Episode 1 - How we write

Welcome to Fictional Problems — where two writers, A.R. MacNeillan and Gary J. Martin, dissect the craft of speculative fiction. In Episode 1 Part 1 they explore how character, plot, and worldbuilding interlock; how history and culture shape identities; writing faith and religion authentically; character motivations and moral ambiguity; audience expectations and tropes (hello, vampires); and how small details and omissions invite reader engagement. Join them as they map the decisions that ripple across story worlds and characters.