Orson Scott Card is the author of Ender's Game series and dozens of other novels. In this podcast we discuss his start as an author and how he developed the concept of "Ender's Game" and have it became the beloved book it is today.Mr. Card has also been a Writers of the Future Contest Judge for over three decades.Learn more about Orson Scott Card a…

Craig Elliott is In the animation industry. He has worked primarily as the production designer for Marvel, Disney and Dreamworks, designing animated films such as Hercules, Mulan, The Emperor’s New Groove, Treasure Planet, Shark Tale, Flushed Away, Bee Movie, Enchanted, Monsters vs. Aliens, and The Princess and the Frog as well as other upcoming fe…

Writers of the Future 40 winners Lance Robinson (“Five Days Until Sunset”), Stephannie Tallent (“Live and Death and Love in the Bayou”), and Tom Vandermolen (“Nonzero”) meet on the last day of the Writer Workshop Week (this being the second winner podcast) and we discuss their personal journeys and the value of the Contest to aspiring writers.We al…

Writers of the Future 40 winners James Davies, Amir Agoora, Kal M, John Eric Schleicher, and Galen Westlake meet on the last day of the Writer Workshop Week and we discuss their personal journeys and the value of the Contest to aspiring writers.We discuss the importance of dealing with self-rejection and how to come up with amazing story ideas.Lear…

Bill Fawcett has just published a near-future military science called "Never Again," and it is very scary! https://chriskennedypublishing.com/book/never-again/ Bill has been a professor, teacher, corporate executive, and college dean. His entire life has been spent in the creative fields and managing other creative individuals. He is one of the fou…

Kathryn Raaker is the Founder and CEO of Tri-State Connection, a Global Multimedia and PR Company. She has been a trailblazer in the media industry for over three decades.Her son, Robert Taggart, is a journalist and author.Together, they worked together as a mother and her son as a writing team.https://kathrynraakersworld.com/…

Mark Leslie Lefebvre is our most recent Writer Contest judge.Dean Wesley Smith, also a judge, has Mark by four decades, being the first person to be awarded by Writers of the Future in that very first year!Together, these two have been at the forefront of the evolution of publishing, now known as indie publishing or self-publishing. Once frowned up…

Pennsylvania State Senator Art Haywood traveled to LA to celebrate his son's Illustrators of the Future win.In this interview we discuss the importance of the arts to society and what he has done in Pennsylvania with the arts to improve society.By John Goodwin

Jack Nash won the Golden Pen Award for his story, "Son, Spirit, Snake." Tyler Vail won the Golden Brush Award for his illustration of the story, "Squiddy." In this interview, we discuss their personal journey's to finally winning the top award for aspiring writers and artists.Jack Nash: www.JackNashStories.comTyler Vail: www.Tylervail.com…

Echo Chernik and I discuss the history of the Illustrators of the Future Contest, where it has gotten to, and where it is going and how it is that we are able to select the best new talent in illustration around the world.https://www.echo-x.com/By John Goodwin

Davina Powell is the Consumer Marketing Services Manager for Ingram Content Group.She is a creative sales and marketing expert known for connecting publishers and authors to key audiences using Ingram iD.Learn more at IngramiD.comShe has spent more than 10 years in the digital marketing space developing new resources that ensure publishers', bookse…

This episode features Jody Lynn Nye, and we discuss 40 years of Writers of the Future, its impact on the genre, and what she is looking for as the Coordinating Judge.By John Goodwin

John Brown was a winner published in Writers of the Future Volume 13 with his story “The Scent of Desire” under his penname Bo Griffin. I met up with him again last year at LTUE and when I saw he would be back, I asked that he send me a book to read so I could have him on as a guest.His bio says he writes action-packed thrillers and epic fantasies …

I’m here at Superstars Writing Conference in Colorado Springs. This is a podcast panel, meaning I am recording this podcast as I interview SoundBooth Theater founder Jeff Hays and international bestselling author Craig Martelle in front of a live audience.Jeff Hays is a prolific narrator and producer, and CEO of Soundbooth Theater, a full-service a…

Stephen Kotowych was a writer winner for Writers of the Future Volume 23 in 2007. He recently edited and published “The Year’s Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction Volume 1” anthology. It comprises 37 stories and poems and is 100% Canadian.He has a Kickstarter for Volume Two that will run from March 19 through April 16. The link for the prelau…

Storm Humbert and fellow Writers of the Future winners created a publishing company called Calendar of Fools. They compiled a book containing only of rejects, not because they weren't good, but because they weren't right for where they were submitted. So, this project is to give these great stories a second chance!They created a Kickstarter for the…

Liza Trombi is the Editor-in-Chief of Locus Magazine. In this interview, we discuss the history of Locus and its importance to the SF&F field.We also announce a fundraiser that Locus is running and that I encourage you to check out at www.LocusMag.com or go directly to https://igg.me/at/locusmag2024By John Goodwin

Mark Leslie wrote a 10,000-word short that began his Canadian Werewolf series. In this interview, we discuss going from a story, to a novel, to a series, to collaborating with spin-offs.Yogi Berra famously stated, "When you come to a fork, take it." We discuss how accurate this is as advice as you become more knowledgeable as a storyteller. We disc…

In this interview done at Superstars 2024 in Colorado Springs, CO, David Weber discusses his journey to becoming the bestselling author, including "Honor Harrington," and we also address his coming to grips with being the new "old guard" of science fiction and fantasy authors.I really enjoyed this interview. He is not only a great author, but a ver…

Craig Martelle has taken his more than twenty years of experience in the Marine Corps, his legal education, and his business consulting career to write compelling stories. He recommended the first in his Ian Bragg Thriller Series, “The Operator,” which I read and thoroughly enjoyed.But his bio also says he writes sf, urban fantasy, YA fantasy, and …

I met up with Jim Butcher at the Superstars Writing Conference in Colorado Springs. He is the creator of The Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new series, the Cinder Spires. We talk about his journey to becoming a bestselling author and any backstories of the characters in his Dresden series.Much more insight into why he is the incredible autho…

Deon McAdoo, Key Accounts Sales Manager for Ingram Spark.IngramSpark is an online self-publishing company that allows you to print, globally distribute, and manage your print and ebooks.I knew very little about Ingram Spark before this interview but rapidly learned what an amazing tool this is for authors wanting to get their books published and di…

Joni Labaqui has been the Contest Director since 1995. In this episode, we discuss both Contests, starting with what it was like in 1995 and how it has grown.We also discussed each of the Coordinating judges for both Contests.By John Goodwin

I met Rebecca Hardy, pen name for Rebecca Hardy, after she wrote a blog post on the cameras of Battlefield Earth.She was subsequently a guest just over a year ago with her debut novel, “House of Lost Wives.” She is a writer, photographer, and artist working in London while residing in West Sussex, England.She has just come out with her second novel…

Jo Henry is the managing director of Bookbrunch, a daily news service and information site for the book industry.She has worked in the book industry for over 40 years, starting at the literary agency A.M Heath; she has worn probably every possible hat in the publishing industry. She joined BookBrunch in 2018. Jo was co-founder of the Book Marketing…

Judith Anderle, who, along with her husband, Michael, has built an indie publishing empire and created the 20BooksTo50K annual conference.In this interview, we discuss publishing, AI, and copyright law as it currently stands in January 2024.By John Goodwin

Alex Shvartsman is from Ukraine and came to the US as the USSR was collapsing and now lives in New York. With English as his third language, he read voraciously and began writing in his thirties. He sold 100 short stories before venturing into novels. He loves to write.He also holds the distinction of having been #3 in the world in Magic the Gather…

The first half of this interview is with José Sánchez & Chris Arias at the Writers of the Future Awards week. The second half is with Chris, who has had a whirlwind of excitement and recognition after he returned to Costa Rica.By John Goodwin

Barbara Lund was the Writers of the Future Golden Pen Award-winning author for Volume 37 and writes sci-fi and fantasy. But I really enjoyed her sci-fi detective procedural "Platform 8."She has a full-time job, is a mom, and gives her formula for being able to write and publish as well—working out priorities.Learn more at barbaralund.com/new-page…

Michael Johnson has many years of experience in publishing, technology, and educational distribution. He is currently Vice President of Content at Benetech, a global company that creates software for social good in the areas of education, employment, and social inclusion. In other words, Michael assists in making your stories and art accessible to …

Allow me to introduce you to Matthew Wolf, an incredible epic fantasy author. We discuss his origins as an author, inspiration, and creating vivid characters and storylines. And let me recommend the Ronin Saga.Follow him at MatthewWolfAuthor.comBy John Goodwin

I met Pak Gallego at the Frankfurt Book Fair and learned that he created board games and card games: writing, designing, and working out the math needed to create a game. And I immediately wanted to have him on as a guest as I had never discussed gaming (creating of) with anyone!So meet Gak Gallego from Barcelona, Spain.…

Gray Levett began his career as a photographer shooting bands such as Jethro Tull, Kinks, Genesis and expanded from there to creating one of the most well-known Nikon camera shops in London, Gray's of Westminster. He researched the history of photography before publishing his books, as well as for each issue of his magazine.…

Jim Meskimen is a voice actor known for voicing Deadshot, Ultron, and Kuruk. As a professional actor for nearly thirty years, Jim has appeared in the films Apollo 13, The Grinch, Frost/Nixon, The Punisher, Not Forgotten, There Will Be Blood and many others. Some of Jim’s TV credits include Friends, Whose Line is it, Anyway?, Fresh Prince of Bel Air…

I met Brandon Mull at Life the Universe and Everything conference last year in Provo, Utah, and we immediately hit it off. He was such a super nice guy and I wanted to have him as a guest on this podcast as I felt he would be an inspiration to this podcast's listeners. He sent me the first volume of "Fablehaven" and "Candy Shop War" and I really en…

Lazarus Black was first an accomplished professional artist before tackling his true love -- writing. He applied himself to learn his craft. He eventually won the Writers of the Future Contest. Now he has published his first novel. I enjoyed it so much I wanted to have him on as a guest and introduce him to fans of this podcast.Enjoy!www.lazarus.bl…

Dr. Charles E. Gannon on writing hard science fiction.He is a Distinguished Professor of English (St. Bonaventure University) and was a Fulbright Senior Specialist in American Literature & Culture from 2004-2009.His series includes hard-sf interstellar epic (the Caine Riordan series, set in his Terran Republic universe, nominated for three Nebulas,…

Ringling College of Art & Design has produced several Illustrators of the Future winners. This interview is with two of the reasons why.James Martin, professor of illustration in the illustration dept. He’s been an illustrator, mostly in the movie industry, and worked on movies like "Titanic."Dominic Avant majored in illustration at the Rhode Islan…

Top 100 Amazon author James Rosone returns to discuss his Monroe Doctrine Series and how he researches near-future warfare tying in newly evolving technologies leading to a very questionable future.He provides his techniques on how he has remained a top 100 Amazon author for several years.By John Goodwin

D.J. Butler (Dave) is a novelist living in the Rocky Mountains. He worked as a securities lawyer at a major international firm and in-house at two multinational semiconductor manufacturers before taking up writing fiction in 2010.He is a lover of language and languages, a guitarist and self-recorder, and a serious reader. He is married to a powerfu…

Dennis E. Taylor's bio simply states that he is a retired computer programmer, an enthusiastic snowboarder, and an inveterate science fiction reader.His Bobiverse Trilogy steps on any authoritarian, political, or religious toes. We discuss his satire as a lead-up to our upcoming relaunch of Mission Earth. It was written in multiple first-person poi…

Brian Lee Duree was an Illustrators of the Future winner in volume 9. Due to vision complications, he had to transfer from painting to writing and has since become a bestselling writer of science fiction. In this podcast, we discuss how Brian never lost his desire for creativity despite anything thrown at him. His is a story of persistence that can…

Bea Jackson is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Parker Looks Up. Bea attended the College for Creative Studies and is the grand prize winner and returned alumni of L. Ron Hubbard's Illustrator of the Future Award of 2007 and now a Contest Judge.In this podcast we discuss her very humble beginnings as an artist to her very successful ca…

Martin Shoemaker is an author and programmer and winner of Writers of the Future (Volume 31). In this episode, Martin discusses his opinion on the unwritten rules of Writers of the Future, which you can also find at WritersoftheFuture.com/blog.By John Goodwin

Bruce Brenneise was an illustrator winner published in Writers of the Future Volume 34 and also illustrated “The Unwilling Hero” by L. Ron Hubbard in Volume 39. He has gone on to a very successful art career which we discuss in this interview.By John Goodwin

Roger Christian won an Academy Award for creating the look of the STAR WARS universe - including the iconic lightsaber - and established a long collaboration with GEORGE LUCAS. He directed 2nd Unit on RETURN OF THE JEDI, and STAR WARS; EPISODE I; THE PHANTOM MENACE. Lucas commissioned BLACK ANGEL, Roger’s debut as a Writer/Director to release with …

David Hankins, "Death and the Taxman," TJ Knight "The Fall of Crodendra M," Spencer Sekulin "Children of Desolation," and Samuel Parr "The Last History" are all winners published in "L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39."They have all written very different stories with very different and are all winners.David Hankins - davidhank…

David Hankins (WOTF) and Sarah Morrison (IOTF) are winners published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39. David's story, “Death and the Taxman" with Sarah's illustration, made for a fantastic package. It was so popular that David expanded it to a novel and Sarah expanded on her art to create the cover and additional inside ar…

Meet four winners and listen to them give their personal journeys to win the Contest and published in "L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39":Elaine Midcoh, author of "A Trickle in History" (www.baen.com/pr-jbmmssa-2022-winner)J.R. Johnson, author of "Piracy for Beginners" (https://jrjohnson.me)Sarah Morrison, illustrator of "Deat…

Robert J. Sawyer, the Dean of Canadian Science Fiction, which the Ottawa Citizen dubbed him. He’s won all three of the science fiction field’s top honors for his best novel of the year—the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. As well as 11 Canadian science fiction and fantasy awards, the Auroras.If any of you remember seeing t…