Writing the Broomstick
The podcast where you'll get your dose of magic and dash of writing advice all in one juicy elixir. Join a couple of authors in our ramblings about all-things fantasy, paranormal fiction, and magical realism. Our goal is to help you iron out your mystical world and open up the floor to a weird and witchy conversation. ★ Follow us @writingthebroom and get in touch: writingthebroomstick@gmail.com / writingthebroomstick.com ★ Hosts: Katrina Tortorici Anglehart (K.T. Anglehart) is a freelance editor and author of teen/YA urban fantasy "The Wise One"—the first of "The Scottish Scrolls" series. She enjoys laughing at her and Genny's shenanigans while trying desperately to maintain her composure. ★ @kt_anglehart | ktanglehart.com ★ Genevieve Methot is a freelance writer and emerging author of new adult fantasy trilogy "The Needle of Ingress" (release date TBD). She is often called out for being self-deprecating and breaking out in song during awkward moments. ★ @genny_met
Episodes
23 episodes
{EP 23} Witches & Witchcraft 101: Getting Into the Mind of a Witch
For millennia, witches have been a source of fear, fascination, persecution, oppression, hope, and bewilderment. Tales of witches go back as far as time and appear in every culture on the planet. So, as a writer, how do you even begin to und...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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36:34
(EP. 22) Writing Prompts to Inspire Your Ghost Story
Ever walk into an empty room and feel like you’re being watched? Ever feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end for no apparent reason? Maybe you’ve encountered a real-live ghost. In this week’s spoooooooky episode, we’re talking ...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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31:14
(EP. 21} The History and Cultural Origin of Halloween (or Samhain)
Halloween….the spookiest time of year. When the veil that separates the living and the dead gets dangerously thin. Welcome back, writers and weavers to season three of Writing the Broomstick!No matter where you live in...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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23:19
{EP. 20} Magical Abilities You Can Give Your Fantasy Character
If you could have any magical ability in the world, what would it be? Would you fly over the rooftops of your hometown? Would you control fire and water? Would you bring your poor houseplant back to life? In today’s episode, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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47:13
{EP. 19} How to Get Creative Writing Time and Seasons in Your Fantasy Novel
Writing about time in your fantasy novel is a real see-you-next-Tuesday. I mean, all our months, weekdays, and seasons sound so...Earthly. And if you’re wondering if your reader notices when you say “February” when describing a month of the ...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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27:18
{EP. 18} The Origins of Satan + Tips on Writing About the Devil in Your Dark Fantasy or Horror Novel
The Devil, the Beast, 666, the Dark One, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Satan—whatever you want to call him, this character has been a point of fear and fascination for 3,000 years, and it’s a figure that pops up quite frequently in dark fantasy ...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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32:51
{EP. 17} How to Create/Write About Cities, Real and Imagined
New York City, Paris, King’s Landing, Chicago, Metropolis: What do all these cities have in common? They’re all featured in fantasy novels. Whether real or imagined, cities are common settings in urban fantasy and high fantasy alike.
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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36:25
{EP.16} Special Mini Episode: Satyrs!
In today’s special mini-episode, Genny flies solo as Katrina takes one small step for woman, one giant step for adulthood. And, of course, left to her own devices, Genny chooses to talk about satyrs, those Ancient Greek mythological creatures w...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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11:21
{EP. 15} Mermaids in Fantasy Fiction (and Why We're So Goshdarn Fascinated)
Mermaid straight ahead! A’hoy mateys. Today, we’re going unda da sea and into the mysterious world of mermaids, mermen, and merfolk! We want to know where our fascination with mermaids comes from. To do that, we need to go back to the beginn...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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34:37
{EP. 14} How to Create a Fantasy Villain Your Readers Love to Hate
Villains are people too! Well, sometimes. In today’s episode, we’re talking about those characters that your readers love to hate. From the worst of human nature to the best of supernatural species, every reader is looking for a good “bad gu...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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37:54
{EP. 13} Trees & Their Magical Properties, with Author & Tree Expert Sonja F. Blanco
Last week we obsessed over plants, this week we swoon over trees. And who better to discuss trees and their magical properties than tree expert, landscape architect, and novelist Sonja F. Blanco. We were so beyond thrilled to...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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58:50
{EP. 12} Herbalism & Magic: Plants to Inspire Your Witchy Character's Magical Practices
What is a witch’s spell without plants? In today’s episode, Katrina and Genny dive into the world of herbalism and magic. Every plant on the planet is imbued with magical properties and health benefits, so we aren’t even going to try and...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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45:04
{EP. 11} Top 10 Fantasy Tropes: To Love or Not to Love?
We’re back! Not exactly from a long, summer holiday, but after two weeks, it felt like forever. In the first episode of our second season (yay!), we explore the topic of fantasy tropes. What are they? Do we love them? Do we hate them?
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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56:23
{EP. 10} How to Make Your Fantasy World More Believable
In today’s episode, Katrina and Genny give you a blueprint (or questionnaire) to help you in the worldbuilding stage of your fantasy writing. Let these questions act as your worldbuilding guide:Ask yourself what kind of socie...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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34:34
{EP. 9} How to Get Book Reviews & Handle the Bad Ones Like a Boss (and NOT React like Lauren Hough)
Last week, the literary world was shook by an author’s craptastic idea to publicly insult people who left 4-star reviews on her GoodReads book page. She was so horrible about it that BookTwitter unleashed the type of vengeance only avid book...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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29:45
{EP. 8} Marketing Your Book 101 with Publisher/Author/Coach Alexa Bigwarfe
Have you decided to self-publish your novel, or are you set on going after a traditional publisher? Guess what: It doesn’t matter which publishing route you take because no matter what, you’re going to have to self-promote your little heart ...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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55:22
{EP. 7} Impostor Syndrome for Writers & How to Manage it
What is impostor syndrome? Maybe you’ve heard this pop psychology phrase buzzing around social media lately, or maybe you’re hearing it for the first time. Put simply, impostor syndrome is the belief that you are a fraud. If you’re a writer ...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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34:12
{EP. 6} Faeries, Warlocks, Black Cats & Witchcraft: Your Questions Answered
What’s the difference between magic and witchcraft? Are faeries big or small—and why, pray tell, are there so many variations of them? What is the connection between black cats and witches? And what are warlocks, really, because they’re actu...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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20:29
{EP. 5} Fantasy Subgenres: What Are the Differences Between Urban Fantasy, Magical Realism & Paranormal Fiction?
Fantasy: Anything not based in reality. Seems like a simple enough definition, but when it comes to literature, there’s so much more to it than that. In this episode, Katrina and Genny break down the fantasy genre and take a closer look into th...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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35:32
{EP. 4} Why Are People So Effing Obsessed With Vampires?
We have just one question: Why vampires? In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at these blood-thirsty sons of b*t***s—from Dracula to Twilight, to everything in between—and breaking down why so many people...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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38:28
{EP. 3} What Kind of Witch Is Your Fantasy Character?
In our third episode, Katrina and Genny dive into the different witchy “types” that might resemble your fantasy protagonist or secondary character. We also show the difference between a witch type (good) and a witch stereotype (bad)—alth...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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38:19
{EP. 2} Traditional vs. Indie Publishing for First-Time Authors
In our second episode, Katrina gives us the low-down on self-publishing for fantasy writers and Genny maintains her cheerleader status for traditional publishing. We go through the pros and cons of both forms of publishing, and Katrina waits pa...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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40:23
{EP. 1} Books to Inspire Your Worldbuilding
In our very first episode, we take a look at the books that inspired us in our worldbuilding and writing. We thought it would be a piece of cake to name all the books that helped us create our own fantasy worlds, but it turned out to be ...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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37:55