What are some of the rewards and challenges of taking the road less travelled and writing a romance between an already-established couple? Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) interviews Sarah Wallace (they/them) and S.O. Callahan (she/her) about their upcoming queernormative cozy Regency romantasy, Fire Spells Between Friends. Sarah Wallace and S.O. Callah…

Sarah Wallace (they/them) interviews Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya (she/her) about her work in the “relationship horror” subgenre, her career spanning nonfiction TV and film criticism to writing fiction, and adding to the growing canon of queer horror with her illustrated novelette, Helen House. Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya (she/her) is the managing editor of A…

Carolina Cruz (they/them) interviews Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) about his gothic sapphic romance The Haunting of Heatherhurst Hall, including lesbian flirtation through sapphic literature, drawing inspiration from Carmilla and The Goblin Market, the perils of writing about writers, 19th century spirit photography, and a surprise guest appearance b…

Noah Hawthorne (he/they) interviews Luna Daye (she/her) about her upcoming release Fae’s Bargain, the first sapphic story in the Fated Fae romantasy series - coming October 31st! Luna Daye (she/her) is the author of the Fated Fae romantasy series as well as the high fantasy series the Thoraius Saga. You can connect with her at her website: lunadaye…

A ship at sea is beset by a vampire, leaving two survivors—one turned, one human—adrift in uncertain tides. A bloody beginning begets a shockingly sweet end. Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) interviews Carolina Cruz (they/them) about their horror romance novella Blood in the Water. Spoilers for The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) and Passengers (2016)…

Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) interviews RK Ashwick (she/her) about her upcoming novel A Captured Cauldron, a cozy fantasy sequel to A Rival Most Vial—featuring a potion-brewing convention, a cozy kidnapping, and a brand new sapphic romance for a returning fan favorite. RK Ashwick (she/her) is the cozy fantasy author of the Lutesong series (beginning…

Noah Hawthorne interviews A.K. Mulford and K. Elle Morrison about cowriting, grief, inspiring representation, small town autumn, and their new cozy paranormal sapphic romance Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist. A.K. Mulford (they/she) is the author of the Five Crowns of Okrith novels and the Golden Court series, amongst others. You can connect with them a…

Tess Carletta (she/her) interviews Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) about his gay romance novel Mr Warren’s Profession, including historical research, Victorian engineering, and the strange and stubborn road to indie publishing. Tess Carletta (she/her) is the author of Kit & Basie, a queer cozy magical-realism romance. You can connect with her at her we…

Sarah Wallace (they/them) and S.O. Callahan (she/her) answer your questions about cowriting! What does it take to meld two distinct author voices into a cohesive narrative? How did their coauthoring journey begin? And what unique formula have they worked out to balance dialogue with description? All this and more! Sarah Wallace and S.O. Callahan ar…

“Big guys that stab things also deserve to be soft and squishy.” Noah Hawthorne (he/they) interviews Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) about his queer romantasy Oak King Holly King, including historical research, fae folklore new and old, and the surprising discoveries that occur when creating an audiobook. Noah Hawthorne (he/they), also writing as Aelin…

Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) interviews Sarah Wallace (they/she) about large print and dyslexia font editions, their importance for accessibility, their value to libraries, and how indie authors can create their own. To learn more about Erin Wright's "Wide for the Win" author classes, check out her website: erinwright.net Sarah Wallace (they/she) is…

Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) interviews E. H. Lupton (she/they) about under-explored eras of historical fiction through a queer lens and the community of indie publishing. E. H. Lupton (she/they) is the author of the 1960s-set queer fantasy romance trilogy Dionysus in Wisconsin, Old Time Religion, and Troth. You can connect with them at their websit…

Noah Hawthorne (he/they) interviews M.N. Bennet (he/him) about the catharsis of cozy amidst tragedy, the joys of fanfiction, exploring literal and metaphorical queer experiences simultaneously, taking ithe terrifying leap from fantasy to contemporary, and why indie publishing is not a consolation prize. M.N. Bennet (he/him) is the author of the Bra…

Dear Listener, We hope this episode finds you well… Because it’s time to talk epistolary fiction! From Dracula to Daddy Longlegs to Dangerous Liasons (and everything in between), we discuss the weaknesses, strengths, and practical applications of epistolary writing, and determine once and for all which podcaster is secretly a ghost. Sarah Wallace (…

A character is hurt. A character is comforted. It’s all about vulnerability on today’s episode where we explore one of our favorite tropes: hurt/comfort! (Called “whump” in some circles.) From the cathartic reader experience of seeing beloved characters looked after and cared for to the versatility of a writing tool that enables characters to open …

Indie authors discuss everything we love about libraries! From the strong positive influence of libraries in our individual lives to the power of apps like Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy, and the vital access provided by the Queer Liberation Library—plus, how to get your favorite indie books into more library collections and other ways YOU can help your…

Five indie authors weigh the benefits of writing interconnected books as a series or specializing in telling single stories, including the shiny lure of a fresh story idea, getting to know intriguing new characters compared to settling in for another adventure with old friends, the challenge of crafting a sequel as compelling as its predecessor, an…

Three indie authors at wildly different stages of newsletter experience discuss what to include in a newsletter, how often to send it, what readers expect from it, and why it’s vital to any indie author’s growth. Luna Daye (she/her) is the author of The Thoraius Saga and the Fated Fae series. You can sign up for her newsletter at her website: www.l…

Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) interviews Sarah Wallace (they/she) about the newest book in the queernormative cozy fantasy series Meddle and Mend. They discuss the challenges of crafting new love interests for established characters, the many forms queer relationships can take, and what’s coming up next in this beloved world. You can preorder The Spe…

Carolina Cruz (they/them) interviews Mars Adler (they/them) and H. S. Wolfe (they/them/he/him) about starting a small press, queer indie cozy horror, body horror as a tool to write about disability and queerness, catharsis, Weird West, and Kickstarting an anthology. You can back the Dead Cowpokes Don't Wrangle anthology Kickstarter here! Mars Adler…

Newsletters Part One with RK Ashwick and Noah Hawthorne Indie fantasy authors discuss author newsletters, why every author should have one, and what treasures readers can expect to find when they sign up. RK Ashwick (she/her) is the author of A Rival Most Vial and The Stray Spirit. You can sign up for her newsletter at her website: rkashwick.com No…

Four indie authors discuss the how and why of audiobook production - including accessibility, distribution, funding, surprises, pitfalls, and the joys of collaborating with human narrators. Plus, the true cost of paperbacks. Noah Hawthorne (he/they), also writing as Aelina Isaacs, is the author of Phantom and Rook, narrated by Kirt Graves. Sarah Wa…

Do indie authors gain anything from giving books away for free? The answer may surprise you. With bonus digressions into BookBub, Vellum, and Kobo Plus. Sarah Wallace (they/she) is a queer historical romantasy author of such titles as Letters to Half Moon Street (now permafree!) and Breeze Spells & Bridegrooms. You can connect with them and their b…

Six authors attempt to define the genre. Featuring an extremely scientific hurt/comfort formula, manual labor, found family, connecting to nature, and an unforgivable betrayal. Our panel: RK Ashwick (she/her), author of A Rival Most Vial and The Stray Spirit. Noah Hawthorne (he/they), author of Phantom & Rook and Madsdottir & Adrastus. Sarah Wallac…

Tess Carletta (she/her) and Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) talk about body autonomy, escaping into queernormative worlds, and the parallels between English country house life and the isolation aboard ship in the age of sail. You can learn more about Sebastian and his books at his website: sebastiannothwell.com…

Cozy historical fantasy author S. O. Callahan (she/her) and Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) discuss co-writing, connection through character creation, and the inspiration in a happily-ever-after. You can find S. O. Callahan's books and more on Instagram: @s.o.callahan

Cozy fantasy author RK Ashwick (she/her) and Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) discuss catharsis through character development, building stories around your passions, and cozy inspiration. You can find RK's books and more at her website: rkashwick.comAutor: Sebastian Nothwell

Contemporary ace romance author Sarah Whalen (she/her) and Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) discuss the value of feeling seen in fiction and the paradoxical universality of very specific stories. You can learn more about Sarah and her books on instagram: @authorsarahwhalenAutor: Sebastian Nothwell

Carolina Cruz (they/them) and Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) talk inspirational fantasy, redemption arcs, gothic horror, and the queerly comforting quality of otherworldly characters. You can find Cruz on twitter and instagram @NinawolverinaAutor: Sebastian Nothwell

Epic fantasy author Luna Daye (she/her) and Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) discuss character-driven storytelling, visceral reader reactions, and the symbiotic relationship between metal music and fantasy novels. You can learn more about Luna and her books on her website: lunadaye.comAutor: Sebastian Nothwell

Urban fantasy and historical fiction author Noah Hawthorne (he/they), also writing as Aelina Isaacs, chats with Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) about exploring new genres and researching queer pasts. You can find all of Noah’s books and social media on his website: neshamapublishing.com Content warning: discussion of mental illness, depression, fiction…

Cozy historical fantasy author Sarah Wallace (they/she) and Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) discuss found family, co-writing, and queer happily-ever-afters with and without romance. You can find Sarah's books on their website: sarahwallacewriter.comAutor: Sebastian Nothwell

Cozy magical realism author Tess Carletta (she/her) and Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) discuss how to apply theatre techniques to writing novels and crafting an aspirational world. Check out Tess’s books at her website: tesscarletta.comAutor: Sebastian Nothwell

Just a brief intro to the New Year. Oh, so much more to come! Happy 2020

In a world as overwhelming as ours is, what does self-care look like? What is “escape,” and how does it compare? How do you balance self-care with remaining connected and productive? Episode recommendation: Visit Tara Brach’s website at www.tarabrach.com for some excellent guided meditations. Her meditations are also available on the Insight Timer …

Attentive listeners may have noticed that we disappeared for three months. What happened? What do we do, as writers, when life gets in the way and we finally decide/have time to return? How do we reintegrate into our own lives? How do we catch up on everything? Episode recommendation: Try John’s sticky note method, wherein you make a small list of …

The idea of “breaking in” has changed completely since the rise of digital publishing. In the “old world,” authors built a reputation with short fiction in monthly publications, after which point they’d have a better chance of getting agented representation and full-length book deals from publishers. The world’s different now. How are we planning t…

Each of us defines success differently, and our definitions aren’t set in stone. How do we maintain our momentum while adjusting our direction mid-flight?

After a very long (unplanned) absence, Write Right is back! Keep an eye out for the next two episodes, which will be available on Friday, June 29. After that, we’ll be back to our regular weekly programming. Thanks for sticking with us. There are many avenues to building a writing career. Fortunately, a few of them are represented in this podcast. …

New month, new theme! For March, we’ll be talking about processes, goals, the daily grind, and how we define success. We call it The Long March. Our guest for the month is Andrew Wood. You can find Andrew on twitter @andrewtheauthor, on Patreon, and on facebook. Pick up his debut novel, Storm of Fury, on Amazon. The daily writing adventure (somethi…

Are romance and erotica the gold mine they are believed to be? Should writers try to build a career in romance or erotica under a pen name? It might be harder than you think.

Content warning: this episode includes coarse language and discussions about sexual assault in literature. Continuing the conversation from episode 3.6, we explore sex in non-romance fiction. Sex scenes should not be any different, fundamentally, from any other scene in a book. They can be staged like a fight, conversation, transaction-—any scene t…

Content warning: this episode includes coarse language, (terrible) descriptions of sexual acts, and discussions about sexual assault in literature. Sex and physical intimacy in literature is a slippery slope. Inclusion of those elements for shock value alone is counterproductive and generally seen as gratuitous. What we discover through our convers…

This month, Write Right will dive into discussions about romance and erotica. That being the case, we are going to flag the episodes for February as explicit. If these topics aren’t your cup of tea, join back up with us in March when we change themes. Are the romance genres a smooth spectrum, or are there clear lines between romance, erotic (or ste…

Starting a new story can be an intoxicating thing. It’s my greatest strength as a writer, and that’s why I have so, so many stories on the backburner. At a certain point, there’s got to be a limit to how much “new” energy for writing is positive…doesn’t there? How do we know the difference between a shiny new idea and a true gem? How do we balance …

John is taking a break between the fourth and fifth drafts of A Thousand Roads. How does he bring excitement to reworking something he’s been working on for a long time? How dooes he manaage drafting processes?

Resolutions for the New Year can be a controversial topic. One thing’s for sure: they don’t work for everyone. For many of us, they can be downright counterproductive. If the concept of the resolution doesn’t work for us, is there a way for us to “resolve” do to something in a beneficial way? Recommendation: Become the jellyfish you’ve always wante…

Here we are, at the very beginning of the third season of Write Right. We're joined this month by Elayna Mae Darcy, during which we'll be talking about beginnings and newness. This time, we talk about new podcasts each of us is hosting, and podcasts we love. Here's a complete list of our recommendations: Elan's new podcast: The Warbler Weekly Elan'…

This is a brief lesson on how to correctly use the verbs 'do', 'does' and did. Please play and enjoy.