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Fictional Problems

Fictional Problems

By: garymartinj
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About this listen

Welcome, wanderers of the written word, to Fictional Problems, the podcast where two mostly-human writers embark on a quest to conquer the many-headed beast known as speculative fiction.

Whether you’re tuning in from a dystopian megacity, a haunted library, or a coffee shop on the moons of Jupiter, this is the place where we talk all things writing. The monsters. The magic systems. The space-time paradoxes we accidentally write ourselves into at 2 a.m.

Your hosts are Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin, two relatively unknown scribblers armed with nothing but questionable outlines, half-finished novels, and a reckless amount of worldbuilding notes.

This podcast is about the how of writing, our personal processes, the strange rituals we swear by, and the philosophical rabbit holes we dive down just to figure out how a telepathic fungus economy might work.

Each episode, we’ll share the nuts and bolts of our storytelling, from character arcs to plot twists to how many metaphors are too many.


So grab your quill, your keyboard, or your neural input node, and join us. This is Fictional Problems.

Let the overthinking begin...

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Episodes
  • Episode 1 Part 2 - Notes Not Played: Foreshadowing, Worldbuilding & Why Some Threads Remain Unfinished

    Episode 1 Part 2 - Notes Not Played: Foreshadowing, Worldbuilding & Why Some Threads Remain Unfinished
    Sep 22 2025

    This is Fictional Problems, in association with Speculative Fiction Ireland, the podcast where we discuss all things writing. On today's episode, episode 1, part 2, we'll be talking about the relevancy of what's on the page versus the notes not played.

    We'll be discussing foreshadowing, making sense of it all, plotting versus pantsing, and we'll tackle an introduction to world building. Join us.
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    57 mins
  • Episode 1 Part 1 - How we write

    Episode 1 Part 1 - How we write
    Sep 18 2025

    Welcome to Fictional Problems — where two writers, A.R. MacNeillan and Gary J. Martin, dissect the craft of speculative fiction. In Episode 1 Part 1 they explore how character, plot, and worldbuilding interlock; how history and culture shape identities; writing faith and religion authentically; character motivations and moral ambiguity; audience expectations and tropes (hello, vampires); and how small details and omissions invite reader engagement. Join them as they map the decisions that ripple across story worlds and characters.
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    40 mins
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