Write the story that only you can!

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.

Chapters:

• 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

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