Join us for a chat about the writing and worldbuilding in the fantasy murder mystery novel Voyage of the Damned by Frances White. We discuss genre blends, how to help readers keep track of multiple characters, what makes a novel voicey, and more.

• Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop
• Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon
• Next month’s novel: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)
• Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi

Join us for a hands-on worldbuilding exercise in creating a cataclysmic event!

Here are the 10 questions we answered in this episode, which can help guide you in building your own cataclysm.

1. What is the nature of the event? Natural vs supernatural; single vs multiple events; unprecedented vs repeat, etc.
2. What is the scale and impact of the event? Who or what is most affected, both immediate and long term?
3. Who survives and why?
4. How do governments/institutions/power structures respond?
5. Do new religions/belief systems/factions emerge as a result of the event?
6. What has permanently changed about reality after the event? Are there new dangers introduced?
7. Are there new opportunities created in the wake of the event? Resources, technologies, etc.
8. What everyday behaviors must change in order for people to function after the event?
9. What’s the emotional and psychological fallout?
10. What do people think caused the event? Are there secrets waiting to be discovered? Who controls the information about what really happened?

• Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop
• Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon
• Next month’s novel: Voyage of the Damned by Frances White (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)
• Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi

Join us for a chat about the writing and worldbuilding in the horror novel Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle. We discuss luck and math as a magic system, how people react to trauma, and the wonderful weirdness of horror.

• Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop
• Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon
• Next month’s novel: Voyage of the Damned by Frances White (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)
• Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi