ABOUT THIS PODCAST 🔗
Welcome, wanderers of the written word, to Fictional Problems, the podcast where two mostly-human writers embark on a quest to conquer the many-headed beast known as speculative fiction.
Whether you’re tuning in from a dystopian megacity, a haunted library, or a coffee shop on the moons of Jupiter, this is the place where we talk all things writing. The monsters. The magic systems. The space-time paradoxes we accidentally write ourselves into at 2 a.m.
Your hosts are Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin, two relatively unknown scribblers armed with nothing but questionable outlines, half-finished novels, and a reckless amount of worldbuilding notes.
This podcast is about the how of writing, our personal processes, the strange rituals we swear by, and the philosophical rabbit holes we dive down just to figure out how a telepathic fungus economy might work.
Each episode, we’ll share the nuts and bolts of our storytelling, from character arcs to plot twists to how many metaphors are too many.
So grab your quill, your keyboard, or your neural input node, and join us. This is Fictional Problems.
Let the overthinking begin...
Update frequency:
every 12 days
Average audio length:
53 minutes
English
United States
40 episodes
since Sept. 18, 2025
episodic
LATEST EPISODE 🔗
This episode of Fictional Problems explores why modern stories often tear down beloved heroes without properly building their replacements, using examples like Lanterns, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Logan.
Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin discuss the difference between deconstruction and reconstruc…
SEARCH PAST EPISODES
Search past episodes of Fictional Problems.
PREVIOUS EPISODES 🔗
Episode anniversary: the hosts mark one year and roughly 38 episodes, reflecting on why they started the podcast and what it has meant for their writing and friendship.
They discuss defining themselves as writers, the value of the podcast as a ‘third thing’ that keeps friends connected, and how li…
We're back with part two of our birthday celebration — a free-flowing year-in-review covering TV, film, books, culture, and the noisy world of streaming. We debate whether it's a golden age or a churn of low-quality content, rage about misplaced award categories, praise standout shows and films, an…
Welcome to Fictional Problems, the podcast where Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin examine famous plot holes and story inconsistencies in speculative fiction. In this episode, they discuss examples from Indiana Jones, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Back to the Future, Terminator, Jaws, Game of …
This episode of Fictional Problems explores where writers find inspiration, how a single line or image can spark whole stories, and the challenge of turning intense influence into original work.
Hosts Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin discuss examples from TV, literature and comics, the line between…
This episode of Fictional Problems explores the third part of a three-part series on monsters, focusing on cosmic horror. Hosts Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin discuss Cthulhu, the slumbering Azathoth, and H.P. Lovecraft, examining the mythos, its themes, and how writers craft the unknowable.
The …
This episode of Fictional Problems (part two of our monsters series) explores the dragons of Western mythology — what they look like, where they came from, and why they keep appearing in our stories.
Hosts Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin discuss historical origins, symbolic roles (force of nature,…
Join the Fictional Problems hosts as they begin a multi-part exploration of monsters in fiction. From Dracula and Frankenstein to the werewolf and Jekyll and Hyde, they examine how monsters reflect societal fears, moral anxieties, and changing cultural norms.
Through examples from classic literatu…
This episode of Fictional Problems, with Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin, breaks the podcast's own rules to share practical do's and don'ts for writers.
They cover when not to write, how to accept and filter feedback, setting realistic goals, managing multiple projects, and finding the poetry in y…
This is Fictional Problems, the podcast where we discuss all things writing, in association with Speculative Fiction Ireland. On today's episode, hosts Gary J. Martin and A.R. McNevin explore how to write intelligent characters: can an author create someone smarter than themselves, and what does in…
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from garymartinj, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.
PODCAST SEARCH ENGINE
You can use our website to search 3,831,882 podcasts and 196,875,917 episodes by people, places, or topics.
If I have seen further than others, it is by listening to podcasts and standing upon the shoulders of
giants.
‐ Isaac "Llamacorn" Newton
SEARCH PAST EPISODES
Search past episodes of Fictional Problems.
CLAIM THIS PODCAST
Why to claim podcasts?
If you are a podcaster, the best way to manage your podcasts on Listen Notes is by claiming your Listen Notes
podcast pages.
It is a great, free way to engage the podcast community and increase the visibility of your podcasts.
After claiming your Listen Notes podcast pages, you will be able to:
✓
Manually refresh the RSS feed to sync up
✓
Get a verified badge (
✓
) alongside with your podcast name on Listen Notes
✓
Post classified ads for sponsorship,
guests, co-hosts,
cross-promotion...
✓
Respond to listener comments on Listen Notes
✓
Use speech-to-text techniques to transcribe your show and
edit transcripts
✓
Improve the presence of your podcasts, e.g., self-service
podcaster interview...
✓
If you share your Listen Notes page and at-mention @ListenNotes
on X (formerly Twitter),
our official X (formerly Twitter) account will retweet to promote
your show to our followers.
Coming soon:
◯ Self-service promotion on Listen Notes
◯ Track your podcast stats on Listen
Notes, e.g., listens, page
views...
◯ Manage episodes
EDIT
Thank you for helping to keep the podcast database up to date.
