The Epilogue...(a writing podcast)

Michael Stubblefield | Masterclass Author Interviews
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Books

Welcome to The Epilogue... a writing podcast that goes deep into the art and craft of storytelling. Each episode, we sit down for a deep-dive author interview with a successful writer for an exploration of story and for writing advice you can bring to your own work.

Episodes

  1. Feb 17

    Finding your character's voice: Writing advice from Ben Fountain

    Character Voice: Writer Interview with Ben Fountain In this episode of The Epilogue..., we dive into storytelling with award-winning author Ben Fountain who has some great writing advice for zeroing in on your character's voice. Through his novels and short stories, we discuss fearlessly embracing big themes and complexity, and Ben talks about the process of having one of his works adapted into a movie. (00:00) - Chapter 1 (00:13) - Understanding Story Voice (07:17) - Character Development in Billy Lynn (24:33) - Exploring Power Dynamics in Literature (30:21) - The Complex Interplay of Power in Haiti (41:34) - Reflections on Beautiful Country Burn Again Ben's Information: Ben Fountain’s work has received the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction, the Barnes & Noble Discover Award for Fiction, the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, the PEN-Cerulli Award for Excellence in Sports Writing, and a Whiting Writers Award, and has been a finalist for the National Book Award and runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Most recently, he has been awarded the Joyce Carol Oates Prize and the Thomas Wolfe Prize, and, along with French author Marc Levy, L’Hermione Award given by the French American School of New York. Fountain lives in North Carolina. benfountain.com Ben's Books: Rasputin Swims the Potomac or audiobookBilly Lynn's Long Halftime Walk or audiobookBrief Encounters with Che Guevara or audiobookDevil Makes Three or audiobookBeautiful Country Burn Again or audiobook Ben's headshot photo credit: Laura Overman Visit theepilogue.net to view our interviews, listen to the latest episodes of this writing podcast, sign up for our newsletter, and watch for upcoming member bonuses such as extended interviews and full video.

    Finding your character's voice: Writing advice from Ben Fountain

  2. 11/25/2025

    Writing Middle Grade Fiction: Author Interview with Lauren Wolk

    Middle Grade Fiction: Writing Advice From Lauren Wolk   In this episode of The Epilogue..., we bring you an exclusive author interview with Lauren Wolk, the award-winning author of Wolf Hollow and Beyond the Bright Sea. We discuss her story development process, finding connection to place, her lyrical use of language. The stories we cherished in our childhood seem to have a magical spark to them. How can we capture that spark in our writing today? And do you really need to write differently for kids than adults? Spoiler alert: it’s all about being true to oneself and letting the characters speak their truth, no matter how complex or dark the themes may get! In this episode we cover:* Why writing for kids is not that different* Zooming in and out in your character's voice* Letting your characters develop  Episode Timeline & Chapters:  (00:00) - Introduction (09:05) - Writing for Young Readers or Older (23:18) - Exploring Theme with Story (29:11) - Letting Characters Develop (45:10) - Candle Island (48:18) - Supporting Young Readers Lauren's Information: Lauren Wolk is best known for her novels, including the New York Times bestselling novel Wolf Hollow, which won a 2017 Newbery Honor, the 2016 New England Book Award, a 2017 Jane Addams Honor, the 2018 Massachusetts Book Award, and other honors. Wolk's latest novel, Candle Island, published in 2025, was a finalist for the New England Book Award.  Collectively, her books have won over 50 state book awards. Lauren is also the Massachusetts Reading Association’s 2024 Children’s Literature Award winner and the author of two new picture books, currently in production. She is also as a visual artist represented by the Larkin Gallery (Provincetown and Harwich Port, Massachusetts), an award-winning poet, and a filmmaker.  laurenwolk.com Lauren's Books: Beyond the Bright Sea or audiobookWolf Hollow or audiobookMy Own Lightning or audiobookEcho Mountain or audiobookCandle Island or audiobookLinks: islandreadersandwriters.org Lauren's headshot photo credit: Robert Nash  Never Miss an Episode: Visit theepilogue.net to view our past interviews, subscribe to our writing podcast in your favorite podcast player, sign up for our newsletter, and watch for upcoming member bonuses such as extended interviews and full video.

    Writing Middle Grade Fiction: Author Interview with Lauren Wolk

  3. 09/15/2025

    The Heroine’s Journey: Writing advice from Gail Carriger

    The Heroine's Journey: Deep Writing Advice from Gail Carriger Welcome to the Epilogue...the craft-focused writing podcast. This time I'm talking to award-winning and best selling author Gail Carriger! We discuss her Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School series, the archaeology of writing, writing connected series, and most especially, she has some great writing tips on the Heroine's Journey--what it is, the structure, and viewing as an alternative to the Hero's Journey. (00:00) - Intro (02:19) - Parasol Protectorate Series (13:28) - The Archaeologist Role of the Author (22:58) - Alien and Normal in Science Fiction (35:11) - The Heroine's Journey (45:09) - The Hero's Journey vs. The Heroine's Journey (56:41) - Genre and Audience Alignment (01:01:54) - Finding Your Role as an Author Gail's Information: Gail Carriger writes books that are hugs, mostly comedies of manners mixed with steampunk, urban fantasy, and sci-fi (plus cozy queer joy as G. L. Carriger). These include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Tinkered Stars, and San Andreas Shifter series for adults, and the Finishing School and Tinkered Starsong series for young adults. Also nonfiction: The Heroine’s Journey. She is published in many languages, has over two million books in print, over a dozen New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, and starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and Romantic Times. Her first book, Soulless, made Audible’s Best list, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book, an IndieBound Notable, and a Locus Recommended Read. She has received the American Library Association’s Alex Award, the Prix Julia Verlanger, the Elbakin Award, the Steampunk Chronicle‘s Reader’s Choice Award, and a Starburner Award. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, cephalopods, and tea. Get early access, specials, and exclusives via her website gailcarriger.com. Gail's Books Mentioned: The Heroine's Journey - or audiobook version Soulless (Parasol Protectorate Book 1) or audiobook version Prudence (Custard Protocol Book 1) or audiobook Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School Book 1) or audiobook Crudrat (Tinkered Stars Book 1) or audiobook Divinity 36 (Tinkered Starsong Book 1) The Sumage Solution (San Andreas Shifters Book 1) [High Heat] Gail Carriger photo credit: Vanessa Applegate. Visit theepilogue.net to view our interviews, sign up for our newsletter, and watch for upcoming member bonuses such as extended interviews and full video.

    The Heroine’s Journey: Writing advice from Gail Carriger

  4. 08/29/2025

    Blurring Protagonists and Antagonists: Writing Tips from Charlie Jane Anders

    Writing with empathy: Charlie Jane Anders's writing advice on character This episode of the Epilogue...writing podcast I talk to Hugo and Nebula award-winning author Charlie Jane Anders! In this interview, we discuss how she gets inside her characters' heads, challenging the traditional ideas of protagonist and antagonist, and writing your way through personal challenges. In addition to writing advice we discuss examples from her work including All the Birds in the Sky, City in the Middle of the Night, as well as her latest book, Lessons in Magic and Disaster. Episode Timeline & Chapters:  (00:00) - Intro (04:30) - Leading the Reader into the Darkness (10:52) - Character Perspectives (14:40) - Protagonists and Antagonists and Neither (16:49) - Points of View and Structure (26:11) - Young Adult Perspectives (32:52) - Defamiliarization in Science Fiction (41:11) - Finding the Perspective (46:04) - Writing Through Personal Challenge (51:53) - Outro Charlie Jane's Information: Charlie Jane Anders is the author of Lessons in Magic and Disaster, coming August 2025 from Tor Books. Her other novels include All the Birds in the Sky, The City in the Middle of the Night and the young-adult Unstoppable trilogy. She's also the author of the short story collection Even Greater Mistakes, and Never Say You Can't Survive, a book about how to use creative writing to get through hard times. She's won the Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, Lambda Literary, Crawford and Locus Awards. She co-created Escapade, a transgender superhero, for Marvel Comics and wrote her into the long-running New Mutants comic. And she's currently the science fiction and fantasy book reviewer for the Washington Post. With Annalee Newitz, she co-hosts the podcast Our Opinions Are Correct. charliejaneanders.com buttondown.email/charliejane Charlie Jane's Books Mentioned: All the Birds in the SkyCity in the Middle of the NightVictories Greater than Death (first in the Unstoppable Trilogy)Never Say You Can't SurviveEven Greater MistakesLessons in Magic and Disaster Charlie Jane Anders Photo credit: Sarah Deragon/Portraits to the People Visit theepilogue.net to view our interviews, sign up for our newsletter, and watch for upcoming member bonuses such as extended interviews and full video.

    Blurring Protagonists and Antagonists: Writing Tips from Charlie Jane Anders

  5. 06/12/2025

    Myth and Memoir in Fiction Writing: Author Interview with Elisabeth Sharp McKetta

    Blending Myth and Memoir in Writing: Advice from Elisabeth Sharp McKetta In the second episode of our podcast for writers, Elisabeth Sharp McKetta joins to discuss how the mythology we inherit from our cultures and families can be combined with the personal, to enhance our stories. She discusses the similarities of crafting poetry and prose, and how she weaves the magic of myth into her works, making them resonate with readers while keeping things fresh and exciting.  Episode Timeline & Chapters:  (00:00) - Chapter 1 (00:15) - Embracing Mythology in Writing (08:25) - Exploring the Intersection of Fairy Tales and Memoir (21:52) - The Mythology of Water: Crafting a Narrative (31:59) - The Phases of the Heroine's Journey (46:33) - The Journey of Writing from a Child's Perspective Elisabeth's Information: Elisabeth Sharp McKetta is an award-winning writer and writing teacher and a mother of two. With a PhD on the intersections between fairy tales and autobiography, as well as a seven-year streak of writing weekly poems for strangers, she teaches writing for Oxford Department for Continuing Education and for Harvard Extension School, where she won their highest teaching award. She has authored thirteen books across genres, most recently the novels She Never Told Me about the Ocean and Ark, the essay collection Awake with Asashoryu, and the personal growth guide Edit Your Life, based on her experience living three years in a 275-square foot backyard guest house with her family of four (five, if you count the Labrador). She co-edited the anthology What Doesn’t Kill Her: Women’s Stories of Resilience, which Gloria Steinem described as stories that “will help each of us to trust and tell our own.” Elisabeth’s work with myth and memoir, which she began studying at Harvard College and now teaches, has been spotlighted in Harvard Magazine. (elisabethsharpmcketta.com) Elisabeth's Books: She Never Told Me about the Ocean Ark Edit Your Life Elisabeth's Ted Talk: Edit Your Life Like a Poem: TedXBoise Also Mentioned: The Virgin's Promise by Kim Hudson The Heroine with 1001 Faces by Maria Tatar Visit theepilogue.net to view our interviews, sign up for our newsletter, and watch for  upcoming member bonuses such as extended interviews and full video.

    Myth and Memoir in Fiction Writing: Author Interview with Elisabeth Sharp McKetta

  6. 06/02/2025

    Urban fantasy in the everyday: Writing advice from David Slayton

    Write the story that only you can: Writer tips from David Slayton Welcome to the Epilogue...writing podcast. For our very first episode, I am joined by David Slayton, award-winning fantasy author, to explore the connection between his life experiences and his literary work. He reflects on the struggles of growing up in an environment that marked him as different, which informs the diverse characters he crafts in his novels, including his urban fantasy, starting with *White Trash Warlock*, and his subsequent high fantasy, *Dark Moon, Shallow Sea*. We also delve into the significance of representation and the necessity of authentic voices in literature. Episode Timeline & Chapters:  (00:00) - Chapter 1 (00:15) - Exploring the Boundaries of Imagination in Writing (04:48) - The Heroine's Journey: A New Perspective on Storytelling (10:09) - Exploring Urban Fantasy Tropes (19:41) - Exploring Character Depth: Bobby's Journey (28:04) - Writing Diverse Characters: Understanding Identity and Empathy (30:55) - Exploring Rogue Community College: A New Fantasy Adventure (40:10) - The Ghost Mist and the Dying World (47:53) - Personal Traumas and Character Development (52:44) - The Journey of the Author David's information: David R. Slayton (He/Him) grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where finding fantasy novels was pretty challenging and finding ones with diverse characters was downright impossible. Now he lives in Denver with his partner Brian and writes the books he always wanted to read. His debut, White Trash Warlock, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. In 2015, David founded Trick or Read, an initiative to give out books along with candy to children on Halloween as well as uplift lesser-known authors or those from marginalized backgrounds. His epic fantasy, Dark Moon, Shallow Sea, won the 2024 Colorado Book Award. Find him online at www.DavidRSlayton.com. David's books: White Trash Warlock (First in the Adam Binder Series) Rogue Community CollegeDark Moon Shallow Sea Also mentioned: Check out Gail Carriger's The Heroine's Journey Visit theepilogue.net to view our interviews, sign up for our newsletter, and watch for upcoming member bonuses such as extended interviews and full video.

    Urban fantasy in the everyday: Writing advice from David Slayton
  • 6 Episodes

5
out of 5
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About

Welcome to The Epilogue... a writing podcast that goes deep into the art and craft of storytelling. Each episode, we sit down for a deep-dive author interview with a successful writer for an exploration of story and for writing advice you can bring to your own work.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Stubblefield | Masterclass Author Interviews
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Michael Stubblefield
  • Show Website
    The Epilogue...(a writing podcast)