INSIGHTS: Seanan McGuire

Michael R. Underwood – a veteran of the APN and Literary Alchemist behind the Geekomancy and Genrenauts series, as well as the immanent “Born to the Blade” serialization from Serial Box Publishing – returns to the Big Chair at the APN to brainstorm a tale of grief, art, and magic.

The tale is offered up by creageous Guest Writer Val Griswold-Ford, the story of a grieving woman who discovers her art is able to create true magic in the world. With Marie Bilodeau as co-host, together we through some jet fuel into the Literary Alchemy Machine and crank it up to 11!

Gaming and Speculative Fiction are inextricably linked… whether the tales of Conan the Barbarian led you to explore Dungeons & Dragons, or…

Michael R. Underwood returns to the APN! Joined by co-host Marie Bilodeaux, we indulge in (way more than) 20 minutes of writerly discourse exploring Michael’s astonishing new project, the “Born to the Blade” story world serialized by Serial Box… how it began, the nuances of the collaboration between him and his co-writers, the notion of “post-cynical optimism”, and more!

Seanan McGuire is the full artistic package, the triple threat, expressing the keen edge of her spirit through paint, pixel and pen, producing web comics and other traditional art. She commandeered a time machine exclusively for this podcast so she could actually have an hour to sit in the Big Chair and help us workshop a story. Our Guest Writer, Gloria Sigountos, serves up an fresh and innovative tale of kidnapping, intrigue, mercenary scoundrels, magical siblings, and general mayhem. It’s a delightful frothing tale that launches everyone into an amazing discussion. Grab hold of something and hit that PLAY button!

Seanan McGuire – author, musician, poet, artist, essayist, (I could go on but there’s only so many pixels on the screen) – is an amazing person to speak with. It’s the conversational equivalent of speaking to the genetic fusion of Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway, and HP Lovecraft while drinking from a fire hose and holding live electrical wires. She is an astonishing and intense storyteller, versed in all mediums of the craft, and incredibly forth coming on any topic you care to throw at her. We tossed a few in and she gave us back gold… lots of it.

Seanan McGuire – award-winning author, graphic novelist, podcaster, and storytelling badass – returns to the Big Chair in the APN virtual studios (along with co-host Michael R. Underwood) to workshop a tale of superheroes, romance, and the dark side of adulation offered up by creageous Guest Writer Arthur De Leon.

When you sit down to talk with Janet Morris and Chris Morris, be prepared for a conversation unlike any you’ve had before. The scope and breadth of their experience spans fiction and non-fiction, government policy, music, history, horse breeding, and more. They are storytellers who breath eloquent passion and authenticity into their tales, illuminating the shadowed corners of mythic grandeur through their craft.

Michael R. Underwood brings a rare combination of perspectives to any literary discourse. His insights into the industry and market of speculative fiction is informed by his experience as North American rep for Angry Robot Books. His knowledge of narrative form and structure is refined by his academic achievements. But his understanding of storytelling comes from a deep commitment and practice of the craft.

Joined by co-host Giles Hash (co-host of the Beyond the Trope podcast) we engage in (far more than) 20 minutes of writerly discourse of Michael, exploring the structure and execution of the novella, the effective utilization of tropes in storytelling, and a unique perspective on framing your writing towards a specific market. Writerly goodness is at your fingertips, friends… just click that “PLAY” button!

This week, Janet Morris and Chris Morris – authors of The Sacred Band of Stepsons series, “I, the Sun”, and the Heroes in Hell series, and so much more – return to the Big Chairs at the Roundtable to infuse our story brainstorming with their incredible writing mojo. Joined by my co-host, the eloquent and insightful Michael R. Underwood ( “The Younger Gods”, “Shield and Crocus”, “Geekomancy” and more), this can only be described as a Master Class Story Workshop.

Michael R. Underwood – author of the marvelous “Geekomancy” and the forthcoming sequel “Celebromancy” (gracing bookshelves in July 2013) – returns to the Big Chair at the Roundtable to help Brion and I workshop an exceptional story idea from Linton Bowers.

The working title for Linton’s YA superhero tale is “Fat Boy Hero” and, while that certainly piqued our interest, the story workshop itself was a creative froth worthy of the RTP. The internet was persnickety again, but that did NOT deter us from unearthing a veritable mountain of Literary Gold… so there’s plenty to share with you.

Michael R. Underwood – author of the phenomenal “Geekomancy” and the forthcoming sequel “Celebromancy” AND North American Sales & Marketing Manager for Angry Robot Books – is a scholar of wonders and delights. No, it doesn’t say that on his business cards, but it should. He is one of those rare creators who are simply not content with sitting back and watching. He learns by doing and he’s very thorough about his studies… whether it’s ancient weapons styles, Asian folklore, or AD&D, Mike will scrutinize every nuance to get the most out of the experience.

Our 20(ish) minutes of conversation with this remarkable storyteller is fraught with new perceptions, intriguing insights, and at LEAST 2 “ah-ha!” moments… so hit that play button and prepare to be delighted.

Michael R. Underwood – author of “The Shootout Solution” and the soon-to-be-released “The Absconded Ambassador” of the fabulous Genrenauts novella…