24. Brandon Sanderson: Magic Systems

Bestselling Epic Fantasy author Brandon Sanderson was our guest on this edition of Farland's Authors' Advisory. Along with a spirited question and answer session, Brandon gave us three guidelines to use if the magic in the magic systems of our works aren't qute as magical as we'd hoped.  If you're writing a work that would benefit from having a magic system of any complexity in it, that is.

For nearly an hour of advice and answers from the author graced with the writing task of bringing a conclusion to the late Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series and the creator of such series as The Mistborn series,  (Including the latest "Mistborn" novel The Alloy of Law which releases November 2011) and the  novels in the  Alcatraz Smedry series  to name but a few,  press "Play".

You can download the MP3 by clicking here. Or, new this week, at the top of the right sidebar, you can  SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST through Feedburner.

12: Q & A with Mary Robinette Kowal

Tonight, we had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America 's current Vice President, Campbell award winner and 2011 Hugo award winner, Mary Robinette Kowal.
Many topics were bandied about this evening in a spirited, free form question and answer session.


Topics of discussion included:

• Novel ideas or short story ideas- How do you know which one you have?
• Expanding a short story into a novel- How is that done?
• Magic systems in Fantasy novels and one way they're developed.
• How much background information readers need and want in a novel or story.
• Professional puppetry and personal space when filming- How close is too close for your human co stars?

For a little over an hour of answers to these and other scintillating questions, give this episode a listen!


You can also download the MP3 here.
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