Subject: Last day to apply! Plus, Interview on Story Theme, World Building, & Conflict ❤️ 📚

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🚀 Specializing in supporting science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction writers, and creative entrepreneurs 🐉

Last day to apply! Plus, Interview on Story Theme, World Building, & Conflict ❤️ 📚

Jump right in!

Weekly Podcast

This week's How To Write The Future podcast episode:

🎧 Ep. 166. Emily Golden and Rachel May on Story Theme, World Building, and Conflict
https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2025/08/18/emily-golden-and-rachel-may-on-story-theme-world-building-and-conflict/

Today is the last day to apply for the Next Step Critique group here:

🖊️ Apply here: https://bethbarany.com/next-step-writers-group/

Registration now open for the Creative Writing Professionals apprenticeship program.

🔥 If you're a creative writer who wants to serve other creative writers then this may be the program for you: https://bethbarany.thrivecart.com/creative-writing-professionals/

Not sure it's right for you? Then take the Creative Business Style quiz!

🧐 Sign up to take the quiz here: https://bethbarany.com/quiz/

❤️

This email may be long, so you may need to click to expand and to read the full email. Or read online.

Friday, August 22, 2025

Hi Friend,

My brain's a bit fried because I recorded 16 Creative Entrepreneur interviews and 2 How To Write The Future podcast discussions this week.

I love having these conversations, but then I need my quiet, deep thinking time.

Which I mostly used this week to prep our first interview: Nicky Blewitt of The Book Marketer. Check out our conversation here.

While sitting in the sun people watching and resting from all those conversations, I also brainstormed next steps in the editing on my 130K-word sci-fi mystery novel...

And realized that I may need to cut it in half.

I feel relieved actually. The project feels more manageable now.

Have you have had any realizations in your writing this week?

Do tell!

Just hit reply.

❤️

On to the weekly podcast...

Emily Golden and Rachel May on Story Theme, World Building, and Conflict

”The message of the story is the thing that they need to learn, which means that they have opposite beliefs that are preventing them, you know, flawed beliefs that are preventing them from learning the story message.” - Emily Golden

In this special episode of How To Write the Future, I chat with Emily Golden and Rachel May about story theme, world building, and conflict. They share their collaboration journey and touch on diving into character arcs and the messages that drive stories.

Plus, we explore why asking "why" is so crucial to helping writers develop their unique character arcs for their stories.

To listen or read this episode's transcript, go here (Writer's Fun Zone):

Or listen on YouTube

Apple Podcast

Spotify

The How To Write The Future podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace.

Enjoy!

🤩 Sneak peek

In the next episode, Ep. 167, I share how you can sign up to be part of the podcast in a future episode as part of the Story Success Clinic.

⭐️ 🎧🎙️ All previous episodes of How To Write The Future podcast listed here.

❤️

Apply for the Next Step Writers group. Applications closes Aug. 22, 2025

Time-sensitive! Deadline closes tonight to apply to this fall's Next Step Writers critique group

Apply here for our hands-on, workshop-based, critique group where you can get feedback on your writing, improve your craft, and develop your stories, all with the end goal of getting published.
Apply by August 22, 2025 9pm PT. Limited to 12 writers.

Here's that link again to learn more and apply:

https://bethbarany.com/next-step-writers-group/

Perfect for you, if you are:

short story writers and novelists who write genre and literary fiction
publication focused
wants to learn and improve their writing
committed and enjoys the learning process

Questions? Just hit reply and let me know.

Apply here.

❤️

Creative Entrepreneurship -

How Creatives Build Thriving Businesses: Interview with Nicky Blewitt

In this interview series on YouTube, Beth Barany and Gala Russ discuss how creatives can support other creatives, especially focusing on indie author support.

They share valuable writing advice and strategies for building sustainable businesses serving fellow writers, helping aspiring writer to achieve their goals.

This is a series, so don't forget to come back for new episodes this month!

Want to know your Creative Business Style?

TAKE THE QUIZ

In Episode 1 of Season 1, join indie author and book marketer Nicky Blewitt as he shares how his punk rock roots and social work background shaped his mission to empower authors with marketing skills.

Learn how he built a thriving service helping writers navigate online promotion, find their authentic voice, and break through visibility barriers.

Explore the range of services Nicky offers:

https://services.thebookmarketer.pro

They have some very useful free book marketing resources including an active list of 230 book influencers:

https://sendfox.com/thebookmarketer

❤️

Happy Writing!

Best,

Beth

🌟 If you find my resources helpful, please forward them to a friend who may need them too. Thanks!

Beth Barany
Creativity Coach for Writers

Teacher, Speaker, Workshop Facilitator
bethbarany.com

I not only teach and coach novelists, I am one too!

I'm the author of 12 published novels of *Magical Tales of Romance, Mystery, and Adventure* author.bethbarany.com

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Beth Barany is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy novelist, and certified creativity coach for writers.

She specializes in helping writers experience clarity, so they can write, revise, and proudly publish their novels to the delight of their readers.

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