How To Write The Future

“Go ahead and base your sci-fi entirely on your own imagination, whatever science that you want to integrate into your story. And make it feel real.“ —Beth Barany

How Much Science in Your Sci-Fi Stories? 

That’s the question from a listener Beth Barany is answering in this How To Write the Future podcast episode. 

She answers whether you can base your novel entirely on your imagination, whether studying science is necessary, plus she ...

“ It's essentially a marketplace. You want to shop around. You want to make sure that this person has a good reputation and you want to talk off the record in confidence with other writers.”

— Beth Barany

Finished your novel and ready to land a literary agent? In this How To Write the Future episode, Beth Barany shares how to research reputable agents, start smart conversations with fellow writers, evaluate fit, and communicate ...

“Learning how to write fiction-- most people never learn in school, so we're learning as adults and therefore we're gonna have a huge learning curve.” - Beth Barany

In this How to Write the Future podcast episode, “Writing Consistently: Facts and Myths,” host Beth Barany shares the common misconceptions about writing consistently, plus tips on how to find the rhythm of writing that suits and works for your writing style an...

“It's hard to fix a manuscript that is not yet finished. 

This is what I counsel all of my clients and people who might want to work with me is write the whole first draft because there's something that brought you to the story.” - Beth Barany

In this How To Write the Future episode, “How to Handle Plot Holes Effectively,” host Beth Barany answers a listener's question on how to handle your story's plot holes when...

“In my opinion, the cure for writer's block is writing -- pure and simple.” - Beth Barany

Do you wonder why you’re not writing and wish you were? 

Then listen to “Writer's Block: Five Steps Forward,” the latest How To Write the Future podcast episode, where host and writing teacher, Beth Barany, shares five steps forward that you can put into action to help with your writer’s block. 

Plus, she shares the importance of creati...

“I am currently deeply involved with the process and the importance of creativity in the second half of life.” - Catherine Bramkamp

In this episode of How To Write the Future, “Writing Through Chaos: Creativity and Resilience with Catharine Bramkamp,” host Beth Barany chats with fellow writing and creativity coach Catharine Bramkamp. Catharine dives into why creativity matters in the second half of life and shares resources to keep ...

“I try to write worlds that I believe are attainable and that I think we can aspire towards.” - Abigail Hing Wen

In this future‑forward episode of How To Write The Future, host Beth Barany chats with author‑filmmaker Abigail Hing Wen about The Vale — a middle‑grade fantasy where a family builds a clean, AI‑generated virtual world. They get into why ethical AI matters for storytellers, what “clean AI” looks like, and the real‑world t...

“Written from the point of view of one character and then another scene from the another character. Now, we would never shift point of view within a scene, but each scene, each segment of the book is from a different point of view.” - Lawrence Connolly

In this How To Write the Future episode, “Building Character-Driven Action Adventure Stories with Lawrence Connolly,” podcast host Beth Barany interviews author Lawrence Connolly, whe...

“I love plot, I love character, and I just feel like the colors are bolder and brighter and there's more to work with when I'm writing about science fiction and fantasy.” - Randee Dawn

In this How To Write the Future episode, “Future Fantasy, Real-World Resilience with Randee Dawn,” podcast host Beth Barany interviews Brooklyn-based author and veteran entertainment journalist Randee Dawn, where Randee shares how her love o...

“It all started with too much Star Trek, although you could say that that's a lie because there is never too much Star Trek.” - Surekha Davies

In the latest How To Write the Future podcast, titled “Monsters and Humanity in Fiction with Surekha Davies,” host Beth Barany talks to science and art historian, monster consultant, and author, Surekha Davies. Together they discuss why understanding monsters matters, how they function a...

“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...

“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, ...

“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...

“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...

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...

“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...

“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 ...

“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...

“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...