Subject: The transformative power of fantasy, events, + freebies ❤️ 📚

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

The transformative power of fantasy, events + freebies ❤️ 📚

Podcast + news, resources, events! (Links may take a moment to load.)

Weekly Podcast

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

🎧 Ep. 161: Interview with Kathryn Nelson, Fantasy Novelist - on the transformative power of her work
https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2025/07/14/interview-with-kathryn-nelson-fantasy-novelist/

❤️ Free Resources:

Ebooks to support your creative writing

📚 Children's Book Mastery Summit: July 28 - August 1.

Join the Free 5-Day Summit for Children’s Book Authors. 25+ Strategy-packed sessions to help you write, publish, and sell your book successfully.

🔥 Settings that Hook Readers: Aug 2nd -- hands-on training.

Create a living, breathing world your readers never want to leave. Learn how to layer emotional hooks into your stories. Register here for this course I'm only teaching here this here!

❤️

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

Friday, July 18, 2025

Hi Friend,

I loved interviewing Kathryn Nelson about her fantasy series and how she integrates themes of mental health and women's rights, social justice into her stories. Enjoy our conversation here.

I'm in a swirl of to-do's and yearn for more deep-dive creative time.

I snatch time here and there to work on revisions for my next sci-fi mystery. It's slow going - it's always slow going at this stage of final revisions.

I need to slow down and address all the things, each of them one at a time.

And that takes time.

So I remind myself of one of my mantras: "It takes the time it takes."

And I sit and remember that all I have is the here and now.

And the Now is where the art and creative work happens. So I get to work on my book.

How are you doing and feeling about your creative work?

Hit reply and let me know. I'd love to hear.

❤️

Writer's Fun Zone blog - by and for creative writers

Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to get the weekly round-up of posts, including Catharine Bramkamp's article on the critic. Or just jump to the blog here!

For: Book coaches, writing coaches, writing teachers, editors

Take a quiz and get notified when we launch our hands-on (coming soon!), small group training program to help you build and launch your business as a writer serving writers
-- in a sustainable way. https://bethbarany.com/apprenticeship/

❤️

On to the weekly podcast...

Interview with Kathryn Nelson, Fantasy Novelist

“So you see that the main characters’ relationship develop. You see how their country's changing, their themes of mental health and women's rights, social justice, there's magical gems. There's Ice Giants, elves, yeah, all of the good things.“ - Kathryn Nelson

From Ice-giants, fantasy worlds, to the power of fantasy in addressing real-life issues.

In this How To Write the Future episode, I talk to fellow fantasy Novelist Kathryn Nelson, where we discuss writing about matriarchal societies within our novels, including why there is a need for strong character role models, including exploring positive futures through storytelling.

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. 162, I share how to build epic rivalries between heroes and villains.

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

❤️ Like/Subscribe/Share/Review

Wherever you listen to your podcast, if you're so moved, please Like, Subscribe, or Share the How To Write The Future podcast.

🎬 YouTube!

And now How To Write The Future podcast is on YouTube here!

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Thanks! And since we have an international listenership: Merci , Muchas Gracias, Obrigada, Prego, Arigatō

❤️

Upcoming Student Event! Writing Sprint!

📚 🖊️ 💝 Fellowship of the Pen Writing Sprints

2nd and 4th Sundays

Make time/take time for your writing and use group accountability to focus and get 'er done.

Gather on Zoom to check in and write for two (2) 20-minute sprints.

-- I email you the Zoom link day-of and I post it in Fellowship of the Pen Facebook group, too.

Click to join Fellowship of the Pen group, if you haven't already.

Be sure to answer the 3 questions! Thanks!

❤️

Happy Writing!

Best,

Beth

PS. More classes and trainings coming Fall 2025. Here's 2 of the classes:

♥️ Romancing the Subplot Workshop class! 4 weeks in Oct. 2025. Registration opens next week. Only 12 spots.

⭐️ Entrepreneurship Training for Creative Writing Professionals. Coming Fall 2025. Registration opens soon. Only 10 spots. Starts Sept. 16, 12 weeks. Get on the notification list here and take the Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create your success.

❤️

For when you're ready to work together, here's some more ways we can do that:

😁 Essential Character Traits Workbook (Work at your own pace)

📚 Start (or Finish!) Your Novel 1-1 Mentorship Program (2 openings for July)

❤️ 12-month small group mastermind program for Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers! (Accepting new writers in July)

🌟 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

Creativity is the answer.

bethbarany.com

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

Author of *Magical Tales of Romance, Mystery, and Adventure*
author.bethbarany.com

Award-winning science fiction & fantasy novelist.

__________________________

Writer's Fun zone blog by and for creative writers, published by Beth Barany

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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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The Solar System. → Carina–Sagittarius Arm in the Milky Way galaxy. Milky Way subgroup → Local Group → Local Sheet → Virgo Supercluster → Laniakea Supercluster → Local Hole → Observable universe → Universe.

I stand with people of Ukraine and all peoples 🎗️ in their fight for freedom from oppression and the right to self-determine. Yes, all peoples. Not just some.

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