How To Write The Future
Episodes
203. Hip Hop for the Future
04 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“I'm trying to make sure we have artists, the next generation people who can get to the open mic for the first time and learn how to hold a mic...
202. Read, Write, Repeat with David D. Levine
27 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“I was a science fiction reader from the beginning, and I continued to identify myself as a science fiction writer. However, a lot of my stuff would...
201. 5 Upcoming Inspiring Interviews
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“Oh my goodness. Sue has so much to say about research and how to use research strategically about finding conflicts and problems and learning as mu...
200. Uncertain Times: Five Creative Superpowers
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“What is creativity? Here's the short of it. For me, creativity is about combining disparate elements, elements we might not even think of putt...
199. Use Divination Cards to Spark Stories
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“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 ...
198. Beginning, Middle, End — And Mess
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“Life is messy. Life is unpredictable, and so is creating. Make room for that. Create compassion.” - Beth BaranyIn this How To Write the Future po...
197. Business Advice Creatives Can Actually Use
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“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 o...
196. Fun Values Check-In for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writers
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“ 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 g...
195. Trust Your Creative Process
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“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 t...
194. Risk Taking Without Desperation: Write From Trust
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“Every creative project involves risk, whether you are writing a novel, creating a play, a film, or starting your own creative entrepreneur business...
193. Marketing and Selling Tips for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“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.”...
192. Level Up with Writer Feedback
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“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 goin...
191. Writing Constraints: The Fast Creativity Reset
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“For me, writing fiction is a place of play. So, yeah, that Aha came to me recently and I thought, okay, I need to dedicate myself to just playing ...
190. Ethical AI for Writers with Ana del Valle
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“I think that if you sit on the sidelines and you choose to ignore these tools, you have no chance to compete in this new marketplace. You have no c...
189. World-Building Without Information Dumping
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“ I really recommend you write your book anyway. Let it be as messy and chaotic as first drafts are.” - Beth BaranyHooking a reader in at the begi...
188. Fantasy Steampunk: Do You Need Magic?
18 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“Do your research, read widely in the genre, and don't limit yourself to strict rules; go ahead and create something new. That would be cool.”...
187. Decode The Obsidian Tower's Setting
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“By setting in this case, we are getting the scope of the world. We are learning the rules of magic in this story.” — Beth BaranyIn this How To ...
186. How Much Science in Your Sci-Fi Stories?
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“Go ahead and base your sci-fi entirely on your own imagination, whatever science that you want to integrate into your story. And make it feel real....
185. How to Find a Literary Agent
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“ It's essentially a marketplace. You want to shop around. You want to make sure that this person has a good reputation and you want to talk of...
184. Writing Consistently: Facts and Myths
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Learning how to write fiction-- most people never learn in school, so we're learning as adults and therefore we're gonna have a huge lear...
183. How to Handle Plot Holes Effectively
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“It's hard to fix a manuscript that is not yet finished. This is what I counsel all of my clients and people who might want to work with me is...
182. Writer's Block: Five Steps Forward
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“In my opinion, the cure for writer's block is writing -- pure and simple.” - Beth BaranyDo you wonder why you’re not writing and wish you ...
181. Writing Through Chaos: Creativity and Resilience with Catharine Bramkamp
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“I am currently deeply involved with the process and the importance of creativity in the second half of life.” - Catherine BramkampIn this episode...
180. Crafting Ethical AI Worlds with Abigail Hing Wen
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“I try to write worlds that I believe are attainable and that I think we can aspire towards.” - Abigail Hing WenIn this future‑forward episode o...
179. Building Character-Driven Action Adventure Stories with Lawrence Connolly
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Written from the point of view of one character and then another scene from the another character. Now, we would never shift point of view within a...
178. Future Fantasy, Real-World Resilience with Randee Dawn
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“I love plot, I love character, and I just feel like the colors are bolder and brighter and there's more to work with when I'm writing abo...
177. Monsters and Humanity in Fiction with Surekha Davies
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“It all started with too much Star Trek, although you could say that that's a lie because there is never too much Star Trek.” - Surekha Davie...
176. Bailey Lang's Habits of Mind for Writers
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“So the habits of mind are: curiosity, openness, engagement, creativity, persistence, responsibility, flexibility, and metacognition. So that's...
175. Tricking Yourself into Writing Habits with LA Bourgeois
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“I am a horrible little goblin like that, and it's just what happens. So I have to trick myself and the ways that I trick myself are to really ...
174. Seamless Queer Characters in Fantasy World Building with Chad Grayson
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“I'm not asking for everybody to center queer characters in their narratives in world-building, which would be nice, actually, you know, as nic...
173. Revisiting Your Story World Diagnosis: What Stage Are You In?
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Your biggest challenge is how to start, how to overcome confusion and overwhelm, and maybe how to overcome some procrastination.” - Beth BaranyRe...
172. In the Age of AI, Think Critically, Write Creatively, Act Compassionately
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you stopped to ask yourself: what is it that you want? And dared to listen to the answer.” - Beth Barany In the latest How To Write the Future...
171. What is Biocomputing? Interview with Ewelina Kurtys
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“This is a new field, in which we are trying to use living neurons to process information, and we want to use them as processors, to process informa...
170. Building Creative Confidence in Sci-Fi with Author, Michael Colon
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“The Gift from Aelius is a sci-fi tale that explores the meaning of purpose and life and what it means to be alive.” - Michael ColonABOUT TODAY&ap...
169. Creating Positive Visual Futures with Illustrator Melquea Smith
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“I think of hope. And especially in a world that can be seen as cruel, that can be experienced as cruel, I think of those who have the capacity to ...
168. Upcoming classes in the Barany School of Fiction
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“We have a fabulous program that we are launching for the first time. It's a pilot program. And this is for you if you are a writer and you wan...
167. You're invited to the Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
”I believe that your unique vision that you are sharing in your stories can impact the readers in unknown and amazing ways.” - Beth BaranyHow To W...
166. Emily Golden and Rachel May on Story Theme, World Building, and Conflict
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
”The message of the story is the thing that they need to learn, which means that they have opposite beliefs that are preventing them, you know, flaw...
165. Woo-Woo and Fiction Writing
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Do you like to daydream? I love to daydream. I've always loved to daydream ever since I was a child and when I was a child, I wished I was mag...
164. Human Design and Fiction Writers
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Human Design is really helping you work with your energy rather than against it. There is no reason why you have to fight against yourself. It make...
163. Learn How to Craft Settings that Hook Readers
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“This class is really for those who care about tone, character, genre, and the emotional resonance of your story.”In this How To Write the Future ...
162. How to Build Epic Rivalries Between Heroes and Villains
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“ Four essential elements of what does it take to build this epic rivalry between your hero and the villain.” - Said by Beth Barany, quoting Bonni...
161. Interview with Kathryn Nelson, Fantasy Novelist
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“So you see that the main characters’ relationship develop. You see how their country's changing, their themes of mental health and women&apo...
160. What is Creative Entrepreneurship?
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“First principles are really: know how to be creative and know how to get into your creativity.” - Beth BaranyIn this How To Write the Future epis...
159. Quick Tips for Writing Your Character’s Identity
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Get to know the people, read the history, talk to the people as people. But not as subjects. You're not a scientist, you're a novelist. A...
158. Writing Science Fiction for Social Impact
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“What would it look like if we did take care of everyone?” - Beth BaranyIn this episode of "How To Write the Future" podcast, authors an...
157. How to Craft AI and Robot Characters in Your Fiction
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“ So I haven't yet pulled in any ethical or moral dilemmas that would be interesting, maybe in a future story.” - Beth BaranyIn “How to Cra...
156. Essential Tips for Writing Space Opera
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“ Of course, you want to think of what they want, the goal, why they want it, the motivation; what's in their way, the conflict, but also their...
155. Tips to Transform Your Novel Into Trilogy
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Be here, be now. Be with your project as it exists right now.” — Beth BaranyIn this episode of How To Write the Future podcast, host Beth Baran...
154. World Building with Women Warriors, Interview with Pamela D. Toler
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“There's been a long tradition of saying that women that women who ruled were exceptions, that women who fought were exceptions. That, you know...
153. Science Fiction Brainstorming: Two Essential Tips
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Just really let your creativity flow. No censorship, no stopping to, is this right? Is this wrong? It doesn't matter.” — Beth BaranyIn thi...
152. Create An Original Religion for Your Story
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“A well crafted religion can really add depth to your world building and create some incredible conflicts and tensions that can move your story forw...
151. Writing Inclusive Fantasy for Modern Readers with Sci-Fi Fantasy Author, Aspry Jones
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“If I could go back in time and tell 22-year-old me not to go into TV, but instead to center on what your heart was, the writing, and the creating s...
150. Creating Authentic Science Fiction Universes with Devin Blair’s Chemical Rocketeers Show
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Even if I didn't have this entire podcast structure, which thank God I actually do, so I can actually focus on something during my travels.“...
149. Balancing World Building Elements for the Reader Experience with Jasper Ezekiel
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“I'm always really fascinated by what gets trimmed off the edges. And because there's gold in there sometimes. And why would a creative pr...
148. Fantasy Character Groups Made Simple with Ezra Barany
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“The really cool thing about character groups is if you're making worlds, let's talk about the situations where worlds are in demand in ge...
147. How to Ask Powerful Questions to Unlock Your Creativity (and Your Life)
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“As a storyteller, WHAT IF is fabulous. What if it was like this? What if it was like that? What if I did this? What if I put it this way?“In “H...
146. How Ancient Female Warriors Shape Our Future
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Women have had an impact in world history throughout the ages. We just haven't been told those stories. So one of my missions in life is to br...
145. Women in Science: From Ancient Times to Modern Breakthroughs
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Did you ever wonder who invented Kevlar, the coffee filter, the car heater, or liquid paper? Would you be surprised to find out that they're a...
144. African Heritage Meets Interstellar Travel: Why Nnedi Okorafor's Binti Trilogy is Essential Afrofuturism
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“I think it's really important that we read books and reread authors who aren't similar to us, who are very different from us culturally c...
143. Elizabeth Moon: Crafting Strong Female Protagonists in Science Fiction
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“So I highly recommend Elizabeth Moon, if you like military ship captains who are these strong, interesting women. I also really adored her fantasy....
142. How Science Fiction and Fantasy Can Change the World
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“ I would say I live in this space with my Janey McCallister Space Station Mystery series. I think a lot about the sweet spot between current techno...
141. Favorite Science Explainers on YouTube (part 2)
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Science Explainer: That is a term that has come out in the last bit of years to explain someone or to describe somebody who shares about science to th...
140. Favorite Science Explainers on YouTube (Part 1)
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“As you may have noticed, these are all women science explainers and scientists, because I really want to highlight women doing science.”In the la...
139. Simple and Powerful Storytelling Structure with Leon Conrad
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Because It's grounded on a very simple principle. Story, well told, well crafted, well structured, will have a pattern of ebb and flow. The eb...
138. Building Authentic Stories: Real-World Elements in Fantasy and Sci-Fi with Lewis Jorstad
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“I really enjoy leaning on real world history to write my stories.”-- Lewis Jorstad In this episode of How To Write the Future, host Beth Barany c...
137. The Art of Editing Speculative Fiction with Kristin Noland
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
”What if we could travel to a different galaxy? And then that's what the book is about. What if there were superheroes in the world? What if ...
136. Exploring Futuristic Events in 2025: A Guide for Science Fiction Writers
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Once or twice a year, I like to do an episode about upcoming events that you can participate in. And this is especially helpful if you're l...
135. Creative Writing Resources: Power Up Your Fiction in 2025
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“All I have to say, I know it can take a long time. And I really respect that it takes time to be ready to take the next step.“In the first episod...
134. Top 6 Most Popular Episodes in 2024
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"From planning your writing life to exploring tropes, storytelling, and world-building, these episodes showcase the diverse topics we've cov...
133. You did it! You've a finished science fiction or fantasy novel you’re proud of. (Step 8)
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I want you to really deepen into what this experience could be like. What would it be like to hold the book in your hands?”This episode is last p...
132. Launch and publish your novel (Step 7) (Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap)
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“There's a lot of ways to launch a book. And you get to decide what is the way that feels the best for you.”This episode is part of a mini-se...
131. Trust-Your-Heart Marketing (Step 6)
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“It helped me see that marketing is really about you offering your gift, your book, which is your gift.“In "Trust-Your-Heart Marketing (Trust...
130. Take 2-95! Revise for your readers. Writing is rewriting. (Step 5)
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“We write for ourselves, And we revise for our readers.”In “Take 2-95! Revise for your readers. Writing is rewriting. (Trust Your Creative Heart...
129. Take 1. Write Your Messy First Draft. (Step 4)
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Give yourself an opportunity to be perfectly imperfect.”This episode is part of a mini-series based on the “Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap”...
128. Story Development (Step 3)
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Get to know your characters and really understand how they perceive the world. So that you can write the book in their voice.”In this latest epis...
127. Writing practice. "I can do this." (Step 2)
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“To write a novel, you really need to be able to already be able to sit down and write. Even if it's just a little bit at a time.”This episod...
126. You are Here: Take an Assessment and Clarify Your Goals (Step 1)
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I help you go from idea to finished science fiction or fantasy novel that you are proud of.”How To Write the Future host, Beth Barany kicks off h...
125. Trust Your Creative Heart Roadmap for Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I really recommend that you trust your own style and voice. Don't let anyone tell you that what you are trying to do is wrong or bad, or that ...
124. Interview with BookFunnel creator Damon Courtney, part 2
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I want you to own the relationship with your reader. It should be your website they're buying on, not mine. So they're buying on your web...
123. Interview with Bookfunnel creator Damon Courtney, part 1
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I set out really just to write myself a set of instructions that I could give to readers who joined my list. And ended up building BookFunnel.”--...
122. Interview with Science Fiction Western novelist, Rachael Clarke, Part 2
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“What I'll tell people is to find your writing group, find your writing family.”-- R.A. ClarkeIn this episode, “Interview with Science Fict...
121. Interview with Science Fiction Western Novelist, Rachael Clarke, Part 1
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I'm passionate about sci-fi and I was thinking, I just I love horses so much, and I started thinking, what would horses be like in the future?...
120. Using Games to Design our Futures with Randy Lubin, part 2
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I know for me what I'm working on, especially at the beginning of creating a story I'm asking, because stories have to have escalating co...
119. Using Games to Design our Futures with Randy Lubin, part 1
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I think games are excellent at building intuition for complex systems, and if you're trying to think through the future, trying to get a grasp...
118. Dealing with Perfectionism, Interview with Melissa Dinwiddie, part 3
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“If you are having fun and you're playing and you're experimenting, it is all gonna feed into what you're doing.”-- Melissa Dinwidd...
117. Let's Play A Game, Interview with Melissa Dinwiddie, Part 2
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I'm leading people through some kind of an activity. So often when I tell people that I use play-based methods, or particularly if I tell peop...
116. Bring Improv to Your Life, Interview with Melissa Dinwiddie, Part 1
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“So every day after breakfast, I lead these creative catalyzing sessions, which is basically a bunch of improv games to get people laughing and movi...
115. How to bring magical elements into your contemporary story (Q&A)
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“It's very common in the urban fantasy genre for there to be a group of magical beings of various kinds.”In the latest How To Write the Futur...
114. How do I rein in all my ideas? (Q&A)
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Do you need to think bigger? Do you need to think of a map that would encompass all of your story worlds, and maybe they're all connected.”I...
113. Where to insert backstory (Q&A)
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“You want the reader to experience backstory from the perspective of your point of view character, who is living in the present and responding and g...
112. How do I know if I’ve added too many details to my novel? (Q&A)
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“How do you tell if there are too many details? It all comes down to the reader experience. What is the reader experience that you want your readers...
111. The Challenge of Imagining Thrutopias with Jennifer Browdy, Pt. 2 of 2
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I think maintaining our own individual health is a really important part of being able to contribute to broader social health.”-- Jennifer Browdy...
110. The Challenge of Imagining Thrutopias with Jennifer Browdy, Pt. 1 of 2
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Human creativity, the amazing thing about it is that we can come up with a thought that's never been thought before. We have these dreams that...
109. Interview with Michael Kilman, Co-Author of Build Better Worlds, part 2 of 2
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Every culture is telling different stories to some degree. And when we share our each other's stories and we read and learn and engage and pra...
108. Interview with Michael Kilman, Co-Author of Build Better Worlds, part 1 of 2
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I think if you're writing truthfully, because that's what we're trying to do a lot of times as author, telling a good story, but bei...
107. The Name of the Game is Change
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I want to encourage you to have it rooted in heart. In fact, I bet you, it already is. What you care about is what you're writing about. So, W...
106. Books to films: Why the Switch
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Humans have been shaping culture from the very beginning. And we are obviously continuing to do so even today.And. I really believe that through th...
105. Your Creativity vs. ChatGPT
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“All this to say, exercise your creativity. Find ways to put disparate things that don't normally go together, put them together and see what h...
104. Upcoming Writerly Events, June 2024
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“I will invite you to bring all the parts of you into creating an author marketing goal or goals. And a plan, a plan that is doable, sustainable, an...