Writers of the Future Podcast

185. Desmond Astaire is career military and Grand Prize writer winner

06 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Desmond Astaire is the Gold Award winner for Writers of the Future Volume 38. He is career Air Force who also aspires to a career as an author. Learn...

184. Craig Alanson turned the alien invasion trope on its head

30 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Craig Alanson publishes 3 novels a year. He went from being a paid accountant writing code to a full-time author making 6 figures after only 6 months...

183. Elizabeth Ticknor & Rebecca Treasure making their dreams happen

23 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

M. Elizabeth Ticknor and Rebecca E. Treasure discuss the importance of friendship in writing and making their dream of being authors happen. We discus...

182. Larry Elmore Dungeons & Dragons and Dragonlance artist

16 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Larry Elmore became an Illustrators of the Future judge in 2012 and is routinely a highlight anytime he attends the annual workshop. Larry discusses...

181. Dean Wesley Smith discusses the brand new world of publishing

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dean Wesley Smith is one of the most prolific authors today, a master of selling the first draft of his stories. He was the first Writers of the Futur...

180. Nancy Cartwright, voice of Bart Simpson, provides 6 steps to survival

03 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, wrote and did her own voice-over for her book, "I'm Still a 10-Year Old Boy" and she is also an artist an...

179. Meet 3 amazing winners from the United Kingdom

25 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The UK is very important to Writers and Illustrators of the Future! Illustrator grand prize winner volume 37 Dan Watson (top), writer winner volume 3...

178. Michael Talbot from Jamaica to Boston on being a pro artist

18 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Growing up in Jamaica, Michael Talbot had always had a strong desire to inspire and speak to others through art. In 2012 he left his home country to l...

177. Martin Shoemaker on Kickstarter book publishing strategies

11 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Martin L. Shoemaker, a winner in Writers of the Future Volume 31, announces a new book, "Ulla," based on "The War of the Worlds" storyline, and the u...

176. Kevin J. Anderson co-authoring with Rush lead drummer Neil Peart

03 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

International bestselling author and Writers of the Future Contest Judge, Kevin J. Anderson never wanted to be anything but an author his entire life....

175. How James Rosone became an Amazon Top 100 Author

29 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

James Rosone is the Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of the Red Storm Series and World War III military thriller series. He's an Iraq War veteran who...

174. Mike Jack Stoumbos from teacher to author and his anti-bullying story

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Jack Stoumbos is a teacher who wanted to be an author. This is his story on transitioning from a full-time teacher/part-time writer to a part-tim...

173. 3 Australian writers talk about winning Writers of the Future

14 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

(bottom to top) C Winspear (WOTF 36 Gold Award winner), Michael Gardner (WOTF 36), and JA Becker (WOTF 38) all won Writers of the Future. They all sha...

172. Damon Courtney how to build fans with BookFunnel

07 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Damon Courtney (writing under the alias Damon J. Courtney) wrote an epic Fantasy series, Dragon Bond, that he desperately wanted to give to the world...

171. Robert J. Sawyer on telling stories only you can tell

29 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian Dean of Science Fiction Robert J. Sawyer says to take a breath. Write the stories that are important to you. Stories that only you can tell. ...

170. Gold Award Winners 2022 Zaine Lodhi and Desmond Astaire

22 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Meet the grand prize winners for 2022 published in Writers of the Future Volume 38. Zaine was ready to quit art and tells how he overcame a total feel...

169. Art reveal: writers see their art and meet the artists

15 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WATCH ART REVEAL HIGHLIGHTS HERE: https://youtu.be/Kduoo37wwH0 Each year, the illustrators set up their art in a large room, and then the authors are...

168. Hugh Howey, bestselling self-published author of "Wool"

28 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this interview, we talk with international bestselling author Hugh Howey. We discuss self-publishing vs indie publishing vs traditional publishing;...

167. Philippa Werner ensuring you get all royalties owed to you

21 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Philippa Werner is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Scribecount, overseeing the customer interaction, content, and overall service side of th...

166. Laura Crenshaw stabilizing and expanding the storytelling industry

12 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Laura Crenshaw, Founder & CEO of Mythulu.com. Mythulu mission is to stabilize and expand the storytelling industry. The world is hungry for new stor...

165. Marta Sprout, thriller stories give a safe way to unravel why people are violent

06 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When not writing, Marta Sprout loves skiing big mountains, scuba diving, and snorkeling with 40’ whale sharks. She teaches at the police academy and...

164. Judith Anderle: Publishing Contracts & Rights

26 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Judith Anderle, who along with her husband, Michael, has built an indie publishing empire and created the 20Booksto50K annual conference. We discuss...

163. Michael Anderle founder of 20BooksTo50K

19 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Anderle is a top 30 Bestselling Amazon Author and CEO of LMBPN Publishing. He has used what he learned from his first two decades reading scie...

162. Turkish artist Max Cavun bringing the best out of fellow artists

12 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Irmak (Max) Cavun has been creating art all her life, using anything she could draw with on anything she could draw on. She now runs creative teams in...

161. Nina Kiriki Hoffman on writer's block

05 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Nina Kiriki Hoffman was a winner from the very first volume of Writers of the Future and later became a Contest judge. In this interview, she covers ...

160. How to become an author: Zack Be, Storm Humbert, Luke Wildman

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to the Writers and Illustrators of the Future podcast on writing with Writers of the Future winners Zack Be (WOTF 36), Storm Humbert (WOTF 36),...

159. Jeff Edwards how to write about ordinary people doing extraordinary things

23 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you enjoy military thrillers as well as science fiction, you will love Jeff Edwards. Jeff served over two decades in the US Navy where he was an An...

158. NYT bestselling author Douglas E. Richards from UFO non-believer to believer

15 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Douglas E. Richards is a multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of science-fiction thrillers that have sold over two million copies....

157. Tom Wood from humble beginnings to world class artist

07 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Wood is a world-class fantasy art illustrator who is among the best-selling poster artists in the US and Canada. Art is hard work. If you want to ...

156. Anj Dockrey Filipina-American author, artist, educator, mother on persistence

02 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Filipina – American author, artist, educator, and a new mother, Anj Dockrey, was recently published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future...

155. Kary English Do's, Dont's, and WTF on submitting to Writers of the Future

26 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kary English was published in WOTF 31 and has since become the First Reader for Writers of the Future. The goal of this podcast is to cut down on Cont...

154. A.G. Riddle a self-publishing sensation with "The Atlantis Gene"

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A.G. Riddle has become a household sensation within our offices with his Origin Mystery Series series. Writing under a pseudonym, Gerry, along with hi...

153. Bea Jackson illustration from Michelle Obama to LeBron James

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brittany "Bea" Jackson discusses her career from aspiring artist, to winning the Illustrators of the Future Golden Brush Award, to multiple NYT bestse...

152. Jenna Moreci Three important tips to reach GenZ and Millennials

05 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Jenna Moreci, bestselling author, and YouTube influencer. We discuss three important tips to reach GenZ and Millennials whether you are an author...

151. Dean Wesley Smith publishing 70 books in one year to celebrate his 70th birthday

27 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dean Wesley Smith was the first writer to be awarded by Writers of the Future in volume 1. He has been a Contest judge and is one of the most prolific...

150. Gold Award Winners 2021 Anh Le and Barbara Lund

21 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Two of our most recent Gold Award winners, writer winner Barbara Lund with her story “Sixers” in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Vol...

149. The Value of Mentors with Wulf Moon and Brittany Rainsdon

07 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast Wulf Moon, a mentor, and Brittany Rainsdon, mentee, discuss the value of a good mentor and how it differs from writing groups and beta...

148. Blake Casselman on creating pop-culture conventions

29 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Salt Lake City Fan-X is one of the largest pop-culture events in the United States. This year there were over 40,000 fans, hundreds of exhibitors and ...

147. The Big Art Reveal!

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A feeling of anticipation hung in the air of the Hollywood Roosevelt as the Illustrator winners of L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers and Illustrators of the ...

146. Writing Panel with Brandon Sanderson, David Farland, SM Stirling, Eric James Stone, Darci Stone

16 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over 250 fans joined us in Salt Lake City, Utah for FanX—one of the largest pop-culture events in the United States—for an hour-long Writers of th...

145. CEO of Dragon Con Pat Henry on what makes Dragon Con so important

09 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While recently attending Dragon Con in Atlanta, I was able to meet up with the convention CEO and good friend, Pat Henry. I have known Pat since he wa...

144. Alexi Vandenberg on marketing and conventions

03 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alexi Vandenberg is a marketing specialist with his company Rabid Fanboy Marketing. He has also created a traveling bookstore called Bard’s Tower th...

143. Dragon Con: How to survive as an artist

26 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

So you can draw, paint and sculpt. But how do you turn that into a profession you can support yourself with? Award-winning artist and Illustrators of ...

142. Dragon Con: Story Prompts on the Writers of the Future Panel

18 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

S.M. Sterling, Jody Lynn Nye, Kevin J. Anderson with moderator John Goodwin discuss how to become one of the 12 winners to be published in the annual...

141. Joe Montaldo on politics in science fiction

11 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we tackle a very sensitive subject, often used, and more often misused in science fiction – politics. And to talk about it is Joe ...

140. Todd McCaffrey NYT bestselling author on indie vs traditional publishing

04 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Todd McCaffrey is a multiple New York Times and indie bestselling author. His mother, Anne McCaffrey, turned over the Dragon Riders of Pern series to ...

139. Robin Whitten Founder of AudioFile Mag on the history of audiobooks

28 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Robin Whitten is the Editor and Founder of AudioFile Magazine, the premier publication for the audiobook industry. Audiobooks is the fastest-growing ...

138. David Farland: Why he is called the Story Doctor

21 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

David Farland is a multiple New York Times bestselling author and Writers of the Future Coordinating Judge. He has been dubbed the Story Doctor as he ...

137. Exec Dir of Audio Publishers Assn Michele Cobb on explosive growth of the audio industry

14 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Michele Cobb is the Executive Director of the Audio Publishers Association, the Director of Audio Publishing for LA Theatre Works, and the Publisher o...

136. Katherine Kurtz created the historical fantasy sub-genre

08 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s guest is internationally bestselling author Katherine Kurtz. Combining her study of medieval English at university with the popularity o...

135. Academy award-winner Roger Christian on the making of Battlefield Earth

01 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We have a very special episode for you this week. Roger Christian is an Academy Award-winning art director for the very first Star Wars movie: A New H...

134. Michelle Desrochers & Amelia Pisano on paranormal in creative writing

25 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Special guests Michelle Desrochers and Amelia Pisano, are hosts of “The Outer Realm.” We not only talk about their specialties, Michelle with her...

133. Andrew Gulli editor-in-chief of Strand Magazine on Mystery Sci-Fi

17 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andrew Gulli is the editor-in-chief of The Strand Magazine, one of the most established and popular journals of mystery fiction active today. Mystery ...

132. Mickey Mikkelson on the value of a publicist

10 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many questions over the years on the need to promote oneself have been addressed. But I’ve never addressed the role of an actual publicist. In this ...

131. Robert Hogg discusses Mars rover Perseverance as the D/Mission Manager

03 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Robert Hogg is the Deputy Mission Manager for NASA's Mars 2020 project, NASA’s latest Mars rover. The Perseverance will search for signs of past l...

130. Brittany Rainsdon overcoming life issues to become an author

26 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brittany Rainsdon is a registered nurse, a young mother of four, and is working very hard at becoming a published author. She has won the Writers of t...

129. Dan dos Santos world-famous-artist on the importance of art education

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dan dos Santos has been a professional artist for over two decades and has been an Illustrators of the Future Judge since 2019. You will have certai...

128. Ace Antonio Hall "Nzondi" on how to present yourself

12 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ace Antonio Hall – pen name Nzondi – is an American urban fantasy and horror writer. His novel, Oware Mosaic, won the Bram Stoker Award for Superi...

127. Mary Jane Popp on the KISS of self promotion

05 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s guest is Mary Jane Popp and she talks about KISS (Keeping It Simple Stupid) of doing media interviews and promoting yourself. She has wo...

126. Kimberly Quigley on pitching stories for TV and doing interviews

29 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kimberly Quigley has had a lifetime of experience in the media industry beginning with print and runway modeling as a teen. Her work soon evolved int...

125. Show Host Frank MacKay What Makes a Good Radio/TV Interview

22 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At some point in your career as a writer or artist, you will need to tackle being interviewed by the media. So what makes a good interview and what m...

124. S. M. Stirling: History is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to be plausible. History doesn't.

15 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this interview, S.M. Stirling discusses how history is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to be plausible. History doesn't. As the saying goes, y...

123. Andy Dibble speaks of religion in sci-fi & fantasy and idea driven storytelling

09 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andy Dibble, as an undergraduate, completed four majors—religious studies, philosophy, Asian studies, and computer science—and published a paper o...

122. John Haas When life gets in the way, dreams can still be made to happen

01 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John Haas has wanted to be a pro writer for most of his life … but life kept getting in his way. He kept persisting and now finds himself on the cus...

121. Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan, and John Carter Explained

25 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Edgar Rice Burroughs was best known for Tarzan of the Apes and John Carter of Mars. He failed in nearly every enterprise he tried. And yet he became ...

120. Michael Z. Williamson on military SF, military fiction, and libertarian themed fiction

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Z. Williamson is an author who writes both military fiction and science fiction and is best known for his libertarian-themed Freehold series, ...

119. Otto Penzler on the key element to all storytelling

12 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Otto Penzler has been involved with publishing since 1975, when he founded The Mysterious Press, dedicated to publishing the best books by the best au...

118. The power of story and censorship with David Doering

05 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast, we discuss the Power of Story in society, that a successful society is a society of successful stories. Our guest, David Doering, cre...

117. Sara Frazetta, granddaughter of Frank and founder of Frazetta Girls

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many know Frank Frazetta as the godfather of fantasy art noted for comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, record album covers, and ot...

116. Ed Hulse, Pulp Fiction expert and its impact on today's popular culture

20 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What do you ask someone who knows virtually everything there is to know about the pulp fiction era and its impact on today’s popular fiction? Anythi...

115. Dragon Con CEO, Pat Henry, on the importance of conventions

14 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What began as a childhood hobby grew into a full-fledged passion. It eventually led Pat Henry, along with a few friends, to co-found Dragon Con, one o...

114. Kevin J. Anderson paying it forward to the next generation of authors

06 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kevin J. Anderson has published more than 165 books, 56 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in t...

113. Bhagyashree Prabhutendolkar, publisher of India youth magazine for positive change

28 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

India has recently taken the #2 spot behind the United States with students participating in the Writers of the Future Online Workshop and Bhagyashree...

112. How the Sci-Fi West Was Won with Dakota Livesay

20 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Space Western Science Fiction sub-genre has had great success beyond the page in the television and movie industries—Longmire, Firefly, Serenity...

111. Dr. Beatrice Kondo of Johns Hopkins Univ on biotechnology and science fiction

14 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Beatrice Kondo is the Assistant Program Director for the Masters of Science program in Biotechnology at Johns Hopkins University. Yes, the same un...

110. Eric Flint bestselling author combined 7 trade unions and a Master's in History

07 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Combine a Master's degree in history with a quarter-century working as a longshoreman, truck driver, auto worker, steelworker, meatpacker, glassblower...

109. Canadian Author Mark Leslie Lefebvre: On Passion and Werewolves

30 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Leslie Lefebvre is a Canadian author, professional speaker, and bookseller who talks about passion and getting published. Storytelling is all abo...

108. Joe Montaldo's New Year's Resolution to Write a Story

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Montaldo and John Goodwin discuss Joe's long term desire to write a story and how he has been taking the L, Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Onli...

107. Bill Fawcett ABCs of Getting Published

18 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this interview with Bill Fawcett, we discuss the history and future of publishing. We discuss the repeated "collapse" of publishing going back to t...

106. Steven L. Sears, one of Hollywood's most successful screenwriters

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Steven L. Sears is one of Hollywood's most successful and productive screenwriters. He wrote for Riptide, Xena, Sheena, Swamp Thing, A-Team, Stingray,...

105. Wulf Moon discusses the value of the Writers of the Future Forum to improving one's craft

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Wulf Moon was a published winner in Writers of the Future and discusses the value of diversifying income streams to survive no matter the circumstance...

104. RJ Ellory on the difference between a writer and an aspiring writer

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

UK author Roger Ellory is a thriller author who discusses the book that started him along a successful path as a professional writer, "L. Ron Hubbard:...

103. Charles Gannon discusses world-building and use of exosapients and exobiospheres

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Charles Gannon is an award-winning SF author with his Tales of the Terran Republic series as well as being a Distinguished Professor of English. We di...

102. Lezli Robyn, editor of Galaxy's Edge Magazine, discusses what a rejection means

13 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lezli Robyn is the editor of Galaxy's Edge Magazine and Assistant Publisher at Arc Manor, and she discusses her introduction to science fiction and wh...

101. Scot Noel publisher of DreamForge Magazine discusses how to get published

05 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Scot Noel was published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 6 in 1990 which helped launch a very successful career as a writer and...

100. Toni Weisskopf, Publisher of Baen Books, discusses history of Baen and future of publishing

28 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Writers of the Future and Toni originally met in New York in 1989 where she was a volunteer helping at the Awards event! She has since worked with Jim...

99. Alan Smale is a NASA engineer and award winning alternate history author

21 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With a Bachelors in Physics and a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Oxford in England, Alan Smale came to America in the late 80s to work with NASA and never...

98. Lazarus Chernik gives the role of an art director and what they are looking for

14 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lazarus Chernik has been an art director for over 20 years working with Fortune 100 giants as well as small businesses in need of reaching their next...

97. Larry Niven creator of Known Space discusses writing hard sci fi

08 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Larry discusses how to write hard science fiction and pitfalls to avoid based on what he learned in writing "Ring World." He does concede that readers...

96. Nancy Kress gives the 3 key points of world-building

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Nancy Kress is the author of thirty-three books, including twenty-six novels, four collections of short stories, and three books on writing. Her work ...

95. Dave Chesson, the Kindlepreneur, discusses the evolution of self-publishing

23 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dave Chesson created Kindlepreneur to help authors get started with Amazon. In our interview, he discusses the evolution of self-publishing and the r...

94. Echo Chernik discusses talent, skill, and diversity in art

16 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Echo Chernik is a freelance artist who has diversified her skills and creates art in all mediums which is important from her experience as she is able...

93. Liz Busby discusses the value of SF&F to address religious issues

10 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Liz Busby is a mom, homeschooler, SF critic, and superfan, and this interview was done to provide a perspective to writers on what fans are looking fo...

92. Elizabeth Chatsworth successfully maneuvers a mid-life career change

03 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Elizabeth Chatsworth, originally from the UK and now living in the US, the first winner from WOTF 37 to be interviewed. After a successful career...

91. Sean Patrick Hazlett combines real-world paranormal with dark fantasy

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We met Sean Patrick Hazlett in 2017 when he was a winner in Writers of the Future Volume 33 with his short dark fantasy (horror) story, "Adramelech." ...

90. Craig Elliott: from illustration to animation with Disney, Dreamworks, to Netflix

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Craig Elliott is an illustrator, visual development artist, and layout artist who works in the animation industry. After graduating from the Art Cente...

89. Cassandre Bolan, surviving as an artist, a single mom with kids, and a midlife crisis

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cassandre was an illustrator winner in volume 30 where she painted two pieces of art for that volume. And this year, she created the art for the L. Ro...

88. Martin Shoemaker talks about Hard Sci-fi that he calls Neo-Apollo

05 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Martin Shoemaker is a winner published in volume 31, with his story "Unrefined," a sub-genre he refers to as Neo-Apollo, a concept based on the next e...

87. Stoney Compton on the importance of research in historical fiction

30 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Stoney Compton was a winner in 1993, published in WOTF 9, with his story, "Messages." Stoney writes historical fiction and alternate history published...

86. Nnedi Okorafor from sports to writing to bestselling author, Black Panther, and Hollywood

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Nnedimma Nkemdili "Nnedi" Okorafor (WOTF 18) grew up a great student and athlete, competing semi-pro Tennis. As a result of a surgery, she was paralyz...