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Dead Languages

Carson Winter, P.L. McMillan

Authors P.L. McMillan and Carson Winter have joined forces to have lively, irreverent, and hopefully helpful conversations on the craft of writing horror fiction. Expect weird tangents, frank industry discussions, interviews, and more!

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  • 30 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 1 hr 30 min
  • English

Episodes 30

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  • Wednesday · 2 hr 2 min

    Episode 178: Writer Tarot Readings

    You wrote in with your hard-hitting writer questions! Are you going to get an agent? Finally write that novel? Collapse into a ball of tears and failure? PLM and Carson pull out their decks to reveal the truth through playful mysticism. LINKSSSS!!!!! https://linktr.ee/deadlanguagespodcast

  • October 28 · 1 hr 46 min

    Episode 177: Winners of the 2026 Drabble Contest

    This is it spooky co-eds—the winners of the 2026 Dead Languages Drabble Contest! We read the top stories for this spooky Halloween episode. Stay safe and have a spooky holiday! All the links!!!!!! https://linktr.ee/deadlanguagespodcast

  • S4 · E176
    October 21 · 1 hr 37 min

    Episode 176: WTF is Survival Horror?

    You're in an abandoned house, your shotgun only has two shells, and something's moaning in the blackness of the corridor... WTF do you do? This week the Goblin Professors discuss the ins and outs of survival horror, it's history, and what we love about the subgenre. ------------ OUR LINKTREE HAS EVERYTHING!!!! Check out our website, discord, merch shop, and more: https://linktr.ee/deadlanguagespodcast

  • S4 · E176
    October 14 · 1 hr 54 min

    Episode 175: Spooky Season Vibe Check

    It's time for all of you black-clad ghouls to blossom into your final form! This week, we bring a chill hang out episode to the spooky co-eds, where we list our top 5 2026 Halloween-season vibe flicks. OUR LINKTREE HAS EVERYTHING!!!! Check out our website, discord, merch shop, and more! https://linktr.ee/deadlanguagespodcast

  • S4 · E174
    October 7 · 1 hr 33 min

    Episode 174: Gendered Genres (with CJ Subko)

    Pink horror? Mantasy? Guy-fi? Weird Girl Lit? We talk with author CJ Subko about gendered genres and how they kinda suck. OTHER COOL STUFF New LINKTREE! Join our Discord, submit to our Drabble contest, buy merch, and MORE: https://linktr.ee/deadlanguagespodcast Learn more about what's going on CJ Subko's life here: https://cjsubko.com/

  • S4 · E173
    September 30 · 1 hr 28 min

    Episode 173: Worst Line is it Anyways

    This week, we pay tribute to the Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest and their celebration of terrible opening lines. We reached out to the spooky coeds for them to submit their own terrible openers and even came up with a couple of our own! https://www.bulwer-lytton.com/ Buy Dead Languages merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/dead-languages-podcast/ Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/97EtArJQnP

  • S4 · E171
    September 16 · 1 hr 24 min

    Episode 171: The HWA Demonstrates a Healthy Death-Drive (Part I)

    The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has been in a constant state of disaster recently, much of it surrounding (now, former) executive director Maxwell I. Gold. In this two-parter, we go over the many recent controversies of the HWA. Buy Dead Languages merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/dead-languages-podcast/? Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/97EtArJQnP

  • S4 · E170
    September 9 · 2 hr 29 min

    Episode 170: Afraid of THE DARK

    The spooky professors try out a new format this week! Raise your hand if you've been rejected by THE DARK. We read the August 2026 issue of famed horror magazine THE DARK to analyze what they publish and if it matches their submission guidelines! Discord: https://discord.gg/97EtArJQnP

  • S4 · E169
    September 2 · 54 min

    Episode 169: Mental Illness in Horror

    All writers are mentally ill, so it makes sense that all of our characters are too! We talk about sensitive and insensitive portrayals of mental illness in horror and associated tropes. Sources https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2020.160110 https://hcpl.net/blogs/post/mental-health-and-horror-a-complicated-history/ https://thetandemcollective.com/community/blog/mentalheathandhorrorfiction https://www.horrorhomeroom.com/the-evolution-of-mental-illness-monstrosity-in-horror-films/ https://katiemariewriter.com/2024/08/07/from-madwomen-to-monsters-unpacking-mental-disorders-in-horror-writing/ ttps://thebsdj.cardiffuniversitypress.org/articles/10.18573/bsdj.372

  • S4 · E167
    August 20 · 1 hr 17 min

    Episode 167: History of Horror (Part I)

    Professor PLM keeps hitting her ruler against her palm as she delves into the history of horror in this massive 1 of 2 part series. Learn the foundations of the genre and discover the commonalities at the core of horror. Sources https://www.librarypoint.org/blogs/post/bh-horror-fiction/ https://horrorfilmhistory.com/horror-roots-of-the-genre/ https://www.tabula-rasa.info/DarkAges/Timeline1.html AND JOIN OUR DISCORD HERE: https://discord.gg/b8D44fFw9w

  • S4 · E30
    August 12 · 1 hr 3 min

    Episode 166: Promptly Delivered Prompts

    The goblins dive deep into a valuable writing tool: the prompt. How do they like to use prompts in their writing, types of prompts, and they even provide some for their dearest spooky co-eds. Don't forget to join the discord: https://discord.gg/qx5RRZSUg3

  • S4 · E165
    August 5 · 1 hr 38 min

    Episode 165: Trendcasting Horror

    PLMbo steps up to the plate with some juicy, juicy data on the future of horror! Pull out your spreadsheets and find things to be both optimistic and pessimistic about.

  • S4 · E165
    July 29 · 1 hr 24 min

    Episode 164: Work, Life, Repeat

    Both of the goblins have experienced big life changes recently. How are we pulling through now that our schedules are all disrupted? Listen in and learn from our struggles reconciling writing with change.

  • S4 · E163
    July 22 · 1 hr 24 min

    Episode 163: AI Keeps Making Everything Worse

    Several publishers have copped to accepting AI stories. We follow up with some of the latest news stories to react, discuss, and find a path forward. See what we're talking about here: https://www.bona-books.com/news/we-bought-an-ai-story https://www.apexbookcompany.com/blogs/frontpage/ai-statement?srsltid=AfmBOorLQXFMojVmFzC76Vr2GvZmC54mO08cEmJCeNcNkDdviOORvOnI

  • S4 · E162
    July 15 · 1 hr 28 min

    Episode 162: We Answer Questions from R/Horrorwriters

    PLM and Carson are once again entering the Reddit mines for easy content! The goblins answer questions from real horror writers and have some fun along the way. Also, join our Discord: https://discord.gg/QswkXXDd2

  • S4 · E25
    July 8 · 1 hr 56 min

    Episode 161: Live Editing (with Kai Delmas)

    Today the goblins sharpen their scalpels and dissect a willing victim: Kai Delmas, King of Drabbles. Settle in for a girthy episode on editing techniques, critiquing, and discussion of writing development. There is no mercy. Find Kai's remains er we mean fiction: https://www.kaidelmas.com/

  • S4 · E159
    June 24 · 1 hr 26 min

    Episode 159: Writer Insecurities

    Writers? Insecure? NEVER. This week, we take a look at some common writer insecurities and do a bit of commiserating. And if you haven't heard, we have a Discord! Join up and fan the flames of your parasocial relationship: https://discord.gg/Dtzfhepue

Showing 1–20 of 30 episodes