{"id":29672,"date":"2025-07-14T03:32:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T10:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=29672"},"modified":"2025-07-14T09:37:20","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T16:37:20","slug":"interview-with-kathryn-nelson-fantasy-novelist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2025\/07\/14\/interview-with-kathryn-nelson-fantasy-novelist\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Kathryn Nelson, Fantasy Novelist"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/HTWTF-Episode-161-Blog-Images-2.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-29676 size-full\" title=\"Image of Beth Barany and Kathryn Nelson\" src=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/HTWTF-Episode-161-Blog-Images-2.png\" alt=\"Image of Fantasy Novelists Beth Barany and Kathryn Nelson,\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/HTWTF-Episode-161-Blog-Images-2.png 300w, https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/HTWTF-Episode-161-Blog-Images-2-80x80.png 80w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/HTWTF-Episode-161-Blog-Images-3.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-29678 size-full\" title=\"Quote from Kathryn Nelson\" src=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/HTWTF-Episode-161-Blog-Images-3.png\" alt=\"Quote from Kathryn Nelson, fantasy Novelist\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/HTWTF-Episode-161-Blog-Images-3.png 300w, https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/HTWTF-Episode-161-Blog-Images-3-80x80.png 80w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Interview with Kathryn Nelson, Fantasy Novelist &#8211; How To Write the Future podcast, episode 161<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So you see that the main characters\u2019 relationship develop. You see how their country&#8217;s changing, their themes of mental health and women&#8217;s rights, social justice, there&#8217;s magical gems. There&#8217;s Ice Giants, elves, yeah, all of the good things.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c &#8211; Kathryn Nelson<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From Ice-giants, fantasy worlds, to the power of fantasy in addressing real-life issues. In this How To Write the Future episode, host Beth Barany talks to fellow fantasy Novelist Kathryn Nelson, where they discuss writing about matriarchal societies within their novels, including why there is a need for strong character role models. Plus, Beth and Kathryn explore positive futures through storytelling.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Platforms the podcast is available on:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/161-interview-with-kathryn-nelson-fantasy-novelist\/id1641025914?i=1000717140641\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple Podcasts<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/2012061\/episodes\/17497523-161-interview-with-kathryn-nelson-fantasy-novelist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Buzzsprout<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/5hU9RKT21716KZS4KtdhCj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Spotify<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/music.amazon.com\/podcasts\/ca590618-5630-4450-aa17-7e2f35359a76\/episodes\/5c5c4bb2-db3b-4028-8dec-c00a1c8923ef\/how-to-write-the-future-161-interview-with-kathryn-nelson-fantasy-novelist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon Music<\/a>|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/EpDETfMWFH0?si=-LfSoI-cRXX7OlzM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EpDETfMWFH0?si=-LfSoI-cRXX7OlzM\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><script type='text\/javascript' charset='utf-8' src='https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/2012061.js?container_id=buzzsprout-large-player&#038;player=large'><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><b>RESOURCES<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>FOR CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSIONALS &#8211; BUILD YOUR BUSINESS SERVING WRITERS<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sign up to be notified when our training opens and get a short Creative Business Style Quiz to help you create success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bethbarany.com\/apprenticeship\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/bethbarany.com\/apprenticeship\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Support our work for creatives!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buy me a coffee:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/bethbarany\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/bethbarany<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING &#8211; START HERE<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers:<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/world-building-resources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/world-building-resources\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>GET SOME FREE WRITING COACHING LIVE ON THE PODCAST<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany:<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/story-success-clinic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/story-success-clinic\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>GET SUPPORT FOR YOUR FICTION WRITING BY A NOVELIST AND WRITING TEACHER AND COACH<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/discovery-call\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/discovery-call\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About the How To Write the Future podcast<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How To Write The Future<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> podcast is for science fiction and fantasy writers who want to write positive futures and successfully bring those stories out into the marketplace. Hosted by Beth Barany, science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. We cover tips for fiction writers.This podcast is for readers too if you\u2019re at all curious about the future of humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This podcast is for you if you have questions like:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; How do I create a believable world for my science fiction story?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; How do I figure out what&#8217;s not working if my story feels flat?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; How do I make my story more interesting and alive?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This podcast is for readers, too, if you\u2019re at all curious about the future of humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>ABOUT KATHRYN NELSON\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/KATHRYN-NELSON_IMG.avif\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-29597 size-medium\" title=\"Kathryn Nelson\" src=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/KATHRYN-NELSON_IMG-225x300.avif\" alt=\"Image of Kathryn Nelson\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/KATHRYN-NELSON_IMG-225x300.avif 225w, https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/KATHRYN-NELSON_IMG.avif 572w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kathryn Nelson is a writer of honest fantasy, genuine heroines, and wellness wisdom. She lives in Northern Ireland with her husband and Irish red setter and spends her time sitting at a sunny desk overlooking her wild garden when writing every day. She enjoys long walks in the hills and by the coast, whilst conjuring dragons from the sky, questing for selkie in the sea, and conversing with fairies in the woods.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Website: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kathrynnelsonwriter.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.kathrynnelsonwriter.com\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facebook:<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KathrynNelsonWriterFB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/KathrynNelsonWriterFB<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram:<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kathrynnelsonwriter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kathrynnelsonwriter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TikTok:<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@kathrynnelsonwriter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@kathrynnelsonwriter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">YouTube:<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@kathrynnelsonwriter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@kathrynnelsonwriter<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Newsletter Sign-up for free ebook:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kathrynnelsonwriter.com\/gifts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.kathrynnelsonwriter.com\/gifts<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transcript for episode 161 Interview with Kathryn Nelson, Fantasy Novelist<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introduction\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Hi everyone. Welcome or welcome back to How to Write the Future podcast. I&#8217;m your host, Beth Barany, and I am a science fiction and fantasy writer, and, writing coach, teacher, editor, and filmmaker.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I run this podcast because I&#8217;m very interested in talking to authors and other futurists and other people who care about the future because I believe with story, with our stories, we can help people reshape how they think of what could be possible. And my big focus is on helping us be new humans. How can we change the way we interact with others and also with ourself?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And my focus is on positive, optimistic futures because why not? Our creativity is incredible. Why not use it to create worlds and relationships that would benefit all of us, everybody and all living creatures on this planet.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[00:59] Guest Introduction: Kathryn Nelson\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> So I&#8217;m very excited today to bring to you a special guest, an author, a fantasy novelist, Kathryn Nelson.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kathryn, welcome. So glad you could be here.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Lovely. Thank you for having me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> And I understand you&#8217;re calling in from Northern Ireland, is that right?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yeah, that&#8217;s right. It&#8217;s quite warm over here actually at the moment. Not too bad.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I&#8217;m in the foggy San Francisco Bay area this morning. So with the magic of technology, we can connect in real time. It&#8217;s so wonderful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[01:27] Kathryn&#8217;s Background and Inspirations\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> So everyone, I&#8217;m gonna read to you a little bit about Kathryn so you can get to know her, and then we&#8217;re gonna dive into our interview.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So Kathryn Nelson is a writer of honest fantasy, genuine heroines and wellness wisdom. She lives in Northern Ireland with her husband and Irish Red Setter. And spends her time sitting at a sunny desk, overlooking her wild garden when writing every day. She enjoys long walks in the hills and by the coast, whilst conjuring dragons from the sky, questing for selkie in the sea, and conversing with fairies in the woods.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What a beautiful bio. Welcome again, Kathryn. So glad you could be here, and I&#8217;m really excited to talk to you about, I know something we have in common with our fiction is featuring strong, interesting women in the leading role.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That&#8217;s so wonderful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yeah, definitely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yeah. So good. So you obviously bring your Irishness to all that you create. I could just tell from your bio.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[02:29] The Power of Fantasy in Addressing Real Issues\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> So I was wondering if you could answer for us: How can the fantasy genre provide a unique perspective on issues close to home?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I think the fantasy genre is really interesting because you can make up these kind of different worlds, and be different magic and different organizations for society and whole new planets. And then you can get this whole different perspective at issues close to home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So I write about social change and parenting and family stuff, and relationships and it&#8217;s set in this fantasy world. And at one point they go and visit the ice giants and their whole society is a matriarchy, so just really interesting what if, what if question, I think. And fantasy and sci-fi as well, are a really good vehicle for those sorts of questions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I totally agree. That&#8217;s wonderful. And is it the ice giants that are matriarchal?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yeah. Yeah. They&#8217;ve got a matriarchy, but also it&#8217;s more of like an anarchy, but like in the best sort of way they&#8217;ve put this which is do what you want and you take personal responsibility for your actions. Yeah, some interesting consequences for the story kind of progression.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And then, the main characters come from what was, starts off in the story as like a military tyranny, dictatorship, and then it transitions into a monarchy and then she visits the neighboring country and more a communist style government going on. And then she goes and visits the Ice Giants, and other societies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How she can then take these lessons back to her country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I really love that. I&#8217;m doing something similar in my science fiction space station mystery series, where my main character gets to see different kinds of societies, but I&#8217;m doing it one book at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[04:14] Role Models in Fiction<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Why in your opinion, do you think we need to see real people navigating, living in these fantasy worlds?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I think it&#8217;s really important because they&#8217;re role models that archetype and they for me, like I find, like I&#8217;m influenced by what these characters do in this situation. Okay. I\u2019m going to behave like them and really admire them and what they do. And I just see a lot of not very good role models sometimes in public culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not just books, but culture in general. And I just find it really, part of the reason I like writing is cause sometimes like bad stories are more inspiring for me because I&#8217;m like, oh, that&#8217;s so annoying.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like I really wanna retell that story in a better way, where the women&#8217;s got more of a voice that is, yeah, just a better role model. It annoys me when women, then are either like really wimpy or they can go for like a week with like no food and no sleep and then be like fight a big battle at the end. It\u2019s like, when I was reading that stuff, as a teenager, I&#8217;d be like, oh, I&#8217;m not like that. That&#8217;s just not realistic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yeah. Yeah. And then it&#8217;s like there&#8217;s no way that you could ever aspire to that, because it&#8217;s completely unrealistic to how real people operate. Yeah.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yeah, definitely. And, and when you try to learn and like navigate relationships as well. Then there\u2019s examples of bad relationships for the sake of drama or the sake of the story, but they actually mad modeling, really core behavior. And that sets up in your expectations for you. The relationships you have in real life yeah, it&#8217;s just, yeah not helpful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yeah. So you&#8217;re really pointing to something that I really, love also about stories is that using your stories to model the best of humanity, even in, inside of a fantastical setting. I love that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yeah, definitely. And yeah, I don&#8217;t like anything too dark, there&#8217;s enough dark stuff going on in the world, like there could be a bit of dark, a bit of adventure, a bit of excitement, but yeah, definitely a happy ending. I&#8217;ve been reading a lot of cozy fantasy recently, which is just really nice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just like people being nice to each other, nice things happening. It&#8217;s just really, yeah, nice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I&#8217;ve read a few cozy fantasies. I&#8217;ve really enjoyed them. I do read a lot of cozy mysteries. My favorite are the cozy mystery fantasies. Putting that all together.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Okay.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah. Oh, that&#8217;s great.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[06:39] Exploring Positive Futures Through Stories\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> And this really segues us to the next question, which is how can fiction that explores solutions inspire a brighter future?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I think it&#8217;s what we&#8217;ve been talking about from the role models, about, all of those what if questions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I wrote a series of short stories a while ago, not published, but just as like thought exercises about kind of environmental problems and visioning, what would those solutions look like?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So about growing food in cities and rewilding rivers and, what would neighborhoods, at the time there was talk about, oh, you can&#8217;t do this and you&#8217;ve gotta do that and all like real negative stuff or doom and gloom stuff. And I was like, let&#8217;s think about what this could look like and try and do it in a really positive way because what you&#8217;re imagining is what&#8217;s gonna happen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I so agree, you&#8217;re reminding me of this movement that people are creating art in called Thrutopia. Are you familiar with Thrutopia?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Oh, I heard the phrase the other day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It was coined by, I believe, an activist who, and then I learned it from Amanda Scott, who&#8217;s a writer, a British writer who then taught a wonderful class that I was a part of a few years ago. Where writers are and other artists are using their creativity and imagination to write stories about, what if positive environmental change, and how do we not utopia, which is when everything is all worked out, but how do we get there?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do we go through the present moment into the kind of world we wanna create? So how do people come and work together? How do collectives make decisions to benefit the community?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I watch a lot of YouTube, so I watch videos about, oh look, they took a plain golf course, and they turned it, they rewild it. Oh, look how they did that, and look what happened.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So showing positive stories and how the collective comes together to make the decision, and then the positive impact that has and how that&#8217;s happening now, or it could happen tomorrow. And so showing us the steps that we can take to make these bigger changes that affect the communities, the communities that we live in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yeah. It&#8217;s amazing. Yeah. And amazing how stories can help show, show that way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yeah. I love it. So those are some short stories that you wrote that you haven&#8217;t published yet?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yes, but those sorts of themes weave through my novels as well, you know the talks about city healthcare and like healthier family dynamics and, the main character eventually ends up on like the governing committee in the country. And she&#8217;s like the first woman to do that. The female voices up on those higher levels of management, so yeah, those sorts of things that..\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Oh, that&#8217;s wonderful. I really love that. And that brings us to this next question, which is: why is creating healthy role models for women crucial in 2025 and beyond?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We&#8217;ll start with where we are right now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I think there can be a lot of negativity, like in the news, social engagement, but I think, it&#8217;s just what we&#8217;ve been saying isn&#8217;t it? About those positive stories, positive role models. Not to like completely ignore the less positive stuff that&#8217;s going on, and not to, you know, you\u2019ve got to acknowledge that at the same time, it\u2019s also part of the story, but it&#8217;s about, I think it&#8217;s, you know, where your, What\u2019s the phrase, where your attention goes is where your energy flows? Is that the phrase? Like that\u2019s you know, what you focus on, what you, what you look at.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I saw your bio. You talk about neuro linguistic programming, like the words that you use and how you, how you talk, that self talk and how you talk to other people. Like it&#8217;s all so important. And if you want to go in a more positive direction and see healthier, yeah we need those role models, stories which can help us navigate our journey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> That&#8217;s beautiful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[10:35] Kathryn&#8217;s Book Series Overview<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I love seeing your books behind you and I was wondering if you could give us the short, back of the book blurb about your series, about Book one to entice people to check out your books.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yeah. Gems and Giant series. There&#8217;s four books in ebook, paperback and audiobook. Siria is married to the high commander, who has taken the thrown away from the king and is holding the country in a grip of military tyranny. And she is kidnapped by the monarchist rebel who&#8217;s hoping to turn her to his cause, and they go on an adventure, and so that&#8217;s book one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And then the next books are set all kind of a year apart. So you kind of see the main characters relationship develop, you see how their country&#8217;s changing. There\u2019s themes of mental health and women&#8217;s rights, social justice. There&#8217;s magical gems. There&#8217;s Ice Giants, elves, yeah, all of the good things. Book one is free if you sign up for my newsletter. So if you go to my website and sign up for the newsletter, so you can yeah, check it out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Oh, that&#8217;s wonderful. And so tell us, your website link.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> So it&#8217;s KathyrnNelsonWriter.com\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Beautiful. I encourage everyone to check it out. I will definitely check it out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[11:53] Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> And as we wrap up today, is there anything else that you would like to talk about or bring up, or say as we wrap up our interview?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No, I think that&#8217;s covered everything. It was lovely talking to you. I feel like we&#8217;ve got quite a lot in common, and you know, similar themes in our writing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Absolutely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And I love that you&#8217;re dealing with mental health issues. I&#8217;m actually working on a TV series that I wanna bring out mental health issues in a way that the group is handling well. So I love that you&#8217;re doing that and I presence strong women, as my main characters in all my stories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8216;Cause &#8216; cause, role models, we need role models. Yeah. So this is wonderful. I just wanna thank you so much, Kathryn. I hope that this was a good first interview. I know, it&#8217;s, we all have to start somewhere, and I definitely would love to hear more about you and your work as it evolves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So we&#8217;ll definitely have to have you back, and, yeah, that&#8217;s it. And, just wanna thank you again for being a guest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>KATHRYN NELSON:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BETH BARANY:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> That&#8217;s so great. Alright everyone, that&#8217;s it for this week. Write long and prosper.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/2012061\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/2012061<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><b>Need instructions on how to leave a review? <\/b>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/leave-a-podcast-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Go here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">***<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Support our work for creatives: leave a tip: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/bethbarany\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/bethbarany<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">***<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ABOUT BETH BARANY<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/BETH-BARANY_2023_300px_01-e1701116328224.webp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-27766 size-full alignleft\" title=\"Beth Barany\" src=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/BETH-BARANY_2023_300px_01-e1701116328224.webp\" alt=\"Image of Beth Barany\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beth Barany teaches science fiction and fantasy novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor. She\u2019s an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and runs the podcast, \u201cHow To Write The Future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn more about Beth Barany at these sites:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/author.bethbarany.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Author site<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \/\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/bethbarany.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coaching site<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \/ <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/baranyschooloffiction.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">School of Fiction<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \/ <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.writersfunzone.com\/blog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Writer\u2019s Fun Zone blog<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CONNECT\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact Beth: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/podcast\/#tve-jump-185b4422580\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/podcast\/#tve-jump-185b4422580<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email: beth@bethbarany.com<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LinkedIn:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bethbarany\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bethbarany\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IG: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bethbarany\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bethbarany\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TT: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@bethbarany\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@bethbarany\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FB: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bethbarany\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bethbarany<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">X: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BethBarany\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/BethBarany<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CREDITS<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">EDITED WITH DESCRIPT:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> https:\/\/www.descript.com?lmref=_w1WCA <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Refer-a-Friend link)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MUSIC CREDITS : Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/uppbeat.io\/t\/soundroll\/fuzz-buzz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> https:\/\/uppbeat.io\/t\/soundroll\/fuzz-buzz<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> License code: UMMKDRL02DFGKJ0L. \u201cFuzz buzz\u201d by Soundroll. Commercial license:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/musicvine.com\/track\/soundroll\/fuzz-buzz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> https:\/\/musicvine.com\/track\/soundroll\/fuzz-buzz<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/?referrer_id=1994465\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/?referrer_id=1994465<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Refer-a-Friend link)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">c 2025 BETH BARANY<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/bethbarany.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/bethbarany.com\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more \u201cHow To Write the Future\u201d episodes, go <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/podcast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019d like to invite Beth onto your podcast, drop her a note <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/contact-beth\/#contactbeth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2705 Like the work we do? Tip us! <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/bethbarany\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/bethbarany<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Interview with Kathryn Nelson, Fantasy Novelist &#8211; How To Write the Future podcast, episode 161 *** \u201cSo you see that the main characters\u2019 relationship develop. You see how their country&#8217;s changing, their themes of&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":29676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5099],"tags":[140,1365,6563,4607,5160,6565,6566,6562,6558,2716,6557,1346,6560,6561,6564,2872,5163,5183,5531,5162,6567,6559,5164,1490,5165],"class_list":["post-29672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-write-the-future-podcast","tag-beth-barany","tag-elves","tag-fantasy-power","tag-fiction-writing-tips","tag-futuristics","tag-gems-and-giants-series","tag-genuine-heroines","tag-healthy-role-models","tag-ice-giants","tag-inspirations","tag-kathryn-nelson","tag-magic","tag-relationship-progression","tag-social-justice","tag-song-of-storms","tag-story-telling","tag-story-world-building","tag-strategic-foresight","tag-thrutopia","tag-tips-for-fiction-writers","tag-wellness-wisdom","tag-womens-rights","tag-write-the-future","tag-writing-coaching","tag-writing-teaching"],"yoast_head":"<!-- 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