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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 understand the complex nature of a witch’s reality without relying on stereotypes or misconceptions. Welcome, writers and weavers to another spooky episode of Writing the Broomstick. In this episode, Katrina and Genny finally get to talk about one of their most beloved subjects: witches (for those of you who haven’t been paying attention). Because of the immensity of this topic, we decided to focus on what it’s really, really like to be a witch in modern society.  First off, we discuss spells—no, not how to create your own spells, but more precisely, what a spell actually is. Here’s a hint: if you’ve ever dropped to your knees and joined your hands together in prayer, you’ve probably already cast a spell before. We want to give our writers more insight into the devotional aspect of witchcraft, so not only do we understand the spiritual mechanics behind spellcasting, we also open up the discussion to rituals in general.  We try our best not to go off on crazy tangents because it really is a subject we’re both passionate about, but alas, we make a brief stop to talk about the history of witch persecution (Katrina gets very upset) before moving on to a much more lighthearted topic: style. We can’t really talk about the modern witch without mentioning what they wear. And yes, they do have other colours besides black in their wardrobe. Call it kismet, fate, or the divine workings of the universe, our resident tree expert, Sonja F. Blanco has just released her new book this week, and we couldn’t have planned our episode at a better time?! Be sure to get your copy of Witch of Ware Woods. SOURCES: https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2019/10/royal-obsession-black-magic-started-europes-most-brutal-witchScottish Witchcraft by Barabara Meiklejohn-FreeWicca: The Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunninghamhttps://www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials★  ★  ★ Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email [email protected]. Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”. And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.

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 about things that go bump in the night, particularly phantoms, spirits, apparitions, poltergeists….you know, ghosts!  Whether you believe in the existence of ghosts or not, you want to create a well-rounded ghost character that makes us true believers.  But Katrina and Genny are sick of reading the same old clichés. Either ghosts are as friendly as Casper or as evil as demons. We want to read ghost stories that go deeper than the stereotypes. We want to be awed, bewildered, heartbroken, overjoyed, and inspired by ghosts. Think you got what it takes to write an out-of-the-attic ghost story? Here are some writing prompts to help you get started: Ghosts are dead. All the other details are up to you. Your ghost is ancient. Everyone in your story is a ghost except your protagonist. What if society in your book fully embraced the idea that ghosts exist. In other words, what if what we usually ascribe as pseudoscience became the subject of hard scientific study? Everything we think we know about the afterlife is dead wrong Your protagonist can feel themselves disappearing, but no one else notices?A school for ghosts! A bad ghosts vs. good ghosts warHow about a group of friends move into a dorm and become best friends with the ghost(s) that dwells there? A.K.A. Casper Goes to College How about a haunted island? Before we even get to our writing prompts, Katrina and Genny prove that they are true believers in ghosts by sharing their personal encounters with these supernatural beings. What about you? Have you ever seen a ghost?  Stay tuned for another spooky episode coming next week! P.S. We feel the need to apologize in advance for our hyperactiveness in this episode. We're blaming it on too much coffee and the fact that it was the first time we recorded two episodes in a row. Either that or it's almost like we were...possessed ;) ★  ★  ★ Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email [email protected]. Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”. And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.

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 the world, we’re willing to bet that your culture commemorates the end of summer and the beginning of winter...when our ancestors prepared themselves for the harshest months of the year.  In ancient Ireland, the Celts celebrated with the Samhain festival—a time when rural farmers stared darkness in the face with a giant celebration and where spirits roamed the earth.  But how did Samhain evolve into Halloween?  Katrina and Genny take you on a quick tour throughout Celtic Ireland where the seeds of our modern-day Halloween were sown. We discuss the origins of the Jack-o-lantern, trick-or-treating, costumes, and spookiness in general. We then trail off into dreamland where both girls share their experiences of Halloweens gone by.  Suggested Reading for the Spooky Season: The Wise One  by K.T. AnglehartSources: https://www.history.com/news/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-originshttps://www.irishcentral.com/roots/irish-traditions-halloweenhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-history-of-trick-or-treating-is-weirder-than-you-thought-79408373/https://www.ireland.com/en-gb/things-to-do/events/puca-festival/https://wfupress.wfu.edu/arts-and-culture/spooky-history-of-samhain/https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/origins-halloween-samhain-002271https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Joukowsky_Institute/courses/13things/7448.html

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, Katrina and Genny discuss the limits of one’s imagination—more specifically, all the wonderful and weird and unexplainable magical abilities you can give your character.  After all, fantasy is where magic can feel free and safe to express itself—why wouldn’t you want to sprinkle a little magic into your world? Before we dive in, we make the distinction between superpowers and magical abilities, because some of us might not even remember a time when there wasn’t a new superhero movie every three months, and we want to make sure everyone knows the difference between the two. We also go a bit deeper into the conversation to help you think about your character’s story arc. So, here are some things to think about:  Is their magical power serving some greater purpose within the story? Does the character need their magical ability to defeat the villain or is the ability itself seen as the antagonist?How do people in your character’s life feel about this power? Do they know? Do they accept it?Is your character’s ability in line with or in conflict with the ways of their ancestors?What are the consequences of using this power?And Hooray! We made it to episode 10! Not without incident, swearing, scheduling conflicts, technical difficulties, and moments of crippling self-doubt along the way. Before we shut down for a few weeks and get ourselves ready for an explosive Halloween-heavy, spooky, scary month of episodes, we just want to say thank you all so much for listening to two girls rant about writing, fantasy books, witches, and random moments of real life.  We’ll be back in just a few weeks to start season three! SOURCES: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-a-superpower-and-magichttps://www.adazing.com/list-of-superpowers/★  ★  ★ Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email [email protected]. Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”. And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.

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 year in your fantasy world....they kinda do.  The days, months, seasons, and even the year itself are all products of our human—aka real—history. So, how the heck do we talk about the passage of time without using names in the Gregorian calendar? In case you haven’t guessed it, that’s what we’re talking about in today’s episode. We give you, our listeners-come-writers, tips and tricks for choosing the names of your own months, days, and seasons, and we also tend to talk pretty harshly about Mondays (but seriously, who likes Mondays anyway, amiright kids?). While we’re at it, we take a stab at science—that’s right, science—to explain how writers can play with the very idea of seasons, even though Genny likes to point out that if you’re going to mess with units of time, you’re probably going in way too deep.  As the very witchy, Celtic-obsessed one, Katrina gives our pagan-curious listeners some inspiration for their fantasy calendar: the Wheel of the Year. And of course, the second after we stopped recording we realized that we spent all this time talking about ancient and mystical calendars without ever once mentioning the Mayan calendar…so yeah...oops. Here are our tips for creating your own fantasy calendar: Decide how intense you want to get.When in doubt, follow the seasons! Get your inspiration from the sun, the moon, and the stars.get inspiration from the Wheel of the Year. Demonstrate society values in your calendar.SOURCES: The Wiccan Year, by Judy Ann Nockhttps://www.britannica.com/technology/sundialhttps://www.time-for-time.com/history.htmhttps://www.space.com/20433-game-of-thrones-seasons-science.htmlhttps://www.worldhistory.org/Wheel_of_the_Year/★  ★  ★ Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email [email protected]. Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”. And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.

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 and horror novels.  So naturally, why wouldn’t we spend an afternoon discussing the Prince of Darkness? Rock on, Beelzebaby! Katrina and Genny explore the origins and evolution of Satan—from the pious angel to the leather-jacket wearing man-about-town and every iteration in between. As you’ll find out, it didn’t take us long to discover that Satan is a hodge-podge of multiple characters—a cultural byproduct of centuries of invasion and religious assimilation. While we loved talking about Satan the character, we also wanted to share some helpful writing tips for any dark fantasy writers out there who wanted to take a stab at creating their own version of this dark and evil figure. So, without further ado, here are our Top 9 tips (we couldn’t think of 10) for writing about Lucifer: Tip #1: Read the Holy Bible.  Tip #2: Read the Romantics if you’re going to make him a tragic hero.  Tip #3: Go local.  Tip #4: Decide what Satan has to do with evil.  Tip #5: Write until you scare yourself.  Tip #6: Read until you scare yourself.  Tip #7: Be brave enough to write about God.  Tip #8: Stay away from the campy version.  Tip #9: Read books about Satan.  Recommended Readings Goethe’s FaustLord Byron’s Childe Harold’s PilgrimageMary Shelley’s FrankensteinThe Monk by Matthew LewisThe Satanic Verses by Salman RushdieSource: History of the Devil★  ★  ★ Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email [email protected]. Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”. And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.

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.  So the question is: how do we write about urban spaces that feel so real that your readers will be asking you, “Where can I find this place?” And how do we make existing cities feel magical? Here are a few tips: Give your city a personalityUse your five sensesDraw a mapUse Google mapsSpend a day in your made-up cityThink verticallyEstablish what the “muggles” knowWhat else happens in this episode? Well, Katrina and Genny revisit their experience of Edinburgh ghost tours (which we highly recommend—warning: pooping your pants may occur!); Katrina gives us her expert opinion about how to treat existing cities with care, and both girls get Beatlemania over Neil Gaiman….again. (Oh, Neil! If only you knew how much we loved thee!) We don’t really have any book recommendations, but we highly suggest that if you’re writing an urban fantasy, you take notes from Gaiman’s Neverwhere. And while we’re at it, check out Tiger’s Curse and tell us what you think about the author’s depiction of India. ★  ★  ★ Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email [email protected]. Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”. And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.

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 who kind of look like the devil, but who are really just looking for a good time. She discusses their origins, and the difference between satyrs and fauns and Faunus and Pan and Dionysus….well actually, you just get to listen to her spiral into a ball of confusion about the difference between all these characters. We’re not quite sure if she came to a conclusion, so you be the judge: are fauns and satyrs the exact same? Or was Genny’s confusion legit? Don’t worry, listeners, Katrina will be back next week, and we will be discussing cities, both real and imagined, so if you’re sitting on the next best urban fantasy, you’re going to want to take a listen.  Satyrs in Books, Film, and Pop Culture: Mr Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. LewisThe creepy faun in Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s LabyrinthNewel, Doren, and Verl in the Fabelhaven series by Brandon MullAnd satyrs appear in games like WarCraft, God of War, Doom, and Magic: The Gathering.★  ★  ★ Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email [email protected]. Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”. And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.

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 beginning to learn more about the origins of this mysterious clam-bra-wearing being. Did you know that mermaid lore spans thousands of years and shows up in various parts of Africa, the Mediterranean, Europe, the British Isles, and Southeast Asia?  So, we all agree that mermaids were a real thing to our ancestors. Sometimes she’s good, sometimes she’s bad, sometimes she lures sailors to their death, sometimes she’s a nice lady that brings you fame and fortune and dinglehoppers.  What else happens in this episode? Well, Katrina shot this episode in her childhood bedroom (it’s a long story), in case you’re wondering why she sounds like she’s in a bat cave, and Genny takes a crack at dramatic narrations. Plus, we’ve got book suggestions for you! Our Book Suggestions: The Deep by Rivers SolomonThe Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes GowerThe Moon and the Sun by Vonda N McIntyreIngo by Helen DunmoreBooks from Oprah’s Book List: A Song Below Water by Bethany C. MorrowThe Pisces by Melissa BroderThe Oyster Thief by Sonia FaruqiCheck out more of Oprah’s suggestions. Sources: https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/what-mermaidhttps://historydaily.org/origins-mermaids-greek-mythology-ghosts-christopher-columbus

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 guy”. But sometimes, authors don’t always deliver. Either we don’t spend enough time unpacking that “crossroads moment” when the villain chose the path of darkness, or, as Katrina puts out, they’re just an amorphous blob with little personality, motivation, or reason. Being evil for evil’s sake gets kinda boring, ya know? Even if your character is the Devil himself, you can still craft a well-rounded, multidimensional, or even charming villain.  So, how do we turn your flat, not-so-villainous villain into the type of baddie that jumps from the page and makes your reader scream, cry, or throw the book across the room?  Here’s what we think: Make your readers love them as much as they hate themMake your villain memorableMake them multi-dimensionalMake them charming as hellGive your villain’s psychological disorder some insightTake a listen to learn more about how to make your villain a real badass. Recommended Readings Writer’s Guide to Character Traits by Dr. Linda Edelstein Sources https://www.autocrit.com/blog/create-villain-readers-will-love-hate/https://literaryterms.net/villain/https://prowritingaid.com/art/843/are-you-writing-a-villain-or-an-antagonist.aspx★  ★  ★ Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email [email protected]. Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”. And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.

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 have such a fascinating guest on today’s episode. Her upcoming fantasy novel, Witch of Ware Woods (set to release in October 2021), promises to make you fall in love with trees and enchanted forests. We wished we had time to cover all the trees on the planet, but Sonja carefully hand-picked her favourites, most of which are featured heavily in her novel: Sugar MapleWhite PineBlack BirchWillowAmerican  ChestnutShe then blows our minds about all the many magical and medicinal properties of each tree (and their historical significance), and Katrina and Genny spend most of the episode “ooohing” and “awwwwing” over every little tidbit. We’re certain you’ll gobble up everything Sonja has to say. Let this episode restore your faith in nature and inspire your writing. P.S. We had some sound issues on our guest's end, but we promise it's worth it! You can follow Sonja here: https://sonjafblanco.com/https://www.facebook.com/sonjafblancohttps://twitter.com/sonja_blancohttps://www.instagram.com/sonjafblanco/Sonja’s Recommended Readings and Links The Overstory by Richard PowersFinding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne SimardInto the Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth MeyerAmerican Chestnut Foundation: acf.orgLady Jesamyn Angelica: sisterhoodofthemoon.org and womensmysteryschool.com★  ★  ★ Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email [email protected]. Hey! Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”. And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.

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 tackle them all in one episode, cuz ain’t nobody got time for that. Instead, we pick a handful of the most interesting herbs and plants that your character might use to cast spells, heal their friends, and harm their enemies.  Our picks for today’s episode are: AngelicaBelladonnaCactusBasilLemon BalmMugwortYarrowWolfsbaneRueDittany of CreteDragon’s BloodWe simply cannot help but release a few giggles when we read to you these amazing folk names (you’ll understand when you hear them). With each reading, we give a list of its magical and medicinal uses that will hopefully inspire your writing, BUT, as we reiterate 100 times in the episode, please use the information ONLY for writing inspiration.  If you’re writing about a green witch or a kitchen witch, this is the perfect episode to tap into the wonderful world of herbalism and folk magic.  Happy listening! Sources and Recommended Readings Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunninghamhttps://www.iamhrsinclair.com/Want to start a podcast? Join over a hundred thousand podcasters already using Buzzsprout to launch your own podcast today. They’ll get your podcast listed on every major platform and they’ll build you a customizable audio player that you can embed on any site. Sign up for Buzzsprout and get a $20 Amazon Gift Card, which may just be the money you need to DIY your own soundbooth.  Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com ★  ★  ★ Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email [email protected]. Hey! Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”. And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.