The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

by Richie Billing
BooksHow To
Season 2

How to Write Ghost Stories: Haunting, Atmosphere and Fantasy Influences Explained

Learn how to write compelling ghost stories, including key techniques for atmosphere, tension, and how the genre influences fantasy storytelling. Ghost stories are one of the oldest and most enduring forms of storytelling—but writing one that truly unsettles and lingers with readers takes skill. In this episode, I’m joined by Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from The Fey Fellows Podcast to explore what makes ghost stories work—and how they connect to the wider fantasy genre. We break down both the craft and the tradition of ghost storytelling, including: What defines a ghost story and its core features How to build atmosphere, tension, and dread Techniques for writing haunting, memorable scenes Classic and modern examples—and why they work The influence of ghost stories on fantasy storytelling Common mistakes to avoid when writing supernatural fiction If you want to write ghost stories that genuinely unsettle readers and add depth to your fantasy writing, this episode will show you how to do it right. OUR GUESTS Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson - The Fey Fellows Podcast - https://www.instagram.com/feyfellowspodcast/ / https://anchor.fm/fey-fellows-podcast JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠ LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more, head over to our ⁠Patreon⁠ page - ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠
S2 · E13
May 27, 2022
21:25

Jobs In Fantasy

In this episode, we take a look at the jobs and occupations we often see in the fantasy genre. From bards to blacksmiths, a lot of these roles take inspiration from those carried out by people in the medieval period. So to enlighten us on the subject, history whizz Aidan Mattis from The Lore Lodge podcast joins me for an in-depth chat on the subject. Get in touch: thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com To access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed If you're interested in some of my quick, easy-to-understand fantasy writing classes, head here - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing-classes RESOURCES The Life Of A Medival Lord - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/the-life-of-the-medieval-lord The Pesky Peasantry Of The Middle Ages - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/lives-of-medieval-peasants JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY Join our community here - https://mailchi.mp/be6082d43b39/the-writers-toolshed OUR GUESTS Aidan Mattis - The Lore Lodge - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLoreLodge Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E12
May 13, 2022
25:49

The Moral Psychology Of Characters

In part three of our series on creating lifelike characters, we welcome political psychologist, Abby, back to the Toolshed for a discussion on moral psychology. We discuss human morality, specifically looking at what makes people tick, how people justify their actions, and how we decide what’s right and what’s wrong. If you're looking for writing advice on creating villains of all types—from the morally grey to the downright evil—as well as heroes driven by moral motivations, then this episode is for you. Get in touch: thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com To access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed If you're interested in some of my quick, easy-to-understand fantasy writing classes, head here - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing-classes RESOURCES A guide to character development - https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/character-development How to carry out character plotting - https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/character-plotting What is characterization? - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/writing-tips/what-is-characterization Fantasy name generator - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/fantasy-writing/fantasy-name-generator JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY Join our community here - https://mailchi.mp/be6082d43b39/the-writers-toolshed OUR GUESTS Abby from Political Psych With Abby - https://www.youtube.com/c/PoliticalPsychwithAbby / Latest ep - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8_O1reY3qc Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E11
Apr 27, 2022
37:19

How Dungeons & Dragons Shaped Fantasy: Tropes, Worldbuilding and Storytelling Explained

Discover how Dungeons & Dragons influenced modern fantasy, from iconic tropes to worldbuilding techniques and storytelling styles used by writers today. Few things have shaped modern fantasy as much as Dungeons & Dragons. From character archetypes to entire worldbuilding systems, its impact runs deep across books, games, and storytelling as a whole. In this episode, I’m joined by Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from The Fey Fellows Podcast to explore exactly how DnD has influenced the fantasy genre—and what writers can learn from it. We break down the key ways DnD has shaped fantasy storytelling, including: How DnD influenced modern fantasy tropes and archetypes The impact of role-playing on character creation and storytelling Worldbuilding lessons writers can take from DnD systems Why DnD inspires so many writers to create their own stories The crossover between tabletop gaming and fantasy fiction How to use DnD-style thinking to improve your writing If you write fantasy—or want to understand the genre more deeply—this episode reveals how one game helped shape the stories we tell today. OUR GUESTS Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from the Fey Fellows Podcast - https://www.instagram.com/feyfellowspodcast/ JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠ LEARN MORE ABOUT FANTASY WRITING To join our writing community, access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more, head over to our ⁠Patreon⁠ page - ⁠https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed⁠
S2 · E10
Apr 13, 2022
23:46

Weapons In Fantasy

You can find all manner of weapons in the fantasy genre. From giant swords to magical axes, writers have conjured all manner of deadly devices over the years. In this episode, we take a look at the inspiration for fantasy weapons, exploring their medieval roots. We discuss the practicalities of using weapons--how heavy are swords and how to pierce plate armour--to the reasons why they were designed. You'll be sure to find lots of inspiration for your own writing along the way. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com To access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed If you're interested in some of my quick, easy-to-understand fantasy writing classes, head here - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing-classes RESOURCES Fantasy Weapons Guide - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/a-fantasy-writers-guide-to-weaponry Fantasy Armor Guide - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/a-fantasy-writers-guide-to-armor Check out our fantasy name generator - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/fantasy-writing/fantasy-name-generator JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY Join our community here - https://bit.ly/join-our-writing-group OUR GUESTS Aidan Mattis of The Lore Lodge Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLoreLodge Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E9
Mar 27, 2022
28:06

Sociology And Creating Characters

In this episode of the podcast, I welcome sociologist and fantasy book lover Dr Enn Burke to the Toolshed to teach us how sociological factors can help shape our characters. It's the ideal episode to learn more about how to create fictional characters that almost feel as alive as real people. Sociology plays a huge part in how we're made up. It relates to everything ranging from our childhood, like how we were raised and the friends we chose to hang around with, all the way to whether or not we're religious, and what job we do. If you're a writer, you're bound to learn something new to help you create your fictional characters. You can also find the latest calls for submissions, an update on my lists of fantasy publishers, and our community announcements. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com To access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed If you're interested in some of my quick, easy-to-understand fantasy writing classes, head here - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing-classes Learn more about the fantasy writing podcast - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast RESOURCES View the list of fantasy novel publishers - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/writing-tools/list-of-fantasy-publishers What Is Characterization? - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/writing-tips/what-is-characterization JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY Join our community here - https://bit.ly/join-our-writing-group OUR GUESTS Enn Burke of Ripped From The Headlines - rippedheadlinespod.com Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E8
Feb 28, 2022
49:53

Medieval Food and Fairytales

In this edition, I'm joined by our oracle of medieval history, Aidan Mattis, for a chat about the food and cuisines of the Middle Ages—something I think is definitely skipped by writers. Folklorists Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson also join me for an in-depth chat about fairytales—what are they, what can we learn from them, and how to write your own. You can also find a bunch of calls for submissions and all of the latest writing news, such as the takeover of Smashwords by Draft2Digital. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com To access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed If you're interested in some of my quick, easy-to-understand fantasy writing classes, head here - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing-classes Learn more about the podcast - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast RESOURCES The Life Of A Medieval Lord - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/the-life-of-the-medieval-lord The Knight Of Chivalry - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/fantasy-writing/knight-of-chivalry How To Make A Fantasy Map - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/how-to-make-a-fantasy-map The Different Subgenres Of Fantasy - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing/the-many-sub-genres-of-fantasy JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY Join our community here - https://mailchi.mp/be6082d43b39/the-writers-toolshed OUR GUESTS Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from the Fey Fellows Podcast - https://www.instagram.com/feyfellowspodcast/ Aidan Mattis from The Lore Lodge - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLoreLodge Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E7
Feb 13, 2022
53:41

The Psychology Of Characters, How To Create Suspense, and Some Good and Bad News For Writers

In this episode, we dive into the process of creating lifelike characters by examining psychology—what makes people who they are? What drives them and why? Political psychologist and YouTuber Abby explains all in our illuminating discussion that's bound to inspire some ideas for your fantasy characters. I also share a very simple yet very effective method of creating suspense. And there are some interesting calls for submissions, as well as a mixed bag of news, but things I think you need to know about. If you have any questions or requests, please write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com To access exclusive interviews, discussions, fantasy writing classes, books and more head over to our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed If you're interested in some of my quick, easy-to-understand fantasy writing classes, head here - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing-classes Learn more about the podcast - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast RESOURCES Tools Writes Can Use To Build Suspense - https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/tools-writers-can-use-to-build-suspense A Guide To Writing Prose - https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/what-is-prose-writing Fantasy Names Generator - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/fantasy-writing/fantasy-name-generator/human Foreshadowing In A Story - https://richiebilling.com/writing-tips/what-is-foreshadowing-in-a-story-definition-examples JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY Join our community here - https://mailchi.mp/be6082d43b39/the-writers-toolshed OUR GUESTS Abby from Political Psych With Abby - https://www.youtube.com/c/PoliticalPsychwithAbby Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E6
Jan 28, 2022
54:17

Evolution and Worldbuilding, Using Short Stories, and Greek Mythology

In our first episode of the new year, I explore evolution and worldbuilding in the fantasy genre with author and YouTuber, Rachel Emma Shaw. We look at how playing around with this particular element can lead to original and exciting ideas. Lucy Atkinson and Janina Arndt from The Fey Fellowes Podcast also join me for a chat about Greek Mythology and how writers can find inspiration in exploring it. And I share the results of my little short story experiment which you can try too. As always, you can listen on every major streaming platform. And if you listen on Spotify, I'd be ever so grateful if you could kindly give the show a rating. It's a new feature and your honest opinion would mean a lot. Write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com Support us on Patreon and get fantasy writing books and writing classes, workshops and courses - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed Learn more about the podcast - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast RESOURCES How To Build A Fantasy World - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/fantasy-writing/natural-worldbuilding-guide WOMBO Dream - https://www.wombo.art/ A Guide To StoryOrigin - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/writing-tips/5-reasons-why-every-writer-should-use-storyorigin JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY Join our community here - https://mailchi.mp/be6082d43b39/the-writers-toolshed OUR GUESTS Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from the Fey Fellows podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/3fZb25t8f4KdW6x7y5zv6v?si=e74e177759d3422e Rachel Emma Shaw - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLoreLodge Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E5
Jan 13, 2022
57:05

Medieval Warfare, Folklore and AI Book Covers

In this episode, we're donning our helmets and hefting our axes and shields before diving headfirst into battle with a look at medieval warfare. We'll tell you everything you need to know about making your fantasy battles as realistic and gritty as possible, as well as giving you a few neat ideas to use. We're also looking at folklore, one of the main inspirations for the fantasy genre. We share our favourite folkloric tales and discuss how you can use these as inspiration for your own fantasy stories and worldbuilding. And we've also got the latest calls for submissions, community announcements, and some very interesting news on creating book covers using artificial intelligence. Write to us at thefantasywriterstoolshed@gmail.com Support us on Patreon and get fantasy writing books and writing classes, workshops and courses - https://www.patreon.com/TheFantasyWritersToolshed Learn more about the podcast - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-fantasy-writers-toolshed-podcast RESOURCES A Guide To Writing Fight and Battle Scenes - https://richiebilling.com/welcome/the-writers-toolshed/fantasy-writing/how-to-write-fight-scenes Fantasy Writing Classes - https://richiebilling.com/fantasy-writing-classes WOMBO Dream - https://www.wombo.art/ JOIN OUR WRITING COMMUNITY Join our community here - https://mailchi.mp/be6082d43b39/the-writers-toolshed OUR GUESTS Janina Arndt and Lucy Atkinson from the Fey Fellows podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/3fZb25t8f4KdW6x7y5zv6v?si=e74e177759d3422e Aidan Mattis from The Lore Lodge podcast - https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLoreLodge Sounds and editing by Odysy - https://www.youtube.com/c/Odysyx Learn more about Richie Billing - http://richiebilling.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E4
Dec 14, 2021
56:54
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