How To Write The Future

How To Write The Future

The How to Write The Future Podcast offers fiction writing tips for science fiction and fantasy authors who want to create optimistic stories because when we vision what is possible, we help make it so. By science fiction and fantasy author and fiction writing coach, Beth Barany.

Episodes

October 27, 2025 25 mins

“So the habits of mind are: curiosity, openness, engagement, creativity, persistence, responsibility, flexibility, and metacognition. So that's a whole lot of terms. Metacognition is typically the one where people go, huh, I don't know what you're talking about. So that's the one that I wanna talk about. It is also one of the ones that I think is foundational to all the rest.” - Bailey Lang

In this How To Write t...

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“I am a horrible little goblin like that, and it's just what happens. So I have to trick myself and the ways that I trick myself are to really let myself see what I want to create.” - LA Bourgeois

About this episode

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany, talks to Kaizen Muse Certified Creativity Coach, end of life doula, and author LA Bourgeois where they define the meaning behind a creativity coach, ...

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“I'm not asking for everybody to center queer characters in their narratives in world-building, which would be nice, actually, you know, as nice as that would be.

But just to include us and to show that we exist and in whatever ways are appropriate in your world, whether that is a more like marginal existence in some worlds.” - Chad Grayson

In this episode on the How To Write the Future podcast, “Seamless Queer Characters in Fan...

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“Your biggest challenge is how to start, how to overcome confusion and overwhelm, and maybe how to overcome some procrastination.” - Beth Barany

Revisit an informative, positive, and uplifting episode with host Beth Barany to help “Your Story World Diagnosis: What Stage Are You In?” where she will share the five stages of story world building, including common world-building challenges and how to overcome them.

In this episode, you w...

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Have you stopped to ask yourself: what is it that you want? And dared to listen to the answer.” - Beth Barany 

In the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, “In the Age of AI, Think Critically, Write Creatively, Act Compassionately,” host Beth Barany encourages listeners to critically think about the tools they are using and to create a compassionate place to be curious about the systems they live within. She encourages lis...

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“This is a new field, in which we are trying to use living neurons to process information, and we want to use them as processors, to process information as today we do with computers.” - Ewelina Kurtys

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Explore the potential of biocomputing in this How To Write the Future podcast episode, as host Beth Barany talks to scientist-turned-strategist, Ewelina Kurtys, where Ewelina shares how living neurons could revolutio...

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“The Gift from Aelius is a sci-fi tale that explores the meaning of purpose and life and what it means to be alive.” - Michael Colon

ABOUT TODAY'S EPISODE

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany talks to sci-fi author Michael Colon about his journey of creative confidence and authentic storytelling through science fiction. Learn how his novel explores AI-human relationships with a refreshing optimistic ...

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“I think of hope. 

And especially in a world that can be seen as cruel, that can be experienced as cruel, I think of those who have the capacity to do what they can to spread that hope and to spread that joy so we can uplift the folks that need a little bit more help.” 

- Melquea Smith


In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany chats to children’s book illustrator Melquea Smith where Melquea shares the insp...

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“We have a fabulous program that we are launching for the first time. It's a pilot program. And this is for you if you are a writer and you want to serve writers, that is you want to build a business helping other writers.”

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany shares upcoming classes in Barany School of Fiction, including how you can sign up for them, and how they will benefit writers. From a critiq...

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”I believe that your unique vision that you are sharing in your stories can impact the readers in unknown and amazing ways.” - Beth Barany


How To Write the Future podcast host, Beth Barany, invites listeners to sign up for a free Story Success Clinic session. In these sessions, Beth will coach you and give you feedback on a short piece of your writing. You’ll gain insights into how to enhance scenes in your world-building and b...

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”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, host Beth Barany chats with Emily Golden and Rachel May about story theme, world building, and conflict. They share their collaboration journey and tou...

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August 11, 2025 10 mins

“Do you like to daydream? I love to daydream. I've always loved to daydream ever since I was a child and when I was a child, I wished I was magic.” - Beth Barany

In this episode of How To Write the Future, host Beth Barany discusses “Woo-Woo and Fiction Writing” by sharing her “woo-woo” interests, her backstory from pre-med to fiction, and the magic of writing. Beth also shares the resources she uses to inspire the characters i...

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August 4, 2025 10 mins

“Human Design is really helping you work with your energy rather than against it. There is no reason why you have to fight against yourself. It makes it very hard to be a creative person.”


In the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany discusses how to use Human Design as a fiction author to your advantage, how to understand your results, and how this understanding can enhance your creativity, so you ca...

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“This class is really for those who care about tone, character, genre, and the emotional resonance of your story.”


In this How To Write the Future episode, titled “Learn How to Craft Settings that Hook Readers,” host Beth Barany shares about the upcoming exciting class she’s teaching as part of Sue Brown Moore’s HEA Sessions called “Settings That Hook Your Readers” where she’ll dive into teaching a 90-minute hands-on training f...

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Four essential elements of what does it take to build this epic rivalry between your hero and the villain.” - Said by Beth Barany, quoting Bonnie Johnston 


Would you like to know how to build epic rivalries between heroes and villains? In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany reads an article written by writing mentor and award-winning author Bonnie Johnston, in which she shares an in-depth breakdown ...

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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, host Beth Barany tal...

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First principles are really: know how to be creative and know how to get into your creativity.” - Beth Barany


In this How To Write the Future episode, called “What is Creative Entrepreneurship?,” host Beth Barany gets interviewed about defining creative entrepreneurship and explains the importance of prioritizing creativity over business and why she believes being a creative comes first. Plus she goes in depth on how we can ma...

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Get to know the people, read the history, talk to the people as people. But not as subjects. You're not a scientist, you're a novelist. And being a novelist means getting into the heart and mind of your character and their body too.” - Beth Barany


In this How To Write the Future episode, titled “Quick Tips for Writing Your Character’s Identity,” host Beth Barany invites listeners to watch a quirky and interesting int...

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What would it look like if we did take care of everyone?” - Beth Barany


In this episode of "How To Write the Future" podcast, authors and writing teachers, Beth Barany and her husband Ezra Barany, explore how speculative fiction can highlight social issues. They discuss strategies for crafting compelling stories that inspire social change without being preachy, while emphasizing the importance of world-building and c...

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So I haven't yet pulled in any ethical or moral dilemmas that would be interesting, maybe in a future story.” - Beth Barany


In “How to Craft AI and Robot Characters in Your Fiction” ****Beth Barany discusses how to create compelling AI and robot characters with unique traits to engage readers. She is joined by her husband, Ezra Barany, also an author and writing teacher, and together they share the benefits of joining th...

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