Worth the Telling Podcast

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William Miller left a photography career after 9/11 to enlist in the Army. He now writes the Jake Noble spy thrillers, a paranormal mystery series built around an autistic FBI agent, and a hardboiled crime series for Aethon Books. He also runs Savage Realms, a sword and sorcery magazine he expected to fold after six issues and still puts out every month. In this episode, he joins us to dig into what actually changed in publishing in the early '90s, why a little gatekeeping might be good for a fandom, and what binge-watching did to the thirty-page chapter.

In This Episode

William’s love letter to his wife: The Mackenzie and Cole series follows an autistic FBI agent. Miller’s wife is autistic, and he wanted a version of that on the page that includes the hard days, not just the “it’s a superpower” version.
The fashion photographer who writes fight scenes: Years in fashion photography before the Army, and what visual thinking does to prose. Also his flat instruction to authors: you do not know what cover your book needs.
Don’t take writing advice from people who don’t sell books: Miller studied creative writing at Eckerd College, where Dennis Lehane taught. His filter for writing programs is one question long, and it disqualifies most of them.
Men didn’t stop reading, publishing stopped printing: What Miller says changed in trad pub in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and why “men don’t read” has the cart in front of the horse.
Choose your own adventure: Delight Games handed Miller the keys and he wrote Jack Jericho and the Bloody Burlesque Show. It sold, and the content nobody would greenlight elsewhere turned out to be beneath the notice of the people who’d object.
Savage Realms Monthly and the paperback problem: Miller started it as a favor to writers with nowhere to publish, expecting six issues and a tax write-off, and now ships one a month. The print edition is the one Amazon fights him on, and it’s also the one that sells better.
“You gotta get rid of all the God stuff”: Trad publishers wanted the faith cut from Noble Man. Faith publishers wanted the guns and the human trafficking cut. He self-published, and the emails started arriving from people who’d done the work for real.
The agent who pitched him at ThrillerFest: The agent that loved his numbers and wanted to represent him. Four years earlier, she told him that the book would never work.
Genre hopping is bad business and he does it anyway: Spy thrillers, paranormal mystery, sword and sorcery, plus an unknown number of upscale literary novels sitting unpublished on a hard drive. His advice and his behavior do not match.
Binge culture broke pacing: Why he thinks the thirty-page chapter is gone, why he has to fight his own instinct to write long, and why he still tells writers to ignore what’s selling. (On the business side, he cites Maxwell Perkins, the editor who shaped raw manuscripts from Hemingway and Fitzgerald into books that sold.)
Where indie publishing goes from here: AI, universal basic income, and Miller’s standing policy of coming back in six months to eat crow when he’s wrong. Plus the argument that stories outlast whatever format is carrying them, delivered via Reign of Fire.

Guest Links

Read the Jake Noble series: https://amzn.to/4uhzhB6
Website: https://williammillerauthor.com/
Facebook: AuthorWillMiller

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet William Miller.

00:50 - Writing Autism With Care.

02:28 - From Photos To Prose.

04:34 - Creative Writing Degrees.

07:11 - Do Men Read Fiction.

09:26 - Interactive Fiction Detour.

11:54 - Gatekeeping Geek Culture.

13:51 - Magazine Roots And Aethon.

16:33 - Building Savage Realms.

19:45 - Print Sales And Amazon.

21:23 - Cover Art Censorship.

22:59 - NSFW Internet Flashback.

23:28 - Trad Pub Rejections.

25:26 - Choosing Self Publish.

27:23 - Agent Comes Crawling Back.

28:45 - Genre Hopping Reality.

31:42 - Pacing In Streaming Era.

34:15 - Write Weird Find Tribe.

37:17 - Indie Future With AI.

43:21 - Stories Always Survive.

44:03 - Buckle Up Advice.

45:16 - Where To Find Him.

47:09 - Final Thanks And Goodbye.

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Rebecca Jones has a hill she'll die on: there are no bad tropes, only poorly written ones. She put out her debut in September 2025 and already has three books in her Jolene series, plus a Gothic romance on the way, so she's earned the right to defend the love triangle. In this episode, we dig into why so many of them collapse, when a cliché becomes a comfort instead of a crutch, and what gets lost when clean YA is treated like a rebellion.

In This Episode

There are no bad tropes, only poorly written ones: Rebecca’s whole thesis, and why a love triangle works only when a character actually makes a choice.
How writers botch the love triangle: The most common failure is telling us two people are in love without ever earning it. We talk about the Wednesday dance that should have built a couple and instead just told us one existed.
Insta-love, chemistry, and flirting that isn’t cheesy: Insta-love can work when there’s a real foundation under it, from Phantom’s Raoul and Christine to the sly, layered flirting between Catherine and Henry in Northanger Abbey.
The ultimate love triangle: Rebecca’s pick for the trope done right is Gone With the Wind, and why The Empire Strikes Back borrowed its romantic DNA.
Clichés, killing your darlings, and the one-bed problem: A deliberate cliché can feel like comfort; a lazy one just muddies the book. Plus what “kill your darlings” actually means, and a great story about a scholarly Regency client whose one-bed scene ignored the scandal it would have caused.
The state of clean YA: On-page spice creeping into books aimed at teens, YA quietly written for grown women, and the clean movement Rebecca is glad to be part of.
Meet Jolene: Ballet dancer by day, zombie-slaying gamer by night, with a geeky best friend and a scene-stealing chaos-agent of a sister.
The Gothic turn: Rebecca’s period horror romance: 1899 France, a possessive ghost, and Phantom of the Opera with the opera swapped out for something a lot darker.
The indie author business: An aggressive release pace as a full-time writer, the Kindle Unlimited versus going-wide money question, why the best marketing might just be the next book, and the metadata work that landed her next to Lynn Painter and Rachel Lynn Solomon.
The worst writing advice you keep hearing: How “show, don’t tell” gets weaponized, and the danger of running your slow-burn romance through a chatbot that only knows how to pace a thriller screenplay.
Books for boys, and content warnings: The gap in the market and Rebecca’s idea for a space book written with her son, plus why she came around on content warnings and a love letter to the website Does the Dog Die.

Guest Links

Read the Jolene series: https://amzn.to/48NUUQG
Website: rebeccajonesbooks.com
Facebook: Rebecca Jones Author
TikTok: @rebecca.jones776
X: @NovelistRJones

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet the Rebecca Jones.

02:09 - Why Triangles Fail.

02:51 - Insta Love Done Right.

03:57 - Writing Better Flirting.

05:26 - Best Love Triangle Example.

06:13 - Tropes vs Cliches.

07:17 - Fixing What Fails.

08:09 - One Bed Problem Solving.

09:30 - Beta Readers Power.

10:13 - State of YA Today.

12:25 - Gothic Romance Shift.

14:18 - Writing Since Fifteen.

16:57 - Rapid Release Routine.

17:50 - Kindle Unlimited Reality.

20:08 - Indie vs Traditional.

20:54 - Marketing Mindset Shift.

21:43 - Metadata And Keywords.

23:34 - Sisterhood On The Page.

25:19 - Belle Époque Gothic Romance.

26:01 - Bad Writing Advice.

27:19 - AI Tips And Nuance.

29:41 - Books For Boy Readers.

32:57 - Ideal Reader And Comfort.

34:10 - Content Warnings Debate.

36:21 - New Release Teaser.

38:05 - Tropes And Farewell.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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R.A. Flannagan calls himself Canada's only geopolitical military fiction author. Four books and 1,800-plus Amazon reviews later, the title is hard to dispute. In this episode, Ryan sits down to explain how the loss of his university career pushed him toward the keyboard, why he built a series aimed at Commonwealth readers and openly at men, and how fast real-world drone warfare and tactical-nuke brinkmanship have caught up to fiction he began drafting back in 2021.

In This Episode

A career ends, a writer begins: Ryan describes the devastating loss of the university vocation he expected to keep for life, and how writing (and his wife) gave him a focus when things were at their worst.
The niche nobody was writing: Military thrillers are almost entirely an American genre. Ryan spotted the gap and built CANZUK at War around Canada and its Commonwealth allies as the protagonists, not the sidekicks.
The market that flipped his assumptions: He went in certain the 330-million-person U.S. market was the prize. Instead, UK, Australian, and Canadian readers embraced the books while American sales stayed at “crickets,” and he unpacks why.
Why Americans won’t read a civil war: Ryan connects his U.S. sales problem to the lukewarm reception of A24’s film Civil War, and to how differently foreign readers and American readers read the same story.
Writing for men, without apology: Of the emails and comments he’s received over the years, essentially none come from women, and Ryan makes the case that traditional publishing walked away from an audience that’s still hungry.
When the headlines catch up to the manuscript: Ukraine, tactical nuclear weapons, and the explosion of drone warfare all appeared in his books before they dominated the news, and he talks about writing near-future fiction that reality keeps overtaking.
What three years in the reserves actually taught him: Ryan was infantry, not special operations, and he’s candid about how far listening to hundreds of audiobooks carries him toward writing operators convincingly, and where the research has to take over.
The anti-MVP approach: Before publishing a single word, Ryan spent roughly a year absorbing podcasts on craft and the business, hired a developmental editor and a copy editor, and argues that new authors owe it to themselves to write six to ten books before quitting.

Guest Links

Read The CANZUK at War Series: https://amzn.to/3P3ynJ3
Website: https://raflannagan.ca/

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Ryan Flannagan.

01:24 - Career Upheaval and Writing.

03:05 - Learning the Indie Path.

04:51 - Momentum and Mindset.

07:25 - Finding a Canadian Niche.

12:40 - Anglosphere Market Strategy.

14:27 - Why Americans Don’t Bite.

19:13 - Reserves Lessons for Fiction.

20:46 - Military Banter Realism.

22:28 - Researching Special Operators.

25:09 - When Fiction Meets Reality.

27:19 - Drones And Future War.

29:20 - Writing For Men.

33:56 - Defense Blogging Passion.

37:49 - Lessons From Four Books.

40:24 - Editing And Craft Standards.

40:53 - Where To Find Ryan.

41:36 - Amazon Exclusivity Farewell.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Cairo Smith won one of Hollywood's biggest screenwriting awards, wrote English adaptations for Netflix, Disney, and Paramount, and had the representation and the meetings most writers spend a decade chasing. Then he read a few self-published novels, realized indie fiction was speaking to his life in a way the front table at Barnes & Noble wasn't, and walked toward the door. In this conversation he tells us why he left the industry track, how he ended up at New Ritual Press, and what it actually takes to build a creative life nobody can cancel.

In This Episode

From Pokémon Go to the Page: Cairo’s road through Niantic’s experimental GPS games and into fiction, and why the novel is the form he keeps returning to.
The Award That Opened the Door: Winning the PAGE Award with a screwball script about the disastrous making of the first Star Wars, and what representation actually got him: a mountain of unpaid work and meetings with people who don’t read much.
What Localization Really Means: Adapting foreign shows for English audiences, the pastry-that-got-called-a-donut problem, and why serving the studio beats serving the fans when getting hired again is the goal.
Novelize Your Screenplay: His pitch to every contest finalist whose movie will never get made: a screenplay is already novella-length, and Kindle readers love that length even while trad pub pretends nobody does.
Which Contests Are Real: The screenwriting competitions worth your money (Nicholl, PAGE, Big Break), the ones that are basically scams, and why you never wire cash to anyone or answer a cold email from a “producer.”
How He Found New Ritual Press: Indie lit runs on relationships even more than Hollywood does, except the people are approachable and the bar for connecting is a warm reply and a thoughtful essay.
Brand Over Everything: Why a small press wins by going exactly where the majors won’t or can’t, and why copying the mainstream “only different” is a dead end.
The Anatomy of a Cancellation: The two levers anyone actually has over you, and how distributing your income and keeping your people close leaves the mob with nothing but noise.
What Rolling Stone Got Right: The “anti-woke lit scene” feature everyone braced for as a hit piece, why it came off warmer than expected, and what a sales bump really looks like.
New Wave, Alt Lit, and Skating Where the Puck Is Going: Cairo on the labels for this loose movement, why he’s set “new wave” aside for “alt lit,” and the trap of building a personality out of what you’re against.
Running Futurist Letters: How a personal blog became a literary journal with a status-blind reading policy, and why editing other people’s work makes you a sharper writer of your own.
A Cancellation: His new novel about a vlogger’s summer-long implosion, why everyone in it is a terrible person, and what streamer culture looks like with none of the old guardrails.
Writing for Smart Adults: Reading as a hike you take with someone who can keep pace, why looking up words is growth and not embarrassment, and the difference between the narrator and the author.

Guest Links

Read Scenebux://amzn.to/4d0GSxL
Website: cairosmith.com
X: @cairoasmith

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Cairo Smith.

01:44 - From Hollywood to Indie.

04:42 - Localization and Adaptation.

06:51 - Why Novelizations Faded.

09:16 - Competitions That Matter.

11:10 - Breaking In and Scams.

11:43 - Dad’s Advice on Film.

13:05 - Getting Representation.

15:15 - Finding New Ritual Press.

17:39 - Indie Press Brand Voice.

18:51 - Ideological Capture in Publishing.

20:29 - Cancel Culture Resilience.

22:30 - Handling Online Mobs.

23:58 - Vibe Shift Politics.

25:21 - Rolling Stone Feature.

27:54 - Beyond Anti Woke.

28:47 - New Wave To Alt Lit.

30:52 - Building Futurist Letters.

32:56 - Writing And Editing Benefits.

33:34 - New Novel A Cancellation.

34:40 - Influencer Spiral Satire.

39:00 - Reading For Smart Adults.

42:21 - Where To Find Cairo.

43:11 - Buying And Distribution.

44:02 - Closing Thoughts.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Brian McCoppin’s a cloud and AI consultant by day, and a Tang Soo Do instructor and author by night. With books sold in more than 12 countries, he specializes in Christian supernatural action fiction, a corner of the market most people assume doesn't exist, where the demons wear senators' faces and a small-town pastor learns he's been drafted into a war nobody around him believes is real. In this episode, he joins us to talk about building the Record of the Paladins series, why he refuses to let writing stop being a hobby, and how he keeps faith on the page without ever slipping into a sermon.

In This Episode

Writing as a hobby, on purpose: Brian McCoppin has no interest in replacing his day-job and explains why that freedom is the whole point. He and Kristin compare notes on the strange pressure authors put on themselves to monetize even when the money isn’t needed.
Why his nonfiction outsells his fiction: His most successful book is the short nonfiction title he wrote to practice the publishing process. Both authors dig into why that happens to the same audience, and why you can’t market the two the same way.
The gap nobody was filling: Walk into the Christian fiction section and you’ll find shelves of bonnets and farms with almost nothing for men. Brian planted his flag in men’s action fiction with explicit faith, and talks about walking the tightrope between biblically sound and genuinely violent.
Demons who look reasonable: His evil doesn’t show up with wings and fangs. It shows up in politics, in institutions, in the polished public figure who suddenly changes. He explains why that version of evil unsettles readers more than any monster.
He thought his readers would be men: More than half turned out to be women walking up at events to tell him which senator is definitely a demon. Brian and Kristin get into who actually reads new fiction right now and why the numbers surprised him.
Profanity, pushback, and his favorite two-star review: Why the F-bombs stayed in, why he’s gotten less heat than expected, and why a critical review from an attentive reader is a gift, not an insult.
In-person selling beats the internet: Most of his sales happen face to face at churches, cons, and book fairs, and he argues the reviews are better too.
Content warnings, reconsidered: Kristin shares how one book changed her hardline stance against content warnings, and Brian explains why he puts them on his audiobooks as a fellow parent trying to filter what reaches his kids.
Writing humans is harder than writing demons: Evil is easy to rationalize on the page. Two people quietly talking about faith is where it gets hard, especially with female leads, which is why he leans on his wife, his daughters, and a female editor.
Tang Soo Do, firearms, and fatherhood: A decade of training alongside his daughters reshaped what he thinks masculinity is for, and that idea, protecting what matters rather than dominating, runs straight through the books.
Media that’s actually healthy: Why Bluey and WALL-E keep coming up in his house, and what both authors think Gen Z is quietly asking for from stories.
What’s next: Book of Turpin, the fourth Paladin novel, is on presale now, plus upcoming events (including a cigar bar in Port Richey), karate tournaments, and his honest take on AI narration for audiobooks.

Guest Links

Read Record of the Paladins: https://amzn.to/4u3pZbM
Website: thepaladinbooks.com
Facebook: RecordOfThePaladins
X: @brianmccoppin

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Brian McCoppin.

01:05 - From Fanfic to Publishing.

02:46 - Fiction vs Nonfiction Sales.

03:29 - Christian Action Niche.

05:34 - Peretti and Going Darker.

06:54 - Demons in Institutions.

08:37 - Who Actually Reads It.

10:38 - Profanity and Pushback.

12:21 - In Person Sales Wins.

14:16 - Why Indie Publishing.

16:53 - Content Warnings Matter.

19:34 - Writing Humans vs Demons.

21:54 - Overwriting Lessons.

22:18 - Faith Without Preaching.

24:16 - Guns In The Story.

25:02 - Writing Hardship And Poverty.

26:46 - Building Oliver The Warrior.

28:49 - Family Martial Arts Journey.

30:16 - Fatherhood And Masculinity.

33:06 - Media Picks For Teens.

36:00 - New Books And Events.

37:09 - Conventions And Book Signings.

38:15 - Selling Tips And Swag.

39:49 - Audiobooks And AI Narration.

41:53 - Where To Find The Author And Final Thanks.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Neal Asher has been writing science fiction for Pan Macmillan for 25 years and published 40-plus books, but before any of that he was hauling coal sacks in the rain and fishing typewriters out of skips. In this episode, the man behind Gridlinked and the Love, Death + Robots episodes "Snow in the Desert," "Bad Travelling," and "Mason's Rats" talks about clawing up every rung of the publishing ladder back when distribution was a brick wall, why he thinks indie writers have never had it better, and what's gone wrong with the books the big houses keep putting out. It's a clear-eyed history lesson from someone who lived the old days and isn't romantic about them.

In This Episode

The working man who became a writer: Neal walks through the decade of being a machinist, gardener, barman, and skip-lorry jobs that came before the books, including a two-week stint delivering coal.
Rejection, small presses, and the writer’s folio: How he built a career sending sample chapters by post and circulating manuscripts in a literal envelope of writers before email existed.
The £1,000 phone call: The first novella sale that knocked him to the kitchen floor, and the 1999 SFX review of The Engineer that he stuck on top of the slush pile to catch Pan Macmillan’s eye.
Extending Gridlinked in two weeks: Why his first Macmillan book was too short for the British market, and how he rewrote it from 65,000 to 135,000.
From Heavy Metal to Netflix: The cold email to Tim Miller that started 15 years before Love, Death + Robots, the story Tom Cruise reportedly said could carry a film on its own, and working with David Fincher on “Bad Travelling.”
What traditional publishing still does and where it’s failing readers: Neal on the distribution and editing the big houses do well, and his blunt take on “the message,” the reading slump among men, and why he reads by word of mouth now.
Keeping your mouth shut vs. not giving a damn: The cost of being a vocal conservative or libertarian in publishing, the Dark Diamond dedication to Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos that got books returned, and where he’s landed on all of it.
AI governance in fiction and in real life: How the Polity’s AI-run society grew out of his short stories, his dystopian counterweight in the Owner trilogy, and whether a real superintelligence would wipe us out or keep us around like silverbacks.
Indie books worth reading: The titles that pulled him out of a years-long reading hiatus, including Devon Eriksen’s Theft of Fire, Larry Correia’s catalog, and Michael F. Kane’s space western After Moses.
Where to start and what’s next: Neal’s advice for new readers (and the blog post on his site that settles it), plus the Time’s Shadow trilogy: Dark Diamond out now, Dark Agent in May, and Dark Horizon next year.

Guest Links

Read the Agent Cormac series: https://amzn.to/3P6xy2c
Website: nealasher.co.uk
X: @nealasher

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Neal Asher.

02:24 - Choosing Writing Seriously.

03:10 - Rejections and Small Presses.

06:26 - Writers Folio Breakthrough.

08:40 - Why Publishing Was Harder.

12:12 - Macmillan Calls in 1999.

15:14 - Love Death and Robots Origins.

20:07 - Traditional vs Indie Today.

21:45 - Publishers Without Publicity.

22:15 - Sci Fi And The Message.

23:59 - Finding Indie Sci Fi Gems.

26:17 - Word Of Mouth Wins.

28:02 - Politics And Speaking Out.

28:37 - Dark Diamond Dedication Fallout.

30:41 - AI Rule In The Polity.

32:32 - Singularity Fears And Hopes.

37:34 - Where To Start Reading.

40:04 - Dark Diamond Trilogy Preview.

42:25 - Writing More Than Planned.

43:01 - Closing Thanks And Wrap Up.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Nick Nethery spent a career as an Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer before he wrote fiction full-time. His debut started with a working observation that unexploded ordnance looks completely different depending on which country built it, which spiraled into a better question: what would a weapon look like if it came from something that wasn't human? In this episode he argues that technical accuracy has to yield to story, explains why he writes faith into characters without ever climbing into the pulpit, and walks us through Raconteur Press — the "pirate skiff" of a developmental press that gave an unknown writer his shot. Join us for a conversation about craft, faith, authenticity, and why the future of storytelling might not be a book at all.

In This Episode

The bomb tech who became a novelist: Nick walks through a military career that ran from maintenance officer to WMD team chief, and explains the leadership philosophy that pulled him toward EOD in the first place.
Alien ordnance and the spark for the debut: Different cultures build weapons with wildly different philosophies — how much they’ll spend to protect their own troops, what they want a device to actually do. Nick took that fascination to its strangest conclusion and asked what humanity would make of ordnance left behind by something that doesn’t share our senses, let alone our intentions.
The crowdfunded airstrike that came true: His US Naval Institute prize-winning story imagined a Marine platoon Kickstarting a JDAM strike they couldn’t get approved through normal channels. Nick explains the real-world signals he and co-writer Mike Burke were watching — drones, 3D printing, soldiers leaking their own base locations through fitness trackers — and why any tech handed to grunts will get gloriously abused.
Detail versus story, and who wins: Every technical writer eventually meets the guy at the back of the panel pointing at one wrong line. Nick makes the case that story has to win, that 99% of your research should never reach the page, and that learning to walk away from hard-won knowledge is what makes the writing feel lived-in instead of like an encyclopedia entry.
A Thirty Years’ War fantasy with the magic dialed low: The Peace Child trades future tech for period-accurate wheel locks, taverns, and travel — an alternate Europe where the church and the nations are recognizable but renamed. Nick explains why he leaned on real historians to keep him honest and why the era fascinates him as a genuine before-and-after in how the West thought about faith and money.
Faith on the page without the sermon: Nick argues that scrubbing belief out of every character is its own kind of unrealistic, especially in the military and law-enforcement worlds he knows. The trick, he says, is that the moment “the moral of the story” is the first line in your outline, you’ve already lost the reader — so he just lets his characters pray, argue, and stay faithful to their spouses the way the people he served with actually did.
Is gaming the next novel: Nick lays out a genuinely provocative thesis: just as epic poetry gave way to the novel, interactive games may become how we primarily live our stories. He points to the emotional gut-punch of certain games as proof, while wondering aloud what we lose when there’s no longer a book or show everyone has read.
Raconteur Press and the return of the pulps: Nick calls Raconteur a “pirate skiff” — a developmental press in the old pulp tradition, taking chances on unknown writers who can tell a good story and are easy to work with. He and Kristin land on the unglamorous truth that answering your emails and learning track changes will do more for your career than being edgy online ever will.

Guest Links

Read Relics of the Fallen: https://amzn.to/4uwSwpN
Website: nicknethery.com
X: @nicknetherybro

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Nick Nethery.

01:56 - What EOD Really Does.

04:08 - Ordnance Inspires Sci Fi.

06:51 - Nonfiction to Fiction Skills.

10:02 - Crowdfunded Airstrike Satire.

14:14 - Accuracy Versus Story.

17:02 - Writing Peace Child.

20:31 - Faith Without Preaching.

23:35 - Faith Feels Normal.

24:22 - Romance and Infidelity Tropes.

26:15 - Military Religion Culture Shock.

27:35 - Secular Myths and New Religions.

28:24 - Gaming as Future Literature.

32:11 - Raconteur Press Pulp Revival.

36:01 - Editing Lessons for Writers.

38:55 - What Nick Writes Next.

40:18 - Where to Find Nick.

41:27 - Publishing Plans and Farewell.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Matthew Bockholt spent years in video games and marketing before he ever wrote a novel full-time — and it shows in how he thinks about the work. While most indie authors are great storytellers and shaky prose stylists, he treats writing like a skill you drill, not a gift you're born with. In this episode he makes the case for killing the phrase "rules of writing" entirely, explains why genre stopped serving readers and started bossing authors around, and walks us through Fable Vine — his pitch for a third path that sits between the trad-pub trickle and the Amazon firehose. He also writes YA that refuses to talk down to teenagers, opening his debut novel Bloom at a funeral and meaning it. It's a conversation about craft, death, sincerity, and why "just write every day" might be the worst advice in the business.

In This Episode

Rules don’t make you good — technique does: Bockholt’s basketball analogy reframes everything: anyone can follow the rules and still be terrible. Rules let you play; technique determines whether you’re worth watching. The fix is treating prose like free throws — something you practice on purpose, not something that improves by accident.
The crutch words bleeding into your prose: His weekly prompt group writes under 300 words with constraints like “no ‘to be’ verbs” and “no adverbs.” The point isn’t a lower word count — it’s precision, and the discipline of the micro quietly upgrades the macro.
When genre flipped from a favor to a cage: Genre started as a way to shelve books readers would like. Now marketing departments use it to dictate what authors are allowed to write, and the defining classics of any genre, Bockholt argues, are the ones that didn’t fit a shelf in the first place.
“Twilight if Orson Scott Card wrote it”: His comp for Bloom is a masterclass in positioning: everyone knows Twilight, and the people who perk up at Orson Scott Card are exactly the readers he wants. A good comp narrows your audience instead of flattering everyone.
Fable Vine and the third option: Trad pub is a careful drip; Amazon is a waterfall you drown in. Bockholt’s concept puts the author in the gatekeeper’s chair — pay to shelve your book, keep 100% of the return, and let an upfront cost do the quality filtering that readers are desperate for.
Killing the five-star review: Borrowing from Steam’s recommend / don’t-recommend model and element-based ratings (concept, execution, ending), he argues for a system that tells readers what an author is actually good at.
Writing death honestly for young readers: Bloom opens at a funeral, and its narrator tells you up front that he dies. Drawing on his own experience with loss, Bockholt makes the case that kids are smarter than we write for them, and that respecting death is what gives a story weight.

Guest Links

Read Bloom: https://www.fablevine.com/ebook/bloom
X: @MatthewBockholt

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet the Matthew Bockholt.

01:54 - Sharpening Prose Skills.

03:12 - Prompts and Style Challenges.

04:31 - How Genre Became a Cage.

07:28 - Writing Across Genres.

09:54 - Fable Vine Third Path.

12:20 - Gatekeeping and Reviews.

15:26 - Rethinking Rating Systems.

17:59 - Visibility and Silent Launch.

20:54 - Rules Versus Techniques.

23:15 - Practice Beats Habit.

23:54 - Ditch Genre Rules.

25:05 - Writing Smart YA.

28:40 - Death as Story Engine.

30:51 - Respecting Mortality.

32:11 - Stories That Face Death.

36:08 - Heroes and Sincerity.

38:27 - Where to Read Bloom.

39:07 - Free Copies Debate.

40:52 - Community and Conventions.

42:52 - Wrap Up and Thanks.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Jason Hunt founded Sci-Fi4Me in 2009, right after the sci-fi channel became "SyFy," and has spent 17 years covering science fiction, fantasy, and horror through reviews, commentary, and his interview show Live from the Bunker. In this episode, he joins us to break down what makes an author pitch an instant yes, why so many writers sabotage their own marketing, and how the Hugo Awards went from a career-defining honor to a warning label.

In This Episode

The Rebrand That Started a Network: When the sci-fi channel became “SyFy” and filled the schedule with wrestling and cooking shows, Jason saw an abandoned audience up for grabs. He started blogging from a basement like everyone else. Seventeen years later it’s become reviews, commentary, and a live show.
Wearing the Franchise Like a Skin Suit: Creators don’t like what they’re making, and they’re gutting beloved properties to use as a platform for message fiction.
The Hugos Are a Mean Girls Sleepover: Sad Puppies, Larry Correia, and the year the whole thing burned to the ground. Now a Hugo sticker tells you to stay away. Locus and the Dragon Awards still carry weight; the Hugos are the Oscars now — a club patting itself on the back.
Baen vs Tor Tells You Everything: Whether a book leads with story or ideology comes down to the imprint, not whether it’s hard or soft sci-fi.
Choosing the Bear: The romantasy wave where the heroine ends up with the monster, and how women becoming the gatekeepers — editors and agents both — shapes what gets greenlit and what never makes it past the slush pile.
What Gets an Indie Book a Yes: Pitches come through PR firms or email, and page count matters more than authors think — a 150-page book beats a 700-page tome on time alone.
The Headshot Nobody Has: The single most common media-kit failure. A blurry, half-lit phone selfie is not a headshot. He walks through what a kit actually needs — bio, blurbs, links to past interviews — and why follow-up is where authors blow it.
Nobody Markets You Anymore: Unless you’re Stephen King or George R.R. Martin, you book your own podcasts, signings, and conventions. A.C. Crispin told him the same thing years ago. Trad or indie, new authors get thrown in the deep end.
What Makes a Guest Worth Having Back: Knowledge of the craft, a list of things you can talk about beyond the plot, and the discipline not to spoil your own book. The James Doohan line he lives by: he may have heard the question a thousand times, but it’s the audience’s first time hearing the answer.
What Actually Drives Traffic: Hating on Star Trek and Kathleen Kennedy news does numbers, but author interviews pull just as well as actor interviews. It’s the conversation, not the name on the marquee. If you’re interesting, people stay for two hours.
The TikTok Press-Tour Problem: Clip-bait reviewers asking vulgar questions they don’t care about the answer to, and why a host who does real research lands as a relief.
When to Push Back: He’ll press on a loaded statistic or something outrageous, but keeps it a conversation, not an ambush.
Step One With Zero Audience: Headshot, a simple website, and active socials with the politics dialed way down.
800 Words a Chapter, on Purpose: His novella experiment, where every chapter is exactly 800 words and the last one lands on 666. A brutal drill in word choice and cutting the fat. He’s sold maybe 15 copies in 12 years and has no regrets.
Read Outside Your Genre: Write sci-fi, sure, but go read a Western, read some Fenimore Cooper. It freshens your approach and gives you new structures to steal.
Where Sci-Fi 4 Me Goes Next: COVID blew up the live-from-conventions plan, the elections scattered the volunteer crew, and YouTube keeps changing the algorithm. The goal now is getting a few shows back on the air.

Guest Links

Youtube: @SciFi4Me
Website: SciFi4Me.com
X: @SciFi4Me
Substack: SciFi4Me
IG: @scifi4me

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet SciFi4Me’s Jason Hunt.

03:59 - Hugo Awards Fallout.

07:23 - Hard vs Soft SciFi.

09:26 - Indie vs Trad Trends.

14:13 - Choosing Books to Review.

18:17 - PR Pitches and Press Kits.

23:18 - Great Author Interviews.

25:32 - Tech Angles for Sci-Fi.

30:06 - Fresh Questions Beat Clickbait.

32:56 - When to Push Back.

34:39 - Author Visibility Basics.

36:39 - Building an Audience on YouTube.

37:41 - Writing with Word Limits.

40:35 - Discipline and Reading Habits.

42:41 - Future of SciFi4Me.

46:41 - Where to Find Them.

47:33 - Thanks and Wrap-Up.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Spotlight on Indie SFF's founder — a Catholic novelist with nearly 50 books across 16 years who keeps her platform persona separate from her author byline — joins Kristin to talk about the curated referral site she launched last summer after the indie sci-fi space made it clear that authors with her convictions weren't welcome. This conversation covers the long road from Kindle's original gold rush, to realizing the publishing industry’s bias, to building the based-fiction home Indie SFF didn't have.

In This Episode

“I Could Do Something Better”: A few years back, someone tried to crowdfund a conservative book site and quietly let it die. When she found the abandoned attempt, the decision to create a new home was simple.
The Email That Funded a Website: The straw that broke the camel’s back was the Indie Sale’s narrative announcement saying authors with her convictions weren’t welcome. The funding came together the same week — a paid-off bill, an extra paycheck, and a saddle she wasn’t using anymore that covered exactly what the dev quote required.
Kindle Before the Gold Rush: She published into the original Kindle wave nearly twenty years ago, when readers were hungry and a non-bestseller could comfortably pay off a mortgage.
Why Scammers Made It Harder for Everyone: Every adaptation Amazon makes to clamp down on KU and ratings abuse hits the honest authors first. The page-read economy collapsed, ratings got gated behind a $50/month spend, and the platform keeps contorting around the worst actors.
Author-Rated Content, Not Surprise Content: The site lets authors rate their own books across four categories. Readers can filter on the front end instead of finding the surprise on page eighty. She isn’t pretending to be the content cop — the system runs on author honesty plus a reader-feedback loop.
Based ≠ Christian: True conservatism conserves something, and Western civilization conserves Christianity, so a real Christian will be based, but a based reader isn’t necessarily Christian. The site is built for the overlap and the people standing next to it, not a denominational gate.
The Grimdark Ink “Sisters of Mercy” Mess: A recent contest billed itself as non-discriminatory and then had judges call Christian themes in an incense-punk novella “blatant in-your-face zealotry.” Comments got closed on the response. The pattern keeps repeating.
The Hidden Exorcism Prayer in the Footer: At the bottom of every page on Spotlight sits a small circle of Latin initials — the Saint Benedict exorcism prayer. Anyone offended at being excluded from the site is, in her read, exactly who that footer is addressing.
Author Nation Got Anonymized Selection Right: This year Author Nation anonymized presenter submissions so the committee judges the proposal, not the name behind it. She’d like to see more of the industry do the same.
Free Now, Free Later: She pays for the site out of pocket and runs a Buy Me a Coffee tip jar for upgrades. The early fear among authors was that she’d flip it to a paid model. She won’t.
Don’t Rush a Book Out — The Audra Winter Cautionary Tale: A TikTok-famous fantasy author took pre-orders, raised hype, then refused edits even after a major-press editor offered help. Once a name is tarnished, the climb back is harder than the climb up.
Hire One Editor for One Short Story: The best money she spent on her craft early on was an edit of a single short story she could actually afford. The advice jumped her writing forward by years and is still her highest-leverage recommendation for developing authors.
50 Books, a Day Job, and a Friend Who Wrote 100: The output looks intimidating until you remember how many were short. Burnout is real — her answer is permission to rest, not the write-every-day catechism. She knows a romance author who has cleared 100 books in the same window.

Guest Links

Join Spotlight on Indie SFF: https://spotlightonindiesff.com
Youtube: @Spotlightonindiesff
X: @spotlightfic

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introducing Spotlight on Indie SFF.

01:40 - Early Kindle Gold Rush.

02:51 - Scammers KU and AI.

05:36 - Building a Better Site.

07:22 - Content Ratings System.

08:14 - Based vs Christian.

09:40 - Submission Rules Lines.

11:38 - Curated Sales Backlash.

13:08 - Anti Christian Bias.

15:19 - Do Awards Matter.

16:57 - Fixing Popularity Contests.

18:59 - Submitting Books to Indie SFF.

20:31 - Trust, Ratings, and Moderation.

21:35 - Funding and Future Sales.

23:53 - YouTube and Rumble Strategy.

27:34 - Writing Pace and Burnout.

28:57 - Craft First, Publish Later.

32:01 - Avoiding Indie Author Pitfalls.

34:41 - Building Sites and Reputation.

36:18 - Where to Find Spotlight on Indie SFF.

37:03 - Final Thanks and Wrap-Up.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Jared Christman is a writer, musician, and filmmaker who came up in the Victory Records era of metalcore, escaped the 360-deal grinder, and "fell ass-backwards" into making a feature film when three music videos turned into one. In this episode, he joins to discuss his 400,000-word fantasy debut, why he believes power reveals rather than corrupts, and the through-line connecting Ripley in Aliens to a saloon scene reshot in a horse arena.

In This Episode

“What’s It Really About?”: Ridley Scott is famous for hammering screenwriters with that question. Jarrod’s answer for his debut is structural — the book is an interrogation of whether absolute power corrupts or whether it reveals.
400,000 Words on Accident: It started as a single image from the last scene of the book — who are these people, why are they here, why is that on fire?
Why He Despises Nihilistic Storytelling: The line isn’t dark versus light. It’s whether you can see the author’s hand. When the structure sets up good to prevail and then the author yanks it away without justification, that’s the tell.
Knocking Men Down to Raise Women Up: The pattern is a ladder problem. Cut three feet off a six-foot ladder and step up — you’re only three feet off the ground when you could be six. Two losses, not one win. He calls modern feminism “masculinism” — trying to make women into men.
Ripley Did It Right: Alien and Aliens are the template. She’s a woman, as strong as the job requires, contending with men without becoming one.
The Crisis Is Insecurity, On Both Sides: Young men and women are screaming into the void asking what the other wants and getting back contradictory garbage. Everyone performs because the camera never turns off. One cringe moment can end a life. He worries about the pendulum swing already coming.
MySpace Killed the Music Industry: From roughly 2003 to 2008, the metalcore scene transitioned from a music event to a social event. Labels started signing bands off MySpace numbers. Then the records didn’t sell, because online presence didn’t translate to sales.
The Universal Truth About Record Labels: A New York entertainment lawyer told Jared’s old boss that in 35 years of doing industry law, he had never once audited a record label and found they didn’t owe their artists money. The labels were already stealing bewfore the 360 deals showed up to take a cut of everything else, too.
Publishing Just Copy-Pasted the Model: A reality TV star who didn’t read for leisure got a traditional book deal off TikTok fame. Nobody has produced data showing social following translates to book sales, but the industry keeps signing on it anyway.
From Corpus Christi to Missouri Breaks: Victory Records is in the rearview. The new project is independent through DistroKid.
Three Music Videos Became a Feature: The plan was three consecutive music videos sharing a narrative thread. Then a little interstitial footage. Then his co-director said there’s a feature here, and a three-page treatment turned into a full screenplay.
$25K on an AmEx and the Saloon That Wasn’t: Two and a half days of guerrilla filming in southern Idaho with two cameras, a drone, and a volunteer crew. The opening saloon scene came back perfect — except for the modern power outlets and exit-sign switches nobody noticed on set. They built a sound stage in the back of an actor’s riding arena and shot the whole scene again..
The Next Film — Where Even Shadows Fear to Tread: Modern crime thriller, small town, modern wardrobe. Every obstacle from Missouri Breaks (period authenticity, modernity bleeding into every frame) is gone by design.
Why Multiple Kickstarters Instead of One: A smaller ask is an easier ask. If two campaigns hit and one misses, that’s still a lot of movie. Spread the burden, spread the asks, respect that gas just jumped a dollar overnight.

Guest Links

Support Jarrod’s Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/danielpriley/where-even-shadows-fear-to-tread-phase-one
X: @jarrodchristman
IG: @wearemissouribreaks

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet the Jarrod Christman.

00:45 - Storytelling Across Mediums.

01:44 - The 400K Fantasy Epic.

02:09 - Power Reveals Character.

03:40 - From Final Scene to Outline.

05:17 - Rejecting Nihilistic Endings.

06:41 - Masculine Heroes Today.

10:16 - Gender Tensions and Online Life.

13:44 - Advice for Stuck Creatives.

15:19 - Music Industry vs Publishing.

18:50 - Fame Over Craft.

19:51 - Followers vs Sales.

20:11 - Music Industry 360 Deals.

22:15 - Going Independent Today.

23:52 - Accidental Feature Film.

26:18 - Guerrilla Production Lessons.

28:54 - Directing Non Actors.

30:51 - New Thriller Kickstarter.

32:42 - Funding Strategy and Wrap.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Riley C. Bolt is a 12-year Army intelligence veteran turned indie author who writes the kind of action thrillers Hollywood used to make before it forgot how. In this episode, he joins to discuss why the special operations community looks nothing like the Hollywood super-soldier myth, how to build a female protagonist men will actually read, and why "three times is enemy action" was all the market research he needed to go indie on day one.

In This Episode

“I Don’t Exist. Please Don’t Look for Me.”: Riley’s running joke about his own bio isn’t just a bit. Twelve years inside the intel community — SCIFs, target packages, two tours to Iraq — left him with a body of work the public is never supposed to hear about. The book is what he can talk about.
The Comic Book That Saved Him a Decade: Eastern Blood Price started as a supernatural superhero comic set in New Orleans. Then he had a chance meeting with Chuck Dixon, who warned him off the comics industry entirely.
Hobbit in Third Grade, Dune by Seventh: Riley’s reading path runs through Tolkien, Narnia (which his school wouldn’t let him touch until fifth grade — he tried), and Herbert.
The Elevator Pitch — Extraction Meets The Sixth Sense: Just swap Chris Hemsworth for a much smaller Chinese-American woman. Read it and find the supernatural pieces yourself.
Built a Female Lead for Male Readers on Purpose: Anya is in the Sarah Connor / Ellen Ripley mold — not a girlboss, an ambush predator. Riley set it as a personal hurdle: write a dual-female-protagonist action story that men would actually care about. If he could land that, he’d earn the title “author.”
Senior Chief Shannon Kent — The Rarest Kind of Public Figure: A SIGINT operator who broke into a JSOC tier-one unit and was killed in Manbij, Syria. The intel community almost never produces a name the public knows. Kent did, and Anya is partly built from her.
Why Katya Reads as “Wishy-Washy” — And Why That’s Correct: Some reviewers don’t know what to make of her. Riley’s answer: she spends most of the book in shock. The entire story runs under 24 hours. Ninety-five percent of humans wouldn’t make it out of chapter two.
Pekiti Tirsia Kali Over BJJ — A Battlefield Philosophy: The Filipino military’s combat system isn’t built to look pretty. Riley breaks down why BJJ is fantastic one-on-one in a ring and disastrous the moment a second enemy walks into the room — and the famous practitioner who blew out his own kneecaps trying to take a street fight to the concrete.
Tier-One Operators Aren’t Hollywood Super Soldiers: Hollywood sells SEALs, Delta, and MARSOC as walking weapons. The reality is surprise, speed, and getting back behind cover. The only group built to “lay waste” is the Rangers — by design. Everyone else is an ambush predator, just like Anya.
Reacher’s Quiet Tell: Once someone points out that Jack Reacher goes passive the second a woman walks into the scene, you can’t un-see it.
“Three Times Is Enemy Action.”: Riley went indie before he ever queried. After researching how big publishers treat authors with his profile, he hit the Army’s old saying — once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action — and stopped counting well past three.
The Sequel Is Outlined: Book two is already on the table.

Guest Links

Read Eastern Blood Price by Riley C. Bolt: https://amzn.to/4cOX0m9
Website: rileycbolt.com
Substack: Riley C. Bolt
X: Riley C. Bolt

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Riley Bolt.

01:07 - From SCIFs to Stories.

01:41 - Comics Roots and Chuck Dixon.

03:52 - Early Fantasy and Sci Fi Reads.

04:57 - Building Eastern Blood Price.

06:12 - Why Anime Resonates.

09:12 - Shannon Kent Inspiration.

11:54 - Writing Strong Female Leads.

13:32 - Realism Under Pressure.

15:43 - Elevator Pitch and Action Focus.

16:24 - Martial Arts Background.

17:45 - BJJ vs Battlefield Reality.

19:58 - Bootcamp Lessons and Humbling.

23:46 - Bad Movie Fight Choreography.

26:51 - Writing Efficient Combat.

31:12 - Going Indie and Publishing.

33:17 - Sequel Plans and Where to Find Him.

34:10 - Where to Buy and Closing.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Michael Morton is a retired Air Force officer, civilian Space Force employee, military sci-fi and fantasy author, and editor at Canon Publishing. In this episode, he joins to discuss his unconventional path to publishing, the craft principles that actually move the needle, and how a small press operates from the inside — including Canon’s firm stance on AI, scheduling realities, and what separates a manuscript that gets a yes from one that gets a pass. If you write military sci-fi, are weighing indie vs. small press vs. traditional, or just want to understand how a working publishing house thinks about authors, this one’s worth your time.

In This Episode

Why Michael Can’t Write Contemporary Fiction: 20 years in space ops means security review would line-edit a contemporary novel into oblivion. The workaround was a far-future fallen empire where the physics still hold but the classification stamps don’t reach.
Microgravity Marines Built Like Gymnasts: The Mist Marines in Silent Violence aren’t your standard tall, jacked Devil Dogs. They’re short, compact, and built for Newton’s laws.
The JF Holmes Moment: A casual Facebook post in 2017 about something he’d been dabbling with. The publisher’s first reply: “Are you published yet?” That’s the line that flipped him from fanfiction hobbyist to working author.
Bullet Points Are Secretly Fiction Training: Years of distilling general-officer briefings into five bullets read in five minutes turned out to be the same skill as writing tight fiction. Cut the words that don’t earn their spot.
The Structure That Actually Works: Forget the outliner-vs-pantser fight. Michael recommends My Story Can Beat Up Your Story by Jeffrey Alan Schechter — 13 structural elements that give your story a frame without locking you into rigid outlining.
The First $1,000 Is Theirs, the Rest Is Yours: A figure he’s heard repeated: your publisher’s marketing covers the first thousand dollars in sales. Everything after is word of mouth. Which is why Canon now writes “maintain a social media presence” into the contract.
Canon’s AI Line in the Sand: Grammarly is fine. AI marketing visuals are fine. ChatGPT plotting your book — or mining other authors for “successful plot points” — is a hard no. The line is whether the creative work is yours.
The AI Cover Loophole: A fully AI-generated cover can’t be copyrighted. Run that image through a human artist who reworks it into an original composition with different assets, and now you own it. The Fiverr artists who can do this fast are quietly winning.
Why Prologues Get Books Auto-Rejected: Some readers will refuse to buy any book with a prologue, because the prologue almost always exists for the wrong reason — backstory dumping that should have been woven in through dialogue and exposition.
What Kills a Submission in Three Chapters: If he doesn’t know who the protagonist and antagonist are by chapter three, it’s a no. If the first three pages are background instead of action, it’s a no. If basic Word grammar checks weren’t run, you started in the hole.
The Rising Tide Argument: Voracious readers go through books faster than any single author can produce. Other authors aren’t competition — they’re the relay team keeping the reader’s habit alive between your releases.
No Exclusive Contracts on Purpose: Canon actively refers authors to other small presses — Three Ravens, Chris Kennedy Publishing, Jump Master Press — for genres outside their lane. The bet is that authors who write across multiple houses come back better.
200 Words a Day Equals One Book a Year: Don’t compare yourself to the author shipping four books a year. Hold yourself to your own pace. The math adds up faster than people realize, and BICHOK — butt in chair, hands on keyboard — is the only rule that actually matters.

Guest Links

Read the Fallen Empire series by Michael Morton: https://amzn.to/4cOW9BX
Facebook: Michael Morton, @michael.mortonauthor

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Michael Morton.01:09 - From Fanfic to First Publish.03:41 - Space Ops to Space Marines.05:41 - Microgravity Combat Mindset.08:38 - Character Over Hardware.11:12 - Learning the Craft.13:19 - Structure That Works.16:03 - Readers and Market Gaps.18:22 - Inside Canon Publishing.20:19 - Small Press Model Explained.22:12 - Launch Marketing and Social Media.23:33 - Social Media Dialogue.24:03 - Author Training Tools.24:32 - No Exclusive Contracts.25:16 - What Editors Want.27:05 - Common Submission Pitfalls.28:24 - Prologues Debate.30:45 - Small Press Scheduling.33:47 - Indie vs Traditional.35:04 - AI Policy and Art.38:20 - Writing Routine Advice.41:09 - Projects Coming Next.43:06 - Where to Find Michael.44:11 - Book Recommendation Wrap.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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J. Manfred Weichsel is an indie author, editor, and New York background actor writing the kind of books the “write to market” gurus would tell you not to write — Menippean satires set in pulp-fantasy worlds, with covers spicy enough to get him banned from Amazon’s direct catalog. In this episode, he joins to discuss why classical satire is the antidote to the AI slop tsunami, why “tropey writing” was already machine-generated long before the LLMs showed up, and how an author with NSFW pulp covers builds an audience without playing the trends game.

In This Episode

Two Kinds of Satire (and Why One Is Disappearing): Manfred explains the split between Aristophanic satire (SNL, South Park, parodying real people) and the Menippean tradition he writes in — fantasy-world satire aimed at human institutions, using weird perspectives and structural experiments.
“How Do You Write Satire When Everything Is Satire?”: A Fordham nun asked him this decades ago and he still doesn’t have a clean answer. His current read: nothing is satire anymore, which is its own problem.
The AI Slop Argument Authors Don’t Want to Hear: Trope-chasing romance authors who let tools pick their plots have been outsourcing creativity to algorithms for years. The pitchforks only came out when AI got good enough to do the last 5%.
The Vertical Drama Economy: What he sees on Chinese romance sets — AI writes the script, actors get a “human touch” pass to fix mistakes.
Why Originality Is the Only Way to Survive: When the machine spits out every trope on demand, the authors left standing are the ones doing things it can’t copy.
Amazon’s NSFW Cover Roulette: Two of his Action Girls books got blocked from Amazon direct (still on Ingram Spark). He thinks re-uploading the cover too many times to fix a bleed line might have triggered it. A real look at how random Amazon’s enforcement is for spicy covers.
Kickstarter as the NSFW Lifeline: Kickstarter is one of the most NSFW-friendly platforms left, with a dedicated NSFW newsletter pulling in tens of thousands per campaign.
The Smut Double Standard: Male-targeted smut gets reviewed with “but what about other audiences?” framing. Female-targeted smut never gets that question. Manfred thinks regular readers don’t actually care — only the professional review sphere does.
The Bizarro Scene Is Over (But the Authors Aren’t): What killed bizarro around 2019.
Dropshipping as an Indie Fulfillment Hack: He uses Amazon author copies shipped straight from Amazon US (and Amazon UK for European orders), skipping the $8 middleman cost. That’s the reason his Kickstarter pricing works at all.
Why Cirsova Made His Career: He got into Cirsova at Volume 1, Issue 8 — early enough to ride the wave up. Short fiction in the right venue is one of the highest-leverage moves a new author can make. He also covers the flip side: magazines that fold and bury your stories with them.
The Social Media Dread: Manfred is on every platform and barely posts on any of them. What he sees on commuters’ phones in New York — short-form video, online shopping, chatbots, almost no text-based social — and why old Twitter was his peak before X tanked his reach.
The Guru Trap for New Writers: Two predators to watch for. The course-sellers are obvious. The attention-economy ideologues who want you to convert and promote their worldview disguised as writing advice are much harder to spot.

Guest Links

Read Space Escapades by J. Manfred Weichsel: https://amzn.to/4rwGriA
Website: https://j-manfred-weichsel.mailchimpsites.com/
Substack: J. Manfred Weichsel

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet the Guest.

00:37 - Pulp Meets Satire.

00:57 - Classical Satire Roots.

01:26 - Menippean Satire Explained.

04:02 - Writing Outside Trends.

05:44 - AI Slop and Originality.

10:25 - Breaking Plot Formulas.

11:34 - Kickstarter and Indie Sales.

13:40 - Amazon NSFW Cover Roulette.

15:44 - Illustrated Trilogy Kickstarter.

17:02 - Kickstarter and NSFW Policies.

18:08 - Smut Double Standards.

20:59 - Transgressive Fiction Today.

21:45 - Transgressive Genres Fade.

22:40 - Bizarro Scene Fallout.

24:03 - Finding Readers Today.

24:17 - Social Media Dread.

26:23 - Short Form Video Shift.

29:06 - Kickstarter Versus Preorder.

29:49 - Fulfillment And Dropshipping.

32:09 - Short Fiction And Sir Sova.

35:45 - Advice For New Writers.

36:07 - Avoiding Internet Gurus.

40:09 - Where To Follow And Support.

42:25 - Final Thanks And Links.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Jonathan Shuerger spent five years as a Marine Corps Crypto Logic Linguist studying Arabic and tracking ISIS targets in real time. Now he writes intense military-grade dark fantasy, runs a YouTube news show for authors, and brings the full Intel toolkit to the problem of selling books. In this conversation, he explains why most authors are speaking to an echo of themselves, why Kickstarter is for celebrating a community rather than building one, and why Marines make better protagonists when they're happy psychos instead of gritty brooders.

In This Episode

Enlisting at 26 and Landing the Dream Job: How Jonathan walked into a recruiter’s office ready to sign paperwork, got bumped into another kid’s slot, and ended up studying Arabic in Monterey for two years before going to “blow up ISIS for a while.”
The Mission Behind the Books: Why Marines develop “cynical nihilism” in the Intel field, how listening to bad guys laugh about what they were doing produced a helpless darkness in his team, and why Jonathan transitioned from hobby author to professional to show them that good still exists.
Writing Frosty for Deployed Marines: How a Christmas novella blowing up every sacred holiday story became his first published book — and his crash course in the self-publishing system.
Kickstarter Reality Check: Why Kickstarter doesn’t build communities (it celebrates them), how Jonathan sent 120 personalized Facebook messages to land 120 backers, and why your mother-in-law backs the first book but only keeps backing if it’s actually good.
The Four Audiences You Didn’t Know You Had: Marines, Marine moms, guys who wish they’d joined, and women who refuse to be told they can’t handle your book.
Selling in Person Using Intel Training: How Jonathan tracks eye lines at conventions, uses cover banners to read interest before a reader reaches the table, and opens with a yes-or-no question designed to let disinterested browsers walk away.
The Facebook Ads AI Problem: Why Meta’s new AI targeting is starving authors who spend $5 a day, and why “Advantage Audiences” is an expensive learning process you’re paying to train.
Author Update vs. Novel Marketing Podcast: How Jonathan and Thomas split duties — time-focused hard news and zeitgeist commentary on Author Update, evergreen best practices on Novel Marketing.
Using AI Without Sounding Like AI: Why AI is great for exploratory marketing copy and terrible for voice, how the cadence gives it away every time, and the Substack post where Jonathan got publicly called out by an enemy for not editing hard enough.
Authors Treat Success Like Paganism: Why most successful authors can’t tell you how they did it, why the TikTok gold rush is over, and why the conference speaker circuit is full of people coasting on Kindle-era dumb luck.
Behavioral Analysis for Readers: What Jonathan learned tracking religious zealots that applies to tracking book buyers — figure out what your target wants to feel about themselves, not what you want to say.
The Double-Tier Children’s Book Sell: Why the magic word in a children’s book pitch is “quiet,” and how to make the parent feel like a good person without judging them for needing a break.
Positioning Ideological Fiction Against an Enemy: Why clean wholesome Christian romance sells better when it’s framed against alien slut queen 9000, and why Americans will unify around almost any shared enemy.
Happy Psychos Sell Better: Why Generation Kill worked where Jarhead didn’t, why Avatar audiences ended up rooting for the Marines, and why the Fat Electrician gets the Marine Corps story right.
The Emails That Keep Him Writing: The Marine Corps moms who write in to say their sons found hope in his books, and why that’s what makes the brutal material worth writing.

Guest Links

Read Semper Die by Jonathan Shuerger: https://amzn.to/46eBFi7
Website: https://jonathanshuerger.com/
Substack: Jonathan Shuerger

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Jonathan Shuerger.

02:58 - Becoming a Linguist.

03:51 - Leaving the Corps and writing With Purpose.

07:38 - Frosty Exorcism Novella.

08:47 - Kickstarter Reality Check.

11:35 - Community Before Crowdfunding.

15:10 - Adjacent Audience Targeting.

16:36 - In Person Sales Tactics.

19:34 - Ads AI and Long Game.

24:16 - Why Author Update Exists.

25:28 - Zeitgeist News Segment.

26:38 - Indie Paths and Backgrounds.

27:46 - Courses That Paid Off.

28:33 - Using AI for Marketing Copy.

32:03 - AI Panic and Formula Fiction.

35:19 - Audience Psychology and Value.

38:27 - Finding Your Value Proposition.

40:55 - Ideology Marketing and Enemies.

42:40 - Marines Stories and Pacing.

45:13 - Where to Connect and Closing.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Alec Cizak has been running Pulp Modern since 2011 and champions a simple but apparently radical idea: writers should be judged on the quality of their work, full stop. That stance, along with a vocal commitment to free speech, made him a target around 2020, when a coordinated smear campaign accused his publication of platforming rapists and pedophiles. Rather than apologize or disappear, he called the bluff, kept publishing, and eventually pivoted Pulp Modern into a film franchise.

In this conversation, we dig into why apologizing to a cancel mob is the worst thing you can do, how the “writing community” became one of the most censorious spaces in independent publishing, and what it actually looks like to protect your creative work when people are trying to bury you. We also get into the tribal psychology behind cancel culture, the slow strangulation of crime fiction by social-activist gatekeepers, and why Alec thinks the best indie work tends to come from people who’ve already been told to shut up.

In This Episode

The Cancellation, Reconstructed: What actually happened when a small group of writers accused Pulp Modern of publishing rapists and pedophiles, why Alec responded with a $100 challenge instead of an apology, and what the silence of his longtime contributors hurt more than the attack itself.
Never Apologize: Why capitulating to a cancel mob is the single worst move you can make, what the pile-on is actually testing for, and the four-word response Alec recommends over any attempt at reasoned debate.
The Writing Community Problem: How a subset of crime fiction writers decided the genre needed to become a vehicle for social activism, why that gatekeeping broke indie crime fiction, and why Alec isn’t sure the damage has been undone.
No Limits Doesn’t Mean No Standards: What Alec is actually looking for when he says Pulp Modern has no limits — and why it has nothing to do with shock value, profanity, or gratuitous content.
Why Crime Fiction Needs to Be Ugly: What a conversation with an Indianapolis homicide detective confirmed about the gap between fictional criminality and the real thing, and why closing that gap matters more than making readers comfortable.
From Magazine to Film: How the pandemic and the cancellation together accelerated Pulp Modern’s pivot into anthology filmmaking, why procuring short films works the same way procuring stories does, and what the third film is going to do differently.
The Independent Fiction Alliance: Why Alec built a support network for canceled and targeted writers, what its meetings actually feel like, and why one member’s observation — if you haven’t been canceled, you probably aren’t doing anything interesting — is the right attitude to have.
Free Speech Has to Mean All of It: Why Alec thinks the war on free speech was engineered to protect corporations from criticism, what happens when hate speech and free speech get deliberately conflated, and why the people who were cancel-happy in 2020 didn’t learn anything when it happened to them.
AI in the Classroom: Why Alec, as a college literature and composition professor, has stopped trying to catch AI-generated essays and started teaching students how to construct a focused argument instead — and why he thinks the writing professor job has an expiration date.

Guest Links

Get Pulp Modern issues as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription: https://amzn.to/4qprkqH
Website: https://independentfictionalliance.com/
X: @AlecCizak

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Pulp Rebels Intro.

02:05 - Meet Alec Cizak.

02:59 - The 2020 Cancellation.

06:37 - Fear And Free Speech.

12:05 - Crime Fiction Gatekeeping.

16:06 - Why Write The Ugly.

20:11 - Tribalism And Community.

23:02 - Staying The Course.

24:39 - No Limits Publishing.

26:31 - Why Horror Now.

27:03 - Pivoting Into Film.

27:43 - Building Pulp Modern Anthologies.

29:06 - Launching the IFA.

30:32 - What makes Indie Spirit.

32:23 - What the IFA Does.

33:23 - Handling Cancellation Attacks.

35:54 - Bullies and Boundaries Online.

39:10 - AI as the New Battleground.

41:01 - Teaching Writing in the AI Era.

44:01 - What’s Next Creatively.

44:55 - Where to Find and Support.

46:37 - Closing Thoughts.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Kaylena Radcliff is a speculative fiction author, managing editor of Christian History Magazine, homeschool mom, and wife of a church planter. She is also quietly doing what the Christian fiction market keeps insisting can’t be done: writing dark, honest, theologically grounded stories that don’t end in despair and don’t require a sanitized world to feel safe.

In this episode we get into why the Christian bookstore market has narrowed itself into a corner, what spec fic offers that Amish romance structurally cannot, and why the supernatural elements of the faith are actually best explored through fantasy and horror rather than avoided. We also cover what 12 years of editing academic history for a general audience teaches you about making hard things approachable, why women writing male characters keep defaulting to two broken archetypes, and what Kaylena learned about finding readers by showing up at craft fairs instead of book festivals.

In This Episode

The Christian Market vs. Christian Writers: Why the gatekeeping isn’t coming from outside the faith — it’s coming from inside the bookstore — and how the spec fic community is building an audience anyway.
Realm Makers and the Third Option: The community of Christian writers that aren’t shelved in the Christian aisle, but are still explicitly rooted in a theological worldview, and why that distinction matters for marketing.
Positive Masculinity in Fiction: Why Kaylena builds worlds where men are expected to be virtuous, what she thinks is driving young men toward toxic archetypes, and what fiction can offer that YouTube rants can’t.
How Women Get Male Characters Wrong: The Homer Simpson idiot husband, the impossible romanticized ideal, and why both archetypes are doing the same damage from opposite directions.
Naming the Dragon: Why writing about supernatural evil is a specifically Christian act, what Chesterton understood about dragons, and why fiction that can’t be conquered is not just unsatisfying — it’s dishonest.
History as a Spec Fic Engine: How a decade editing academic Christian history for lay readers quietly loaded Kaylena’s fiction with monastic life, warrior monks, and recurring theological themes she didn’t have to invent.
The Craft Fair Discovery: Why Kaylena outperforms at community craft festivals compared to book festivals, and what that tells you about competition, traffic, and finding readers who weren’t already looking for you.
Substack Over X: Why notes and genuine interaction on Substack are working when the Twitter/X algorithm has become actively hostile to organic discovery.
Write Because You Love It: Why indie authors who are racing generative AI output to become millionaires in two years are playing the wrong game, and what the actual long game looks like.

Guest Links

Read the Elmnas Chronicles by Kaylena Radcliff: https://a.co/d/06ybrcfG
Website: https://www.kaylenaradcliff.com/
Substack: Kaylena Radcliff

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Kaylena Radcliff.

00:30 - Inside Christian History Magazine.

02:31 - Editing for Clarity.

04:06 - From Lit Degree to Editor.

05:38 - Day Job vs Fiction.

07:41 - Genre Fluid Spec Fiction.

09:18 - Realm Makers and Branding.

11:25 - Writing Virtuous Men.

13:40 - Christian Market Pushback.

17:06 - Getting Male Characters Right.

18:41 - Why Fiction Matters.

20:38 - Why Write the Supernatural.

21:33 - Naming Evil to Defeat It.

22:23 - When Horror Feels Hopeless.

23:25 - Discernment and Speculative Worlds.

24:58 - Angels Demons and Theology.

25:57 - Indie Publishing Reality Check.

29:05 - Finding Readers and Platforms.

30:58 - Substack Voice and Notes.

32:07 - Selling Books In Person Again.

34:27 - Rapid Fire Advice and Wrap Up.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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David Badurina is an author, music producer, showrunner, and what he calls a multimodal storyteller — someone building an entire creative universe across fiction, concept albums, visual media, and now anime, without asking anyone’s permission to do it. He ran a brick and mortar martial arts school for 12 years before going fully independent, and that experience shapes everything about how he thinks regarding marketing, product quality, and what it actually costs to build an audience.

In this episode we get into his framework for using AI as a creative amplifier without letting it touch the writing, why comedy with heart works when pure gag writing doesn’t, what 12 years of physical overhead teaches you about find an audience and why pity marketing is not a business strategy. We also cover why showing up at conventions changed his career trajectory more than any online platform, how he landed four anthology deals simply by being a recognizable presence in the right rooms, and why the introvert excuse is the most expensive story authors tell themselves.

In This Episode

AI as a Creative Amplifier: How David uses large language models to manage a brain running at a hundred miles an hour without letting them anywhere near his characters, dialogue, or narrative arc.
The Two Golden Rules: Never let AI write for you. Never let it edit for you. Where the line is and why it matters.
Comedy With Heart: Why humor works as a storytelling device rather than a genre, what incongruity actually means in practice, and why the Passion of the Christ Netflix and Chill scene lands.
Brick and Mortar vs. Author Marketing: What 12 years of physical overhead, postcard campaigns, and newspaper ads that flopped teaches you about testing, iteration, and knowing your numbers before authors figure out what a funnel is.
Stop Being On 40 Socials: Why spreading yourself across every platform is actively shrinking your reach, and the two platform rule that actually works.
Pity Marketing: Why knocking your book to 99 cents and posting about it on X is not a strategy, and what sustainable audience building actually looks like.
The Introvert Excuse: Why introversion means you recharge alone, not that you’re exempt from showing up, and what David got by showing up anyway.
The Convention Opportunity: How being a recognizable presence in the right rooms directly generated four anthology deals and an anime showrunner credit.
Who Are You: Why authors who can’t answer that question in one sentence are invisible no matter how good their book is.
The True Scotsman Fallacy: Why the writing community’s favorite game of “you’re not a real author unless—” is the single most self-defeating thing creators do to each other.

Guest Links

Read It Came from the Trailer Park by David Badurina: https://amzn.to/4qmacBY
Youtube: @QuillfireSound
Website: https://davidbadurina.com/
Substack: @QuillitwithFire
X: @DavidBadurina

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet David Badurina.

01:12 - Multimodal Storytelling.

02:09 - AI Tools Not Crutches.

06:27 - Creative Boundaries.

09:34 - Prompt Fail Stories.

11:56 - Anti Gatekeeping Mindset.

14:13 - Comedy With Heart.

18:37 - Writing Humor Tips.

22:16 - Brick And Mortar Marketing.

24:50 - Product Market Fit.

26:00 - Thick Skin Online.

27:14 - Stop Doing Every Social.

29:33 - Cohesive Branding DIY.

32:03 - Using LLMs Smartly.

33:54 - Doing It Yourself.

35:40 - Fear Of Speaking Up.

37:41 - Multiple Income Streams.

39:44 - Networking Beats Introversion.

44:22 - IRL Connections Pay Off.

46:35 - No More Pity Marketing.

47:16 - Where To Find David.

47:50 - Projects And Wrap Up.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Every year conservatives complain that Hollywood hates them, point to a handful of companies as proof that right wing art is thriving, then wait for a billionaire to fund the revolution. Every year nothing changes. This episode is the reality check that conversation never gets.

We go through what the Daily Wire, Angel Studios, and Taylor Sheridan are actually doing — and why none of them are discovering new talent, funding independent creators, or building anything resembling a conservative artistic infrastructure. We also cover the Oliver Anthony moment, what it revealed about how conservatives actually relate to art they claim to love, and why the Heritage Foundation spent decades actively fighting arts funding before noticing the culture had been captured by the other side.

The good news is that the three models that actually work have nothing to do with patronage, billionaires, or permission. Matt Dinniman built Dungeon Crawler Carl at cat shows during his lunch breaks. Seth Ring crossed seven figures without a traditional publishing deal. The Philippou brothers started on YouTube and ended up at A24. The tools are available. The question is whether you are going to use them or keep waiting for someone who is never going to show up.

In This Episode

The Clifton Duncan Article: Why an actor’s excoriation of conservative culture warriors cut through the noise, and why the predictable response to it proved his point entirely.
The Daily Wire Film Breakdown: A project by project look at what the Daily Wire has actually produced, who made it, and why there is not a single example of them developing new independent talent.
Angel Studios, Same Pattern: Why every success story in the conservative film space traces back to Hollywood castoffs, nepo babies, and finished films they acquired rather than built.
Taylor Sheridan, Accidental Icon: Why the man carrying Paramount Plus on his shoulders never set out to make conservative art, and what that tells you about what actually works.
The Oliver Anthony Moment: What happened when conservatives found their mascot, what happened when he rejected the label, and what the fallout revealed about whether they actually care about the art.
Conservative Publishing, Where Is It: Why right wing imprints exist almost entirely in nonfiction, who they serve, and why epic fantasy with wholesome values is nowhere on their radar.
The Y Combinator Problem: Why the tech incubator model cannot be transplanted into the arts, and why buying 7% of a novelist is not a viable investment strategy.
The Three Models That Work: The Sheridan model, the Dinniman/Ring model, and the Philippou model — all three have one thing in common.
Nobody Is Coming: Why right wing billionaires have never funded independent artists, why they never will, and why waiting for them is the single most self-defeating thing a creator can do.
What You Can Do Today: The tools available right now, the creators who used them to build something real, and the only question that actually matters.

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Super Bowl Culture Wars.

01:04 - Clifton Duncan Callout.

02:37 - Patronage Reality Check.

03:34 - Meet the Host Mission.

04:37 - Why Creatives Get Blackballed.

05:35 - Defeatism in the Comments.

07:20 - Stop Waiting for Billionaires.

09:30 - Conservative Media Examples.

10:38 - Daily Wire Breakdown.

13:19 - No New Talent Pipeline.

16:45 - Angel Studios Pattern.

18:40 - Taylor Sheridan Exception.

20:10 - Conservative Publishing Gap.

21:57 - Culture Wars Old News.

22:49 - Why Conservatives Ignore Art.

24:12 - Oliver Anthony Mascot Fight.

28:38 - Indie Authors Build Empires.

32:11 - YouTubers Turn Filmmakers.

34:27 - Why Art Incubators Fail.

35:58 - Three Models To Win.

40:01 - Stop Complaining Start Building.

42:07 - Art Matters Final Push.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Seth Ring has written 46 books, built a seven figure indie author business without an agent or a traditional publishing deal, and cracked the code on how to move readers from free content to a loyal paying ecosystem. In this episode he breaks down exactly how he did it, and what most indie authors get wrong before they ever get started.

We dig into what LitRPG actually is and why it has captured a voracious male readership that traditional publishing abandoned, the funnel Seth built from Royal Road to Patreon to Amazon that generated his first $50K, and why the actions that get you to each income threshold have to completely change to get you to the next one. Seth walks through each inflection point from $50K to $100K to $250K to seven figures, what he changed at each stage, and why community and relationships became the lever that moved him past the ceiling he kept hitting alone.

We also get into hybrid publishing, why Seth sublicenses his audio and physical rights while keeping his ebook rights, how to negotiate with traditional publishers when you already know your own numbers, and why the single most repeated mistake he sees from talented authors is having too much attachment to book one.

In This Episode

What LitRPG Actually Is: Why LitRPG isn’t a genre but a stylistic choice, how it differs from progression fantasy, and why the game element changes everything about how stories deliver information.
Why Men Only Read LitRPG Now: The real reason male readers are abandoning every other genre for this one, and what it says about what modern men are actually hungry for in fiction.
The Funnel Nobody Talks About: How Seth moved readers from free web serials to Patreon to Amazon and built a loyal paying ecosystem before most authors know what a funnel is.
The $50K Inflection Point: What gets you there, why it’s achievable part-time, and why the exact same strategy will cap you out and stop working.
Books Sell Books: The single phrase that changed Seth’s business, and why most authors are too attached to book one to let it work for them.
The $250K Ceiling: Why marketing levers and Facebook groups stop working at a certain point and why the only thing that moved Seth past it was walking into rooms with people who made more than him.
Why Traditional Publishers Can’t Touch LitRPG: How the indie community built something trad publishing wanted a piece of and why the LitRPG crowd said no thanks.
The Hybrid Model Explained: How Seth sublicenses audio and physical rights while keeping ebook rights, why that math works, and how knowing your own numbers changes every negotiation.
Seven Figures and What Comes Next: Why distribution is the singular problem indies can’t solve alone, and how hybrid publishing fills that gap without surrendering creative control.
The Most Common Mistake Seth Sees: Why talented authors stall out — and it has nothing to do with their writing.

Guest Links

Read Iron Tyrant by Seth Ring: https://amzn.to/4qrJmsq
Website:

https://sethring.com/

Youtube: @SethRingWrites

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Welcome and Guest Intro.

01:49 - Seth Ring Origin Story.

03:52 - Web Serials to Indie Publishing.

05:27 - Building the Reader Funnel.

08:09 - What LitRPG Really Is.

12:51 - Why LitRPG Hooks Readers.

15:33 - Best LitRPG Entry Reads.

19:05 - Trad Publishing Meets LitRPG.

21:33 - Indie Community and Success Metrics.

23:20 - Hybrid Without An Agent.

25:15 - Sublicensing Audio Rights.

26:36 - Ebooks Versus Print Strategy.

27:27 - Scaling Reach With Publishers.

29:48 - Income Inflection Points.

32:57 - From Ads To Networking.

37:08 - Hybrid In A Shifting Market.

39:50 - Biggest Author Business Mistake.

44:34 - New Series Iron Tyrant.

45:50 - Where To Find Seth Ring.

46:29 - Final Thanks And Wrap.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Traditional publishing isn’t just an American problem anymore. Gatekeepers have gone global, and authors in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand are starting to feel it too.

In this episode, I sit down with Nicholas Sheppard, AKA Echo Chamberlain, a traditionally published literary fiction author from New Zealand navigating the painful transition to indie publishing. Nicholas has 80,000 YouTube subscribers, has appeared on The Critical Drinker, and writes the kind of unflinching literary fiction that agents claim to want—but then quietly pass on. We also talk about grief, zeitgeist, male trauma in fiction, and what it actually takes to build an audience that crosses over into book sales.

In This Episode

The Liminal Space No One Talks About: What it feels like to be a traditionally published author forced into indie publishing. Not by choice, but by a shifting market.
When Rejection Is Personal: How detailed, thoughtful rejections can actually hurt more than form letters, and what they reveal about the current state of literary agencies.
The “Not My Cup of Tea” Wall: Why male-centered literary fiction keeps hitting the same invisible ceiling, and why it has nothing to do with quality.
Where Is the Zeitgeist?: Why men aren’t reading literary fiction anymore, and why the publishing industry is psychologically incapable of admitting it’s the problem.
Literary Fiction vs. The Algorithm: The unique grief of a “prestige” writer discovering that Amazon doesn’t care about your Booker Prize aspirations.
Audience Mismatch: What happens when you have 80,000 YouTube subscribers and your book video barely moves the needle.
The Review Threshold: Why you should never drive traffic to a new book before you have at least five written reviews, and how to get them without begging.
The Hugh Howey Model: How one indie author kept his ebook rights, signed a print-only deal, and changed the hybrid publishing conversation forever.
Amazon’s 180-Day Assessment Window: Why a slow start doesn’t have to be a death sentence, and how to use that window strategically.
Cream Still Rises: Why good writing still matters in an algorithmic world, and why word of mouth hasn’t actually died.
Variations on a Theme: Nicholas’s Amazon-exclusive novel exploring how cultural attitudes toward abuse shift over a lifetime.

Guest Links

Read Variations on a Theme by Nicholas Sheppard: https://amzn.to/4sBE9QO
Youtube: Echo Chamberlain
X: @EchoChamYT
Substack: @echochambaerlainwriter

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Echo Chamberlain.

05:20 - Submission Rejections Explained.

07:27 - Grief and Going Indie.

09:27 - Ideology and Agent Tastes.

12:22 - Male Trauma in Fiction.

14:51 - Where Are Young Male Authors.

17:24 - Zeitgeist and Men Reading.

20:33 - Platform First Marketing.

22:11 - Audience Conversion Struggles.

24:01 - Open Bar and YouTube Growth.

26:30 - Why Media Commentary Not Writing.

28:10 - YouTube Pile On Culture.

28:45 - Fragmenting Your Audience.

29:44 - Star Trek Aesthetics Rant.

31:27 - When To Plug Your Book.

32:50 - Ads Inside Novels.

34:23 - Indie Marketing Reality Check.

34:57 - Reviews And Social Proof.

36:39 - Getting Early Reviews.

37:58 - Amazon Algorithm Fears.

40:35 - Hybrid Deals With Publishers.

43:19 - What Comes Next Writing.

45:44 - Where To Find You.

46:22 -Book Pitch And Wrap Up.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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The Twitter Crush is available in its entirety on Amazon and wherever books are sold: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/i2x75bx6hv

Web novels are not fan fiction. They are not Wattpad cringe. And they are definitely not a niche hobby for teenagers. They are a $34 billion industry growing at 15% year over year—and most traditional authors aren’t even paying attention.

In this episode, we tackle the elephant in the room: if you’re unhappy with your author career, it might be because you’re forcing yourself into a publishing model that doesn’t serve you. Amazon is not the only game in town. Men didn’t stop reading. Readers didn’t disappear. They just migrated to platforms built for screens, serial storytelling, and mobile-first consumption.

Web novels are exploding, but serial fiction isn’t new at all. If you’ve been feeling stuck, invisible, or boxed in by “the way publishing works,” this episode might shift your entire perspective.

In This Episode

The Most Confining Author Is You: Why many writers are miserable because they’re forcing themselves into a model they don’t actually enjoy.
Men Are Still Reading: They’re just not at Barnes & Noble. A look at where male readers have migrated and why.
The $34 Billion Web Novel Market: The explosive growth of platforms like Royal Road, WebNovel, Inkitt, Patreon, and more.
Amazon Saturation Reality Check: When 11,000–20,000 books drop daily, discoverability becomes a structural problem, not a personal failure.
Serial Fiction Isn’t New: Uncle Tom’s Cabin was originally published as a serial. Format shapes storytelling, and it always has.
Mobile-First Storytelling: Why writing for screens requires shorter chapters, tighter pacing, and structural adjustments.
Community vs. The Void: The dopamine and feedback loop of chapter-by-chapter publishing versus throwing a novel into algorithmic obscurity.
Why Web Novels Get Sneered At: The TikTok attention span myth and why it misunderstands how serial readers actually consume.
The Twitter Crush Case Study: Kristin’s own mobile-first serial thriller built specifically for online readers—and for a male audience.Stop
Constricting Yourself: Writing isn’t one thing. Publishing isn’t one path. If traditional novels serve you, great. If not, experiment.

Kristin’s Links

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Writers Trap Themselves.

00:23 - Men Still Reading.

01:14 - Web Novels Beyond Wattpad.

01:59 - A Massive Market.

02:25 - Amazon Saturation Reality.

03:40 - What Web Novels Are.

04:12 - Mobile First Formatting.

06:12 - Serial Fiction History.

07:34 - Why Readers Are Switching.

08:30 - Community And Feedback.

09:50 - My Substack Web Novel.

10:23 - Twitter Crush Premise.

12:46 - Read Subscribe And Share.

13:14 - Final Takeaways.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Phil Marshall is not your typical tech founder. He’s a former surgeon, a sci-fi author, and the founder/CEO of Spoken, an AI-powered audiobook platform built to break the two biggest gates in audio publishing: cost and complexity.

Today Phil joins us to discuss the economics of audiobook creation, why multi-voice and full-cast audio has been inaccessible for almost everyone, and how Spoken’s model (free to use, pay when perfect) changes the risk calculation for indie authors. He also explains Spoken’s ethical approach to voice options (including paid voice-actor libraries and custom character voices), why audio can’t be treated as an afterthought, and why distribution is expanding beyond the usual giants. If you’ve been avoiding your audiobook project for fear of spending tens of thousands of dollars, this conversation is for you!

In This Episode

A surgeon turned sci-fi author turned founder: Phil’s path into tech, and why he built Spoken in the first place.
The “audio gate”: why traditional audiobook production costs price most authors out.
Multi-voice without the $25,000 bill: what full-cast audio normally costs, and how that’s changing.
“Free to use, pay when perfect”: Spoken’s pricing model and why fixed cost per word matters.
Audible, Spotify, and the shifting landscape: where AI narration is being accepted, and where friction remains.
Voice ethics and the pitchfork problem: how voice actor libraries, cloning, and custom voices actually work.
Audio-first audiences: which readers demand audio now and why authors can’t ignore it.
Serial fiction and audio: how to publish chapter-by-chapter without re-rendering everything.
Audio-friendly writing: dialogue tags, tables, file lists, and what breaks in audio.
A sobering truth about publishing: “You can do everything right and it still might not sell,” and why your art still matters.

Guest Links

Phil Marshall

Sign up for Spoken: https://www.spoken.press/
Web: drphilmarshall.com
Youtube: @philmarshallmd

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Meet Phil Marshall.

04:54 - 9/11 Physics Origin.

06:57 - Why Spoken Exists.

12:07 - Audible and Distribution.

14:37 - Spotify Listening Limits.

16:34 - Ethical Voices Explained.

20:33 - AI Backlash and Art.

24:37 - Audiobook Pricing Shift.

28:05 - Pay When Perfect Pricing.

29:37 - Genres Where Audio Wins.

35:09 - Learning From Indie Authors.

37:44 - Serial Fiction Workflow.

39:34 - Make Manuscripts Audio Friendly.

42:55 - Unspoken Network Sharing.

44:18 - Pricing Strategy by Channel.

46:27 - Author Entrepreneur Reality Check.

49:26 - Where to Find Spoken.

51:43 - Final Thanks and Wrap.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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E.J. Free is not your typical “Christian author.” He writes young adult fiction for boys, and he does it without sermonizing or softening reality to fit a Hallmark mold. In this (partially rescued) interview, we dive into why so much Christian fiction feels narrow, why excellent writers struggle to get into Christian bookstores if they’re not the “right kind” of Christian, and what modern publishing is missing when it comes to young male readers.

We also tackle the big comparison: The Chronicles of Narnia vs. Left Behind. Why does one endure across belief systems while the other gets mocked? EJ breaks down the sectarian theology problem, the dangers of writing “on the nose” contemporary allegory, and why escapism, myth, and craft matter more than heavy-handed messaging. If you care about writing faith-based fiction that is moral without being preachy, this episode is for you.

In This Episode

Christian Fiction Doesn’t Have to Be Cringe: Why Kristin’s early viral video on Christian fiction mistakes struck a nerve and what authors keep getting wrong.
The Christian Bookstore Gate: Why talented Christian writers struggle to get stocked if they aren’t megachurch-evangelical adjacent and how that narrows the genre.
Narnia vs. Left Behind: A deep dive into why The Chronicles of Narnia transcends belief systems while Left Behind remains sectarian and controversial.
Dispensationalism Explained (Quickly): E.J. breaks down the theological framework behind Left Behind and why that limits its audience.
Myth vs. Contemporary Allegory: Why setting your story in a mythic world creates distance and accessibility and why “on the nose” end-times fiction alienates readers.
Writing for Young Men: The most underserved audience in modern publishing. Young boys need stories that model virtue, courage, and transformation.
After Moses and the Blueprint for Boys’ Fiction: What makes Michael F. Kane’s series work.
Truth and Verisimilitude: Why authenticity, not propaganda, is the key to writing compelling Christian fiction.
The Princess Bride Checklist: Sword fights, giants, romance, miracles—why timeless storytelling beats trend-chasing every time.
Victory in Five Years: What success actually looks like for an indie author writing for a neglected audience.

Guest Links

E.J. Free

Read the Atlas Legacy by E.J. Free: https://amzn.to/452ChXp
X: @EJFreeAuthor

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - The Accidental Viral Video: Swearing, Christian Fiction & Filming in the Car

01:28 - Why Christian Bookstores Can Be So Restrictive (and Who Gets Shut Out)

04:12 - Narnia vs. Left Behind: Why the Reception Is So Different

05:27 - What ‘Dispensationalism’ Means (Quick Theology Detour)

07:21 - Why Left Behind Rubs People the Wrong Way: Sectarian + Too On-the-Nose

09:48 - What Books Should Big Publishers Read to Understand Young Male Readers?

10:51 - The ‘After Moses’ Pitch: Moral Without Sermonizing + Role Models That Land

13:46 - The Princess Bride Checklist: What Boys’ Fiction Needs More Of

14:32 - Defining Success: What Victory Looks Like in 5 Years as an Author

16:09 - Where to Find E.J. Free + Amazon, Metadata Mistakes, and Final Thanks

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Joshua Lisec is not your typical ghostwriter. With more than 110 books written across business, politics, health, and memoir, he has built a six-figure “ghost publishing” model that doesn’t just produce books, but also engineers commercially viable ones. In this conversation, Joshua breaks down why most authors write the wrong book, how he uses the Jobs-to-Be-Done framework to decide what a client should publish, and why good nonfiction must read like fiction if it’s going to survive in an AI-saturated world.

We also explore how Joshua became labeled “Trump World’s favorite writer,” what drove his shift away from traditional publishing, and why ROI, not artistic ego, now determines whether a book is worth writing. From replacing Big Five publishers entirely to using books as long-term business assets, this episode is a masterclass in how authors can bypass gatekeepers, avoid publishing scams, and build work that actually sells, influences, and endures.

In This Episode

Ghost Publishing Explained: Why Joshua doesn’t wait for clients to tell him what book to write, and how deciding the right book idea upfront is the difference between a commercial success and a forgotten manuscript.
Why Most Books Fail: How the Jobs-to-Be-Done framework reveals what readers are actually buying, and why books written for ego, legacy, or family almost never sell.
Nonfiction That Reads Like Fiction: Joshua explains why memoirs, business books, and political nonfiction must use narrative structure to survive in an AI-saturated attention economy.
The AI Disruption Reality Check: Why editors will thrive, traditional ghostwriters may not, and how authors with unique, non-public expertise can still beat ChatGPT.
From Big Five to Bypassing Them: How Joshua replaced traditional publishers entirely by building concierge, end-to-end publishing systems for high-level clients.
ROI Over Artistry: Why Joshua turns down projects that can’t plausibly recoup their investment—and how books function best as long-term business assets, not one-time products.
Becoming “Trump World’s Favorite Writer”: Joshua walks through his political evolution, early conservative clients, and the professional consequences of following market demand instead of ideology.
Why Gatekeepers Still Matter (But Differently): How authors can avoid publishing scams, leverage podcasts and interviews effectively, and build audiences without algorithm dependence.

Guest Links

Joshua Lisec

Read So Good They Call You Fake: https://amzn.to/3WK1SzB
Webstie: https://joshualisec.gumroad.com/
X: @JoshuaLisec
Youtube: @DailyPersuasion

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Guest Background

00:22 - Building a Ghostwriting Business

03:07 - The Art of Nonfiction Writing

05:36 - Impact of AI on Ghostwriting

10:53 - Journey to Becoming a Right-Wing Ghostwriter

19:40 - Ghost Publishing and Client Success Stories

29:58 - The Fluff of AI Writing

30:53 - The Jobs to Be Done Framework

31:27 - Independent Publishing Challenges

32:39 - Effective Book Promotion Strategies

35:44 - The Rapid Release Model

39:45 - The Power of Interviews

44:28 - Nonfiction as a Business Card

46:42 - Market Research for Authors

51:15 - Final Thoughts and Recommendations

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Hans Schantz is not your typical author; he is a literal scientist with a background in antenna technology who believes modern physics took a wrong turn over a century ago. Today he joins us to share how he uses his Hidden Truth series to reintroduce the lost principles of 19th-century electromagnetism to a new generation, effectively using alternate history to teach real-world physics.

We also dive deep into the reality of “cancel culture” in publishing. Hans reveals how being de-platformed by Kickstarter for his controversial courtroom drama actually led to him doubling his funding elsewhere. From the mechanics of organizing 300+ authors for the “Based Book Sale” to why he believes traditional publishing has become the “vanity press” of the 21st century, this episode is a masterclass in defying gatekeepers.

In This Episode

Real Science in Fiction: Why Hans believes the standard model of the photon is contradictory (simultaneously a wave and a particle) and how he uses fiction to propose a consistent model based on Fields and Energy.
The Cancellation Bonus: The story of how The Wise of Heart was booted from Kickstarter, only for Hans to double his funding revenue by moving to a competitor platform.
Steelmanning the Opposition: Why writing effective political or courtroom drama requires creating logical, consistent arguments for the side you disagree with, rather than relying on “strawman” caricatures.
The Based Book Sale: How to organize a massive, grassroots marketing event with over 300 authors to bypass algorithm suppression and cross-promote directly to readers.
Bypassing Academic Gatekeepers: Hans explains why he moved his scientific research to Substack after academic journals refused to peer-review his work, finding a hungry audience of students and free-thinkers instead.
Trad Pub is the New Vanity: Why seeking validation from a “Big 5” publisher is an ego trap, and why indie publishing is the only path for authors who want to find their true audience.
Fiction vs. Non-Fiction on Substack: A look at why serialization often fails for novels but thrives for educational content, and how to structure your writing to keep subscribers opening every email.

Guest Links

Hans Schantz

Read The Hidden Truth series: https://amzn.to/3Yj03e1
Based Book Sale Substack: https://basedbooksale.substack.com/
Hans on Substack: https://substack.com/profile/36446731-hans-g-schantz
Hans on X: https://x.com/AetherCzar

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to NFK

00:21 - Meet Hans Schantz: Scientist and Indie Author

00:45 - The Cancellation Controversy

01:48 - Hans’ Writing Journey and Projects

03:00 - The Kickstarter Fiasco

05:44 - Navigating Indie Platforms

08:35 - The Based Book Sale

10:58 - Challenges and Strategies in Indie Publishing

15:42 - Hans’ Physics Substack

21:29 - Writing Fiction vs. Non-Fiction on Substack

26:13 - The Hidden Truth Series

29:12 - The Wise of Heart: A Courtroom Drama

39:51 - Advice for Indie Authors

43:15 - Where to Find Hans’ Work

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Is a traditional publishing deal actually the finish line, or is it just the beginning of a different struggle? In this episode, Kristin sits down with thriller author and editor K.T. Carlisle to answer just that.

Before becoming a successful indie author, K.T. worked inside a prestigious literary agency, before seeing behind the curtain on what really happens to your query letter, who actually reads your submission, and the shocking financial realities of traditional publishing revealed during the Penguin Random House court case.

K.T. shares why, despite having interest from a Big 5 editor, she decided the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze and pivoted to self-publishing. We also dive deep into actionable marketing strategies, specifically how to dominate Twitter (X) without spending a dime on ads, and why you need to stop letting “I can’t” dictate your writing career.

In This Episode

Life Inside an Agency: The reality of the “slush pile” and why interns (not agents) are likely the first to read your work.
The Instant Rejection: The most common mistakes authors make that lead to immediate deletion.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Discussing the Penguin Random House court case revelation that many trad-pub books sell fewer than 12 copies in their first year.
The Big Pivot: Why K.T. walked away from traditional interest to control her own career.
Indie Quality Control: How to ensure your self-published book rivals HarperCollins or Simon & Schuster.
Twitter Marketing Masterclass: Why “link dropping” kills your reach, using “Hobo Code” to beat the algorithm, and building community vs. broadcasting sales.
The Money Mindset: Diversifying income streams (editing, ghostwriting) to fund your art.
No Excuses: K.T.’s inspiring approach to working and writing while managing chronic pain.

Guest Links

K.T. Carlisle

Read INTUITION by K.T. Carlisle: https://amzn.to/4i0SLEu
X: @KT_Carlisle
Website: https://ktcarlisle.com
Editing Services: https://ktaeditorial.com

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Purpose of the Interview

01:44 - Meet K.T. Carlisle: Literary Agent to Indie Author

02:39 - Inside the Literary Agency and the Reality of Querying

08:35 - The Harsh Truths of Traditional Publishing

18:12 - Why K.T. Chose the Indie Path

22:11 - Building an Authentic Platform as an Indie Author

25:01 - Crafting the Perfect Social Media Post

25:21 - Navigating Social Media Algorithms

26:55 - Choosing the Right Platform for You

30:18 - Effective Social Media Tools and Strategies

33:48 - Balancing Creativity and Commercial Success

37:14 - Building a Sustainable Writing Career

41:11 - Starting from Scratch: Key Strategies

43:20 - The Future of Independent Publishing

45:28 - Where to Find More from K.T. Carlisle

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Most authors dream of finishing one book a year; John Van Stry wrote twenty in two. The bestselling sci-fi author joins Kristin to explain how he transitioned from defense engineering to indie publishing by systematizing his creativity and treating the craft with an analytical mindset.

John also explores the specific strategies that turned his backlist into a seven-figure business, including the “guerrilla marketing” tactics that work for new authors, as well as how to build magic systems using real-world physics. John also tackles the industry’s double standards, offering a candid defense of male-targeted “Harem” fiction against the universally accepted “Reverse Harem” romance market.

In This Episode

20 Books in 2 Years: How John utilized his engineering background to analyze successful authors, streamline his process, and produce massive output to launch his career.
Writing for Men: John discusses the “KDP Gold Rush” era and how he found massive success by writing authentic male protagonists when traditional publishers were only interested in female-led stories.
The “Rothfuss Effect”: Why writing trilogies can kill a new author’s career and why readers are terrified of unfinished series.
Harem vs. Reverse Harem: A candid look at the hypocrisy in the industry regarding men’s fantasy vs. women’s romance, and why he uses a pen name (John Stryvant) to separate his explicit work from his standard sci-fi.
Engineering Magic: How a background in defense and physics helps John create grounded, believable hard sci-fi and magic systems.
Guerrilla Marketing: Old school tactics that still work—from business cards at car dealerships to understanding why the adult industry always leads the way in marketing technology.
The $2.99 Strategy: Why volume is the name of the game and why raising your prices might actually be costing you money.

Guest Links

John Van Stry

READ THE WOLFHOUNDS SERIES BY JOHN VAN STRY https: //amzn.to/3XqIND3
http://vanstry.net/vanstry/
X: @JohnVanStry

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Author’s Achievement

01:53 - Meet John Van Stry: The Prolific Author

02:03 - Journey to Full-Time Writing

03:25 - Early Publishing Challenges and Successes

08:45 - Rapid Release Strategy and Productivity

15:48 - World Building and Magic Systems

20:16 - Reviving Portal and Harem Fiction

26:23 - Marketing and Pen Names

29:07 - Amazon Ecosystem Insights

29:25 - The Myth of Overnight Success

29:54 - Embrace Your First Book’s Flaws

30:40 - The Importance of Writing the Next Book

31:02 - Learning from Romance Authors

31:35 - Taking Responsibility for Your Book’s Performance

31:56 - Navigating Reviews and Criticism

33:10 - Understanding Grammar and Writing Style

37:51 - Effective Book Marketing Strategies

45:26 - Advice for Aspiring Male Authors

47:04 - Building a Sustainable Writing Career

48:29 - Connecting with Readers and Fans

52:50 - The Value of Daily Affirmations

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Screenwriter turned indie novelist Cary DiChristina joins the show to discuss his 15-year journey through Hollywood and why he finally decided to bypass the gatekeepers to publish his own stories. Cary explains the transition from writing for the screen to writing for the page, revealing why the “compromise” of film production pales in comparison to the total creative freedom of a novel.

Cary also tackles the state of modern fiction, explaining why he believes men have stopped reading and how to write authentic female characters without falling into the “Girl Boss” tropes that plague modern media.

In This Episode

Hollywood vs. Indie Freedom: Cary shares the reality of spending 15 years pitching scripts to producers and why turning his screenplay, Redemption Window, into a novel finally gave him the audience he was chasing.
Screenwriting vs. Prose: The difference between writing a “technical design document” for a film crew and writing a novel that allows you to play God and get inside a character’s head.
Where Have All the Male Readers Gone?: A frank discussion on why men have tuned out of modern fiction and the shift from story-driven narratives to “message-heavy” lectures.
Authentic Female Characters: How to write strong female leads (like his protagonist) without resorting to inauthentic “Mary Sue” or “Girl Boss” archetypes.
Serializing on Substack: Cary’s strategy of releasing the first seven chapters for free to build a readership before asking for the sale, and why “truth in advertising” matters.
Put Up or Shut Up: Tough love for aspiring writers who have “ideas” but haven’t put in the work to finish a “vomit draft”.

Guest Links

Cary DiCristina

READ REDEMPTION WINDOW: https://amzn.to/49Zcd2B
Substack: The Unknown Creative
YouTube: @carydicristina6016

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Common Writer’s Dream

00:34 - Guest Introduction: Cary’s Hollywood Journey

01:10 - Transition from Screenwriting to Novel Writing

01:49 - Interview Begins: Cary’s Background and Career

03:10 - Challenges and Realizations in Screenwriting

06:30 - Turning a Screenplay into a Novel

10:48 - Differences Between Screenwriting and Novel Writing

16:41 - The State of Modern Fiction and Publishing

27:37 - The Pressure on Young Women

28:06 - Echo Chambers and Social Media

29:10 - Generational Differences in Parenting

30:16 - Millennials and Lack of Real-Life Experiences

31:32 - Conflict Avoidance in Younger Generations

33:33 - Serializing Books on Substack

39:31 - Staying Indie in Publishing

46:00 - Advice for Aspiring Writers

49:40 - Where to Find the Book

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Science fiction author and Fandom Pulse founder Jon Del Arroz joins the show to discuss why he is arguably the most banned man in independent publishing. From being ejected from WorldCon while in line for a Disney ride to being de-platformed by Kickstarter and Indiegogo, John explains how “cancel culture” collusion works and why he refuses to back down.

Jon also dives into his most controversial stance yet: his open use of Generative AI for writing fiction. He argues that much of modern genre fiction has become “algorithm slop” and explains why he believes AI can sometimes outperform human authors who are merely writing to market.

In This Episode

The WorldCon Ban: Jon recounts the story of being banned from the World Science Fiction Convention and labeled a “racist bully” due to online political disputes.
Kickstarter & Indiegogo: How mass reporting campaigns led to his removal from major crowdfunding platforms despite running over a dozen successful campaigns.
The AI Controversy: Why Jon openly uses AI for text and art, and his experiment with a “hidden” AI pen name that magazines can’t distinguish from human writing.
Human “Slop” vs. AI: A critique of the “Write to Market” philosophy and why formulaic human writing is just as soulless as machine generation.
Valiant Frontiers: Jon’s new “Star Trek-alternative” novel series on Fund My Comic, designed to bring back high-concept episodic sci-fi.
Building a Brand: Practical advice for new creators on how to find a niche and the necessity of daily content creation.

Guest Links

Jon Del Arroz

READ Valiant Frontiers: https://www.fundmycomic.com/valiant-frontiers
Youtube @JonDelArroz
Substack Fandom Pulse
Discord @_otomo
X @jondelarroz

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Sponsors

Descript - Edit audio by editing text. Remove filler words and clean up background noise automatically.

https://get.descript.com/nonsensefree

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to Jon Dela Rose

00:44 - Controversial Use of AI in Publishing

01:11 - Jon’s Experience with Cancel Culture

01:34 - Jon’s Career and Projects

03:04 - Banned from Worldcon

07:57 - Challenges with Crowdfunding Platforms

17:10 - AI in Writing and Art

21:18 - The Future of Independent Publishing

22:56 - Hypocrisy and AI in Publishing

23:28 - Algorithmic Writing and Market Trends

26:06 - AI’s Role in Writing and Personal Experiments

26:40 - Challenges of Being a Creative Author

29:07 - Marketing Strategies for Authors

32:16 - Crowdfunding and Niche Markets

37:19 - Future Goals and Advice for Aspiring Authors

41:09 - Balancing Content Creation and Writing

41:50 - Where to Find More Content

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Jack Napier joins to discuss his new book, On Women, described as 200 pages of “condensed Red Pill 101”. While the term “Red Pill” is often misunderstood or conflated with figures like Andrew Tate, Jack breaks it down to its roots: a “walkthrough” of shared experiences for men, similar to Nintendo Power, rather than a political ideology.

Beyond dating dynamics, Jack and Kristin explore the “Community First” approach to platform building. Jack details how he transitioned from a full-time job to a free agent by slowly scaling down his hours as his online income grew, proving that you don’t need to go viral to find freedom— you just need to provide value. They also tackle the pitfalls of the modern “Trad” revival, why young men are shooting themselves in the foot by rushing into marriage, and the reality of female competition in male spaces.

In This Episode

Red Pill as a Toolset: Why Jack defines the Red Pill not as a movement, but as a collection of applied skill sets and shared experiences among men.
The “Trad” Trap: The dangers of young men focusing on marriage as a success metric without knowing if they actually like their partner.
No Red Pill Women: Jack explains why the “Red Pill” concept is exclusive to male sexual strategy and why women naturally compete rather than share “walkthroughs”.
The “Blue Ocean” Theory: How women entering all-male spaces create a non-competitive market (Blue Ocean) for themselves to gain attention.
Dating Market Realities: The impact of dating apps becoming “pay-to-play” and why average men struggle with online dating compared to women.
Building Freedom: Jack’s strategy for quitting the 9-to-5 by treating relationships as transactional (value-based) and building a consistent body of work over years.
Fitness Industry Lies: Why you don’t need complicated supplements or weird exercises to get fit.

Guest Links

Jack Napier

READ On Women: https://amzn.to/4oJiwLO
Substack - Jack Napier
X @JackNapierNot

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
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YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

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Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:38 - Jack Napier’s Background and Community Building

01:15 - The Concept of Red Pill and Its Misconceptions

01:50 - Jack’s Journey in the Manosphere

04:53 - The Science of Red Pill and Male-Female Dynamics

07:01 - Challenges Faced by Young Men Today

10:05 - The Trad Resurgence and Its Implications

12:42 - The Debate on Red Pill Women

21:10 - Dating Dynamics in the Netherlands

22:17 - The Impact of Media and Social Perceptions

25:33 - Online Dating Challenges Post-COVID

27:34 - Online Dating Experiences

28:31 - Red Pill Dating Discourse

32:40 - Virginity and Sexuality Myths

34:12 - Balancing Business and Passion

36:22 - Building a Personal Brand

43:26 - Fitness and Consistency

46:02 - Community and Support

48:07 - Final Thoughts and Farewell

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Military veteran and fantasy author Melissa Cave joins the show to discuss why "Romantasy" has become a slur in the reading community and how she is fighting back with historical realism. Melissa breaks down the difference between aesthetic-focused trends and deep world-building, explaining why readers are starving for believable male characters who don't sound like they're from 2026 Los Angeles. She also reveals her bold "all-in" business strategy, writing six full novels before publishing the first, and details exactly where she spent her budget to hit the Amazon bestseller lists without relying on a massive social media following.

In This Episode

Romantasy vs. Reality: Why “romantic” fantasy often devolves into soap opera slop with a thin magical veneer.
The “2026 Los Angeles” Problem: How modern dialogue and behavior are ruining historical immersion.
Writing Believable Men: Why making female characters “strong” shouldn’t mean erasing distinct male roles or military realism.
The Anti-Hookup Culture: Exploring the “slow burn” of arranged marriage and why two virgins navigating a relationship is the new counter-culture.
The 6-Book Gamble: Melissa’s strategy of writing the entire series before launch to ensure quality and avoid “George R.R. Martin syndrome”.
Paying for Performance: Why Melissa skipped the “organic platform building” grind and went straight to paid advertising (and which ads actually worked).
The Minimum Viable Launch: The three things every indie author must pay for: Covers, Editing, and Formatting.
Building vs. Destroying: Moving past the “grimdark” obsession with destruction to tell stories about building civilization.

Guest Links

Melissa Cave

READ EMPIRE OF THE STARS: https://amzn.to/4rGe8iU
melissajcave.com
X Melissa Cave
IG @melissaj.cave

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Sponsors

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Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Overview of Romantic Fantasy01:21 - Interview with Melissa Cave: Background and Achievements01:55 - Writing Believable Characters and Historical Accuracy04:03 - Romantic vs. Historical Fantasy: Key Differences06:10 - Building a Fantasy World: Research and Realism16:29 - Marketing Strategies for Indie Authors28:47 - The Importance of Quality and Investment in Publishing37:44 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Marketer and musician Nick Picone joins the show to discuss the “Iron Age” of media, why the DIY punk rock ethos is the only path forward for modern authors, and how to gamify the dreaded task of marketing.

Nick applies his unique background in music and marketing to the independent creator space, breaking down why traditional publishing gatekeepers are failing both authors and audiences. He explains why the fear of “selling out” is holding writers back, and how to reframe sales as simply building a relationship with the people who are already looking for you. Nick also details his D&D-inspired approach to business, treating marketing assets like a “Character Sheet” and sales goals like “Quests,” and dives into the controversial but necessary role of AI in an indie author’s toolkit.

In This Episode

The Iron Age Explained: Why trust in big corporations is dead and why the “punk rock” DIY approach is the future of media.
Gatekeeping vs. Reality: How Trad Pub’s demand for specific identity politics often stifles the very diversity it claims to support.
The “Buyer’s Club” Trap: The difference between organic audience growth and the insular world of indie comic “hype” circles.
The “Selling Out” Myth: Why believing your work is worth money is the first step to success.
Marketing for Introverts: Moving past the fear of being a “shill” by focusing on connection rather than cold sales.
The AI Debate: How independent creators can use AI as a force multiplier for drudgery (like show notes) without replacing the art.
Gamifying Business: Using The Role Players Guide to Marketing to turn metrics into a game you can win.
Know Your Audience: Why chasing the “modern audience” (like Disney) fails, and why niche authenticity wins every time.

Guest Links

Nick Pecone

Pre-Order The Role Players Guide to Marketing: https://nickpecone.com/get-the-roleplayers-guide-to-marketing/
nickpecone.com
X @NickyPinecone

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristin

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Guest Overview02:12 - The Iron Age Movement05:00 - Challenges in Traditional Publishing06:49 - Marketing Strategies for Creatives09:00 - Navigating the Indie Space21:59 - AI in Content Creation24:37 - Common Marketing Mistakes36:06 - Final Thoughts and Contact Information44:43 - Final Thoughts and Where to Find More

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Kit Perez joins to discuss the art and science of resistance in the publishing world, why Amazon is not evil but simply a machine designed to extract value, and how independent authors can build a true signal in a noisy marketplace.

Kit applies her unique background in intelligence and trauma counseling to the struggles of the modern creator. She explains why unhealed attachment wounds and “people-pleasing” leave authors vulnerable to industry scams, and breaks down the three non-negotiable rules for escaping the ecosystem: owning your audience, controlling your distribution, and setting the narrative. She also discusses the “Jersey Shore” effect of traditional publishing and why the only valid response to a cancellation mob is indifference.

In This Episode

Why “fighting the system” is a waste of time and how to treat Big Tech as a tool.
The difference between performing resistance online and actually moving the needle.
Kit’s background: applying intelligence analysis and trauma counseling to the author community.
Why you need to stop renting customers from Amazon and start owning your readers.
The danger of “people-pleasing” and how it makes authors prime targets for scams.
The “Sellout” Myth: A nuanced look at creative autonomy and envy.
How to handle online mobs and why being disagreeable is a superpower.
The future of the Big 5 and why they are chasing the “Reality TV” demographic.
How to build a parallel economy based on structural trust.

Guest Links

Kit Perez

shepardscale.substack.com
The Mindset of Resistance - https://a.co/d/eYasFJC

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack
YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin

Sponsors

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Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Guest Overview02:02 - Kit Perez’s Background and Expertise02:55 - The Intersection of Trauma and Resistance04:23 - Challenges in the Publishing Industry05:23 - Strategies for Independent Authors13:09 - Building and Owning Your Audience18:25 - Defining Success and Selling Out22:26 - The Complexity of Character Identification23:27 - Alan Moore’s Stand on Movie Adaptations25:00 - Diverse Perspectives in the Indie Community25:53 - Facing the System: Resistance and Infiltration27:50 - Managing Writing and Marketing Tasks with ClickUp28:45 - Memoirists and the Risk of Scams30:04 - Protecting Yourself from Publishing Scams30:42 - The Dangers of People Pleasing33:41 - Navigating Cancel Culture35:13 - Balancing Independence and Capitalism38:56 - Steps Towards Meaningful Independence41:44 - Predicting the Future of Indie Publishing44:43 - Final Thoughts and Where to Find More

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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John A. Douglas joins to discuss the state of literature for men, the dominance of female-targeted content in traditional publishing, and why the most passionate male readers are “abandoning the future of literacy.”

John shares his powerful personal journey from a bullied, working-class Southern boy who was forced into homeschooling, to becoming a successful indie author. He discusses how traditional gatekeepers are failing to connect with this audience, and why independent authors are stepping up to deliver the stories men want, including going back to classic tropes like the hero’s journey and half-orcs. He also delves into the dark side of indie publishing, the importance of covers, and why an author’s strong, unapologetic opinions are now a key part of their marketing.

In This Episode

Why the genre of “Books for Men” is being left entirely to indie authors.
The danger of male readers abandoning new fiction for only classics.
John’s background: being bullied in public school and his journey to becoming an indie fantasy author.
Why John chose to embrace the Hero’s Journey and classic races (like the half-orc) in his book, The Black Crown.
How modern media corrupts positive male friendship in stories.
Why Trad Pub covers fail to capture male readers, and how indie authors are winning with dynamic art.
The reality of the marketing “mountain” for indie authors and the necessity of having a public persona.
The motivation behind indie authors: writing what they want to read.
How to handle online “gang piles” and the resulting one-star reviews.
What to tell young men driven away from creating art.

Guest Links

John A. Douglas

The Black Crown: https://a.co/d/falBLzR
Twitter/X: @J0hnADouglas

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack
YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin

Sponsors

ManyChat - A revolutionary visual editor for messenger marketing.

https://manychat.partnerlinks.io/nonsensefree

Timestamps

[00:00] - Introduction.

[00:40] - Interview with John A. Douglas begins.

[02:25] - Early life and experiences with bullying.

[04:33] - Homeschooling and overcoming adversity.

[07:10] - Finding solace in literacy, and becoming an author.

[09:05] - The Black Crown and fantasy writing.

[12:05] - Marketing and Indie publishing.

[14:12] - Navigating social media and how to handle criticism.

[25:52] - Advice for aspiring creators.

[28:41] - Conclusion and final thoughts.

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Where did all the adventure books for teenage boys go? Jeff Putnam—author and father of eight sons—explains why boys stopped reading, what happened to men’s adventure fiction, and how indie authors are bringing it back. We also discuss why manga and LitRPG dominate with young male readers while traditional publishing keeps churning out books boys don’t want.

The Hardy Boys to Hemingway pipeline is broken. Here’s how to fix it.

In This Episode

Why publishing stopped making books for teenage boys
What boys actually want to read (vs. what publishing thinks they want)
The Hardy Boys to Hemingway pipeline (and why it collapsed)
How masculinity became associated with not reading
Why manga and LitRPG succeeded where trad pub failed
What makes the Cole Harper series different
How to get teenage boys interested in reading
Leading by example: making reading normal in your household
The importance of letting kids explore different formats

Guest Links

Jeff Putnam

Cole Harper Adventure Series: Amazon

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack
YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin

Sponsors

LearnWorlds - Turn your expertise into a course. Built-in marketing, interactive features, and your own branded school. Join at get.learnworlds.com/nonsensefree

Timestamps

[00:00] - Introduction: Where are the books for boys?[02:45] - Men’s adventure fiction used to dominate publishing[04:30] - Why boys don’t read anymore (according to Jeff)[07:15] - What happened between 1982-1984 that changed everything[09:30] - Why manga and LitRPG fill the gap[11:45] - The transgressive fiction moment (and why it didn’t last)[13:20] - Making reading an adventure, not homework[15:40] - Leading by example: seven bookcases and no book budget limit[17:25] - Letting kids explore different formats (comics, manga, audiobooks)

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Episode Description

Tim Grahl runs Story Grid and wrote The Shithead, and he has a controversial opinion: writing is a learnable skill, not magic. In this conversation, we talk about why most writing advice is terrible for beginners, why “write what feels right” is garbage guidance, and how to actually improve your craft systematically.

Some writers hate hearing that good stories follow patterns. Tim doesn’t care. He’s more interested in helping people write books that readers actually want to finish.

In This Episode

Why Stephen King’s On Writing is terrible advice for beginners
What Story Grid actually teaches (and why it works)
The problem with “writing for yourself”
Why scenes need to make readers want to turn the page
How Tim learned to write through systematic feedback
Why most indie fantasy books are unreadable
The difference between talented and skilled
Mental stack: how to avoid overwhelming your reader
Why world-building often becomes procrastination
Craft first, marketing second (but both matter)

Guest Links

Tim Grahl

Story Grid: storygrid.com

The Shithead

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4nqxB59

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack
YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin

Sponsors

Later - Stop living on your phone. Schedule your social media posts across all platforms from one dashboard. Try it free at try.later.com/nonsensefree

Timestamps

[00:00] - Introduction: Writing is a learnable skill (and that makes people mad)[03:20] - How Tim got into book marketing and then writing[07:45] - Why On Writing by Stephen King is bad advice for beginners[12:30] - What’s wrong with Bird by Bird[16:15] - The “I’m writing for myself” fallacy[20:40] - What Story Grid actually teaches[25:50] - Why most indie books fail the first chapter test[30:25] - Mental stack: How readers process information[35:10] - The world-building trap (and why it’s procrastination)[40:15] - Reveal, don’t explain[44:30] - Why craft matters more than “writing to market”[49:20] - How Tim wrote The Shithead (and why it almost didn’t happen)[54:45] - Learning craft systematically vs. hoping it clicks[59:10] - Why deliberate practice works for writing

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube Music

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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B.R. Keid served in the Marine Corps, deployed to Iraq in 2004, and now writes military sci-fi that actually feels like the military. In this Veterans Day episode, we talk about his service, what it takes to write authentic military fiction, and how he built an indie career without traditional publishing.

His Autonomous Weapons Division trilogy shows what happens when someone who’s lived it decides to write about it.

In This Episode

Brian’s journey from the Marine Corps to indie author
Deploying to Iraq and processing trauma through fiction
What makes military sci-fi feel authentic vs. fake
Building reader magnets and email lists before launch
Why audio matters (and his plans for simultaneous release)
The difference between buyers and readers
How military friendships translate to fiction
Advice for veterans who want to write

Guest Links

B.R. Keid

Website: BRKeid.com

Autonomous Weapons Division Trilogy

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4hTJJtd

Sponsors

Everand - Get access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks at go.everand.com/nonsensefree

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack
YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin

Timestamps

[00:00] - Introduction: A Veterans Day conversation[02:15] - Growing up in the Ozarks and joining the Marines[05:30] - Bootcamp in San Diego and becoming a radio operator[08:45] - Deploying to Iraq in 2004[12:20] - Why Marines are different (and why that matters for writing)[16:40] - Getting the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor ceremony[21:30] - From military service to software engineering[24:15] - Why military sci-fi readers can spot a fake[28:50] - Building an audience before your book launches[33:10] - The reader magnet strategy that worked[37:45] - Why books don’t rot (your timeline is longer than you think)[42:20] - Writing authentic military relationships[46:55] - Why limited physical description works better[51:30] - Advice for veterans who want to become authors

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Music

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Rian Stone didn’t start as a fiction writer. He built his career writing Red Pill nonfiction, then decided to pivot to dystopian fiction because he’d said everything he needed to say in that space.

In this conversation, we talk about making the jump from nonfiction to fiction, why the indie writing community is full of people playing dress-up instead of actually writing, and what it takes to treat writing like a business instead of a hobby.

If you’re tired of writing advice that amounts to “follow your passion,” Rian’s approach will be refreshing.

In This Episode

Why Rian switched from nonfiction to fiction
The Red Pill to cyberpunk pipeline
Why most writing communities are useless
Male vs. female coded stories (and why it matters)
Why execution matters more than “writing to market”
Building outside the Amazon ecosystem
The problem with author beef on Twitter
Why most indie authors don’t actually finish books
How to know if you’re a writer or just playing one

Guest Links

Rian Stone

Website: rianstone.com
Twitter/X: @MrRianStone

Soft Bone (Dystopian/Cyberpunk)

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4nCeMei

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack
YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin

Sponsors

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About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Traditional publishers love to say men don’t read. The truth? Men don’t read the books publishers keep making for them—or rather, NOT making for them.

In this episode, I review The Dog Walker by R.A. Stone, one of the rare contemporary novels actually written with male readers in mind. We talk about why men’s contemporary fiction disappeared, what makes this book work, and why the publishing industry’s insistence that “there’s no market for this” is complete nonsense.

Spoiler: The market exists. Publishers just refuse to serve it.

In This Episode

Why traditional publishers stopped making books for men
What contemporary fiction for men actually looks like
The cover design risk that paid off
How male friendships are portrayed (and why it matters)
Why women readers enjoy this book too
The “it gets good after page 150” problem
Proof of concept: Yes, men’s contemporary fiction sells

Book & Author Links

The Dog Walker by R.A. Stone

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4oJkEmM
Author website: rianstone.com

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack
YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin

Sponsors

ClickUp - Stop juggling sticky notes and random docs. Organize your writing projects, deadlines, and clients in one place. Try it free at try.web.clickup.com/nonsensefree

Timestamps

[00:00] - Do men actually not read anymore?[03:45] - What The Dog Walker is actually about[08:20] - The cover design risk (and why it works)[12:30] - Male relationships done right[18:15] - Why limited physical description works for male readers[23:40] - The frenemy dynamic (yes, men have those too)[28:10] - What women readers get out of this book[32:25] - The “you have to be patient” problem in modern fiction[36:50] - Why this book had to go in the “satire” category[40:15] - Proof of concept: Men’s fiction sells

About This Podcast

New episodes weekly.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Devon Eriksen didn’t wait for permission from traditional publishing. He wrote Theft of Fire, a hard sci-fi thriller that male readers were starving for, and sold tens of thousands of copies on his own terms. In this conversation, we talk about why men stopped reading, how indie authors can fill that gap, and why getting canceled was actually the best thing that happened to his career.

If you’ve been told the market for male-focused fiction doesn’t exist, Devon’s success proves otherwise.

In This Episode

Why traditional publishing abandoned male readers
How Devon built an audience before launching his book
The difference between writing to market vs. writing what you want
Why “books don’t rot” - your work can take off at any time
The real reason Devon chose not to use Audible
How to market yourself as an author without being a “content creator”
What actually matters more than your first week sales numbers

Guest Links

Devon Eriksen

Website: devoneriksen.com
Twitter/X: @Devon_Eriksen_

Theft of Fire (Orbital Space #1)

Ebook/Paperback: Amazon
Audiobook: Devon’s Website

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content

Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack
YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin
Books by Kristin: https://amzn.to/3Jt5FOP

Sponsors

ManyChat - Turn social media comments into subscribers automatically. Get 30% off at manychat.partnerlinks.io/nonsensefree

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is for independent authors and creators who are building their platforms, mastering their craft, and creating their own signal. New episodes weekly.

Timestamps

[00:00] - Getting canceled was the best thing for my career[03:15] - Why men stopped reading (and it’s not what you think)[07:30] - The publishing industry’s “diversity” problem actually hurts diversity[12:45] - How I built an audience before my book even launched[18:20] - Why “books don’t rot” - your timeline is longer than you think[22:10] - The Audible scam: Why I refused to use it[28:40] - Marketing is about relationships, not advertising[35:15] - Stop trying to appeal to people who hate you[42:00] - Why most indie authors fail (and how to avoid it)[48:30] - The real competition isn’t other authors[52:45] - Advice for men who want to write but feel shut out

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com

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Bjørn: Why are you doing this?

Patrick: Because you let me. —From Speak No Evil (2022)

The greatest films always leave themselves open to a number of interpretations, and the newly released horror movie, Heretic, is no different. Terrifying, thrilling, and oddly funny in spots, the ending leaves you wondering what it all meant, what you’re supposed to do now, and if you’re like me, will probably leave you wanting a second viewing.

Most of the YouTube commentariat has rendered the firm verdict that Heretic is a plain-faced attack on organized religion, a misogynist institution designed solely for men’s benefit and women’s detriment. The thriller is just the set dressing for the message, they say.

You might be surprised to hear me say this after last week’s article, but I disagree.

Heretic begins with two fresh-faced Mormon missionaries going door to door attempting to convert people to their church. Unlike many evangelical organizations whose missionaries are comprised of elder married couples (often with grown children), the Mormon church sends young adults—pairs of boys or girls—most of whom are naive, untested, and unused to the vulgarity of the secular world.

Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton (their first names are never given and these girls never address each other by their Christian names) arrive at the door of Mr. Reed (first name also never given), ready to answer all his questions about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

After coming into his home, only after being assured his wife is baking a pie in the next room, Mr. Reed offers them soft drinks and says, “I think it is GOOD to be religious.”

We find out later in the movie that, yes, he most certainly does think it is good to be religious. For the girls anyway. For his prey.

The question is why.

We got a hint early in the movie alluding to what I think the message of the film is. Before Sisters Barnes and Paxton arrive at Mr. Reed’s house, they see a trio of pretty girls filming a TikTok in the middle of a crosswalk.

Sister Paxton, the blonde, eagerly rushes up to them, ready to get her first documented baptism. The girls are eager to take a picture with Sister Paxton, but then rip off her skirt, exposing her Mormon “Magic” underwear. And they run off laughing.

It’s just so funny, committing sexual battery in the open street. And filming it! And probably posting it to their followers.

I seethed in the theater, boiling over with the need to get in their (fictional) comments and make sure those little b*s were canceled so hard they got kicked out of college.

Because we all know why those girls felt so comfortable doing that to poor Sister Paxton. I doubt little miss TikTok would have dared try to rip any piece of clothing off any of these ladies:

They did it because they knew they’d get away with it. They knew the sweet Mormon girl wouldn’t knock their teeth down their throat.

It was a display of power. Nothing more. And it was very in line with the overall theme of the movie.

Feeding Girls into the Meat Grinder

The innocence and ingrained accommodating nature of the Mormon missionaries plays a prominent role throughout the film. Some will point to the girls stepping inside Mr. Reed’s house without actually seeing his wife, but I think this is the least stupid thing they did. In their place, even now in my decrepitude, I would have too.

At this point there were solid green flags. A friendly man in a nice house in a nice neighborhood, a living room with a homey decor that reeks of a woman’s touch. It all looks legit. And Mr. Reed is so friendly, charming, and yes, handsome. There was nothing to put them off… except the normal human refusal to step inside a stranger’s house.

I find it borderline hilarious that the LDS church criticized this film, saying: “Any narrative that promotes violence against women because of their faith or undermines the contributions of volunteers runs counter to the safety and wellbeing of our communities.”

To accuse a movie of endangering their fresh-faced 19-21 year-old missionaries is quite a stretch.

YouTuber (and former Mormon Missionary) Alyssa Grenfell does a great job of breaking down why the LDS Church itself is the one placing these girls in harm’s way. It is not only their age and the fact that the missionaries are sent into dangerous places at home and abroad; it’s also the sheltered way in which they’ve been brought up.

Both actors in Heretic are former Mormons and their performances were perfect. Sister Paxton in particular had the sweet, encouraging way of showing interest when she spoke to Mr. Reed that most men would interpret as flirting.

I have known many Mormon girls in my life, especially in middle school, where Southern Baptists reigned supreme and Catholics were called Mary-worshippers to our faces. It made sense that we would be friends with the Mormon girls.

I went to services with them (obviously never the Temple). Their families gave me the whole spiel. I love my Mormon friends.

And I prayed and cried every day they were on their missions. I could tell they censored their letters about how it was going. (Gary, Indiana is where they were sent, if you were wondering).

Unlike the evangelicals, the Mormons send little girls who have likely never been kissed and are as innocent as can be into all manner of dangerous neighborhoods.

Of course the Mormons don’t like the movie. It shines a light on the danger they put these girls in for NO reason. Muslims are growing faster than Mormons. They don’t send young girls into foreign countries to strangers doors.

Muslims ALSO don’t lie to their girls and tell them that if they love God enough, then they will be safe. And neither do most evangelical missionaries. The married couples who go to Cambodia, Pakistan, or any other number of hostile places accept they may die for their ministry and have accepted that risk to spread the word of God.

These young girls have been told from birth that there is no risk, that they will be personally protected by Heavenly Father if their heart is true.

This is a vicious lie that can only be told if you hate young girls with your whole heart.

Did God find Polly Klaas deficient? I think not.

It’s sickening to tell this to the most innocent among us and is tailor-made to make pliable, cooperative victims.

Thus brings us to why Mr. Reed selected his victims the way he did.

Supplanting God Instead of Seeking Him

I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to say that Mr. Reed obviously spent many years studying religion. Not just Mormonism; from the looks of it, he studied ALL of them, going back as fas as he could.

Impressive, I suppose, except when you consider WHY.

It was not to seek God, to understand His plan, and how Mr. Reed should fit into it.

It was to decipher which of the religions best facilitated his own unearned authority and which one(s) ensured willing and pliable victims?

He wasn’t wrong that Mormons were the best option on BOTH counts.

Mormonism isn’t uniquely bad, not in general and not towards its women. But its beliefs are structured in a way that attract bad individuals.

The belief in personal revelation is a huge problem, for one.

Unquestioned male headship is another.

The insular nature of how Mormons are raised and that they remain child-like in their beliefs on human nature far longer than most others puts the final nail in the coffin.

The first moment Sisters Barnes and Paxton start to feel uneasy with Mr. Reed is when he asks them about polygamy, specifically if they actually believed Joseph Smith was given the green light to marry all those women he wanted to sleep with, or if he made it all up to justify his adultery.

The girls were uncomfortable with their church doctrine being questioned. But that’s not actually what Reed was asking.

What he was really asking is “Do you believe in personal revelation?”

Because if the answer is yes, that makes his plan smooth sailing.

The danger of personal revelation was also seen in Under the Banner of Heaven (a non-fiction book turned semi-fictional mini-series).

The show looked at a real crime committed by members of a highly respected Mormon family, one of whom asserted God spoke to him. And what did God say?

You guessed it: Have sex with your underage step-daughters. It’s cool, bro. I’m God.

Funny how God ALWAYS tells these “prophets” that serving him means having sex with a bunch of young girls.

The problem with personal revelation is that you can’t disprove it. You can only attack the “prophet” himself. And if the “prophet” is popular, you just might get yourself killed, which is what happened in the mini-series. And real life.

The already-atheist movie reviewers who gleefully assert that Heretic is an attack on religion, missed the message. They missed what the ending meant.

They missed that it wasn’t a condemnation.

It was a call to action.

Being strong in your faith means being learned in its history so you can spot straw men and other assorted nonsense. It also means standing up for your faith and yourself.

“Turn the other cheek” doesn’t mean be everyone’s personal b***h.

And “Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone” does NOT mean just let everyone do whatever they want to you, your family, and your community.

Two things can be true at once.

God is real and religion is how we make sense of Him AND
Evil men exist and they use religion as an effective vector of controlling and silencing their victims

The film insists that you can be pure of heart, a true and faithful believer… while also stabbing a M-Fer in the neck when you need to.

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I will not lie to you: My reasons for renting Sweet November in 2003 were not virtuous. I had a massive crush on Jason Isaacs (of The Patriot fame and later, Harry Potter’s Lucius Malfoy) as well as Michael Rosenbaum, who starred in the WB’s Smallville as Lex Luthor.

I scoured IMDB to find EVERYTHING Rosenbaum was in so I could watch it. Imagine my delight to see he’d starred alongside Isaacs. In a romance!

I couldn’t get to Blockbuster fast enough!

It uh… didn’t turn out how I’d hoped.

However…

That’s not why this movie deserves the first-place trophy in the sad halls of awful Thanksgiving-themed movies.

Even for seasoned consumers of Lifetime and Hallmark movies, there occasionally emerges a film so offensively sweet, so cloyingly sentimental, and so oblivious to real human behavior that it threatens its viewers with a coronary.

Sweet November is about Nelson, played by Keanu Reeves, a mean-spirited workaholic who gets himself fired in a way that beggars belief. In a weird, not at all cute meet-cute, he meets Sarah, a flighty, whimsical woman who persuades him to spend a month with her.

He agrees, but is later shocked to find out she has been doing this every month. Her gay best friend (the criminally under-utilized Jason Isaacs) calls Nelson “November.” The last guy was “October” and the one before that… you get the picture.

That’s what Sarah does. She helps people. Men, specifically. Through the power of her whimsy (and sexual prowess), she takes emotionally-stunted men (some of whom including Nelson are addicts) and she fixes them.

In a month.

Like all manic pixie dream girls, she is able to use her feminine wiles to ooze into Nelson’s cracks and form him into a new, better person.

More than her whimsy, her adorkable feminine shenanigans, her patient and sensual schooling of Nelson shows him all he’s been missing in his work-focused life.

Honestly, I could have forgiven the movie (and its writers) if it had continued on this path. Boy meets girl, girl improves boy, boy marries girl. Okay, I’ll take it. I could have even forgiven the complete lack of chemistry between Charlize and Keanu.

(Real question, has Keanu ever been a good romantic lead? Nothing comes to mind)

Instead (23-year-old spoiler warning), it turns out that Sarah has non-Hodgkins lymphoma. So even when Nelson falls in love with her, she tells him to leave. “November is over.”

She cruelly rebuffs him and sends him packing. Even when he chases her down and insists he’s not afraid of her illness, that he won’t run away from her impending death, she won’t have it, even though she returns his affections.

“I want you to always remember me this way.”

So to recap, dying girl (who knows she’s dying) barters, begs, and manipulates a series of men into falling in love with her, making several of them propose marriage to her (Nelson is the only one she wanted to say yes to, she confesses). All while knowing she will not be around for long.

It struck a particularly nasty cord with me and I admit I projected my own fears of being abandoned by a future partner onto the (male) script writer.

Was this wish fulfillment for him? Did he wish that women would just go away and leave the men who love them when they fall ill? You know, to spare men the bother of caring for the sick and no-longer attractive woman?

Or did he think this is what women are? So horrifically vain they would send away a man who loves them to ensure his last memory of her would be one of beauty?

It’s gross either way.

Roger Ebert said it best: “Sweet November” passes off pathological behavior as romantic bliss. It’s about two sick and twisted people playing mind games and calling it love.

If only I’d read that review before I scurried off to Blockbuster.

Damn you, Rosenbaum, and your blue-eyed smolder…

In the end, "Sweet November" is less a movie and more a cautionary tale about the perils of romanticizing dysfunction. If you're looking for a film to watch with your significant other to celebrate your love, go with The Wedding Singer.

It’s the best and I will not be dissuaded from that opinion.

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Fictional Influence #3: Pitch Black (2000) warned you about being a follower

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Fictional Influence #2: Paradise Requires Violence: Furiosa and Protecting What's Yours

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Collectively, the class of 1997 remembers the best teacher they ever had—Mr. Brackett. He was something of a cultural touchstone because of the way they all stood up as one at their graduation ceremony and saved him from being unjustly fired by a cowardly school administration.

They also remember, maybe with tears in their eyes, how the ENTIRE community stood up with them.

Mr. Brackett had stood up for them for many years, sacrificing his time and sometimes emotional health to help his students in any way he could. They would not allow his kindness and his excellence to be repaid with cruelty.

And America looked on, touched by the loyalty this man had engendered just by being himself.

It didn’t matter that Howard Brackett wasn’t real. He was a fictional character played by Kevin Klein in the movie In & Out. But he spoke to us on a deeper level and asked us, subtly and with good humor, to learn from him.

And we did. But maybe not the right lesson.

Hollywood: It’s Okay to Be Gay

It was a big deal for a school teacher to be outed as gay in the 1990s. It wasn’t a question of IF you’d be fired, but when. Would they sack you the second they found out, or quietly wait until the end of the school year?

It was a blanket assessment: Gay = deviant predator. And like all blanket assessments, it was wrong. Hollywood took up the task to persuade the millions of people who’d never actually met a gay to judge each person individually.

Just look at their actions and character, the movies and tv shows urged us. NOT who they find attractive.

In & Out was just one of those films and, in my opinion, the best. It shed light on the reality that for most well-adjusted people, being gay was the least important thing about them.

It worked. And acceptance of gays in society, including marriage and adoption, became near universal.

So why, in 2023, was it found that gay acceptance has gone down? This state of affairs has gays my age and older rightly miffed. They worked so hard to be a part of the society, won, and now they’re being shoved back into the same category as perverts.

Why? Because younger millennials (and by extension, Gen Z) decided that ACKSHUALLY who they want to bang is the only interesting thing about them. And all of us are duty-bound to congratulate them for it.

They forgot what made Howard Brackett, and by extension, gays in general, universally accepted.

In & Out & All Around

If you haven’t seen the movie, Howard is a high school teacher and basketball coach who lives a normal, quiet life. He has been engaged to Emily, a fellow teacher, for MANY years. A loving, religious, celibate relationship. He cares for his charming parents and looks after his students. But on the night of his annual Oscars viewing party, a former student of his outs him as gay… something he never realized about himself.

Much hilarity ensues as he tries to convince himself and everyone else that he isn’t gay. Except he is. He just never realized it. I won’t spoil every plot point but I will tell you that the scene I described at the beginning of this post isn’t the happy ending of the movie.

One by one, his students stand up at graduation and say, “I’m gay too!” in support of Mr. Brackett, followed by every member of the community in attendance. It’s heart warming to say the least. At one point, wise old Wilford Brimley (who plays Howard’s father) stands up when the school principal insists that parents wouldn’t be comfortable with Howard teaching their children. He doesn’t raise his voice when he says, “Excuse me, I’m a parent.” But it chokes me up every time.

It’s a wonderful scene, and definitely the climax. But not the happy ending.

The happy ending is the wedding that plays over the end credits, which gives Howard everything he truly wanted:

He gave his mother the wedding she so desperately wanted (her own vow renewal)
The community he lived in got rid of the reporters plaguing them because no secret = no scandal
Emily (played by Joan Cusack in all her boob-a-licious glory) got a husband who adored her and was intensely attracted to her. Something she very much deserved.
Everyone was happy, which made him happy.

Did he end up with Tom Selleck’s character long term? Maybe. But if so, that’s just a bonus. The happiness of those he loved was his happy ending, something the movie made abundantly clear by showing us who Howard was. That was why we loved him. We gave our views on gays a second thought. And we became better people.

Are You Howard-Maxing?

The problem with scenes like that soaring graduation ceremony is that poorly raised narcissistic people look at that and only see the adulation Howard received, not the reasons for it. The annoying purple-haired narcissist doesn’t see that friends and strangers alike were willing to stand alongside Howard because who he was shone clearly in his actions. For decades, he had been kind, selfless, and a good friend and neighbor.

The younger crop of gays decided to make their sexuality the centerpiece of their identity and reason for being. Remember that certain child of Hollywood actors who came out at her grandfather’s funeral?

Remember all those TikToks about “queer” teachers who were having private conversations with their students about sexuality and telling the kids not to tell their parents?

You know, basically the worst fears of the 90s anti-gay movement?

Somehow, movies, books, and tv shows that touted the message: “Love people for who they are, not who they are attracted to” got turned into “Love and respect me specifically for my sexuality, or you’re a bad person.”

A good analogy of why Howard gays are liked and TikTok gays aren’t? Foot fetishists.

Even others in the fetish community can’t stand feet people. Why?

Because they are publicly gross. A bondage person would never think of sitting down at dinner with a bunch of their normie friends and start telling a friend’s wife about all the things they’d like to see them do/wear.

But feet people? They think nothing of asking a woman to kick off her shoes to “show me the pedicure.” Nothing of ogling and making comments ceaselessly in any setting.

And we won’t go into what they feel empowered to say online.

If you’ve ever noticed influencers blurring their feet out in their pictures… now you know why.

Feet people bring their nasty to the dinner table while bondage people don’t.

And it’s the same thing with Howard gays.

Contrary to the younger generation, they don’t think the flavor of queer you are constitutes WHO you are. And anyone who does is just boring.

I’m not the first to say it, but if that’s your go-to when describing yourself, maybe you need to do something else. Have you considered Warhammer?

If not that, maybe consider being of service to something greater than yourself. Because that’s the kind of thing people like to make movies about.

It’s also the kind of thing people like to pay money to watch movies about. Over and over, for decades.

Personally, I think that should be everyone’s goal: Live a life worth making a movie about.

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Both books and television shows have reveled in the concept of the anti-hero for about the past ten years, with no sign of slowing down. This episode details the techniques that writers use to hook you into their character, and make you root for them, even though they are truly awful.

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Would it surprise you to know that clips of the Star Trek shows are routinely shown in military basic training and academies? If you aren’t a big fan of scifi, it may surprise you to know that Star Trek is famous for tackling complex questions of morality and ethics, making the audience wonder what we would have done in such a situation. This episode examines one such morality scenario, one where both sides of the conflict are coming from a place of honor and care, making it all the more difficult to decide who is right.

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HBO's 2019 Watchmen series divided the internet even before it was released, with fans of the graphic novel disliking the narrative direction of the show and the clear political leanings of the show’s writings. However, the writers actually used those political leanings… to conceal its biggest plot spoilers. In this episode, we discuss the implications of the version of the US this miniseries takes place in, and whether or not the show took their narrative a step too far.

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The conflict between people of faith and skeptics has raged in all societies, including our current one. Many works of fiction have masterfully depicted the fine line one must walk between believing in the unseen and being taken advantage of, but few so well as The X-files episode, Signs and Wonders (Season 7). This episode examines how the show managed to make a moral point without really making a religious one, even though the episode was ostensibly about religion.

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Worth the Telling Podcast: Recent Episodes

Kristin McTiernan