Dissecting Dragons

Retelling a well known myth, fairytale or historical event from a marginalised, often voiceless character's perspective is not a new idea, however it has gained a lot of traction and popularity over the last few years. This is especially true of 'feminist retellings'. Whether the term 'feminist retelling' is more of a marketing term or a true reflection of the contents is up for debate however, and is further complicated by the fact that the word feminism means different things to different people at different time periods. However, the dragons feel that the recent slew of feminist retellings come with their own set of problems. This week Jules and Madeleine delve into the good, the bad and the ugly of reimagining myths from a female perspective. On the slab this week: Circe - Madeleine Miller, Morgan is my Name - Sophie Keetch, The Silence of the Girls - Pat Barker and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Sometimes the lives of authors are stranger or more fraught than the books they write in true truth is stranger than fiction style. Following on from a past episode which tracked the strange deaths and mysteries of four well known authors, the dragons present to you four more authors who lived unconventional lives which were at odds with the time they lived in or even their own storytelling. Tune in this week for a discussion on V.C. Andrews, Thomas Hardy, Wilkie Collins and Emily Dickinson.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Every so often the dragons like to catch up on some of the more bizarre or annoying happenings of the writing world. A certain recent article tipped the scales this time so in this episode Jules and Madeleine are looking at attitudes and trends which have been in the spotlight recently. Is there any benefit to 'scrubbing' beloved but somewhat dated children's fiction? Is there such a thing as a writer who writes too much? What constitutes boring in terms of real life people and fictional characters? And is there any merit to adopting a 'with me or against me' viewpoint? (As always this is an opinion piece and the dragons welcome other viewpoints and comments.)    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

In last week's episode, Jules and Madeleine examined the werewolf in folklore, it's transformation from noble guardian to monstrous predator, and why everything you think you know about werewolves is in fact wrong, This week, the dragons take a look at the werewolf in film and literature. From desirable outlet of wildness to expression of uncontrollable rage, the werewolf has been a favourite monster for decades. This episode considers why. On the slab this week: In the Company of Wolves, An American Werewolf in London, Blood and Chocolate and many more. Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

In a previous episode, the dragons discussed shapeshifters in folklore and fiction, however they did not devote much time to the European, UK and Irish cryptid - the werewolf. In part one of a two part episode, Jules and Madeleine follow the changes this creature undergoes from early Medieval times to the modern day. Like many aspects of folklore, the werewolf has been shaped by historical events and changing mindsets, and is in many ways more representative of the broad sweeps of European history than its contemporary monsters. Join us for an episode which explains why everything you thought you knew about werewolves is wrong.

Considering that writing and publishing are completely so closely linked, they couldn't be more different in terms of execution for the author. Assuming you manage to be one of the small number of people who actually finish writing a book, you may well find yourself bewildered as to what to do next. Drawing on their decade of experience in the industry, Jules and Madeleine use this episode to give you an overview of your options including why one path might be more suitable for you than another. The dragons also include tips on negotiating contracts, creative control and realistic representations of royalty rates. You've written a book? Great. Here's what you do next.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

A strangely contentious issue when it comes to writing is whether or not your main character needs to be likeable. The vast majority of readers would probably argue in one direction while many subsections of the writing community would argue the opposite. For a subject where it's clear everyone's mileage varies, it's interesting that the question causes such a division and even anger. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at what a 'likeable character' is in writing terms, as well as how you can make your character likeable. How can you give your main character broader audience appeal? How do you make readers identify with your MC? And how can you avoid making them unintentionally unlikeable? Find out in this week's episode.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

SFF has traditionally always been a form of literature where difficult topics are deconstructed and examined. The best examples are those science fiction and fantasy novels which focus on story first, weaving socio-economic or political themes in afterwards. However, it's really easy to include things in your writing which you didn't intend to include. Classism is one of those insidious flavours that can creep in without you noticing it. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at how to avoid this as well as examining a few examples of speculative fiction which deliberately engage with the subject. On the slab this week: Battlestar Galactica, The Black Magician - Trudi Canavan, Ironman 3 and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Fun, escapism and entertainment may not be the only reason readers pick up books, but they're fairly high up the list of considerations. Something you might want to keep in mind when you're writing! Jules and Madeleine have talked in a previous episode (or several) about how to keep your readers engaged with your book. This week, the dragons take a look at a specific aspect of that process. Wish fulfilment gets a bad rap in literature terms but delving into what it actually entails, shows that this is an undeserved reputation. How can you add wish fulfilment without derailing your plot? How can it be used to make your book appeal to a broader audience? What should you avoid doing if you don't want to lose a reader?  Under the microscope this week: Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree, His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, The Martian - Andy Weir and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

While most books focus on one, two or three main characters and have secondary characters filling in as needed, sff lends itself well to an 'ensemble cast'. Not to be confused with a large cast which may incorporate many characters but still has only a few POV characters which directly affect the story, an ensemble cast has four or more main characters, each on their own arc, each affecting the plot and resolution equally. This week Jules and Madeleine look at the advantages and pitfalls of using an ensemble cast in your book, including why you might want to create one, how it makes for richer world building and when not to do it. On the slab this week: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R R Martin, Spinning Silver - Naomi Novak, Deep Space Nine and many more   Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Fan theories are one unexpected but gratifying indicator that someone has really connected with your work. And the bigger the fan base, the wackier and more oddly compelling the theories grow. This week, Jules and Madeleine use Disney films to examine this phenomenon, taking a light hearted look at several fan theories of popular films and delving into how the theories may have come about as well as how likely they are to fit.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

The dragons are back with another 'fairytales in focus' episode. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at the origins of folk favourite, Rapunzel. While the story everyone is most familiar with is that collected by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, there are earlier incarnations of the story which cast the events in a somewhat different light. Added to which inspiration for the story comes from some diverse and unusual places from the Greek myth of Danaae to St Barbara of Nicodemia to Persian epic poetry. Tune into this weeks discussion of where the story of 'Little Parsley' came from.    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Most of us have a soft spot for mysteries and even if we don't, everyone knows the basic premise of a who-dunnit. Starting with Wilkie Collins and the first detective novel, following through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories and finally taking a fixed shape in Agatha Christie's mystery novels, the who-dunnit appeals to us on multiple levels. Interestingly, it has also influenced other genres lending aspects of mystery, well known tropes and elements of suspense and tension to fantasy, sci-fi and even romance. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at why we're wired to find a who-dunnit compelling; why the story form has very much become it's own thing and how you can leverage that for your own writing. On the slab this week: Knives Out, Death on the Nile, See How they Run and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

Fantasy and romance both have their origins in the High Romance tradition. It's comparatively recently that the two have become separate, specific genres with their own tropes and expectations. Which makes the current fantasy-romance trend especially interesting. A romantasy is one of those storytelling recipes where the quantities of ingredients are going to vary according to taste from fantasy elements used as mere window dressing for the romance, to well-built complex worlds where the focus is nevertheless on the romance. This week the dragons take a look at what makes a good romantasy and why they are increasing in popularity. Under the microscope this week: The Bridge Kingdom - Danielle L Jensen, That Time I got Drunk and Saved a Demon - Kimberley Lemming, Half a Soul - Olivia Atwater and many more. Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Tropes often go hand in hand. A preordained destiny often goes with the 'chosen one' trope: the 'sins of the father' often goes with the 'magical bloodline trope'. And in general, no trope is bad in and of itself, although the latter has certainly drawn a lot of flak over recent years - largely due to poor examples of the trope. This week, the dragons take a look at characters born to magical or enhanced bloodlines. What causes this trope to fall into elitism? Can it ever work? Does it deserve the bad reputation it seems to have earned? And what do Jules and Madeleine think about using it themselves? On the slab this week: The Once and Future King, Unveiled, Dune, House of the Dragon and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Another year has passed and the dragons are once again looking back before moving forward. As usual, Jules and Madeleine are drawing your attention to some of the great things that happened in 2022 which you may not be aware of. While this past year may have felt at times like a worthy successor to the previous two years in terms of 'irritations' - and the dragons certainly mention a few - it was also a year of great strides forward in medicine, science, art, conservation and many other areas. Tune in for a light hearted and positive recap of some of the best bits of 2022. Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

The Dragons would like to wish all their listeners a very Merry Christmas/ Seasons Greetings/ Happy Yule Following in their tradition of providing festive folklore for Christmas, this year the dragons take a look at some of the common misconceptions regarding certain traditions and practices for this time of year. Do evergreens symbolise eternal life? Why were crackers invented? And what are the origins of this winter festival? Find out in this light hearted episode.   Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Heading into the festive season, the dragons take a look at a staple trope of childhood films and books: toys, teddy bears and dolls which 'come to life', exhibit sentience or are generally anthropomorphic. Simple on the surface, this surprisingly old and versatile trope lends itself to everything from tales of childhood wonder to featuring in adult horror stories. Focusing more on using the trope as an exploration of childhood, Jules and Madeleine look at the nuances of this eerie and wonderful trope. On the slab this week: Pinocchio, The Nutcracker, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Mouse and his Child, Toy Story and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

  Most folkloric devices, tropes and common characters have strong ties to the times and cultures they exist in, reflecting various mindsets and shapeshifting to stay relevant - just as fairy tales do. However, few creatures have such mysterious origins or such a chequered past as the 'Ogre' and its various other incarnations. In this second part of a two part episode, the dragons delve into how ogres have been used in fairy tales and fantasy, even in sci-fi, both to represent specific undesirable human characteristics and as a sly form of xenophobia. Join Jules and Madeleine as they look at how the ogre-villain narrative is gradually being shifted and what this means for the evolution of SFF.   Title Music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Most folkloric devices, tropes and common characters have strong ties to the times and cultures they exist in, reflecting various mindsets and shapeshifting to stay relevant - just as fairy tales do. However, few creatures have such mysterious origins or such a chequered past as the 'Ogre' and its various other incarnations. In this first part of a two part episode, the dragons trace the origins of the catch-all villain, trekking across continents and centuries and examining what and why such a creature would evolve in folklore. Join Jules and Madeleine into a deep dive into the human psyche, where they examine why we need to create supernatural villains as well as looking at historical possibilities they derived from.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic