Myth and Magic

The Myth and Magic podcast cultivates a community of passionate creatives dedicated to artistic growth and intellectual pursuits within the fantasy realm. This podcast is a vital destination for anyone with an interest in fantasy literature, fantasy drama, and fantasy art. Neil Mach’s podcast, a celebrated success, boasts over 125 episodes spanning five years. Experience the Magic and Myth now…

Interview with Christian Hurst 01/08/2026

Interview with Christian Hurst Sci-Fi author Christian Hurst, the creator of the best-selling space opera series 'Lily Starling' chats with me about emotional exploration and using metaphor in 'Fantastic' science fiction writing. He discusses Ursula K. Le Guin's work, mentions 'Arrival' (the 2016 American science fiction drama starring Amy Adams), and together we think about time loops, communicating with extra terrestrials, the definition of courage, and even the world of Horton Hears a Who! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/39657010

Interview with Richard H Moon 01/08/2026

Interview with Richard H Moon Author Richard H. Moon, based in Southern California, is an award-winning screenwriter, producer, and (like me) a self-described history buff. His latest book, "To Conquer Death," is set in Ancient Egypt and has the grandeur of an epic historical fantasy adventure. Richard chats with me about the Bronze Age collapse, which occurred in around the 12th century BCE and brought an end to all civilizations worldwide, with the possible exception of the Egyptian Empire, which survived but became severely weakened. The Bronze Age collapse serves as the historical backdrop for his book "To Conquer Death," and there are unsettling parallels between the fall of the Bronze Age and the decline of contemporary society in our own age. We discuss writing historical fantasy fiction, the differences between screenwriting and novel-writing, and about bringing characters to life. /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/39656940

R E Holding Guilds and Magic 06/26/2025

R E Holding Guilds and Magic Author R E HOLDING, who was born in Iowa and now resides in the Missouri Hills with her husband. She has a passion for storytelling across various media, with a special interest in horror. The American Sci-Fi / Mystery author Christopher Pike is a strong influence on her work. By day, R E HOLDING is a scientist... but by night, she is a horror-fantasy writer. Her recent novel “Reaper’s Gamble,” features some excellent world-building and a believable magic system that’s rooted in crafts and guilds. So I wanted to talk with her about writing plausible magic and describing realistic worlds. This new interview covers the author’s world-building tips, insights into what she describes as ‘world-building sickness’, her magic system development, and her editing techniques. /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/37161360

Interview with author Bradley Charbonneau 10/29/2022

Interview with author Bradley Charbonneau Which, if any, of your published works do you think was your worst book? Have you yet produced your worst book? You should listen to this inspirational conversation with personal development author & paranormal thriller writer Bradley Charbonneau if you want to overcome your writing-related fears and learn to laugh at your mistakes. The self-described 'recovering perfectionist' has learned how to unleash his own creativity and has produced 33 books as he maintained a 2,808-day creative streak (over 7 years of writing every day.) Do you feel like you're being beaten in the game of failure simply because you've never dared address the true nature of success? For example, what does success look like to you? This interview is for you if you have no idea what any of this means or how it relates to your writing, but nevertheless you feel trapped in a creative rut and can't come up with the right words to write! On Myth & Magic we talk about how to write your worst book ever and why it's crucial to approach the idea of creation with a sense of inadequacy and incapacity. Failure will help you in the long term, and during this interview Bradley explains the hows and whys! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/24839166

Interview with Beyond the Pen creator Maccabee Griffin 10/28/2022

Interview with Beyond the Pen creator Maccabee Griffin This week I chat with the Beyond the Pen podcast creator Maccabee Griffin. Each week Maccabee sits down with a new author to discover the real story behind their tale! But what is his own story? Find out here! Beyond the Pen is a podcast show that gives newly published and unknown authors a platform to tell the world about their projects — so today's interview is essential listening for anyone who is starting out on an adventure into authoring and anyone preparing for NaNoWriMo2022! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/24830058

Interview with author Mark Bradford 06/17/2022

Interview with author Mark Bradford Mark Bradford is the Wisconsin based author of The Sword and the Sunflower. Mark is also a work-life & work-relationship coach, a podcaster, a public speaker, and a UAV pilot! His recent post-dystopian fiction title explores the aftermath of a catastrophe. It has been described by readers as "complex and interesting..." Find out more about this 'complex and interesting' author here on Myth and Magic! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/23463200

Interview with Annie Mydla, literary scholar and contest judge 06/16/2022

Interview with Annie Mydla, literary scholar and contest judge How does a contest judge critique a manuscript for a literary prize? Here is valuable advice from an experienced judge at the highly respected North Street Book Prize. Annie offers practical tips, and she also chats about getting your manuscript ready for competition, the tendering process, and what contest judges look for. We also discuss the fantasy themes found in the novels of Joseph Conrad! This is an essential listen! Annie is an entertaining guest! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/23445659

Interview with Jon DiSavino 06/01/2022

Interview with Jon DiSavino Jon DiSavino is a professional actor, podcast host, voice artist, and creator of Short Story Today, a new podcast show that combines his love of voice acting with his love of literature. We chatted about audiobook storytelling, creating good dialects for your narrative, Shakespearean fantasy, and what makes a story worth reading. A fun interview! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/23296025

Interview with Chris Porter 05/31/2022

Interview with Chris Porter An interview with Los Angeles-based writer, award-winning composer, and sound designer Chris Porter who is the creator of a new audio sci-fi drama, SOLAR, with Jenny Curtis, that features Helen Hunt, Alan Cumming, Stephanie Beatriz, and Jonathan Bangs. We talk about ghosts, liminal spaces, and creating immersive literature! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/23285954

Inteview with P. Grace Lawson 05/27/2022

Inteview with P. Grace Lawson Rise of the Ravenisha by P. Grace Lawson is a paranormal novel with action, humor, romance, and mystery. It encompasses fierce warrior women, power struggles, corrupt experiments, and were-panthers! In this show we discuss growing up in the South, and chat about poke sallet, gaited horses, great authors such as Zora Neale Hurston, and writing fantasy /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/23246999

Interview with Mary Kendall 05/12/2022

Interview with Mary Kendall Maryland historian Mary Kendall became a debut author with her tale of moonlit alleys, shadowy tunnels, and buried secrets. The Spinster's Fortune, a tale with gothic undertones, is about deceit in a family. We chat about writing complex stories and weaving mystery into a manuscript /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/23089433

Interview with J V Hilliard 04/19/2022

Interview with J V Hilliard An interview with with the Pennsylvania based epic fantasy author J V Hilliard who recently arrived on the fantasy adventure scene with the first title in his Warminster Series. "The Last Keeper" is about a young boy who suffers prophetic visions. We chat about cryptids, fight scenes, and world building! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/22837388

Interview with Warrior Muse: Shannon Lawrence 03/02/2022

Interview with Warrior Muse: Shannon Lawrence Short story author Shannon Lawrence has been described as the true queen of horror. She recently produced a nonfiction book “The Business of Short Stories: Writing, Submitting, Publishing, and Marketing". We chat about writing for anthologies, tips about writing shorts, and about how to come-up with ideas for horror! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/22312391

Interview with Tanya Gough 02/23/2022

Interview with Tanya Gough An interview with tech founder Tanya Gough, who created the StoryBilder writing program. With a background in fantasy writing, Tanya takes a unique approach to teaching authorship and wanted to create a tool that would help writers with the theory & practice of writing as she aspires to provide a functional storytelling platform that will help authors manage & grow their plots! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/22229528

Hard Fantasy 02/17/2022

Hard Fantasy What is hard fantasy? What is the so-called “Great Eagle Problem” that readers sometimes encounter in fantasy narratives? What does eucatastrophe mean? Also, why do some people resent artists and creatives? What bothers them about creativity? /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/22166366

How to complete a semi-finished work 02/10/2022

How to complete a semi-finished work How to get over a writing jam. Eight ways to overcome stagnation. What happens when momentum stops? Here's how to complete a semi-finished work /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/22087565

The Magical Power of Trees 02/01/2022

The Magical Power of Trees Today I discuss the healing magic and mythical wisdom of trees; and why you should describe their superpowers in your fantasy fiction /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/21982169

Myth & Magic Episode 114 01/26/2022

Myth & Magic Episode 114 What's in a name? How to name a protagonist. Here are 7 ways to create an appropriate and memorable name for your principal character /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/21904175

Myth & Magic Episode 113 01/19/2022

Myth & Magic Episode 113 My guest on the show is an author who has written half a million words! He is writing an organic epic… but what is an organic epic? Vance Neudorf is an award-winning author & podcaster, and creator of a 3-volume series of fantasy / science fiction audiobooks for young adults titled the Cor Series /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/21825833

Myth & Magic Episode 112 01/12/2022

Myth & Magic Episode 112 This week I'm chatting with published author Melissa Sercia, who delivers racy and hot paranormal fantasies! We talked about writing a gripping romance, living in an urban fantasy world, and her popular Immortal Billionaire series of novels. /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/21729332

Myth & Magic Episode 111 01/05/2022

Myth & Magic Episode 111 Who put the elf into Twelfth Night? Plus, what is the difference between propensity and plasticity in a character? /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/21681791

Myth & Magic Episode 110 12/20/2021

Myth & Magic Episode 110 Many felicitations fort the season... but who was Felicity? Also, in this episode, what is an epiphany? What are the pre-epiphany conditions? And five helpful & personal epiphanies that all authors should be ready for! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/21544052

Myth & Magic Episode 109 12/16/2021

Myth & Magic Episode 109 Here are 28 things readers don't want to see! Things that infuriate the reader. What we can learn from the best-selling authors of 2021 /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/21504656

Myth & Magic Episode 108 12/08/2021

Myth & Magic Episode 108 A spirited interview with super talented authors Marie Sinadjan + Meri Benson who collaborated to write Hotel Fen, a dark fantasy, that has loads of Norse mythology. We chat about the handcraft + ingenuity that goes into authoring as these two outstanding writers explain that they are composing music for the book, creating story-inspired treats, and designing artwork to accompany the project. /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/21420227

Myth & Magic Episode 107 11/17/2021

Myth & Magic Episode 107 In the second half of the NaNoWriMo month, we chatted with teen fantasy author Sarah Humpherys about taking the 50k challenge and landing an agent & publishing deal at the tender age of sixteen. Sarah also talks about world-building and the craft of authorship.Her new novel, titled Stone Cold, presents themes on overcoming loss by making new relationships. /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/21198758

Myth & Magic Episode 106 10/28/2021

Myth & Magic Episode 106 An interview with the New Mexico based fantasy author Cassie Sanchez. Cassie chats about writing love-scenes, creating tension and researching magic for her new novel, Chasing the Darkness, which features the angel of death. /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/20968424

Myth & Magic Episode 105 10/27/2021

Myth & Magic Episode 105 This week I talk with award-winning English author Claire Buss. She chats about spice ghosts, the Gaia hypothesis, the golden squirrel awards, the rapid release strategy, author Wilbur Smith, and being the deputy editor of the Write On! magazine /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/20955782

Myth & Magic Episode 104 10/20/2021

Myth & Magic Episode 104 An engaging interview with the editor of the latest Australian speculative fiction magazine — Etherea, for science fiction and fantasy fans /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/20878013

Myth & Magic Episode 103 10/13/2021

Myth & Magic Episode 103 12 ways to flip classic fantasy tropes on their head, plus what is a story frame? /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/20800970

Episode 102 09/30/2021

Episode 102 An interview with paranormal investigator Dr. Kristy Sumner. She is a founding member of Soul Sisters Paranormal. Her team investigate paranormal activity using scientific methods. If you are writing about the spirit world, hauntings, ghosts, or poltergeists, you will want to listen to this informative and exciting show! /episode/index/show/mythandmagic/id/20657774

Myth and Magic

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