Writing Romantasy: Worldbuilding, Tropes, and Chemistry with H. Leighton Dixon
World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
Release Date: 08/10/2026
Writing Romantasy: Worldbuilding, Tropes, and Chemistry with H. Leighton Dixon
World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
In this episode of the World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast, Janet sits down with author H. Leighton Dixon to explore the booming romantasy genre. Dixon, known for the Dragons of Solanus series, discusses her latest release, Ship of Spells, a nautical romantasy featuring a sentient ship, a Warsguard mage, and an enemies-to-lovers slow burn. The conversation covers what actually separates romantasy from fantasy-with-romance or romance-with-fantasy elements, why the genre has exploded in popularity (from the influence of Game of Thrones and Harry Potter-raised readers to the evolution of...
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Keeping Your Creative Spark Alive During Chaotic Times with Sandra Taylor
World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
Holidays and special occasions are supposed to be joyful, but for creatives they're often a minefield of disrupted routines, shrinking emotional bandwidth, and vanishing free time. This episode, Janet talks with writer, editor, and publisher Sandra Taylor—author of Structuring Life to Support Creativity—about how to protect your creative spark when life gets chaotic. Topics covered include: Reframing celebrations themselves as a creative project competing for the same limited resources as your other work The "suitcase" metaphor: why you can't fit everything in, and how to make...
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Running Horror at the RPG Table | Night Hunters Interview with Wolfgang Baur & Celeste Connowitch
World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
How do you make horror work at the RPG table, especially in systems where players are powerful, genre-savvy, and armed with darkvision, Detect Magic, and decades of monster knowledge? In this live interview, we’re joined by Wolfgang Baur and Celeste Connowitch to talk about Running Horror at the RPG Table, inspired by their Night Hunters Kickstarter: a gothic horror setting for Tales of the Valiant and D&D 5E. We’ll dig into the craft of tabletop horror, including: What elements of horror RPGs already do exceptionally well Preserving mystery and fear in high-information systems...
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Adapting Folklore for Fantasy Fiction with Shona Kinsella
World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
In this episode, host Janet sits down with Scottish fantasy author and editor Shona Kinsella (The Daughters of Nicnevin, The Heart of Winter, The Flame and the Flood) to dig into one of worldbuilding's richest wells of inspiration: folklore. They start with a whirlwind tour of favorite folklore-inspired fiction — from Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver and Uprooted to Lucy Holland's Sister Song, T. Kingfisher's Nettle & Bone, and classics like The Dark Is Rising and The Black Cauldron — before diving into the craft questions every worldbuilder faces when working with mythic material. Topics...
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Werewolves 101: Origins, Tropes, and Thematic Storytelling with Kel MacDonald
World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
This episode, Janet sits down with award-winning comic creator Kel MacDonald (Sorcery 101, The City Between, Misfits of Avalon) for a deep dive into all things werewolf. Whether you're building a pack for your next RPG campaign, writing a werewolf protagonist, or just love unpacking classic monster tropes, this episode is full of insight for crafting werewolves that actually serve your story. Topics covered include: The surprising history of werewolf mythology—from the Greek myth of King Lykos to the French folktale Bisclavret and the Irish legend of the Werewolves of Ossory Why the full...
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How do You Write Fantasy Mysteries? with Leah R Cutter
World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
Fantasy mysteries are having a moment—and this week we're digging into exactly what makes the combo work. Janet welcomes author and small press publisher Leah R. Cutter (Knotted Road Press, Mystery, Crime and Mayhem magazine) for a deep dive into blending magic and murder. Topics covered include: Does a fantasy mystery need a murder? (Spoiler: not always—missing heirs, stolen artifacts, and RPG-style investigation threads all count) Favorite fantasy mystery reads, from The Tainted Cup to genre-blending urban fantasy classics Writing mysteries as a "gardener" vs. an "architect"—how...
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Worldbuilding Factions with Martha Wells (Part 1)
World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
How do protagonists and villains get things done in your world? Probably not all by themselves! Factions - whether they're religious, corporate, political or trade organizations - are a VITAL part of your worldbuilding, adding spicy conflict when interests don't align. Join Janet and the AMAZING Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries) as they discuss how to write fantastic factions! WORLDBUILD WITH US! Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil account today! Worldbuilding software, campaign manager and novel writing software. Created by two nerds, run with love & passion, supported by the...
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Worldbuilding Factions with Martha Wells (Part 2)
World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
How do protagonists and villains get things done in your world? Probably not all by themselves! Factions - whether they're religious, corporate, political or trade organizations - are a VITAL part of your worldbuilding, adding spicy conflict when interests don't align. Join Janet and the AMAZING Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries) as they discuss how to write fantastic factions! WORLDBUILD WITH US! Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil account today! Worldbuilding software, campaign manager and novel writing software. Created by two nerds, run with love & passion, supported by the...
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Crafting Creatures That Make Scientific Sense with Shirin Sheppard (Part 1)
World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
We're joined by illustrator and creature designer Shirin Sheppard to talk about making monsters that make scientific sense! How could dragons actually breathe fire? When do you reference real-world biology - and when do you leave it behind? Bring your creature questions to this fun interview! WORLDBUILD WITH US! Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil account today! Worldbuilding software, campaign manager and novel writing software. Created by two nerds, run with love & passion, supported by the friendliest community on the internet 🥰🥳 📌Website: https://www.worldanvil.com...
info_outline
Crafting Creatures That Make Scientific Sense with Shirin Sheppard (Part 2)
World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast
We're joined by illustrator and creature designer Shirin Sheppard to talk about making monsters that make scientific sense! How could dragons actually breathe fire? When do you reference real-world biology - and when do you leave it behind? Bring your creature questions to this fun interview! WORLDBUILD WITH US! Create a ✨free✨ World Anvil account today! Worldbuilding software, campaign manager and novel writing software. Created by two nerds, run with love & passion, supported by the friendliest community on the internet 🥰🥳 📌Website: https://www.worldanvil.com...
info_outlineIn this episode of the World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast, Janet sits down with author H. Leighton Dixon to explore the booming romantasy genre. Dixon, known for the Dragons of Solanus series, discusses her latest release, Ship of Spells, a nautical romantasy featuring a sentient ship, a Warsguard mage, and an enemies-to-lovers slow burn.
The conversation covers what actually separates romantasy from fantasy-with-romance or romance-with-fantasy elements, why the genre has exploded in popularity (from the influence of Game of Thrones and Harry Potter-raised readers to the evolution of paranormal romance), and the persistent misconceptions that dismiss it as "fluff."
Dixon and Janet dig into craft specifics:
- How worldbuilding should generate obstacles and character motivation rather than sit as decoration
- Popular tropes like found family and grumpy-sunshine pairings
- Building chemistry and consent on the page
- Navigating "spice" levels with intention
The episode wraps with practical advice for writers curious about the genre, including research strategies, thoughts on writing to market versus writing the story you want to tell, and encouragement to start small with short stories or novellas rather than diving straight into a full novel.
Topics covered: defining romantasy, worldbuilding as character foundation, common tropes (enemies-to-lovers, found family, portal fantasy), writing chemistry and consent, spice levels and reader expectations, trend-chasing vs. authentic storytelling, and resources for aspiring romantasy writers.