Episode 184 - Antagonist: Making a Great Villian

This week, Marshall, Brent, Jenna, Shingai and Wil interview Kate Maruyama and LP about the novella craft book they are collaborating on. Happy Holidays to our amazing community! Links mentioned during the show: Episode 159 - An Interview with Kate Maruyama Kate Maruyama Raw Dog Screaming Press Jenna Hanchey Shingai Njeri Kagunda –Twitter –Instagram Support the Show: Patreon Kofi Indie Bound Contact us! JustKeepWriting.org Discord Facebook Instagram YouTube Marshall: Website: www.marshallcarr.com Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @darthpops  Nick:  Website: www.brightinks.org Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @BrightInks Wil:  Email: [email protected]  Instagram: @wilsartrules Brent:  Twitter: @BrentCLambert www.brentclambert.com  LP:  Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LPKindred Linktr.ee/lpkindred  Now, just keep writing!

This week, Marshall, Nick, Brent, and Wil are back again to talk about all things horror! Links mentioned during the show: Vessel: A Nocturnal Realm Series Support the Show: Patreon Kofi Indie Bound Contact us! JustKeepWriting.org Discord Facebook Instagram YouTube Marshall: Website: www.marshallcarr.com Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @darthpops  Nick:  Website: www.brightinks.org Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @BrightInks Wil:  Email: [email protected]  Instagram: @wilsartrules Brent:  Twitter: @BrentCLambert www.brentclambert.com  LP:  Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LPKindred Linktr.ee/lpkindred  Now, just keep writing!

This week, Nick leads Marshall, Brent and Wil in a discussion about all things antagonistic. Links mentioned during the show:   Support the Show: Patreon Kofi Indie Bound Contact us! JustKeepWriting.org Discord Facebook Instagram YouTube Marshall: Website: www.marshallcarr.com Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @darthpops  Nick:  Website: www.brightinks.org Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @BrightInks Wil:  Email: [email protected]  Instagram: @wilsartrules Brent:  Twitter: @BrentCLambert www.brentclambert.com  LP:  Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LPKindred Linktr.ee/lpkindred  Now, just keep writing!

This week, Jenna, Nick, Shingai and Sameem interview Tanvir Ahmed!  Please see the addendum below from Tanvir. Addendum from Tanvir Ahmed: This conversation was recorded in September 2025, and in it, I mentioned that Afghanistan was not presently being bombed. Between then and now, Pakistan bombed Afghanistan and killed dozens from the air, including journalists, cricket players, and children. Pakistan's escalation plans have been broadcast for some time now, as reported in February 2025. The article under discussion in Strange Horizons was about the way Muslims are racialized into monsters, with specific reference to Afghans. That same process is still at work in the ongoing ethnic cleansings of Afghans in Pakistan and Iran. Links mentioned during the show: Brown University's Costs of War Project The Taawon Project for Palestine Lynzy Billing, America’s War in Afghanistan Devastated the Country’s Environment in Ways That May Never Be Cleaned Up Lynzy Billing, The Night Doctrine (and you can read the original investigation here) Beshara Doumani & Gabi Kirk, Inheriting the Impossible Vajra Chandrasekera's acceptance speech upon winning the 2025 Ursula K. LeGuin prize An interview with Indra Das at Seize the Press with comments on the genocide in Palestine   Strange Horizons, Palestine Special Issue (29 March 2021) Samovar, stories from and an interview with Abdul wakil Sulamal Tanvir Ahmed, A Letter Dispatched from the Hills of Afghulistan and the Ramparts of Tarouz (and you can find a fuller list of works here) Support the Show: Patreon Kofi Indie Bound Contact us! JustKeepWriting.org Discord Facebook Instagram YouTube Marshall: Website: www.marshallcarr.com Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @darthpops  Nick:  Website: www.brightinks.org Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @BrightInks Wil:  Email: [email protected]  Instagram: @wilsartrules Brent:  Twitter: @BrentCLambert www.brentclambert.com  LP:  Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LPKindred Linktr.ee/lpkindred  Now, just keep writing!

This week, Marshall, Nick, Brent, and Wil are celebrating spooky month by diving into a discussion about the horror genre! Links mentioned during the show: Vessel: A Nocturnal Realm Series Support the Show: Patreon Kofi Indie Bound Contact us! JustKeepWriting.org Discord Facebook Instagram YouTube Marshall: Website: www.marshallcarr.com Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @darthpops  Nick:  Website: www.brightinks.org Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @BrightInks Wil:  Email: [email protected]  Instagram: @wilsartrules Brent:  Twitter: @BrentCLambert www.brentclambert.com  LP:  Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LPKindred Linktr.ee/lpkindred  Now, just keep writing!

This week, Nick, LP, Sameem, Shingai, and Jenna continue the conversation about reading and writing novellas! Links mentioned during the show: Jenna Hanchey Sameem Siddiqui –Twitter –Website Shingai Njeri Kagunda –Twitter –Instagram –Voodoonauts Support the Show: Patreon Kofi Indie Bound Contact us! JustKeepWriting.org Discord Facebook Instagram YouTube Marshall: Website: www.marshallcarr.com Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @darthpops  Nick:  Website: www.brightinks.org Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @BrightInks Wil:  Email: [email protected]  Instagram: @wilsartrules Brent:  Twitter: @BrentCLambert www.brentclambert.com  LP:  Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LPKindred Linktr.ee/lpkindred  Now, just keep writing!

This week, Marshall, Nick, LP, Sameem, Jenna, Brent and Wil dive into reading and writing novellas! Links mentioned during the show: Episode 159 - An Interview with Kate Maruyama Jenna Hanchey Sameem Siddiqui –Twitter –Website Support the Show: Patreon Kofi Indie Bound Contact us! JustKeepWriting.org Discord Facebook Instagram YouTube Marshall: Website: www.marshallcarr.com Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @darthpops  Nick:  Website: www.brightinks.org Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @BrightInks Wil:  Email: [email protected]  Instagram: @wilsartrules Brent:  Twitter: @BrentCLambert www.brentclambert.com  LP:  Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LPKindred Linktr.ee/lpkindred  Now, just keep writing!

This week, Marshall, Jenna, Sameem, LP, and Wil continue discussing The Secrets of Character, by Matt Bird. In this episode, the crew dives even deeper into chapter two! Grab a copy of the book today and join the conversation in the Discord! Links mentioned during the show: The Secrets of Character - Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love by Matt Bird Jenna Hanchey Sameem Siddiqui –Twitter –Website Support the Show: Patreon Kofi Indie Bound Contact us! JustKeepWriting.org Discord Facebook Instagram YouTube   Marshall: Website: www.marshallcarr.com Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @darthpops  Nick:  Website: www.brightinks.org Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @BrightInks Wil:  Email: [email protected]  Instagram: @wilsartrules Brent:  Twitter: @BrentCLambert www.brentclambert.com  LP:  Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LPKindred Linktr.ee/lpkindred  Now, just keep writing!

This week, Shingai brings Erin Brown, Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, Sarah A. Macklin and Bri Stokes to the table to talk about The Laugh of the Medusa by Hélène Cixous. Links mentioned during the show: The Laugh of the Medusa Erin Brown Yvette Lisa Ndlovu Sarah A. Macklin Bri Stokes Shingai Njeri Kagunda –Twitter –Instagram –Voodoonauts Support the Show: Patreon Kofi Indie Bound Contact us! JustKeepWriting.org Discord Facebook Instagram YouTube Marshall: Website: www.marshallcarr.com Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @darthpops  Nick:  Website: www.brightinks.org Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @BrightInks Wil:  Email: [email protected]  Instagram: @wilsartrules Brent:  Twitter: @BrentCLambert www.brentclambert.com  LP:  Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LPKindred Linktr.ee/lpkindred  Now, just keep writing!

This week, the crew meets up at Woldcon for an in-person podcast! It’s hard to recap the awesomeness of all these folks together in one hotel room in a few sentences, so enjoy the conversation and follow the links below.  –Editor’s Note: This episode sounds great (thanks to Writing Excuses for letting us use their equipment), but is mostly left as it was recorded. Please excuse any audio issues, coughing, mic bumping etc. Leaving this intact to capture the time together was important to me. I appreciate your understanding. -Marshall Links mentioned during the show: Maurice Broaddus Victor Manibo RJ Taylor Nikki Braziel –Autonomy of a Murder –Nikki’s Substack Erin Roberts –Writing Excuses –1000 Hells Jenna Hanchey Sameem Siddiqui –Twitter –Website Gabriel F. Salmerón –Twitter –Instagram Support the Show: Patreon Kofi Indie Bound Contact us! JustKeepWriting.org Discord Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Marshall: Website: www.marshallcarr.com Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @darthpops  Nick:  Website: www.brightinks.org Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @BrightInks Wil:  Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @wil_ralston Instagram: @wilsartrules Brent:  Twitter: @BrentCLambert @fiyahlitmag Fiyah Lit Magazine LP:  Email: [email protected] Twitter: @LPKindred Linktr.ee/lpkindred  Now, just keep writing!