Whether you're a beginner fantasy writer or maybe even a barbarian, Fantasy Writing for Barbarians can help take your story to some exciting new worlds. Hosted by Jon Negroni and produced by Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock.
Latest episodes
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26 min
How to Hook Readers in the First Page of Your Fantasy Novel
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re breaking down a first‑page excerpt from the fantasy writing subreddit and asking a deceptively simple question: what actually makes a…
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17 min
How to Write Humorous Dark Fantasy (Like Terry Pratchett!)
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we're responding to an email from a listener who wants to know how they can incorporate humor and levity in their dark fantasy novel. They…
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28 min
How to Write Fantasy in the Age of Short Attention Spans
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re digging into a question a lot of fantasy writers are quietly wrestling with: has modern fantasy been reshaped by short attention span…
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29 min
How to Know if Your Fantasy is Young Adult, Adult, or New Adult
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we're answering a pretty thorny question. When it comes to young adult and adult fantasy, what are the real differences? There are a lot of…
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20 min
How to Know When Horror Counts as Fantasy
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering a spooky-good question! Does horror count as fantasy? Jon dives into how genres overlap, why dark fantasy works best when i…
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26 min
How to Avoid Chapters Where Characters Just Talk
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering a hot-button question from the fantasy writing subreddit: is it bad if most of your novel is just people talking? Jon digs…
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21 min
How to Reveal Backstories without Boring Flashbacks
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re tackling a listener email about how writers can unfold a character’s past without overwhelming the reader. Jon breaks down when to us…
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20 min
How to Write Travel Montages
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering a listener email about one of the trickiest parts of writing epic fantasy: the dreaded travel montage. How do you keep the…
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23 min
When to Give Up on Your Fantasy Novel and When to Start Over
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering a heartfelt listener email about knowing when to walk away from a draft and when to double down. If you’ve ever felt stuck…
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28 min
10 Things Fantasy Writers Can Learn From James Gunn's 'Superman'
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re looking at what fantasy writers can learn from James Gunn’s Superman. Yes, really. Turns out, this big-hearted, punch-heavy superhero…
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21 min
How to Write Time Magic Without Breaking Your Story
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering an email from a listener wrestling with the cosmic chaos of time magic. They're drafting a novel with temporal twists (bend…
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26 min
How to Edit Your Own Work (and Someone Else's)
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering an email from a listener looking to break into the world of editing. Put simply, how do you do it without getting overwhelm…
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17 min
How to Write Dark Fantasy that Doesn't Feel Hopeless
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering an email from a listener deep in the weeds of writing their dark, grimdark high fantasy series. It’s got all the makings of…
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21 min
3 Signs You Wrote an Unlikable Character – Fantasy Edition
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re reacting to Carl Duncan’s video, “5 Signs You Wrote an Unlikable Character” through the lens of writing unforgettable characters in f…
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26 min
How to Plot Fantasy Heists Readers Will Obsess Over
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re pulling off a full breakdown of how to write a fantasy heist (Victorian steampunk edition). One of our listeners wrote in with a kill…
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21 min
Oblivion Is a Masterclass in Fantasy Writing. Here's Why.
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re doing something a little unorthodox: I’m diving into what The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion—yes, the 2006 RPG recently remastered—can te…
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32 min
I Break Down the First Lines of My Own Fantasy Story (Here’s What Worked and What Didn’t)
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re doing something different: I'm breaking down the opening lines of my own fantasy short story, “Songs for the Dead and Drowning”, to s…
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38 min
How to Write Slow Burn Romances
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering a heartfelt question from a fantasy author: how do you write a slow-burn romance in fantasy that keeps readers hooked inste…
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34 min
The WORST Writing Advice on the Internet – Fantasy Edition
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re reacting to video from popular YouTuber Alyssa Matesic about the worst writing advice on the internet, but my commentary will be thro…
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28 min
How to Create Your Own Mythologies
Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re diving into the timeless question at the heart of all epic fantasy: how do you create your own mythology? Inspired by a Reddit post f…