It's pretty well established that truth is stranger than fiction, but what do you do when the facts are literally too unlikely for a reader to swallow? When historical accuracy or authenticity is likely to bounce your reader out of your story for being unrealistic? Welcome to The Tiffany Problem. This week Jules and Madeleine examine this phenomenon, follow a trail through some examples and finally, offer suggestions for how to counter it while still being accurate in your storytelling.    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Possession is a regular trope in horror and sci-fi. The idea that a physical body could be taken over by an external entity is as disturbing as it is enticing. However, there are many sub categories of this kind of bodysnatching, from parasites that physically puppeteer to Freaky Friday-esque body swaps. This week, Jules and Madeleine delve into the humour and horror of the trope, drawing on a wide range of speculative fiction and there own work where appropriate.   On the slab this week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, V, the Bodysnatchers and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Generations of a family punished for the ill-advised actions or an ancestor? Crossed paths with the sidhe and worded an answer impolitely? Fallen foul of someone's desire for revenge? Chances are, in speculative fiction, the problem will turn out to be a curse. It may not really be the oldest speculative fiction trope but it's definitely got history.  In this episode of the Dragons' spooky season, Jules and Madeleine drill down on the well used SFF and Horror trope of 'the curse'. How can you use the trope in a way that reads as fresh and novel? What are the main types of this trope? And what historical precedent is there for this occurrence in fiction?  On the slab this week: Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynn Jones, Unveiled, The Ring and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Continuing with the spooky season, this week the dragons delve into the popular sub genre of survival horror. While you could argue that the point of every horror story is survival, this sub genre takes it to the next level with characters pitted against nature, the wild and even space - sometimes with a twist of the supernatural thrown in.  But how do you go about writing survival horror that lands? What attributes should you be looking for in a main character? Why is setting so important? Join Jules and Madeleine for a discussion on all this and more. On the slab this week: Devolution - Max Brooks, Alien, The Luminous Dead - Caitlin Starling and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

The dragons kick off spooky season with a look at one of the staples of horror - the haunted house. It's so ubiquitous now that haunted house stories are really a sub genre in their own right with their own tropes and conventions. So why do some haunted house stories work while others fall flat? This week Jules and Madeleine present a blueprint on how to build your own haunted house story complete with flickering lights, sordid history and reappearing blood stain. Rattling chains in the attic optional.  On the slab: The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Little Stranger and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Part two of a two part episode   Most speculative fiction will involve traumatising your main character at some point but how do you make it clear to a reader or viewer that this is what is happening without ponderously 'telling' it? What narrative techniques can be employed to show this instead? How do you deliver the message with emotion without tilting over into melodrama? How do you make trauma believable? This week Jules and Madeleine delve into this tricky part of storytelling.   On the slab - The Stand - Stephen King, The Mask Falling - Samantha Shannon, The Blood of the Delphi and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Part one of a two part episode   Most speculative fiction will involve traumatising your main character at some point but how do you make it clear to a reader or viewer that this is what is happening without ponderously 'telling' it? What narrative techniques can be employed to show this instead? How do you deliver the message with emotion without tilting over into melodrama? How do you make trauma believable? This week Jules and Madeleine delve into this tricky part of storytelling. On the slab - Daredevil, Twilight, I Belong to the Earth and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Part 2 of a 2 part episode Following on from last week's over view episode, this week Jules and Madeleine get, appropriately, into the details of what to include or exclude when writing and worldbuilding. Speculative fiction can, by it's very nature, require extensive world building which in turn requires plenty of detail. But how do you know what to include or exclude? How much detail should you go for? Is there such a thing as too much detail? On the slab this week - Harker & Blackthorn, The Sons of Thestian, Strange the Dreamer - Laini Taylor, Immortal Pleasures - V Castro and many more   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Part 1 of a 2 part episode The dragons are back and gearing up for spooky season. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the thorny issue of 'details'. Speculative fiction can, by it's very nature, require extensive world building which in turn requires plenty of detail. But how do you know what to include or exclude? How much detail should you go for? Is there such a thing as too much detail? On the slab this week - The Book of Strange New Things - Michel Faber, Fire & Hemlock and Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones, Lorna Doone - R D Blackmoore and many more.    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Please note this episode contains spoilers for all the shows and books mentioned! It's the human in superhuman which is the interesting aspect of the superhero genre, which is why the genre is so good at holding up a dark mirror to the worst aspects of humanity as well as being aspiration. This week Jules and Madeleine delve into the murky waters of dark superheroes looking at parallels between fame, money, consumerism and politics. How are superheroes the new pantheon of gods? Isn't a dark superhero just a villain? And why are writers drawn to telling these stories?  On the slab this week - The Boys, The Umbrella Academy, Velveteen vs by Seanan McGuire and many more.   This is the season finale but the dragons will be back in September.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Not every story can be or needs to be high octane intensity. In fact some of the best books are objectively quiet affairs. Low stakes does not mean low story or lack of compelling reading or viewing experience however. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at why low stakes can be just as enthralling as high stakes, and in many ways can provide deeper connections between the reader and the characters. How do you make a low stakes story compelling? What are the dos and don'ts of writing low stakes? And how do you keep a reader's attention focused on your MC when the world isn't ending? On the slab this week - Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness, Swordheart by T Kingfisher and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Myths and stories from the classical world have always been popular inspiring works of art, poetry, books and plays across centuries. Lately, Greek mythology has enjoyed an even bigger revival powered by the era of the 'feminist retelling'. However, while many of these books may be enjoyable stories in their own right, they are almost always bad retellings of the original source material - although 'original' is a relative term. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a frank look at why this happens, why overlaying a modern lens over literature that is several thousand years old is often doomed to failure and how you can find a balance between anachronistically modern and incomprehensively contemporaneous with the original. On the slab this week - A Thousand Ships - Natalie Haynes, The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller, The Silence of the Girls - Pat Barker and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Every profession has at some point suffered from misrepresentation in fiction, however the inaccurate way writers are often depicted in screenplays is especially ironic. However, the dragons do acknowledge that exaggeration and outright fabrication often make for better storytelling so with that in mind, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the main writer character types used in fiction. From tormented geniuses to hardbitten hacks, this tongue in cheek episode is full of characterisation ideas if you ever want to include a writer character in your own writing. On the slab this week - Argylle, Limitless, The Help and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

If you're a long term listener, you'll already be aware that the concept of 'genre' is mostly just a tool to aid categorisation, especially when it comes to selling books. That said, there are points on the timeline that are considered recognised emergence points for specific major genres. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the evolution of fantasy: where did the idea come from? When did it diverge from fairy tales and folklore? And how did it become the speculative fiction power house genre it is today?   Part 2 of a 2 part episode.   Title music - Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

If you're a long term listener, you'll already be aware that the concept of 'genre' is mostly just a tool to aid categorisation, especially when it comes to selling books. That said, there are points on the timeline that are considered recognised emergence points for specific major genres. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at the evolution of fantasy: where did the idea come from? When did it diverge from fairy tales and folklore? And how did it become the speculative fiction power house genre it is today? Part 1 of a 2 part episode. Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Dinosaurs and prehistoric megafauna have been capturing human imagination for centuries. Certain myths may well have been partially shaped by the discovery of dinosaur bones, whilst our progressing understanding of the dinosaurs 180 million year reign and how it ended, has coloured our understanding of our own place in the natural order.  No surprise then that dinosaurs should appear in so much fiction - both written and staged or filmed. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at why these creatures hold such fascination for us, and why they have bled into fantasy and science fiction in a way that cannot be erased. Under the microscope this week: Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton, The Palaeontologist - Luke Dumas, Dinotopia and many more.    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

Storytelling is a powerful tool for exploring difficult issues - both in terms of catharsis and also at a distance. This is especially true for death and bereavement. While the dragons have discussed grief in speculative fiction before, this week they are examining bereavement as a storytelling mode in its own right. How do you write bereavement in a way that isn't overwhelming, off-putting or just false? What are the popular tropes which explore this issue? And just why might you include it in sff anyway? On the slab this week - Fruits Basket, Star Trek: Discovery, A Symphony of Echoes - Jodi Taylor and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

It's time for another episode in the fairytales in focus series and this week the dragons are delving into one of the best known and (inexplicably?) best beloved. The tale of the Sleeping Beauty has gone through many permutations over the centuries and most likely has an oral tradition that was even older. It has been co-opted by Medieval Romantic poetry, pops up in Norse sagas, and was even used as code for aspects of Gnostic Christian movements. So what is it about this story which is so enduring? Is it the cursed child theme? The political coding in some versions? Or does it resonate with something even deeper? Find out in this weeks extended episode. On the slab this week - The Witchwood Knot - Olivia Atwater, A Long Long Sleep - Anna Sheehan, Tchaikovsky's ballet and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

The villain who redeems themself is a highly popular trope, but so is it's mirror and sister trope - the hero who becomes the villain. Operating on the assumption that no one is born 'bad', this trope is an engaging look at how someone might gradually descend into villainy and not even realise until after they have arrived.  This week, the dragons discuss how to tackle this storyline in a way that is believable and leaves your reader feeling satisfied by the story rather than cheated. On the slab this week - Star Wars, Breaking Bad, Dune - part II and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Nineteenth century novels remain rich fodder both for adaptation and complete reimagining. However, it is rarely as easy as writers and screenwriters believe to strike the balance between respect for the source material, alteration to provide accessibility for a modern audience and presenting the themes which made the book a classic in the first place. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at what can go right and what can go horribly wrong when using classics as the basis for your story. Under the microscope this week - Ill Will - Michael Stewart, Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding, Persuasion and many more. (This is part two of a two part episode)   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Nineteenth century novels remain rich fodder both for adaptation and complete reimagining. However, it is rarely as easy as writers and screenwriters believe to strike the balance between respect for the source material, alteration to provide accessibility for a modern audience and presenting the themes which made the book a classic in the first place. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at what can go right and what can go horribly wrong when using classics as the basis for your story. Under the microscope this week - Iron Mask - Tina Connelly, Jane Steele - Lyndsey Faye, Wide Sargasso Sea and many more. (This is part one of a two part episode)   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

From unlikely and surprisingly hardy explorers to accidental time travellers, adventure fiction combines the best of wonder and thrilling pace. Understandably seen as popcorn fiction by some due to its focus on pacey events and in-the-nick-of-time rescues, adventure fiction has a surprisingly long and distinguished pedigree. This week Jules and Madeleine travel back through the adventure fiction family tree, tracing it's origins forward to the slick Hollywood blockbusters and fast paced modern reads. Above all, the dragons focus on why this type of content is fun and engaging - something which various genres are capitalising on. On the slab this week - The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas, The Lost City, Indiana Jones and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

After a brief sabbatical, the dragons are back with an all new set of episodes!   This week, Jules and Madeleine delve into the folkloric symbolism and the physical reality of the seasons. Many writers overlook the importance of the seasons, and the various levels on which we interact with them, which means they miss an easy  opportunity for world building, character development, atmosphere and symbolism. How do seasons work in your fantasy world? Does your protagonist follow an agricultural, astrological, or personal calendar? How does the season reflect the mood? Can the changing of the seasons be symbolic of the character’s journey? These are all worth considering! On the slab this week - George R R Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire, Tamora Pearce - Circle of Magic, The Hamartia Cycle and many more. 

An interesting slant on both the animal companion and the soul mate tropes, is the 'soul bonded animal' trope. It's been popular in sci-fi and fantasy for many decades but is reaching new levels of popularity with the recent wave of new fantasy.  But what is it about being emotionally and psychically connected to an animal - especially a fantastical animal - which captures the imagination? Why is it so much easier to swallow than the equally intense (in a different direction) fated mates trope? And just how can the soul-bound animal companion help move on the story and shape the main characters arc? Follow the dragons down the rabbit hole this week as they delve in to all these questions and more. On the slab: Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros, The Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey, Hid Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, Faebound -  Saari El-Arifi and many more. Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Heroic fantasy better know as Sword & Sorcery, is one of the oldest forms of modern fantasy. It's arguably the progenitor or at least co-parent of both Noblebright and Grimdark, as well as influencing several other subgenres of sci fi and fantasy. And yet despite this, despite its greater accessibility than Epic fantasy, Sword & Sorcery does not enjoy an unblemished reputation. This week the dragons take a look at why and whether that grimy reputation is deserved. In addition, what is is about Sword & Sorcery that so easily captures the imagination? How has it evolved over the decades? And is it pure esca[ism, or are there deeper themes? On the slab this week: Robert E Howard's Conan the Barbarian, Xena Warrior Princess, Ladyhawk, Silverglass by J F Rivkin and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Have you ever noticed how often a lynchpin character is not, in fact, 'the chosen one'? Or how many times a simple, mundane skill or a knack for being friendly and straight forward saves the day while high powered, flashy characters flounder? This week Jules and Madeleine look at why a 'kitchen hero' - someone who thinks about things like seeing to the horses' hooves or foraging for edible plants or sewing or organising - is an essential character in sci-fi and fantasy. These characters usually don't possess cool powers or above average ability with a sword. Often they're the ones every is surprised made it as far as they did. And yet, when you really pick apart their story arc, you discover that the entire mission would have failed without them. On the slab this week: Lord of the Rings, Heart's Blood - Juliet Marillier, Swordheart - T. Kingfisher and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Aesthetic movements becoming literary genres is not a new thing; nor is the waxing and waning in fashion of those aesthetics. One such example which is enjoying something of a renaissance is 'cottagecore'. The celebration of a back to basics simple, rural life with emphasis on low conflict and high crafting has reached a huge level of popularity. Not surprising considering the recent slew of socio-economic and geo-political events over the last half a dozen or so years. But how do you add an aesthetic to your writing? What makes cottagecore so versatile and able to overlay a variety of genres? And is it technically a genre in it's own right yet? Find out in this week's episode. Under the microscope this week: Practical Magic, Bloom - Delilah S Dawson, Kiki's Delivery Service and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

The dragons are starting the year with the controversial take that sometimes the film adaptation of a story is better than the book. Obviously this is a bold take as any book worm will tell you, but is there any truth in it? How much is down to personal preference or accessibility of story? How much is a result of what media you engage with first? And are there stories where the adaptation goes in a completely different direction and does better with the original material than the book? Find out in this week's episode. On the slab - The Witches of Eastwick - John Updike, Wicked - Gregory McGuire, Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

For the final episode of 2023, the dragons are once again suggesting that the last year wasn't as bad as you might think. Certainly, it wasn't as bad as the 24hr news cycle would have you believe. This week, in a light and hopeful episode, Jules and Madeleine take a look at some of the good things that have happened in 2023 - from advances in medicine and science to conservational wins - before rounding up with some of their favourite speculative fiction moments of the last year.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Tis the season and this week the dragons bring you a festive episode that looks at how songs can tell surprisingly complicated and nuanced stories. Since it's almost Christmas, Jules and Madeleine have chosen well known Christmas songs for those experiment. Join them for a light hearted, sort-of writing based episode - perfect for listening to as you do some last minute present wrapping.   The Dragons send Seasons Greetings to all their listeners. Wishing you joy no matter how you celebrate.     

The creation of graphic novels is not only a form of illustration but a type of story telling in its own right, and one with a far older history than you might guess. Despite an undeserved reputation for being a soft form of reading (something they share with audio books) graphic novels are nuanced and multi layered, often able to communicate several things at once in a way that other books just don't. This week, Jules and Madeleine delve into the startling origins of this type of storytelling, looking at what makes a graphic novel work and drawing on examples from their favourites. Under the microscope this week: Punderland by Linda Sejic, Mouseguard by David Peterson, The Boys by Garth Innis and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

There are many physical characteristics which, when used in storytelling, have ingrained concordances with less tangible traits. It's a code we imbibe through fiction starting with folktales and continuing through ever possible genre and storytelling mode. Beauty is one of these characteristics and as real life push back spills over into how fiction is written, descriptions of physical beauty are being scorned. At least by a small very vocal contingent. So just what are you saying when you incorporate physical beauty in your character make up? The dragons are willing to bet you're saying more than you perhaps realise. This week Jules and Madeleine explore what associations come package with this characteristic, why you might want to use it (despite the naysayers) and how to do it in a way that enriches your character, rather than detracts from them. On the slab this week: The Picture of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde, Rouge - Mona Awad, Fairest - Gail Carson Levine and many more. Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Writing a book is hard. Ending a book in way that satisfies most of your readers is unbelievably hard - even before you factor in that you will never please everyone. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at why this is true. Examining books and films they enjoyed but which didn't stick the ending, the dragons list the ways an ending can fail its fans and how to avoid this.  On the slab this week: Avengers Endgame, The Mist - Stephen King, The Witcher Season 3 and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

A SFF trope currently rising in popularity is that of the magical crime family. This is especially prevalent in conjunction with magic wielders and witches. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at why mixing the popular 'gangster' trope with magic is such a winning combination, before comparing it with another staple of the genre - the legacy monster hunter. Technically both have a wobbly relationship with the law, but each are approaching (generally) from opposite directions, so why are both equally popular? On the slab this week: Supernatural, One for my Lover - Olivie Blake, The Mayfair Witches series - Anne Rice and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

This week, the dragons bring you another fairy tales in focus episode. Rumpelstiltskin is a mixed bag when you really look at it, but this macabre and often funny tale of deception and trickery has always resonated with children. However, this story dates back far further than the Brothers Grimm. In fact there's good evidence that it may be one of the oldest fairy tales in existence. Join Jules and Madeleine as they take a look at what's hidden in the story, from it's probable bloody origins as a tale of bargaining and sacrifice to its more modern retellings as a horror story or an upbeat fantasy. On the slab this week: Gilded - Marissa Meyer, Spinning Silver - Naomi Novak, A Curse as Dark as Gold - Elizabeth C Bunce and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by smiling Cynic

Regular listeners of the show will already know that very few tropes and writing trends are actually new. All of them have come from somewhere and often those origins are surprising. The fridging trope is one that bears a justifiable amount of scorn but it's also one that exists for a reason and has a shockingly long pedigree. This week, Jules and Madeleine travel back to the earliest recorded origins of this trope, before looking at why it exists and how to take the necessary elements of it and use it in your own work in a way that isn't problematic. From Ancient Greece to World War II, from Early Medieval Wales to the Arthurian Cycle, the dragons take a tour through time and storytelling.    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Gothic fiction may have started out as a sophisticated joke, but like so many initially unlikely genres, it picked up a following, developed rules and tropes and then continued to surprise and delight readers for the next two hundred and fifty years. Gothic fiction - like traditional ghost stories - holds up a mirror to the human soul often with unflattering results. Considering its roots in desolate, crumbling castles and stormy nights, its a surprisingly versatile and slippery genre which probably explains why it takes some interesting turns when it travels across the pond. American gothic or southern gothic followed a similar evolutionary path from being a ghastly joke to taking on a life and power of its own. This week, Jules and Madeleine look at the key differences between the parent and child genres as they delve in to what makes the Southern Gothic tick like the Tell Tale Heart. Under the microscope this week - Edgar Allen Poe, Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches, Rosemary Clement Moore's The Splendour Falls and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

This week's episode in the October spookathon takes a look at horror films. Now, obviously creepy and strange things happen on the sets of horror films - that's sort of the point. But what about all those accounts of rum goings-on that aren't in the script? Is there a logical explanation? Are they urban legends or promotional stunts? Or could there possibly be something truly inexplicable going on? Find out as Jules and Madeleine pull back the curtain on the darker areas of the silver screen. On the slab this week - Nightmare on Elm Street, The Twilight Zone, The Possession and many more. Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic 

Part two of a two part episode   Continuing both the spooky season and their examination of how vampires in fiction challenge all standards of norm, the dragons delve further into our favourite fanged monsters. This week Jules and Madeleine tackle vampires in conjunction with coming of age, identity and the parallels between sex and death. Under the microscope this time: The Lost Boys, Let the Right One In, The Vampire Diaries by L J Smith and more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Part 1 of a two part episode Continuing their month long spookathon, this week the dragons tackle aspects of the vampire genre. In narrative terms vampires have provided an excellent vessel for examining aspects of humanity, whether that's trauma causing monstrousness, or non-conformity. The vampire also has a fairly long queer history and it's no surprise that LGBTQ folks have flocked to films and literature featuring our favourite fanged monsters. How do vampires in speculative fiction challenge rigid norms regarding sex and sexuality? Why do they make such good vehicles for exploring family and the other? And what exactly was Bram Stoker driving at with some of his very un-Victorian story choices? Drink deep listeners - it's not merely wine. On the slab this week: Carmilla - Sheridan le Farnu, Christabel - Samuel Taylor Coleredge, What we do in the Shadows, Castlevania and more.    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

It's October which means two things: Hallowe'en and the Dragons' traditional month long extravaganza of spooky episodes. Heading up the spookathon, Jules and Madeleine take a look at why so many horror films contain queer subtext or are fictional pieces which are easy for LGBTQ people to identify with. Some of this connection is positive and some is less so, but the fascination is real. The dragons look at why that is and what exactly a queer filter can add to an understanding of the horror genre. On the slab this week - Halloween, Jennifer's Body, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

There's a lot to be learned about serving your target audience exactly what they want from children's books, especially those which have become children's classics. This week the dragons delve into exactly what raises a children's book above its peers and gives it enduring appeal. Drawing on well known children's classics, modern children's classics and those junior books which they believe will become classics, Jules and Madeleine look at what makes a book last generations. On the slab this week - The Weirdstone of Brisingamen - Alan Garner, The Whitby Witches - Robin Jarvis, Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

There's still a lot of discourse around what makes a strong female character - an annoying qualifier which many writers feel we can do without - and much of this discussion is contradictory. One reader's good female character is another reader's worst character ever. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at several examples, discussing which if either school of thought is right, before adding their own opinions. On the slab this week: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, The Walking Dead and many more.  Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

There's something very appealing about a moral outlaw character, Whether it's Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to give to the poor or a barely leashed Jack Reacher doing what's right rather than what the law defines as appropriate. Our fiction is full of those who exist outside the law, crossing the line into the dark without ever losing audience sympathy. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at why this trope is so popular, how you can incorporate it in your own work and just why exactly it pops up in some very surprising genres. On the slab this week: Legally Blonde, the Hunger Games, Twilight and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

If there is one skill that's essential for getting readers to keep reading and yet gets thought of last amongst writing advice, it's that of pacing. Nor is it an easy skill to master since it varies depending on genre, style, voice and reader taste. This week the dragons take a look at some tips and tricks that can help you crack the art of pacing, with a look at a few examples along the way.    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

This week the dragons present another 'fairy tales in focus' episode and they certainly couldn't have picked one with grimmer origins. Hansel and Gretel, though comparatively a young story in fairy tale terms, has its origins in some very real and very dark historical events. While the well known tale is beloved by children - not least for the house made of sweets - its themes are multi-layered and complex. This week Jules and Madeleine take a look at what lies behind the gingerbread cottage from Medieval famine to infanticide. On the slab this week: The Witch of Duva - Leigh Bardugo, Indexing - Seanan McGuire, The Great Hunger - Martin Gilbert and many more.    Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

It's hardwired into humans (and pretty much every other organism) to compete, which is why it should come as no surprise that 'competition' is one of the most 'buttery' tropes you can write into a book. This week, Jules and Madeleine take a look at exactly why and how you can utilise this in your own work. Whether it's as escapism, tickling the problem solving brain cells or to add stakes, competition adds a uniquely engaging element to fiction. On the slab this week The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins, The Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros, the Karate Kid and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

Fiction featuring the 'afflicted woman' trope is not a new subgenre but it's enjoying somewhat of a renaissance lately. The 'sad girl' of literary fiction has recently spent a lot more time hanging out in genre fiction which give the dragons the opportunity to dissect the trope. So what is it about the 'afflicted or messy woman' that's so appealing? Is it entirely about catharsis or is there a more sinister element? How has she been depicted in other forms of art? Find out in this week's episode. On the slab - Fleabag, Penny Dreadful, Woman Eating - Claire Kohda and many more.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic