How To Write The Future

161. Interview with Kathryn Nelson, Fantasy Novelist

• BETH BARANY • Season 1 • Episode 161

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“So you see that the main characters’ relationship develop. You see how their country's changing, their themes of mental health and women's rights, social justice, there's magical gems. There's Ice Giants, elves, yeah, all of the good things.“ - Kathryn Nelson


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. 


ABOUT KATHRYN NELSON

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.

Website: https://www.kathrynnelsonwriter.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KathrynNelsonWriterFB

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kathrynnelsonwriter

TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@kathrynnelsonwriter

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@kathrynnelsonwriter

Newsletter Sign-up for free ebook: https://www.kathrynnelsonwriter.com/gifts


ABOUT BETH BARANY

Beth Barany, an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist, teaches novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor.


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  • SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
  • SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c. 2025 BETH BARANY

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BETH BARANY:

Hi everyone. Welcome or welcome back to How to Write the Future podcast. I'm your host, Beth Barany, and I am a science fiction and fantasy writer and, writing coach, teacher editor, and filmmaker. I run this podcast because I'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? 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. So I'm very excited today to bring to you a special guest, an author, a fantasy novelist, Kathryn Nelson. Kathryn, welcome. So glad you could be here.

KATHRYN NELSON:

Lovely. Thank you for having me.

BETH BARANY:

And I understand you're calling in from, Northern Ireland, is that right?

KATHRYN NELSON:

yeah, that's right. It's quite warm over here actually at the moment. Not too bad.

BETH BARANY:

I'm in the foggy San Francisco Bay area this morning. So with the magic of technology, we can connect in real time. It's so wonderful. So everyone, I'm gonna read to you a little bit about Catherine so you can get to know her, and then we're gonna dive into our interview. 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, wilts conjuring dragons from the sky, questing for silky in the sea, and conversing with fairies in the woods. What a beautiful bio. Welcome again, Catherine. So glad you could be here and I'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. That's so wonderful.

KATHRYN NELSON:

Yeah,

BETH BARANY:

definitely. Yeah. so good. so you obviously bring your Irishness to all that you create. I could just tell from your bio. So I was wondering if you could answer for us: How can the fantasy genre provide a unique perspective on issues close to home?

KATHRYN NELSON:

I think 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. So I write about, social change and parenting and family stuff, and relationships and it's set in this fantasy world. And at one point they go visit the ice giants and their whole society is a matriarchy. So just really interesting what if, what if question, I think. And sci-fi as fantasy and sci-fi as well, vehicle for those sorts of questions.

BETH BARANY:

I totally agree. That's wonderful. And is it the ice giants that are matriarchal?

KATHRYN NELSON:

Yeah. Yeah. They've got a matriarchy, but also it's more of like an anarchy, but like in the best sort of way they'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. 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 monarchy and then she visits the neighboring country and more a communist style government going on. And then she goes, the Ice Giant Society. How she can then take these lessons back to her country.

BETH BARANY:

I really love that. I'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'm doing it one book at a time. Why in your opinion, do you think we need to see real people navigating living in these fantasy worlds?

KATHRYN NELSON:

I think it's really important because they're role models that archetype and they for me, like I find, like I'm influenced by what these characters do. Do in this situation. Okay. Admire them and what they do. And I just see a lot of not very good role models sometimes in public culture. Not just books, but culture in general. And I just find it really part. Sometimes like bad stories are more inspiring for me because I'm like, oh, that's so annoying. Like I really wanna that story in a better way. where, the women's got more of a voice that, is, yeah, just a better role annoys me when women, then like really wi. when I was reading that stuff, as a teenager, I'd be like, oh, I'm not like that. that's just not realistic.

BETH BARANY:

Yeah. Yeah. And then it's like there's no way that you could ever aspire to that because it's completely unrealistic to how real people operate. Yeah.

KATHRYN NELSON:

Yeah, definitely. And. 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's not helpful.

BETH BARANY:

Yeah. So you'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.

KATHRYN NELSON:

Yeah, definitely. And yeah, I don't like anything too dark, there's enough dark stuff going on in the world, like there could be excitement, but yeah, definitely a happy ending. I've been reading a lot of cozy fantasy recently, which is just really nice. Just like people being nice to each other, nice things happening. It's just really, yeah. Nice.

BETH BARANY:

I've read a few cozy fantasies. I've really enjoyed them. I do read a lot of cozy mysteries. My favorite are the cozy mystery fantasies. Putting that all. Okay. Yeah. Oh, that's great. And this really segues us to the next question, which is how can fiction, that explores solutions inspire a brighter future?

KATHRYN NELSON:

I think it's what we've been talking about role models, about, or they what if questions, 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? So about growing food in cities and rewilding rivers and, what would neighborhoods at the time there was talk about, oh. You can't do and you've gotta do that and all like real negative stuff or do and gloom stuff. And I was like, let's think about what this could look like and try and do it in a really positive way because what you're imagining is what's gonna happen

BETH BARANY:

I so agree, you're reminding me of this movement that people are creating art in called Thrutopia. Are you familiar with Thrutopia?

KATHRYN NELSON:

Oh, I heard the phrase the other day.

BETH BARANY:

It was coined by, I believe, an activist who, and then I learned it from, Amanda Scott, who'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? 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? I watch a lot of YouTube, so I watch videos about, oh look, they took a plane. golf course, and they turned it, they rewild it. Oh, look how they did that, and look what happened. So showing positive stories and how the collective comes together to make the decision, and then the positive impact that has and how that'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. Yeah.

KATHRYN NELSON:

Yeah. It's amazing. Yeah. And amazing how stories can help show, show that way.

BETH BARANY:

Yeah. I love it. so those are some short stories that you wrote that you haven't published yet?

KATHRYN NELSON:

yes. But sorts of themes weave free, Like healthier family dynamics and, the main character eventually ends up on like the governing committee in the country. And she's like the first woman to do that. female up on those higher levels of management. So yeah, those sorts of things that.

BETH BARANY:

Oh, that'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? We'll start with where we are right now.

KATHRYN NELSON:

I think there can be a lot of negativity. It's, we've been, isn't it those positive stories, positive role not to like completely ignore the less positive stuff that's going on, and not to you acknowledge that at the same time also of the story, but it's about, I think it's where you, where your goes is where your energy flows is. Focus what you, what you look at. I saw your bio. You talk about neuro linguistic programming, like the words that you use how you, how you talk, that self talk and how you talk to other people. Like it's all so important. And if you want to go in a more positive direction and healthier, we need those role models, stories which can help us navigate our journey.

BETH BARANY:

That's beautiful. 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.

KATHRYN NELSON:

Yeah. Gems and giant series. there's four books in ebook, paperback and audiobook. Syria is married to the high commander taken the thrown away from the king is holding the country in a grip of military tyranny. And she is kidnapped by the monarchist rebel who's go on an adventure. And so that's book one. And then the next books are set all kind of a year apart. So you kind see that the main characters relationship develop. You see how their country's changing, their themes of mental health and women's rights, social justice, there's magical gems. there's Ice Giants, elves, yeah, all of the good things. Is free if you sign up for my newsletter. So if you go to my website and sign up for the newsletter, you can Yeah. Check it out.

BETH BARANY:

Oh, that's wonderful. And so tell us, your website link.

KATHRYN NELSON:

so it's KathyrnNelsonWriter.com

BETH BARANY:

Beautiful. I encourage everyone to check it out. I will definitely check it out. 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?

KATHRYN NELSON:

no, I think that's covered everything. I feel like we've got quite and different, you know, similar themes in our writing.

BETH BARANY:

Absolutely. And I love that you're dealing with mental health issues. I'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're doing that and, I presence strong women, as my main characters in all my stories.'cause cause, role models, we need role models. Yeah. So this is wonderful. I just wanna thank you so much, Catherine. I hope that this was a good first interview. I know. it's, we all have to start somewhere, and I definitely would love to hear more about you and your work as it evolves. So we'll definitely have to have you back. and, yeah, that's it. and, just wanna thank you again for being a guest.

KATHRYN NELSON:

thank you so much for having me. I really enjoyed it.

BETH BARANY:

that's so great. Alright everyone, that's it for this week. Write long and prosper.