Storyline Sessions

Storyline Sessions

by Marko Bogdanović
Books
Season 2
Why We Fear What We Can't See | Miles Tritle | The Warning Woods
In this episode of Storyline Sessions, horror author and podcast creator Miles Tritle discusses writing audio horror, building dread through sound, what makes stories truly frightening, why audiences love being scared, and much more. Find Miles Here - https://thewarningwoods.wordpress.com/ Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ Listen to Storyline Sessions on other streaming platforms - https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions Support Storyline Sessions on Ko-Fi - Ko-fi.com/storylinesessions Riverside.fm affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:42 - Conversation start 00:56 - Starting a horror fiction podcast 03:29 - Writing a story every week 06:06 - Audio production 08:49 - Looking back at older work 09:48 - My bookshelf is haunted - SPOOKY 10:00 - Narrating his own work and personal connection to the stories 12:37 - Listening to horror stories before sleep and benefits of audio vs print 17:23 - Writing for audio 18:48 - The Warning Woods name and writing different types of horror 22:43 - Getting personal in his writing 24:49 - Choosing the right ideas and research 28:26 - The "A-ha" moment and deadlines 32:53 - What does Miles look for in horror and chatting about trends 40:06 - Balancing the past and modernity in horror, mixing genres 44:38 - Writing longer form and the difference in process 48:22 - Audience reactions and horror prejudice 51:13 - Finding his audience 54:21 - Creating a community and a relationship with the audience 01:00:00 - Change of direction and other genres 01:02:00 - Stories to get into The Warning Woods 01:04:14 - Outro
S2 · E6
Jun 2, 2026
1:04:31
What Makes Nobledark Fantasy Different? | Michael Vadney | Crownfall
In this episode of Storyline Sessions, author and podcast host Michael Vadney talks about his debut nobledark fantasy novel Crownfall, writing multiple POVs, politics in fantasy, magic systems, his writing method and much more. Find Michael here - https://michaelvadney.com/ Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ Listen to Storyline Sessions on other streaming platforms - https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions Support Storyline Sessions on Ko-Fi - Ko-fi.com/storylinesessions Riverside.fm affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:51 - Conversation start 01:04 - What is nobledark - talking about genre 05:26 - Political fantasy 09:02 - Scope, perspective and single location stories 10:55 - Plotting stories and authors as D&D DMs 15:12 - Setting writing goals for yourself 17:54 - Staying confident and motivated 19:13 - Initial vision for Crownfall vs the final draft 22:10 - A system for writing multiple POVs 24:45 - Beta readers, writing groups and feedback 30:50 - Genre homework 34:14 - Project Arcanist 35:43 - Standalone vs series 38:31 - Writing to market 41:41 - How do you know when you're done? 45:39 - Key takeaways after writing the debut 47:53 - Podcasting and importance of community 54:35 - Dealing with reading goals 58:02 - What does a magical engineer do? 01:02:05 - Two important things for a good magic system 01:06:05 - Influences that aren't Sanderson, spice and old school fantasy 01:12:03 - Getting the right cover art 01:16:11 - Advice for other debut authors 01:17:54 - Outro
S2 · E5
Mar 16, 2026
1:18:17
Exploring the Human Side of Cyberpunk | Adam Bassett
In this episode of Storyline Sessions, author and illustrator Adam Basset talks about his short story collection Digital Extremities, worldbuilding, the art of making maps and much more. Find Adam here - https://www.adamcbassett.com/ Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ Listen to Storyline Sessions on other streaming platforms - https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions Support Storyline Sessions on Ko-Fi - Ko-fi.com/storylinesessions Riverside.fm affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko Timestamps: 00:00 - Start & disclaimer 01:03 - Conversation start 01:42 - Reacting to readers' comments 03:35 - Short vs long form writing 10:35 - Connected world building through separate stories 12:20 - Adam's writing process 14:56 - Black Mirror Comparison and character-focused Sci-Fi 18:25 - The future is now - the cyberpunk of today 21:57 - Choosing story locations 25:30 - How do you know when you're ready to publish? 29:40 - Working with beta readers and editors 31:27 - Campfire and getting into fantasy 36:20 - Making maps, the science behind it and current trends 47:05 - Book cover design 49:36 - Best medium for Digital Extremities to be adapted 51:35 - Writing for games 54:00 - Outro
S2 · E4
Oct 15, 2025
54:20
How to Write Successful Character Driven Fantasy | Starr Z. Davies | Stormvalor
In this episode of Storyline Sessions, bestselling author and winner of the Firebird Book Award, Pinnacle Achievement Award, and runner-up Page Turner Award winner Starr Z. Davies talks about the launch of her new book - Stormvalor: A Noblebright Fantasy (Divica Stormborn Chronicles Book 1) that marks her genre shift from dystopian fiction to epic fantasy. Find Starr Here: https://www.starrzdavies.com/ Watch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@StorylineSessions Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ Listen to Storyline Sessions on Spotify or Deezer - https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions Riverside.fm affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:47 - Conversation start 01:20 - How does this release feel different from the others? 02:10 - Marketing vs Writing 02:50 - Beta readers, initial reviews and changing the ending 04:18 - Making the first book feel more than just a setup for sequels 07:00 - Difference in writing and worldbuilding process between genres 08:28 - Deciding to shift genres 10:18 - From YA to adult 12:04 - THE CHARACTER ASSASIN - letting go of your characters 16:24 - Surprising yourself and choosing the POV for your story 18:20 - Organized chaos and worldbuilding 20:40 - MAPS! 23:10 - Naming characters 24:30 - How to be a prolific writer and stick to a schedule? 28:38 - Writing awards 33:22 - Finding the right artrwork 36:34 - Kickstarter process and crowdsourcing 40:55 - Audiobooks 44:32 - Self publishing vs Trad vs AI 48:05 - Building your audience 50:15 - What would you do differently if this was your first series? 53:02 - Future plans 55:16 - Outro
S2 · E3
Jun 12, 2025
55:50
Why Do Gaming Magazines Matter? | Storyline Sessions
In this solo episode, Storyline Sessions host Marko Bogdanović shares his story about growing up with gaming magazines in the 90s and early 2000s, nostalgia, jorunalism and tries to clean up his apartment. Game Informer Is Back - https://www.gameinformer.com/letter-from-the-editor/2025/03/25/game-informer-is-back Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/, https://www.theverge.com/news/635915/game-informer-return-gunzilla-games Listen to Storyline Sessions on Spotify or Deezer - https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions Riverside.fm affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko
S2 · E2
Jun 1, 2025
4:45
A New Wave of European SFF - Mixing Genres and Creating Fresh Stories | Norbert Zsivicz
In this episode of Storyline Sessions, Hungarian-born SFF author and the winner of the best Fantasy Choice Award in Hungary Norbert Zsivicz talks about his novel Sealed Empire, experience with translations, mixing genres, building an audience and much more. Find Norbert here - https://www.sealedbooks.com/en/the-book, https://www.instagram.com/authornorbert/ Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ Listen to Storyline Sessions on Spotify or Deezer - https://taplink.cc/storyline.sessions Riverside.fm affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 01:26 - Conversation start 01:41 - Serbian vs Hungarian 02:22 - Fantasy scenes in Europe 05:44 - Self publishing as an author in Hungary 08:46 - Winning an award as a newcomer 10:02 - English translation and finding an international audience 13:46 - Mixing genres and worldbuilding 17:31 - Using multiple POVs and timelines 19:51 - The cover scene 21:13 - World map 23:20 - Prologues - yay or nay? 25:34 - Comparing original and the translation 27:25 - The setting - medieval fiction and history 30:47 - Planning the end - how to get from A to B? 32:26 - Showing his manuscript to others and trusting yourself 34:21 - Dealing with reviews 36:28 - Using a pseudonym or writing under your name? 38:38 - European SFF 41:00 - Marketing as a self published author - finding your audience 44:20 - The unavoidable AI talk 48:00 - Working on scripts for streaming shows and films 52:33 - Gaming 54:35 - Series timeline and future plans 59:03 - Outro
S2 · E1
May 22, 2025
59:24
Season 1
Myths, Silk Road Stories and Epic Fantasy - Crafting Believable Worlds | R.R. Virdi
In this episode of Storyline Sessions, Nebula award-nominated author R.R. Virdi talks about his upcoming book The Doors of Midnight, a sequel to The First Binding, using myths and legends as inspiration, his experience with trad publishing and many more interesting topics. Follow R.R. Virdi on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rrvirdi/ Get Grave Tidings for free - https://www.subscribepage.com/graveti... Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ Watch Storyline Sessions on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@StorylineSessions Riverside.fm affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:45 - Conversation start 00:55 - Reactions to The First Binding 03:40 - Working on the sequel 04:52 - Using mythology in writing - South Asia, Silk Road and beyond 12:00 - Meta layer - storytelling in storytelling 14:36 - Clues and breadcrumbs - foreshadowing 16:52 - POVs 18:35 - Mixing multiple timelines 22:20 - Writing with ADHD 22:47 - Surprising yourself 24:25 - Urban fantasy vs epic fantasy - different influences 27:46 - Writing to market and different genres 32:41 - Lengthy books and "purple prose" vs editors 41:09 - Using appendix and how books change on re-reads 43:24 - Creating maps 45:34 - Cover art and different book editions 47:56 - Trad publishing vs indie 51:20 - Getting paid as an artist 57:46 - Advice for younger/starting writers 01:02:00 - Teasing The Doors of Midnight 01:03:32 - Outro
S1 · E22
Jul 22, 2024
1:03:54
Making a Switch From Dystopian Sci-Fi to Cozy Fantasy - Creating a Multiverse | Herman Steuernagel
In this episode of Storyline Sessions, internationally best-selling author and the host of The Greatest Podcast in the Multiverse Herman Herman Steuernagel talks about his 10th novel The Bartender Between Worlds, changing genres in writing, experience with podcasting and much more. Find Herman here - https://linktr.ee/hermansteuernagel Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ Listen to Storyline Sessions on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@StorylineSessions Riverside.fm affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 01:05 - Conversation start 01:16 - The power of podcasting and building a writing community 05:20 - If he was starting now, what would he do differently 07:27 - Why Sci-Fi? 08:42 - Switching from YA to adult fiction 09:55 - Using tropes in writing 11:12 - Switching genres 14:20 - Why did cozy fantasy get popular? 16:05 - Introducing The Bartender Between Worlds 18:18 - The appeal of standalone novels 20:42 - Herman's writing process 24:16 - (Not) using beta readers 25:31 - Experience with editors 26:55 - Dropping two books at the same time 30:14 - Audience feedback, reviews and getting into libraries 33:44 - Trying Kickstarter and promoting your work 37:31 - Audiobooks 38:47 - Getting the right cover art 41:52 - Authors doing their own marketing 44:09 - Trends in fantasy 46:35 - Exploring the multiverse 48:31 - In a parallel world, how would a different decision affect your life? 52:03 - Cocktail recommendation 53:00 - Outro
S1 · E21
Jul 18, 2024
53:26
Screenwriting vs. Writing Prose - Creating Award-Winning Short Films | Kelton White
In this episode of Storyline Sessions, writer, director and actor Kelton White talks about his journey from writing a sci-fantasy novel to creating award-winning short films, his experience in the industry so far, screenwriting process, being independent and many more interesting topics. Watch Kelton's work - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSakHkWrohU&t=2s Kelton's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kelton423white/ Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ Watch Storyline Sessions on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@StorylineSessions/videos Riverside.fm software for recording podcasts affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:35 - Conversation start 01:25 - Kelton's origin story 04:21 - The Mysterious Files of Mr. Chimes 05:45 - Process of writing prose vs writing scripts 11:36 - Writing for the market 15:04 - Experience with YouTube and connecting with your audience 24:26 - WHAT FOUND ME IN THE WOODS... (short horror film) 36:25 - FOLDING IN (Sci-Fi/Romance short film) 41:06 - ODE FROM MALUM (Dramatic short) 45:04 - Writing roles for yourself as an actor 49:56 - Horror and western 55:42 - Influences and inspirations 58:59 - Gaming 01:01:36 - Collaborative storytelling 01:03:21 - Plans for the future 01:46:01 - Outro
S1 · E20
May 19, 2024
1:07:07
Mushroom Blues - Fungalpunk, Blade Runner and Disco Elysium | Adrian M. Gibson
In this episode of Storyline Sessions, speculative fiction author and the host of SFF Adicts podcast Adrian M. Gibson talks about his upcoming novel Mushroom Blues, blending genres, creating immersive experiences in writing, influences of social and political themes on fiction and many more interesting topics. Adrian's Website - https://adrianmgibson.com/ Adrian's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/adrianmgibson/ SFF Adicts Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sffaddictspod/ Listen to SFF Adicts Podcast - https://linktr.ee/SFFAddicts Follow Storyline Sessions Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storyline.sessions/ Riverside.fm affiliate link (I receive a recurring commission with no additional cost to you): https://www.riverside.fm/?via=marko Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:52 - Conversation start 01:00 - Why fungi and what is the Fungalverse? 08:24 - Colonialism, Japan and cultural inspirations 13:08 - China Mieville, traveling and modern SFF dealing with politics 19:10 - Cover, map and other visuals 24:21 - Book soundtrack and immersive experiences 30:48 - Juggling podcasting, writing and life changes 35:35 - Learning from mistakes 37:00 - Genre fluidity, Philip K. Dick 42:44 - Disco Elysium love 46:38 - Personal stories, traumas and choosing POVs 52:24 - Making the world feel real 54:20 - Writing process 1:04:12 - Future of the Fungalverse 1:06:55 - One weird random fact 1:09:15 - One piece of writing advice 1:12:11 - Outro
S1 · E19
Apr 29, 2024
1:12:31
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