook deals - Scribecount - track book sales - FaR…

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19.04: LIVE Recording - Pacing with Guest Fonda Lee 19:03

3M ago19:03

19:03

Pacing is one of the most subjective and difficult aspects of storytelling to get right. What is pacing? How do you know what the right pace is for a story, and what techniques can you use to speed up or slow down your narrative? Homework Assignment from Fonda Lee: Take a page of a work-in-progress project and experiment with the pacing. Ideally, t…

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19.03: Behind The Scenes with our Producer and Recording Engineer 22:38

4M ago22:38

22:38

A few months ago, we were on a cruise ship in Alaska recording podcast episodes for 2024! This live recording features a Q&A with cruise attendees, who were given the opportunity to ask questions to Marshall Carr, our audio engineer, and Emma Reynolds, our producer. In this episode, we talked about the benefits of MFA programs, astrology, and how t…

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Mary Robinette Kowal Podcasts

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