Myth and Magic

Myth & Magic Episode 78

April 21, 2021 14:22 - 24 minutes - 18.8 MB

Warm-up exercises for a writing mind + how elves can help us understand the objective reality of what we cannot see

Myth & Magic Episode 77

April 14, 2021 14:04 - 21 minutes - 16 MB

A useful list of scientific and pseudoscientific terms for parapsychological powers & abilities. An alpha-list of quasi-technical terminology for magical competencies. Also in this show: therianthropy and furry fandom plus the rise of the otherkin

Myth & Magic Episode 76

April 07, 2021 11:10 - 19 minutes - 14.4 MB

Building belief: the nature of belief and how to establish unshakeable belief in your plots, in your characters and even in your author brand

Myth & Magic Episode 75

March 31, 2021 10:39 - 41 minutes - 32.5 MB

Useful tips on audiobook narration + helpful advice on choreographing sword fighting scenes with Krista Wallace. Krista is an actor & vocalist (from Coquitlam, British Columbia) — and a successful author & storyteller. She narrates all her own work. More recently, she became an avid podcaster. Check out Neil's exciting interview with Krista here...

Myth & Magic Episode 74

March 24, 2021 08:15 - 24 minutes - 18.6 MB

How to create unique exotic senses for your fantasy characters. Plus, the supernaturalism of ceramics... what are demon bowls?

Myth & Magic Episode 73

March 17, 2021 08:59 - 26 minutes - 19.3 MB

Give your project a Nowruz spring-clean shake up! Six ways to revive a novel. Also, do your characters eat fear? How to use the hormonal cascade to convey a real sense of fear in characters. Also, discover genomic storytelling. Plus, how the syntony of recital will help give your story vitality.

Myth & Magic Episode 72

March 10, 2021 16:00 - 22 minutes - 16.5 MB

What is the fluxus and how can authors use the principles of fluxus to revitalize their writing? Four tips to help you breathe new life into your project. Also, what is the dark triad and how can it help you write compelling megalomaniacs. Use the triad to describe truly cogent & utterly reprehensible evildoers!

Myth & Magic Episode 71

March 03, 2021 16:00 - 26 minutes - 20.1 MB

What makes a good quest? What is transelemence? Can ghosts be seen in mirrors? Do mirrors act as portals to other dimensions? The definition of scyring. Also, tips on collecting magical items during heroic quests.

Myth & Magic Episode 70

February 24, 2021 16:00 - 25 minutes - 18.6 MB

Manage your expectations as an author; What do you want from an authoring life? Where are you in the antholoxia? Are you the struggler? The dabbler? The disorientated? Here's how to get the best out of your potential

Myth & Magic Episode 69

February 17, 2021 12:15 - 30 minutes - 23.2 MB

Is this dystopia right now? Are we living through a dystopian period? Here's a list of the essentials of dystopia. Also, where is your when? In what (historical) period should you set your fantasy? And, what is a Ceffyl Dŵr?

Myth & Magic Episode 68

February 10, 2021 16:00 - 20 minutes - 15.4 MB

Who was the real Valentine? What do wolves have to do with Valentine's Day? What are Februa? And, what is the essential ingredient of fantasy? Poppins Paradox explored...

Myth & Magic Episode 67

February 03, 2021 11:39 - 28 minutes - 21.6 MB

How insanely inventive can your monsters be? Be like Bosch in your monster creation and think surreal. Also, what is the curse of exoticism? How can you make your fantasy cogent & relevant without resorting to exoticism?

Myth & Magic Episode 66

January 27, 2021 11:50 - 19 minutes - 15.1 MB

In search of the phoenix. Also, what does your protagonist worship? Why is documenting worship important for character development?

Myth & Magic Episode 65

January 20, 2021 15:50 - 32 minutes - 25 MB

Are you playing the glad game? How the Pollyanna principle might help you develop a more authentic character. Plus: committing yourself to authorship in the New Year. Also, what is a wryneck? What has it got to do with bad luck?

Myth & Magic Episode 64

January 13, 2021 14:37 - 23 minutes - 17.9 MB

Who is January? Is sacrifice about giving? How sacrifice can help your writing. Also, what is it like to be old? And how to use magical thinking in your novel

Myth & Magic Episode 63

January 07, 2021 17:27 - 27 minutes - 20.1 MB

Six ways to supercharge your writing in the New Year. How to deal with criticism, neg feedback + the dreaded 2-star review and getting back your confidence to write. Also, Amazon warrior women — did they actually exist? Is Wonder Woman based on fact?

Myth & Magic Episode 62

December 23, 2020 17:11 - 16 minutes - 12.3 MB

Where is Christmas? Strange overlaps of religions in Bethlehem. Also, the true story of Cinderella

Myth & Magic Episode 61

December 16, 2020 08:27 - 23 minutes - 17.7 MB

Why does fantasy fiction so often focus on a theoretical "Disneyfied" mediæval Europe? Also, what is the most magical castle in Europe? And the true story of Little Red Riding Hood

Myth & Magic Episode 60

December 09, 2020 09:06 - 19 minutes - 15.5 MB

How to deal with insomnia as a writer. Also, the true story of Snow White. And what are snow trolls?

Myth & Magic Episode 59

November 11, 2020 17:59 - 22 minutes - 17.6 MB

Fairy doors are in the news. Why? What is the fairy council called? What are spriggans? How could green spriggans be related to the legend of King Arthur's Green Knight? Also, keep your imagination healthy during NaNoWriMo — here are seven tips that will help you overcome creative block

Myth & Magic Episode 58

November 04, 2020 09:57 - 20 minutes - 15.8 MB

This week a special show for NaNoWriMo authors: Five exciting ways you can over-deliver on your novel. Also, working on applied writing with cause & effect

Myth & Magic Episode 57

October 28, 2020 16:37 - 23 minutes - 18 MB

In preparation for National Novel Writing Month we discuss building a basic structure for your new novel. And how to avoid using the orphan protagonist trope in fantasy fiction

Myth & Magic Episode 56

October 21, 2020 16:00 - 36 minutes - 19.6 MB

This week the fantasy writer's podcast chats to Wisconsin based Jean Lee, author of the "Fallen Princeborn" series of young adult novels. Jean is a busy mother, so how does she find time to write? What can she tell us about magical portals?

Myth & Magic Episode 55

October 14, 2020 10:27 - 18 minutes - 14.1 MB

Will goddess Freyja help you create new things in October? How does a storyteller write acoustically? How will acoustic writing help in the development of your novel? How does a novelist compare to a recording artist?

Myth & Magic Episode 54

October 07, 2020 14:02 - 13 minutes - 10.5 MB

The staleness of the Dark Lord trope and why you should use the “banality of evil” theory to create a truly realistic antagonist for your next fantasy fiction project. Also, a handy list of dark-lord flaws and a list of traits associated with psychopaths.

Myth & Magic Episode 53

October 01, 2020 05:22 - 24 minutes - 18.7 MB

What is a chronicle? What makes a good chronicler? How to write a chronicle and why you should be careful when choosing to write a dead chronicle. Also, what are cup and ring markings? And how are cup markings related to cosmic worlds? Visit the Badger Stone to study cup marks and think about cyclical time.

Myth & Magic Episode 52

September 23, 2020 11:38 - 15 minutes - 12.1 MB

How did the Phoenician port of Leptis Magna come to be in a grassy garden in Surrey, England where it would become known as the Folly of Augustus? Also, Rathlin Island is in the news — but where is it? And why would Rathlin be a great location for your next fantasy fiction title?

Myth & Magic Episode 51

September 16, 2020 08:45 - 18 minutes - 13.8 MB

What is Hecate's Supper? Why should we celebrate the triple-bodied goddess of boundaries on the liminal night of September 16th? Plus, twenty things people *hate* about fantasy fiction!

Myth & Magic Episode 50

September 09, 2020 05:07 - 17 minutes - 11.2 MB

What is adult contemporary fantasy? Interview with Amanda Fleet, author of the Guardians of The Realm series

Myth & Magic Episode 49

September 02, 2020 12:51 - 23 minutes - 18.3 MB

What is a clootie well? Where is Albion? And, in news, the Old Apple Tree is declared dead. Plus, are you writing fantasy fiction?

Myth & Magic Episode 48

August 19, 2020 12:29 - 21 minutes - 15.9 MB

Who were the Fir Bolg and Fomorians? What are the 13 treasures of island Britain? Also, what are celestial skyfish? Are they an undiscovered species or perhaps lifeforms from another dimension?

Myth & Magic Episode 47

August 12, 2020 12:25 - 18 minutes - 14.2 MB

Snailbeach, the Stiperstones, and the diafol. Also, ABCs such as the Beast of Exmoor; and why Catholic monks are associated with witch thimbles

Myth & Magic Episode 46

August 05, 2020 14:16 - 18 minutes - 14.6 MB

This week: Stonehenge sarsens from West Woods, near Marlborough. Plus, celestial trumpets and dhampir. Also, what are Clarke's three laws?

Myth & Magic Episode 45

July 29, 2020 07:20 - 15 minutes - 11.8 MB

What is an elemental? Who was Paracelsus? How to be sure a witness had a truly phantasmal experience. Also, wulvers, and the beast of Bray Road.

Myth & Magic Episode 44

July 22, 2020 07:49 - 18 minutes - 14.4 MB

What are nervimotional staples? And why, perhaps, aesthetics are worth considering when writing convincing characters. Also, how to create persuasive magic realism and visit the mystical Rollrights to see where the witch, Ursula Soothtell, turned a King and his men into stone.

Myth & Magic Episode 43

July 15, 2020 07:48 - 28 minutes - 21.4 MB

How and why are dragon paths connected to tumuli? Who or what is goblinoid? Where do Tommyknockers originate? And what is a firedrake?

Myth & Magic Episode 42

July 08, 2020 09:18 - 21 minutes - 16.2 MB

This week look at paracosms and the bardo and ask what an F.P.P. is and why having a fantasy prone personality will help you build convincing worlds for your readers. Also study the locus amaneus and learn why you should incorporate this literary device into your project

Myth & Magic Episode 41

July 01, 2020 08:52 - 23 minutes - 18.3 MB

What is a witch? Learn how to identify different types of witch. Where does the middle-English word wicche originate? What is wicca? Who or what is the horned god? Who or what is the earth mother? Who was Cernunnos?

Myth & Magic Episode 40

June 24, 2020 07:07 - 26 minutes - 20.9 MB

Where does fantasy begin? This week we examine the effect of liminality and ask, what is a recognition threshold? Also, when will crossover to an otherworld most likely occur? And what has this to do with rites of passage?

Myth & Magic Episode 39

June 17, 2020 10:39 - 22 minutes - 17.1 MB

A definition of fantasy. Do you play with wonder & amazement? Here are useful game patterns that can help you write fantasy fiction. Do you employ experiential learning processes in your writing? What is constructive imagination? Are you still fanciful or are you becoming becoming aphantasic? Also, tips on how to be energetic in your thoughtgames. Plus, do you dare test your current project for novelty?

Myth & Magic Episode 38

June 10, 2020 13:03 - 21 minutes - 16.9 MB

Who were the Saxons? Where did the Battle of Badon Hill take place? Why do some people declare they descend from Anglo-Saxons to justify ideologies based on patriotic Englishness? And did King Arthur ever defeat them?

Myth & Magic Episode 37

June 03, 2020 07:22 - 19 minutes - 15.1 MB

Everything you needed to know about angels and angelology. The angelic hierarchy and the difference between seraphs, cherubs and archangels

Myth & Magic Episode 36

May 27, 2020 08:41 - 22 minutes - 18.2 MB

What is a damsel? What is the Godzilla effect? What is dark fantasy and what are the challenges in writing a good dark fantasy novel? What is the difference between a myth and a fairy tale?

Myth & Magic Episode 35

May 20, 2020 13:11 - 23 minutes - 18.5 MB

Hidden within the physicality of rock & wood is the ineffable numinous nature of the universe. This is animism. Inanimate objects once spoke to our ancestors — does everything have spiritual essence? What is the difference between a warg and a direwolf? Also, this week —7 types of storyline

Myth & Magic Episode 34

May 13, 2020 06:43 - 22 minutes - 17.4 MB

How did suspense writer Dean Koontz predict the coronavirus outbreak? An interesting article about the natural & supernatural abilities that authors might have to mysteriously predict the future. What role does the muse play in their divination? Also, what is the difference between an oath and a pledge? And what are the phases of a quest?

Myth & Magic Episode 33

May 06, 2020 06:09 - 24 minutes - 19.2 MB

What is Beltany? How should you use threnody in fantasy fiction? The definition of knighthood. What is the Order of the Hatchet? Wildflower of the week: Henbane

Myth & Magic Episode 32

April 29, 2020 09:15 - 33 minutes - 26.6 MB

What is an æsc? What is a maeven? Also, what makes a peasant? How should you describe the peasantry (serfs and villeins) that are found in your fantasy fiction villages?

Myth & Magic Episode 31

April 22, 2020 16:00 - 40 minutes - 30.4 MB

Who was Hippocrates and what did he believe in? What are paranormal beliefs and how would you use them in your fantasy fiction? And the definition of a dragon.

Myth & Magic Episode 30

April 15, 2020 11:00 - 30 minutes - 23.4 MB

Where does the word Easter come from? Who was Ēostre? What exactly is a King? What is genius loci and how would you use it to create atmosphere in your fantasy fiction? Wildflower of the week: Violet

Myth & Magic Episode 29

April 08, 2020 04:09 - 24 minutes - 18.5 MB

What is epic? What are the ingredients that make fiction epic? Tips on how to write your own epic. Also, advice on creating chimaera and my own list of fabulous creatures for my bestiary. Plus in this show, anchorites & anchorholds. The wildflower of the week: bluebell

Episodes