Shady’s Notes: I’ve typically been editing these a bit since we’ve gone rogue…I mean stood up our own channel, but unfortunately I’ve been on deadline and unable to put any time into this. Which is also why this week’s is not a new episode, but another one from the archives. Enjoy!

We all love a widespread, far-reaching fantasy universe that we as readers can get completely absorbed in. The only thing better than a great fantasy series is a whole collection of them that deep-dive into an immersive world. But how do you keep track of a timeline that spans over a thousand years? Where do you start when your cast of characters stretches into the hundreds?

We’re so pleased to release this interview with Katie Cross, author of more than 50 novels in her award-winning Alkarra universe. Katie drives down to the bedrock and gives us an inside look at her own spreadsheets and world bible. Join us and get practical tips and tools to keep your worlds organized. Bonus author mental health checks included ;)

In Part One, We Discuss:

• Pepsi (please sponsor us! Its the only pop Shady drinks)

• Building and maintaining a detailed world bible

• Multi-generational timelines and maintaining continuity

• Author mindsets and how to approach your work

• Choosing which details to track, and how

• Writing what you love and how it helps improve your fiction

• An exclusive, detailed look at Katie’s world bible for Alkarra (the power of spreadsheets!)

Resources and Guest Links:

https://katiecrossbooks.com/

Thanks again to Katie! Getting such a detailed look behind the curtain of this kind of world tracking and story management is a rare opportunity. We’re honored she agreed to hang out with us.

Host Links:

H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

For Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• For Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim,

From Marvel to Star Wars, shared universe content is taking over the world. We interviewed Chris Kennedy, publisher, author, and one of the co-founders of the Four Horseman Universe (4HU). Today Chris Kennedy Publishing is made up of six imprints that publish everything from non-fiction to military fiction to fantasy.

From CKP’s Seventh Seal Press, the Four Horseman Universe is an action-packed, sweeping military science fiction series. It all started in 2016 with Cartwright’s Cavaliers by Mark Wandrey (https://www.worldmaker.us/home/). Now the 4HU has expanded to 8 different series, approaching 100 titles from over 50 authors. Its dedicated fan club has 25 companies across the country.

In Episode 2:

• Advantages of shared worlds and co-writing: stepping out of the author cave and working with others to ping-pong ideas and build your writing community

• The worldbuilding process: how much is done in advance of writing your novel, and how does this vary from author to author?

• The iceberg approach: how to determine which worldbuilding details are going to further your story

• Joining a shared world as a new author: where do you start?

• The editing process: how developmental editing looks different in a shared world

Resources and Guest Links:

Chris Kennedy Publishing: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/

Mark Wandrey Author: https://www.worldmaker.us/home/

World Building for Novices: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/book/world-building-for-novices/

Quillcraft Press, CKP: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/quillcraft-press/

4HU Fan Club, the Mercenary Guild: https://themercenaryguild.org/index.html

Host Links:

H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits- (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

For Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

For Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim,

Special Thanks to Chris Kennedy! Both Shady and H.Y. Gregor had the honor of working closely with Chris over recent years and we’re so grateful for his professionalism and his willingness to be our first victim on the show. Chris and CKP have great reputations for recruiting and mentoring new authors and we’re honored to have him here.

Technical Note from Your Co-Hosts: We’re learning too! We loved working with and for Book Career in a Year and had a blast recording this show. However, we are no longer with them. We appreciate your patience with our technical audio complications in this, our original debut episode! Hang out with us again next week to see progress in motion and learn from more masters of the craft.

From Marvel to Star Wars, shared universe content is taking over the world. We interviewed Chris Kennedy, publisher, author, and one of the co-founders of the Four Horseman Universe (4HU). Today Chris Kennedy Publishing is made up of six imprints that publish everything from non-fiction to military fiction to fantasy.

From CKP’s Seventh Seal Press, the Four Horseman Universe is an action-packed, sweeping military science fiction series. It all started in 2016 with Cartwright’s Cavaliers by Mark Wandrey (https://www.worldmaker.us/home/). Now the 4HU has expanded to 8 different series, approaching 100 titles from over 50 authors. Its dedicated fan club has 25 companies across the country.

In Episode 1, we’ll discuss:

• The starting seeds of a massive shared universe: how do authors hatch a plan that spans such a widespread, beloved series?

• Submitting and participating in anthologies: how short stories help new authors get involved in established universes

• Worldbuilding continuity across space: dozens of alien races, countless planets, and mercenary companies means you need a good bible and even better continuity editors

• Real-world inspiration for military science fiction and future tech

• Suspension of disbelief: research and reality vs the “rule of cool” in far-future science fiction

Resources and Guest Links:

Chris Kennedy Publishing: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/

Mark Wandrey Author: https://www.worldmaker.us/home/

World Building for Novices: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/book/world-building-for-novices/

Quillcraft Press, CKP: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/quillcraft-press/

4HU Fan Club, the Mercenary Guild: https://themercenaryguild.org/index.html

Host Links:

H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits- (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

For Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

For Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim,

Special Thanks to Chris Kennedy! Both Shady and H.Y. Gregor had the honor of working closely with Chris over recent years and we’re so grateful for his professionalism and his willingness to be our first victim on the show. Chris and CKP have great reputations for recruiting and mentoring new authors and we’re honored to have him here.

Technical Note from Your Co-Hosts: We’re learning too! We love working with and for Book Career in a Year and are having a blast recording this show. We appreciate your patience with our technical audio complications in this debut episode! Hang out with us again next week to see progress in motion and learn from more masters of the craft.

Every hero needs a quest. Whether the stakes are saving the world, killing the monster, or rescuing a princess, the best stories throw our heroes into adversity, challenging them and making them become better versions of themselves before they’re worthy and powerful enough to take on their next adventure (whether that’s an exam or a fire-breathing dragon). Watching characters get stronger is one of the best parts, but just how do you measure their leveling up?

LitRPG and Progression Fantasy novels are taking the world of genre readers by storm. It’s not just fantasy and science fiction, it’s the thrill of leveling up, and following stats, character, and power growth. Enter John and Shami Stovall, who join us today to help dial in the genre tropes, write characters that punch above their weight class (literally), and talk about the intricacies of worldbuilding and plot development in these niche genres that have such a huge appeal to so many readers.

In Part Three, We Discuss:

• Levels of progression and threats to characters and the world

• Understanding the Bad Guy

• An unexpected vendetta against Assassin’s Creed

• “Male coding” in LitRPG and managing reader expectations

• Female vs male romance expectations

• Handling criticism and angry internet hordes

Resources and Guest Links:

• Shami’s Site: https://sastovallauthor.com/

• John’s Site: https://john-stovall-author.com/

Check out some of the Stovalls latest and greatest!

• Words of Power by Shami Stovall

• • https://www.amazon.com/Words-Power-Progression-Fantasy-Epic/dp/B0F842YBXF

• The Chronos Chronicles by Shami Stovall

• • https://www.amazon.com/Time-Marked-Warlock-Chronos-Chronicles-Stovall/dp/1957613890

• The Cerberus Cards by John Stovall

• • https://www.amazon.com/Time-Marked-Warlock-Chronos-Chronicles-Stovall/dp/1957613890

John and Shami are a power couple in more ways than one, and we loved talking with them! We’re so grateful they carved some time out of their writing schedules to join us and talk powering up, monster fights, and breaking down the tricky tropes and subgenres in LitRPG.

Host Links:

• H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

• David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

• Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim

Every hero needs a quest. Whether the stakes are saving the world, killing the monster, or rescuing a princess, the best stories throw our heroes into adversity, challenging them and making them become better versions of themselves before they’re worthy and powerful enough to take on their next adventure (whether that’s an exam or a fire-breathing dragon). Watching characters get stronger is one of the best parts, but just how do you measure their leveling up?

LitRPG and Progression Fantasy novels are taking the world of genre readers by storm. It’s not just fantasy and science fiction, it’s the thrill of leveling up, and following stats, character, and power growth. Enter John and Shami Stovall, who join us today to help dial in the genre tropes, write characters that punch above their weight class (literally), and talk about the intricacies of worldbuilding and plot development in these niche genres that have such a huge appeal to so many readers.

In Part Two, We Discuss:

• Author inspirations and getting started in LitRPG and DungeonCore

• Book recommendations

• Genre-locked readers

• Leveling up and tiers of power

• Might Equals Right, vs Right Equals Might

• Strength and distinct elements in traditional vs progression fantasy

• Justice, self-insert fantasy, and expectations for character strength

Resources and Guest Links:

• Shami’s Site: https://sastovallauthor.com/

• John’s Site: https://john-stovall-author.com/

A Few Book Recommendations:

• Cradle, by Will Wight: https://www.willwight.com/cradle.html

• The Land, by Aleron King: https://www.litrpg.com/alerons-books

• Divine Dungeon series, by Dakota Krout: https://www.mountaindalepress.store/collections/all-divine-dungeon

John and Shami are a power couple in more ways than one, and we loved talking with them! We’re so grateful they carved some time out of their writing schedules to join us and talk powering up, monster fights, and breaking down the tricky tropes and subgenres in LitRPG.

Host Links:

• H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

• David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

• Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim

Every hero needs a quest. Whether the stakes are saving the world, killing the monster, or rescuing a princess, the best stories throw our heroes into adversity, challenging them and making them become better versions of themselves before they’re worthy and powerful enough to take on their next adventure (whether that’s an exam or a fire-breathing dragon). Watching characters get stronger is one of the best parts, but just how do you measure their leveling up?

LitRPG and Progression Fantasy novels are taking the world of genre readers by storm. It’s not just fantasy and science fiction, it’s the thrill of leveling up, and following stats, character, and power growth. Enter John and Shami Stovall, who join us today to help dial in the genre tropes, write characters that punch above their weight class (literally), and talk about the intricacies of worldbuilding and plot development in these niche genres that have such a huge appeal to so many readers.

In Part One, We Discuss:

• LitRPG vs Progression Fantasy

• Subgenres and tropes in LitRPG

• Incorporating stats and numbers seamlessly into stories

• The allure of weak-to-strong power progression

• The nuance of defining LitRPG genres and subgenres

• Progression fantasy origins and John and Shami’s inspirations for their series

Resources and Guest Links:

• Shami’s Site: https://sastovallauthor.com/

• John’s Site: https://john-stovall-author.com/

John and Shami are a power couple in more ways than one, and we loved talking with them! We’re so grateful they carved some time out of their writing schedules to join us and talk powering up, monster fights, and breaking down the tricky tropes and subgenres in LitRPG.

Host Links:

• H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

• David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

• Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim

This episode previously aired on Book Career Network.

Magic systems are the foundation of fantasy fiction. By design, removing magic from a core fantasy story means the world and the plot fall apart. From elemental manipulation, runes, wand work, and bending light into physical form, we’ve seen countless magic systems and spellcasters over centuries of fiction. As authors, how do we make our magic unique, believable, and captivating?

Enter Clark Rowenson, aka the Magic Engineer. Clark turned his background in the sciences to creating a practical, analytical system. His methods break down magic systems, design new ones, and strengthen existing ones.

Author of “The Magic Systems Blueprint: A Fiction Writer’s Guide to Building Magic Systems” and “Restrictions May Apply: Building Limits for Your Magic System”, Clark is an industry leader in magic systems. In addition to a wealth of free resources on his website, and his YouTube channel The Magic Engineer, Clark also offers one-on-one consultation services.

In Part Two, We’ll Discuss:

• H.Y. and Shady geeking out over Brent Weeks’ Lightbringer series

• Starting with a magic system vs starting with characters or other story elements

• “Seed crystals”: single points of reference and inspiration for magic and world development, and how to narrow down your starting points

• An Uninvited Guest

• Our favorite immersive world details

• The Magic System Blueprint: how to break down and analyze your own systems

• • Hard vs. soft and rational vs irrational magic systems

  • Magic transference, prevalence, source, and flux

  • Naturalness, ease of use, reliability, and consistency

  • Use of perspective to view different aspects of magic

Resources and Guest Links:

• https://crrowenson.com/

• https://www.patreon.com/crrowenson

• The Magic Engineer on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw4TcDjakQUUFyGXTm7ZF1Q

Join us in thanking Clark!

We met Clark through the writing conference circuit, and he’s a great friend, writer, teacher, and all-around person. Magic systems are so nuanced and exciting, and Clark was on our short-list for Worlds Asunder while the podcast was in its pre-recording phase. We hope everyone has enjoyed this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it.

Host Links:

• H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

• David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

• Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim,

Magic systems are the foundation of fantasy fiction. By design, removing magic from a core fantasy story means the world and the plot fall apart. From elemental manipulation, runes, wand work, and bending light into physical form, we’ve seen countless magic systems and spellcasters over centuries of fiction. As authors, how do we make our magic unique, believable, and captivating?

Enter Clark Rowenson, aka the Magic Engineer. Clark turned his background in the sciences to creating a practical, analytical system. His methods break down magic systems, design new ones, and strengthen existing ones.

Author of “The Magic Systems Blueprint: A Fiction Writer’s Guide to Building Magic Systems” and “Restrictions May Apply: Building Limits for Your Magic System”, Clark is an industry leader in magic systems. In addition to a wealth of free resources on his website, and his YouTube channel The Magic Engineer, Clark also offers one-on-one consultation services.

In Part One, We Discuss:

• Arthur C. Clarke’s Third Law: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”

• Clark’s background in engineering and chemistry

• The integration of magic in storytelling and making stories dependent on magic and fantasy themes

• Getting started: finding intersections in worldbuilding and deciding on which core elements to include and how to connect them

• Implications of magic in the larger world: how does magic change or impact your characters lives, social and government structure, and environment?

• Getting through the weeds: the art of presenting new terminology and concepts, and how to determine what to include in your manuscript and what’s a side quest

• Uses of magic to highlight and contrast different aspects of society, and how to get it to enhance

Resources and Guest Links:

• https://crrowenson.com/

• https://www.patreon.com/crrowenson

• The Magic Engineer on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw4TcDjakQUUFyGXTm7ZF1Q

Join us in thanking Clark! We met Clark through the writing conference circuit, and he’s a great friend, writer, teacher, and all-around person. Magic systems are so nuanced and exciting, and Clark was on our short-list for Worlds Asunder while the podcast was in its pre-recording phase. We hope everyone has enjoyed this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it.

Host Links:

• H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

• David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

• Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim,