198. Beginning, Middle, End — And Mess

How To Write The Future

How To Write The Future
198. Beginning, Middle, End — And Mess
Mar 30, 2026 Season 1 Episode 198
BETH BARANY

“Life is messy. Life is unpredictable, and so is creating. Make room for that. Create compassion.” - Beth Barany

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, titled “Beginning, Middle, End — And Mess” host Beth Barany shares why embracing the mess in creativity can have powerful results.


GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING - START HERE

Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/



  • SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
  • SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade
  • EDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompart

c. 2026 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

Questions? Comments? Send us a text!

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JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?

Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe


FREE: Sign up here for the World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers

Overwhelmed by world-building? Use these prompts to brainstorm your story’s world: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/


SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74


Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!

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CREDITS

EDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)
MUSIC: Uppbeat.io
DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465

Episode Artwork 198. Beginning, Middle, End — And Mess 4:17 Episode Artwork 197. Business Advice Creatives Can Actually Use 8:44 Episode Artwork 196. Fun Values Check-In for Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writers 7:54 Episode Artwork 195. Trust Your Creative Process 7:26 Episode Artwork 194. Risk Taking Without Desperation: Write From Trust 7:53 Episode Artwork 193. Marketing and Selling Tips for Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers 6:05 Episode Artwork 192. Level Up with Writer Feedback 7:46 Episode Artwork 191. Writing Constraints: The Fast Creativity Reset 5:01 Episode Artwork 190. Ethical AI for Writers with Ana del Valle 17:05 Episode Artwork 189. World-Building Without Information Dumping 6:03 Episode Artwork 188. Fantasy Steampunk: Do You Need Magic? 4:55 Episode Artwork 187. Decode The Obsidian Tower's Setting 8:26 Episode Artwork 186. How Much Science in Your Sci-Fi Stories? 5:55 Episode Artwork 185. How to Find a Literary Agent 4:53 Episode Artwork 184. Writing Consistently: Facts and Myths 9:43 Episode Artwork 183. How to Handle Plot Holes Effectively 6:49 Episode Artwork 182. Writer's Block: Five Steps Forward 8:51 Episode Artwork 181. Writing Through Chaos: Creativity and Resilience with Catharine Bramkamp 27:44 Episode Artwork 180. Crafting Ethical AI Worlds with Abigail Hing Wen 12:33 Episode Artwork 179. Building Character-Driven Action Adventure Stories with Lawrence Connolly 28:18 Episode Artwork 178. Future Fantasy, Real-World Resilience with Randee Dawn 26:19 Episode Artwork 177. Monsters and Humanity in Fiction with Surekha Davies 28:59 Episode Artwork 176. Bailey Lang's Habits of Mind for Writers 25:43 Episode Artwork 175. Tricking Yourself into Writing Habits with LA Bourgeois 20:56 Episode Artwork 174. Seamless Queer Characters in Fantasy World Building with Chad Grayson 27:28