Speculative Fiction Writing Made Simple: How to Write, Edit, and Publish Your Debut Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Dystopian Novel
Have you ever had a story idea you love—a vivid world, compelling characters, big themes—but every time you sit down to write, something just… isn’t working?
If that sounds familiar, you’re in the right place.
Welcome to Speculative Fiction Writing Made Simple.
In each episode, I tackle one specific problem standing between you and a cohesive, compelling book—whether that’s character arc, plot structure, backstory, worldbuilding, magic systems, genre clarity, revision, or the publishing path. Some episodes are focused teaching sessions where I break down craft and process step by step, and others feature in-depth conversations with industry experts—authors, editors, agents, and publishing professionals—who share real-world insight into what actually works.
No vague advice. No craft mysticism. Just concrete, actionable strategies you can apply immediately (often with free companion workbooks linked right in the show notes).
This podcast is here to help you stop spinning your wheels and start making confident, intentional story choices—so your novel feels grounded, emotionally powerful, and readable all the way through.
I’m your host, Heather Davis—Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach, developmental editor, host of the WorldShift Writing Summit, podcaster, and fellow speculative fiction writer. I’ve spent over a decade helping writers untangle messy drafts, fix stories that almost work, and build novels from the ground up in a way that’s sustainable and actually makes sense.
And let’s be honest: writing a good novel—the kind readers want to finish, recommend, and come back to—is hard. This podcast doesn’t promise shortcuts or overnight success. Instead, it embraces the real, messy, challenging work of storytelling—and gives you the tools to do it well.
If you’ve ever found yourself typing questions like these into Google, this show is for you:
- What is show don't tell?
- What's the difference between scenes and chapters?
- How do I use Save the Cat to structure my novel without it feeling formulaic?
- How do I include backstory without info-dumping?
- Why isn’t my magic system working in my story?
- How do I revise a novel without getting overwhelmed?
- How do I write character driven stories?
- How do I develop my author Voice?
- How do I write fantasy, romantasy, dystopian, science fiction, magical realism, paranormal, horror, or other speculative genres?
- How do I develop my protagonist?
- What is interiority?
- How do I determine the these and Point of my novel?
- How do I create a character arc for my protagonist?
- etc.
So if you’re ready to write a novel you’re proud of—one that holds together, makes readers think, and earns their trust—go ahead and follow or subscribe. It’s the easiest way to support the show and make sure you don’t miss what’s coming next.
Next steps:
If you want to go deeper, get on my email list so you don’t miss my free and paid classes, workshops, and free writing sprints:
👉 https://resources.manyworldswriting.com/U2F1zO
Have a question or want to reach out directly? You can email me anytime at heather@manyworldswriting.com
Until next time, keep writing, keep dreaming, and remember: the world needs your stories right now. Don’t give up on your novel—or yourself.
Speculative Fiction Writing Made Simple: How to Write, Edit, and Publish Your Debut Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Dystopian Novel
Writing Strong Pitches for Querying Success (with Julie Artz) | Episode 48
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Feeling overwhelmed by querying—or stuck in the rejection cycle with no clue what’s “wrong”? You’re not alone. In this episode, I sit down with Julie Artz (author, editor, book coach, and dragon 🐉) to demystify what agents actually want—and how to build a pitch package that makes them want to read more.
We break down what’s inside today’s modern pitch package (including the two pieces Query Manager made way more common), why your synopsis must spoil the ending, and how to avoid the biggest query traps—especially for speculative fiction writers who love their worldbuilding (hi, it’s us).
Julie also shares her go-to framework for tightening your pitch from the inside out: Four Essential Questions that should be clear in your logline, your query, your synopsis, and your pages. Because if you can’t articulate the story in short form, it might be a sign the story itself needs a stronger foundation.
You’ll learn:
✨ Who actually needs to query—and why pitch skills still help self-publishing authors
✨ What’s in a modern pitch package (query, sample pages, one-sentence pitch/logline, synopsis)
✨ Why your synopsis should spoil the ending (and why agents need that)
✨ How to avoid “genre soup” (and what to say when your book is both sci-fi and fantasy)
✨ The Four Essential Questions—and how they reveal what your story might be missing
If querying has been making you feel confused, discouraged, or like you’re shouting into the void, this conversation will help you get grounded, get strategic, and start pitching with way more clarity and confidence.
👉 Grab Julie’s FREE Four Essential Questions Workbook (mentioned in the episode):
https://www.julieartz.com/four-essential-questions-workbook?utm_source=spec-fic-made-simple&utm_medium=podcast&utm_term=guest&utm_content=episode&utm_campaign=get-to-yes
👉 Join Heather's email list for FREE and paid writerly goodies!
https://resources.manyworldswriting.com/U2F1zO
