SWRT 353 | Exploring Human Issues through Fiction with Stephen Ford
July 23, 2026
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The Novel Journey

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Write your novel while growing as a writer without impossible word count goals, bending your story into someone else’s plot formula, or sacrificing your voice or vision for genre expectations.

 

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Alida Winternheimer & Catherine Lyon, authors, stand before a bookcase full of books.

In this week’s episode of the Story Works Round Table, Alida and Kathryn are joined by Stephen Ford to talk about exploring hard human issues through fiction. Stephen’s use of speculative fiction and satire opens the discussion about what it means to be human, or how we encounter the issues of the day. We talk about crafting characters that are real people, representing a variety of viewpoints, how to get those viewpoints on the page, and how to keep it open for readers to be a part of the conversation happening in the book. 

AUDIO

Stephen Ford, after retiring from a four-decade career in Information Technology, has had five books published, some of which have won awards and received critical acclaim. He writes about issues of importance, including free speech, nuclear war, Artificial Intelligence, and what it means to be human. His thought-provoking books consist of science fiction, dystopian fiction, and satire.

Somia Sadiq & her novel Gajarah

TRANSCRIPT

 

This transcript is AI generated. If you notice any inconsistencies or errors, blame the bot.

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About Your Hosts

Alida

Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author with an MFA in writing from Hamline University. She pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach, developmental editor, and teacher. Three times nominated for the Pushcart Prize, she is also a notable in Best American Essays and winner of the Page Turner Award. Author of The Story Works Guide to Writing Fiction Series, Alida lives and writes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.alidawinternheimer.com.

Kathryn
Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.