Fictional Problems
Welcome, wanderers of the written word, to Fictional Problems, the podcast where two mostly-human writers embark on a quest to conquer the many-headed beast known as speculative fiction. Whether you’re tuning in from a dystopian megacity, a haunted library, or a coffee shop on the moons of Jupiter, this is the place where we talk all things writing. The monsters. The magic systems. The space-time paradoxes we accidentally write ourselves into at 2 a.m. Your hosts are Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin, two relatively unknown scribblers armed with nothing but questionable outlines, half-finished novels, and a reckless amount of worldbuilding notes. This podcast is about the how of writing, our personal processes, the strange rituals we swear by, and the philosophical rabbit holes we dive down just to figure out how a telepathic fungus economy might work. Each episode, we’ll share the nuts and bolts of our storytelling, from character arcs to plot twists to how many metaphors are too many. So grab your quill, your keyboard, or your neural input node, and join us. This is Fictional Problems. Let the overthinking begin...
Episodes
Gary J. Martin and Alan McNevin share personal experiences, practical obser...
Welcome to Fictional Problems, the Speculative Fiction Ireland podcast. In this episode Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin debate who writers actually write for—themselves, specific audiences, critics, or idealized "phenotypes." They discuss using personal experiences, emotional motivations, plot logic, and the influence of reviewers when crafting characters and stories.
From writing as therapy to the fuel of rejection and the trade-o...
This episode of Fictional Problems (with Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin) examines nostalgia in storytelling and why audiences often prefer worlds that feel constant — from Middle Earth to Star Trek. The hosts discuss how stagnant or slowly changing universes shape fan comfort, worldbuilding, and storytelling choices.
Using examples like Lord of the Rings, Star Trek (including Enterprise and DS9), Rings of Power and other nostalgic...
This is Fictional Problems, the podcast where we discuss all things writing, in association with Speculative Fiction Ireland. Join hosts Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin as they return to tackle more fictional problems.
In this episode we discuss plagiarism in movie and TV adaptations of literary works—focusing on Isaac Asimov's Foundation and Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher—and debate the importance of respecting the source materia...
Hosts Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin explore how personal philosophies, morals, and ethics shape the stories writers tell. They discuss moral complexity in fantasy, the tension between individual and group identity, and how authors hope their work affects readers.
The episode covers examples from Tolkien to role-playing, the power of found family, fame and remembrance, and whether fiction can leave the world a little better than i...
This is Fictional Problems, the podcast where hosts Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin discuss writing, politics, and freedom of speech. In this episode, they debate political alignments, cancel culture, and the moral limits of political expression in the wake of recent violent events.
They also examine how contemporary narratives—false-flag tactics, crafted outrage, historical parallels, and genre examples like Star Trek—influence sp...
This episode of Fictional Problems explores bad story ideas, how flawed concepts can be mined for better work, and examples from pop culture — including Tolkien’s abandoned sequel 'The New Shadow' and the 2017 film Bright. Hosts Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin discuss problematic premises (like racist 'ancient alien' notions), discarded drafts, worldbuilding missteps, and how to salvage or learn from discarded concepts.
Fictional Problems, in association with Speculative Fiction Ireland, explores how to handle action on the page. The hosts discuss choreographing fights, making violence necessary and consequential, and balancing realism with imaginative elements like magic, super science and healing.
They also talk about systemising your magic and power rules so stakes remain meaningful, and have a longer conversation about the movie Old Guard and ...
Welcome to Fictional Problems, the podcast where we discuss all things writing, in association with Speculative Fiction Ireland. On today's episode, we go back to TTRPGs, in particular having a brief discussion about representation, inclusion and disability in these games. Join us.
In Episode 2, Part 3, Al McNevin and Gary Martin explore how tabletop role-playing games inspire writing, from designing character sheets to using game systems as creative scaffolding. They share anecdotes about D&D, Mega Traveller, and other RPGs, and discuss how small logistical details — like the weight of books in a library — make fictional worlds feel real.
This episode explores how failing to be your favourite writer can help you find your own voice, how failure and dislike can become creative fuel, and the choices between writing standalones or series through worldbuilding. We also discuss reworking a space-opera spin-off (using the Obi-Wan/Reva example) and how critiquing existing stories can spark new ideas.
Examples, anecdotes and practical thoughts are used throughout, and in th...
This is Fictional Problems, the podcast where we discuss all things writing, in association with Speculative Fiction Ireland.
In episode 2, part 1, hosts Alan McNevin and Gary Martin explore where ideas come from, the form of inspiration, whether fan fiction counts as writing, readiness to hit publish, and how series structure shapes storytelling.
Join the conversation about turning influences into original work and preparing a sto...
This is Fictional Problems, in association with Speculative Fiction Ireland, the podcast where we discuss all things writing. On today's episode, episode 1, part 2, we'll be talking about the relevancy of what's on the page versus the notes not played.
We'll be discussing foreshadowing, making sense of it all, plotting versus pantsing, and we'll tackle an introduction to world building. Join us.
Welcome to Fictional Problems — where two writers, A.R. MacNeillan and Gary J. Martin, dissect the craft of speculative fiction. In Episode 1 Part 1 they explore how character, plot, and worldbuilding interlock; how history and culture shape identities; writing faith and religion authentically; character motivations and moral ambiguity; audience expectations and tropes (hello, vampires); and how small details and omissions invite r...
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