Jakkal Designs 100th Episode shirt 2021

Episode 194 – Interview with Peter Sartucci

Peter Sartucci is a Boulder, CO game writer turned author. He of the Shadow fantasy series set in Silbar – a land of wonder and magic. He has five books in the series focusing on Sir Kirin DiUmbra, the Left Hand of the king (who secretly is his twin brother). Peter talks to us about storytelling constructs he learned from gaming, world building, why to keep your first novel around, and how he approaches writing descriptive prose. Use all your senses! … Continue…Episode 194 – Interview with Peter Sartucci

Jakkal Designs 100th Episode shirt 2021

Episode 176 – Welcome back Kate Elliott!

We caught up with Kate Elliott again now that her second book in The Sun Chronicles is out: Furious Heaven. Your hosts are LOVING this gender-swapped Alexander the Great in space, and Kate talks in depth about her world building around how multiple countries find their way to the stars in the far future, and what kinds of societies they set up, and then how they all come into conflict. We discuss themes and plots and dive into questions that Kate won’t answer yet on Why Cloning is Forbidden. We can’t wait for the next book! Listen in and you’ll find out why! … Continue…Episode 176 – Welcome back Kate Elliott!

Jakkal Designs 100th Episode shirt 2021

Episode 172 – Make the Adventure you want to play in: GM talk with Norman Lutes

In which we discuss how to write – and run – good role-playing games with Norman Lutes (He/him). GMing and game writing have a lot in common with good story writing. For example: Reading is to writing as playing is to GMing.
And: “What do you start with? A story? A setting?” …smacks of Plotting vs Pantsing or Game-mastering is a combination of critical path project management and storytelling in the fireside tradition or Writing a game is like writing software – spend the majority of your time planning for exceptions and errors.
And: Spoon-feeding vs. player involvement: it’s a balance or You can lead players back to the path if they go astray. But you need to have done some world-building, or at least world-stealing. Don’t forget to file off the serial numbers or If you ask your players for their characters’ backstories, don’t be surprised if they’re not interested when you fold it into the story.
Bonus: Role-playing via email: The story, backstory, player’s interests, and world-building all come together. AND it’s self-documenting! … Continue…Episode 172 – Make the Adventure you want to play in: GM talk with Norman Lutes

Jakkal Designs 100th Episode shirt 2021

Episode 163 – Interview with Laura Anne Gilman

Laura Anne Gilman is a delightfully prolific author with a bent for the detective story, the noir in any setting from fantasy, sci fi, historic fiction – you name it. Urban supernatural sleuths chase elusive (and sometimes equally supernatural) victims and perps alike through history and fantasy, and Laura Anne’s world building immerses the reader deep within her vision. Her latest book, Uncanny Times, is coming out shortly and we can’t wait to read it! … Continue…Episode 163 – Interview with Laura Anne Gilman

Jakkal Designs 100th Episode shirt 2021

Episode 127 – Interview with Aliette de Bodard

Aliette joins us from Paris, France to talk about her writing, perceptions of science and world building, and the myth and power of storytelling. As a child of French and Vietnamese descent, she grew up with influences from both worlds and uses her strong multicultural awareness in her writing. She talks to us of liminal spaces, the unspoken area between multiple cultures, as well as diasporas and other themes in her writing. … Continue…Episode 127 – Interview with Aliette de Bodard

Jakkal Designs 100th Episode shirt 2021

Episode 110 – Interview with Isabelle Hardesty

Isabelle started as a fashion designer, and her eye for rich detail turned into a love of writing. She started with a short story for an Anthology, discovered world building, and from that writing the Delacourt Shapeshifter Trilogy sprang up. Her latest new book is out – The Witch of Belle Fleur, with a sequel on the way. Isabelle created an Afro-Latina protagonist based on her own Miami upbringing, and you might like her heroine’s journey to become lead witch of her small town. … Continue…Episode 110 – Interview with Isabelle Hardesty