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The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

Richie Billing
Fantasy Writing
Email Marketing
Character Development
Writing Process
Creative Writing
Short Stories
Magic Systems
Young Adult Fiction
Patreon
Romantasy
Self-Publishing
Fantasy Fiction
Once A Queen
Injuries In Fiction
Worldbuilding
Marketing Automation
Email Platforms
Open Rates
Click Rates
The Hunter's Gambit

The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed is a podcast for aspiring and experienced fantasy writers who want to master storytelling, creative writing, worldbuilding and character creation.

Hosted by author Richie Billing, each episode features practical fantasy writing craft advice as well as fiction writing advice generally, publishing tips and guidance, and inspiring author interviews with bestsellers, edit... more

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes109Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
How ToBooksArtsEducation

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

Latest Episodes

For the full video experience, please watch on YouTube > www.youtube.com/@fixingbadwriting

In this episode of The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, Richie Billing takes on a terrible enemies-to-lovers romantasy story and tries to fix it in real tim... more

YouTube

In this episode of The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, host Richie Billing interviews bestselling author Michael Chatfield about the writing process, indie publishing, Patreon, audience growth, character creation and building a sustainable author business... more

YouTube

For the full video experience, please watch on YouTube > www.youtube.com/@fixingbadwriting

Welcome to Fixing Bad Writing, a new series within The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed podcast, where I take a rubbish story generated by AI and try to make... more

YouTube

Learn how to write a query letter for literary agents, including the correct structure, paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown, submission strategy, and proven techniques to increase your chances of getting representation.

Writing a query letter is one of... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Contact Information
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Recent Guests

Michael Chatfield
International bestselling author and veteran of the Canadian Army
Self / Author
Episode: How Michael Chatfield Built a Bestselling Author Business | Writing Process, Patreon & Reader Growth
Stephen Aryan
Author (Historical Fantasy), self-publishing and query-letter expert for the episode
Self / Mushens Entertainment (agent's agency)
Episode: How To Write A Query Letter Literary Agents Will Love (With Stephen Aryan)
Rym Kechacha
Fantasy author known for Dark River and The Apple and the Pearl
Titan Books (publisher of The Apple and the Pearl)
Episode: Writing the Fae, Present Tense Storytelling and Confined Fantasy Worlds | Rym Kechacha on The Apple and the Pearl
RJ Barker
Author known for his fantasy novels including The Boneships and The Age of Assassins.
Self-Published Author
Episode: RJ Barker on Fantasy Writing: Character Depth, Worldbuilding, and the Writing Process
Suzy Vadori
YA author, editor, and writing coach
Episode: The Biggest Mistakes Authors Make (According to a Writing Coach) | Suzy Vadori on Character Creation, Worldbuilding & Author Growth
Professor Charles Li
Author and linguist specializing in Chinese history and languages
Episode: Linguistics and Historical Fiction with Professor Charles Li
Jim C. Hines
Bestselling fantasy author
Episode: Jim C. Hines on Writing Fantasy: Characters, Short Stories, and the Author Journey
Kel Kade
New York Times bestselling author
Episode: Writing Fresh Fantasy With Kel Kade
HB Reneau
Author, emergency physician, and military officer
Episode: How to Write Realistic Injuries and Wounds in Fantasy (With an ER Doctor)

Host

Richie Billing
Author and host of The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed; focuses on practical fantasy writing craft, worldbuilding, and publishing insights.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 309 ratings
  • Fantastic practical advice and information about how fantasy writing is done

    I’m currently working on a fantasy story and am so pleased to have found this podcast! There’s some wonderfully practical advice from the host and guests about how to create a compelling fantasy story (characters, world building and magic systems). Thank you so much, Richie!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Elena-A
    Australiaa year ago
  • Love listening to Richie's voice when he talks about the intricacies of world building or other fantasy writing challenges. He also has excellent guests and interesting topics.

    Podchaser
    5
    yhoniyoung
    a year ago
  • Love it

    Great content. Very easy to listen:)

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    3kittensgames
    Canada4 years ago
  • Audio

    I would give this podcast a five star based on the content that I could hear and understand but the audio from the gentleman‘s voice who is from the UK is so low I can’t hear what he saying in the audio from the gentleman‘s voice from the US is so loud but I have to constantly lower and raise the volume just to hear what’s going on. Which is super annoying. But from what I can hear and understand I’ve been enjoying the series even though I just started. So hopefully I can change my rating to a f... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    MobRain
    United States4 years ago
  • Perfect!

    This podcast is so good. These guys speak with a humble authority. I find myself happy, inspired, motivated and informed after every episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Horse-noceros
    United Kingdom6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Shows strong practical writing guidance and actionable craft tips.
Guests bring diverse expertise from authors to agents.
Humility and clear authority from the host make episodes motivating for writers.
Audio quality feedback is mixed but content is consistently engaging.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#32
Norway/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#95
Norway/Arts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How Michael Chatfield Built a Bestselling Author Business | Writing Process, Patreon & Reader Growth
Q: What's the outlook on AI in publishing and the role of narrators?
He views AI as a tool with many uses but emphasizes that strong narration and high-quality content remain essential; AI should support, not replace, skilled narrators and authors, to maintain reader immersion.
How Michael Chatfield Built a Bestselling Author Business | Writing Process, Patreon & Reader Growth
Q: How do you approach monetization and platform choice for new writers?
He advises starting with free platforms to test reader interest, then using Patreon and other subscriptions to build audience loyalty, with a focus on engaging readers and offering perks like early chapters and character naming to deepen involvement.
How Michael Chatfield Built a Bestselling Author Business | Writing Process, Patreon & Reader Growth
Q: What's your writing process like on a daily basis?
Chatfield describes a disciplined routine, outlining chapters first, using timers for accountability, and mixing writing with essential admin tasks as his team grows, while stressing the importance of writer groups for accountability and social connection.
How To Write A Query Letter Literary Agents Will Love (With Stephen Aryan)
Q: Where can listeners find sample edits or templates?
There are resources like the agent's own site and services that provide sample edits or query-package assessments, such as the right advice website, Mushens Entertainment blogs, and Stephen Aryan's own blog post detailing his query journey.
How To Write A Query Letter Literary Agents Will Love (With Stephen Aryan)
Q: What about competition and market timing?
Market timing matters; agents want works that fit current demand. Comparables must be recent, and the letter should acknowledge market shifts since older classics, so you're not asking the agent to pitch something that's no longer in demand.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed

What is The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical mentorship-focused show for fantasy writers, blending craft tips on worldbuilding, character motivation, and pacing with publishing and marketing insights. Guests range from bestselling authors and editors to agents and academics, offering actionable advice on writing, editing, and building an author business. Noteworthy is the consistent emphasis on process—live editing, query letters, and crafting hooks—alongside interviews with industry professionals, making it useful for writers at all stages who want concrete steps to improve their work and navigate the publishing landscape.

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How many listeners does The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed get?

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How many subscribers and views does The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed:

1. Writing Excuses
2. Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice
3. The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
4. The Ancients
5. The Fantasy Writing Show with Jed Herne

How many episodes of The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed are there?

The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed launched 7 years ago and published 109 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed?

Recent guests on The Fantasy Writers' Toolshed include:

1. Michael Chatfield
2. Stephen Aryan
3. Rym Kechacha
4. RJ Barker
5. Suzy Vadori
6. Professor Charles Li
7. Jim C. Hines
8. Kel Kade

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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