Have a great story idea but don't know where to start? 📚 In Episode 5 of Mixed Perspectives, Aaron and Immanuel discuss how they start writing a novel, develop story ideas, and build their fantasy worlds.

From outlining and pantsing to discovering magic systems, finding your story's ending, and overcoming the fear of the first draft, we explore different approaches to the creative writing process. We also dive into screenwriting versus novel writing, story structure, writing scenes out of order, and why separating drafting from editing can help you write more effectively.

Whether you're an aspiring author, a fantasy writer, or a seasoned novelist looking for a fresh perspective, join us for an honest conversation about turning the ideas in your head into a story on the page.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? Let us know in the comments!

🎙️ Subscribe to Mixed Perspectives for more conversations about writing, reading, fantasy books, storytelling, and all things nerdy.

Mixed Perspectives Podcast - Episode 4: Embrace the Madness
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What is the reality of being a writer?

In Episode 4 of the Mixed Perspectives Podcast, we embrace the madness of the writing process and talk honestly about what it actually takes to write—and finish—a story.

We discuss our writing journeys, writing habits, novel writing vs. screenwriting, finding time to write with kids, dealing with unfinished stories, rewriting the same book over and over, learning the craft of storytelling, worldbuilding, writing tools, and getting feedback from other writers.

We also talk about the strange satisfaction of finally finishing a book after years of ideas, abandoned drafts, rewrites, and way too many words.

Whether you're a fantasy or sci-fi writer, aspiring author, screenwriter, or someone who has always wanted to write a book, this episode is about the messy, frustrating, and surprisingly rewarding reality of actually doing it.

Tell us about your writing journey in the comments: When did you start writing, and have you ever finished a story?

Hard Magic vs Soft Magic — Which Makes a Better Fantasy Story?

What makes a magic system “hard” or “soft”? In this episode of Mixed Perspectives, two brothers debate the differences between hard magic systems and soft magic systems, how rules and limitations affect fantasy storytelling, and whether a magic system can actually become more important than the story itself.

We talk about worldbuilding, character development, storytelling, magic systems, fantasy writing, and some of our favorite fantasy books and series. From Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings to Mistborn, The Wheel of Time, The Stormlight Archive, Codex Alera, The Name of the Wind, and The Last Unicorn, we look at how different authors use magic to tell their stories.