C. William Phillips (https://www.instagram.com/words_with_will) spent 14 years writing his debut, a crime thriller that reads like Breaking Bad and The Sopranos writers got into a fistfight in a parking lot and bleed all over the pages. Then he pivoted to epic fantasy and somehow made that look easy too.

In this episode, Will breaks down the wild journey from What Blood Remembers to The Ash Remains, including how unemployment finally forced him to finish a book he'd been carrying since he was 18, why he's a proud pantser which led to adding his best character (Sen) completely by accident, and how he built a dragon bond system that actually costs something.

We also get into: why Will writes unapologetically even when beta readers tell him he'll lose people, what the Malazan book club and The Crippled Pod(https://open.spotify.com/show/1UDpA2dZNhRY0ay3Md4XVY) did to his TBR, and why epic fantasy always felt like home even when he was writing neo-Western crime fiction.

Pre-order The Ash Remains (ebook $5 before release): https://amzn.to/43aZTHK *

Find Will on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/words_with_will

===========================

Connect with Realm Runners

Follow Pete: https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good

Follow Devin: https://instagram.com/bromantasy

Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/‪@realm_runners‬

0:00 - Introduction

3:18 - Writing What Blood Remembers for 14 Years

6:50 - Why Unemployment Finished the Book

10:05 - Sprayed Edges & Indie Publishing with Mayor Golden Bookshelf

12:30 - Pivoting to Epic Fantasy with The Ash Remains

15:30 - Character Work Across Both Books

16:20 - Pantser vs. Plotter (He Pantsed Sen Entirely)

19:30 - Does He Know How the Series Ends?

21:00 - Book Length & Chapter Structure

27:20 - Chapter Formatting & the Malazan Influence

30:50 - What Makes These Dragons Different

34:10 - The Dragon Bond Training Room (No Spoilers)

36:40 - Working on Book Two

39:00 - Future Projects: Space Opera, Short Stories & a What Blood Remembers Novella

41:10 - The Malazan Book Club Podcast Origin Story

46:00 - What Malazan Did to His TBR

50:00 - Writing Unapologetically (Even When Beta Readers Push Back)

55:00 - Action Scenes & Accessibility in Epic Fantasy

1:08:00 - Sen's Book Two Scoop

1:11:30 - Closing & Where to Find Will

#realmrunners #bookpodcast #epicfantasy #indieauthor #fantasyauthors #dragonriders #writingcommunity

*Disclaimer: Affiliate links support Realm Runners at no extra cost to you

Most authors talk about writing. Jackson Ford (https://www.instagram.com/realjacksonford) proves it’s about living. In this episode, Jackson shares the real story behind his groundbreaking series The Bone Raiders, including how he dove headfirst into Mongolian culture, defying stereotypes to create a richly authentic world, nothing like the typical fantasy setting. You’ll discover the surprising reasons he chose to focus on female characters, why empathy guides his storytelling, and how to craft relationships that don’t just entertain but emotionally wreck your readers in the best way.

We break down Jackson’s unconventional approach to world-building, revealing how he uses "what if" questions instead of tropes to naturally develop compelling characters and settings. Plus, how his background in journalism fuels his obsession with getting details right, and why he believes every writer has a responsibility to portray diverse perspectives authentically.

Whether you’re an aspiring author or avid reader this episode unlocks the secret to genuine storytelling: one rooted in respect, research, and raw emotion. Perfect for anyone ready to challenge conventions, elevate their craft, or understand the mind of a storyteller who refuses to follow the crowd.

=============================
Connect with Realm Runners
=============================
Follow Pete: https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good
Follow Devin: https://instagram.com/bromantasy

Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/‪@realm_runners‬

0:00 - Introduction
3:18 - Release Day Experience
5:19 - The Broken Binding
7:13 - Transition to Fantasy
13:24 - World-Building Approach
20:14 - Writing Female Characters
32:15 - Mentorship Program
38:08 - The Business of Publishing
49:31 - Upcoming Projects
54:15 - Personal Stories
1:00:04 - Closing Remarks

#realmrunners #bookpodcast #indiefantasy #debutauthor #fantasyauthors #writingcommunity

Aaron Hall joins Pete and Devin to close out April, and this conversation goes everywhere. We dig into what makes The Legend of Uh work and hint, it's not just the jokes! We also talk about how a personal pizza video accidentally launched a social media explosion, why parody fantasy fails when it's all gag and no emotional core, and whether Aaron's next project should be a sci-fi parody or a grimdark political epic fantasy.

He also teases a caveman cookbook that somehow has a fantasy adventure threaded through it, drops some thoughts on Brandon Sanderson's underground lair, and talks about what it actually feels like to go from nobody to getting recognized at a bookstore.

The Second Legend of U is available for preorder and released on 4/27! Check out everything from Aaron at https://aaronnhall.com/ !

=============================
Connect with Realm Runners
=============================
Follow Pete: https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good
Follow Devin: https://instagram.com/bromantasy

Subscribe on YouTube: / @realm_runners

Chapters:
(00:00) - Intro and reflections on April’s achievements
(01:19) - Aaron’s praise for indie author community and "The Legend of" series
(02:37) - Discussing "The Legend of Up" and its humor
(04:07) - Brandon Sanderson’s prolific writing and book size
(04:58) - Brandon’s resources and underground home tour
(05:37) - The wealth of successful authors and their real lives
(06:48) - Indie marketing challenges and successes
(08:10) - Building an author brand with social content
(10:44) - The balancing act of parody and meaningful storytelling
(12:19) - Flipping stereotypes for emotional depth
(13:55) - The unexpected popularity of side characters
(15:47) - Impactful character moments and connection with readers
(16:32) - Making audiobooks available for free on YouTube
(17:43) - The reasoning behind YouTube audiobook strategy
(19:03) - Challenges with Spotify and other platforms
(21:07) - The importance of quick editing for social media
(32:28) - Insights into attention span and short-form content
(33:17) - The value of rapid shifts in social videos
(34:37) - Content planning and engagement strategies
(39:31) - Future projects including sci-fi, prequels, and series ideas
(44:39) - Debating themes of lighthearted versus grimdark stories
(45:49) - Creating a trilogy structure with thematic covers
(47:03) - The rise of especially popular genres like sci-fi and romance
(50:18) - Challenges in genre switching and audience expectations
(52:21) - Parodies in romance and sci-fi with humorous concepts
(66:31) - Viral videos: the power of one hit to transform an author’s following
(67:23) - The thrill and humbling reality of reader recognition
(68:04) - Connecting authentically with fans and meeting influential authors
(69:03) - Final thoughts and the excitement of future projects


#realmrunners #bookpodcast #indiefantasy #debutauthor #fantasyauthors #writingcommunity