S2E4. Writing Dystopian Hellscapes with @Nargles15 (Or, Here's Harry and His Poorly Named Children)

In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) interviews @btelling, also known as Nargles15 on Ao3, author of the brilliant Harry Potter AU fanfic, The Squib. They talk about being in the online fanfiction trenches of the late 2000s, and @btelling’s love for writing what she calls “dystopian hellscapes”. They discuss the appeal of writing about the post-war Harry Potter world, and the reasons they are both drawn to exploring dark themes. @Btelling details her experience pursuing an MFA and talks about the art of building tension and suspense in her works. Lastly, she and Jo discuss the frustrations of writing for free in a world ruled by capitalism and the merits of coming back to writing after a burn-out and long hiatus. 

This week, we mention: 

• Fandoms: Harry Potter
• Fics: The Squib by @btelling, Knowing Where to Look by @ala_baguette, the Armistice Series by annerb, Manacled by senlinyu, castles by @pebblysand, the roar series by @pebblysand
• AO3 Wrapped Stats
• The Consumerist Dystopia of Harry Potter by verilybitchie (video essay)
• Thoughts on Hermione and Courage by @pebblysand
• S1E6 Writing in English As A Second Language With @venom0usbarbie 
• The Stand by Stephen King
• Beautiful World, Where Are You? by Sally Rooney

Your recommendations for this week are:

• The Last of Us 
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
• Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
• This Way Up  

You can find us online at:

• The Fanfic Writer’s Craft: tumblr ; spotify
• Blayne (@btelling): tumblr ; AO3
• Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3
• Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3

What is The Fanfic Writers' Craft?

The Fanfic Writers’ Craft is a podcast that discusses all things fanfiction with a focus on the art and science of writing for the enjoyment of fan communities. Every two weeks, Jo and Lani (otherwise known in fandom as @pebblysand and @copper_dust) sit down for a fun, multi-fandom, fanfic-related chat and delve into particular topics such as: the particularities of writing and reading fanfiction, monetisation, how to build a fanfiction plot, etc. Hope you enjoy!

You can find us and contact us at: https://thefanficwriterscraft.tumblr.com/