Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re tackling a classic worldbuilding challenge: How do you create a dominant, world-spanning empire without making every villain feel the same?

Inspired by a prompt about structuring an overarching antagonist group, I break down why your empire needs layers of control, why real-life history—not just fiction—should guide your choices, and how to avoid the dreaded “this feels too much like One Piece” problem. Whether you’re designing a totalitarian world government or a fractured superpower, this episode will help you build a villainous force that’s both intimidating and narratively rich.

Email your own advice prompt to fantasywritingforbarbarians@gmail.com or join our Discord and let us know what's on your mind. You can find the discussion prompt we referenced on the show right here.

Fantasy Writing for Barbarians‘ host is Jon Negroni, author of The Pixar Theory, Killerjoy, and more. Our producers are Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock. You can find all our episodes and various podcast app options here.

Intro music: "Adventures in Adventureland" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we&rsquo;re tackling a classic worldbuilding challenge: How do you create a dominant, world-spanning empire without making every villain feel the same?
Inspired by a prompt about structuring an overarching antagonist group, I break down why your empire needs layers of control, why real-life history&mdash;not just fiction&mdash;should guide your choices, and how to avoid the dreaded &ldquo;this feels too much like One Piece&rdquo; problem. Whether you&rsquo;re designing a totalitarian world government or a fractured superpower, this episode will help you build a villainous force that&rsquo;s both intimidating and narratively rich.
Email your own advice prompt to fantasywritingforbarbarians@gmail.com&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://discord.gg/wG5g8RR4m2">join our Discord</a> and let us know what's on your mind. You can find the discussion prompt we referenced on the show&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/fantasywriters/comments/1irbqoq/help_with_my_series_antagonists/?rdt=44294">right here.</a>
Fantasy Writing for Barbarians&lsquo; host is&nbsp;<a href="https://inbetweendrafts.com/author/jonnegroni/">Jon Negroni</a>, author of&nbsp;The Pixar Theory,&nbsp;Killerjoy, and more. Our producers are Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock. You can find all our episodes and various podcast app options&nbsp;<a href="https://omny.fm/shows/in-between-drafts/playlists/fantasy-writing-for-barbarians">here</a>.
Intro music: "Adventures in Adventureland" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

Whether you're a beginner fantasy writer or maybe even a barbarian, Fantasy Writing for Barbarians can help take your story to some exciting new worlds. Hosted by Jon Negroni and produced by Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock.

Whether you're a beginner fantasy writer or maybe even a barbarian, Fantasy Writing for Barbarians can help take your story to some exciting new worlds. Hosted by Jon Negroni and produced by Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock.

Fantasy Writing for Barbarians

InBetweenDrafts is a new destination for the endlessly curious. Founded by the former editors at The Young Folks, we cover the latest news and entertainment across film, books, television, games, music, and more.

InBetweenDrafts is a new destination for the endlessly curious. Founded by the former editors at The Young Folks, we cover the latest news and entertainment across film, books, television, games, music, and more.

InBetweenDrafts

How to make your story’s empire feel real and threatening

This week on Rookie Pirate Radio, Jon Negroni and Travis Hymas discuss the latest chapter of the One Piece manga, titled “Warrior Generation.” One Piece 1173 is currently available to read for free on Viz.

Topics this week include:
Brook and Gunko and Princess Shuri and Jon's wild Shuri-Vivi-Lily theory!
We want to cover an anime soon, so write in your suggestions via the Discord! Or email us (address below).
Is there more to Zoro's plan? We have theories.
Also, Zoro flies now.
Shamrock needs to come back, right? This is getting too easy.
Travis thinks the arc will extend by us going higher up the tree soon.
Jon hopes Usopp figures out a way to reverse Domi Reversi without Conqueror's Haki.

Catch up before Chapter 1174 drops, and don’t forget to join our spoiler-filled One Piece channel in the InBetweenDrafts Discord linked right here! You can also email your questions, corrections, and theories via email: rookiepirateradio@gmail.com.

We’ll be back to discuss the next chapter after it comes out, but in the meantime, be sure to subscribe to Rookie Pirate Radio on your favorite podcast app, so you can stay up to date on all our releases.

Extra Credits:

Our intro music is a remix version of “Overtaken” from the One Piece anime, cut together by Jon Negroni. Our podcast artwork is by Jon Negroni. Travis Hymas is the Anime & Manga editor of InBetweenDrafts, and Jon Negroni is the Podcast Editor of InBetweenDrafts. Our recaps are always based on the English translation of the manga, courtesy of Viz. In case you didn’t know already, Eiichiro Oda is the creator of One Piece. Plus, we’re not just a One Piece podcast by the way! If you have a manga or anime you’d like us to cover or mention on the show, definitely reach out.

This week on Rookie Pirate Radio, <a href="https://inbetweendrafts.com/author/jonnegroni/">Jon Negroni</a> and <a href="https://inbetweendrafts.com/author/hymastravis/">Travis Hymas</a>&nbsp;discuss the latest chapter of the&nbsp;One Piece manga, titled &ldquo;Warrior Generation.&rdquo; One Piece 1173&nbsp;is currently available to read for free on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/one-piece?locale=en">Viz</a>.
Topics this week include:
<ul>
<li>Brook and Gunko and Princess Shuri and Jon's wild Shuri-Vivi-Lily theory!</li>
<li>We want to cover an anime soon, so write in your suggestions via the Discord! Or email us (address below).</li>
<li>Is there more to Zoro's plan? We have theories.</li>
<li>Also, Zoro flies now.</li>
<li>Shamrock needs to come back, right? This is getting too easy.</li>
<li>Travis thinks the arc will extend by us going higher up the tree soon.</li>
<li>Jon hopes Usopp figures out a way to reverse Domi Reversi without Conqueror's Haki.</li>
</ul>
Catch up before Chapter 1174 drops, and don&rsquo;t forget to join <a href="https://discord.gg/wG5g8RR4m2">our spoiler-filled One Piece channel in the InBetweenDrafts Discord linked right here</a>! You can also email your questions, corrections, and theories via email: rookiepirateradio@gmail.com.
We&rsquo;ll be back to discuss the next chapter after it comes out, but in the meantime, be sure to <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/in-between-drafts/playlists/rookie-pirate-radio">subscribe</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://inbetweendrafts.com/category/anime-manga/rookie-pirate-radio/">Rookie Pirate Radio</a>&nbsp;on your favorite podcast app, so you can stay up to date on all our releases.
Extra Credits:
Our intro music is a remix version of &ldquo;Overtaken&rdquo; from the&nbsp;One Piece anime, cut together by Jon Negroni. Our podcast artwork is by Jon Negroni. Travis Hymas is the Anime &amp; Manga editor of InBetweenDrafts, and Jon Negroni is the Podcast Editor of InBetweenDrafts. Our recaps are always based on the English translation of the manga, courtesy of Viz. In case you didn&rsquo;t know already, Eiichiro Oda is the creator of One Piece. Plus, we&rsquo;re not just a&nbsp;One Piece&nbsp;podcast by the way! If you have a manga or anime you&rsquo;d like us to cover or mention on the show, definitely reach out.

One Piece 1173 Manga Recap: 'Warrior Generation'

Jon and TRavis discuss the latest chapter of the One Piece manga, titled "The Elbaph I Dreamed of.” One Piece 1172 is currently available to read for free on Viz.

Topics this week include:
The God Valley Flashback! We've been on hiatus since last April, so we catch up on most of what's happened since.
We finally got our tactical map of Elbaph.
What is Zoro's plan to free Dory and Brogy? Is he just going to ask them which is the strongest?
Brook has a plan too. We have theories about his connection to Gunko and how his music/soul powers can save the day.
We kinda want Shamrock to come back and raise the stakes.
We talk about the theory involving Imu's covenant system tying to royal allegiances and "kings."

Catch up before Chapter 1173 drops, and don’t forget to join our spoiler-filled One Piece channel in the InBetweenDrafts Discord linked right here! You can also email your questions, corrections, and theories via email: rookiepirateradio@gmail.com.

We’ll be back to discuss the next chapter after it comes out, but in the meantime, be sure to subscribe to Rookie Pirate Radio on your favorite podcast app, so you can stay up to date on all our releases.

Extra Credits:

Our intro music is a remix version of “Overtaken” from the One Piece anime, cut together by Jon Negroni. Our podcast artwork is by Jon Negroni. Travis Hymas is the Anime & Manga editor of InBetweenDrafts, and Jon Negroni is the Podcast Editor of InBetweenDrafts. Our recaps are always based on the English translation of the manga, courtesy of Viz. In case you didn’t know already, Eiichiro Oda is the creator of One Piece. Plus, we’re not just a One Piece podcast by the way! If you have a manga or anime you’d like us to cover or mention on the show, definitely reach out.

Jon and TRavis discuss the latest chapter of the One Piece manga, titled "The Elbaph I Dreamed of.&rdquo; One Piece 1172&nbsp;is currently available to read for free on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/one-piece?locale=en">Viz</a>.
Topics this week include:
<ul>
<li>The God Valley Flashback! We've been on hiatus since last April, so we catch up on most of what's happened since.</li>
<li>We finally got our tactical map of Elbaph.</li>
<li>What is Zoro's plan to free Dory and Brogy? Is he just going to ask them which is the strongest?</li>
<li>Brook has a plan too. We have theories about his connection to Gunko and how his music/soul powers can save the day.</li>
<li>We kinda want Shamrock to come back and raise the stakes.</li>
<li>We talk about the theory involving Imu's covenant system tying to royal allegiances and "kings."</li>
</ul>
Catch up before Chapter 1173 drops, and don&rsquo;t forget to join <a href="https://discord.gg/wG5g8RR4m2">our spoiler-filled One Piece channel in the InBetweenDrafts Discord linked right here</a>! You can also email your questions, corrections, and theories via email: rookiepirateradio@gmail.com.
We&rsquo;ll be back to discuss the next chapter after it comes out, but in the meantime, be sure to <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/in-between-drafts/playlists/rookie-pirate-radio">subscribe</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://inbetweendrafts.com/category/anime-manga/rookie-pirate-radio/">Rookie Pirate Radio</a>&nbsp;on your favorite podcast app, so you can stay up to date on all our releases.
Extra Credits:
Our intro music is a remix version of &ldquo;Overtaken&rdquo; from the&nbsp;One Piece anime, cut together by Jon Negroni. Our podcast artwork is by Jon Negroni. Travis Hymas is the Anime &amp; Manga editor of InBetweenDrafts, and Jon Negroni is the Podcast Editor of InBetweenDrafts. Our recaps are always based on the English translation of the manga, courtesy of Viz. In case you didn&rsquo;t know already, Eiichiro Oda is the creator of One Piece. Plus, we&rsquo;re not just a&nbsp;One Piece&nbsp;podcast by the way! If you have a manga or anime you&rsquo;d like us to cover or mention on the show, definitely reach out.

One Piece 1172 Manga Recap: 'The Elbaph I Dreamed of'

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re breaking down a first‑page excerpt from the fantasy writing subreddit and asking a deceptively simple question: what actually makes an opening work? Jon reacts in real time to a dark fantasy opening, unpacking why beautifully written prose can still fall flat without momentum, stakes, or a clear scene engine. And how to avoid starting your novel with pages of nothing happening.

Have a question or topic you want me to get into for the show? Email us at fantasywritingforbarbarians@gmail.com or join our Discord (https://discord.gg/wG5g8RR4m2) and let us know what's on your mind.

Fantasy Writing for Barbarians‘ host is Jon Negroni, author of The Pixar Theory, Killerjoy, and more. You can read some of his original short fiction for free over on Cetera Magazine. Our producers are Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock. You can find all our episodes and various podcast app options here.

Intro music: "Adventures in Adventureland" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we&rsquo;re breaking down a first‑page excerpt from the fantasy writing subreddit and asking a deceptively simple question: what actually makes an opening work? Jon reacts in real time to a dark fantasy opening, unpacking why beautifully written prose can still fall flat without momentum, stakes, or a clear scene engine. And how to avoid starting your novel with pages of nothing happening.
Have a question or topic you want me to get into for the show? Email us at fantasywritingforbarbarians@gmail.com&nbsp;or&nbsp;join our Discord (<a href="https://discord.gg/wG5g8RR4m2)">https://discord.gg/wG5g8RR4m2)</a> and let us know what's on your mind.
Fantasy Writing for Barbarians&lsquo; host is&nbsp;<a href="https://inbetweendrafts.com/author/jonnegroni/">Jon Negroni</a>, author of&nbsp;The Pixar Theory,&nbsp;Killerjoy, and more. You can read some of his original short fiction for free over on <a href="https://ceteramagazine.com">Cetera Magazine</a>. Our producers are Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock. You can find all our episodes and various podcast app options <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/in-between-drafts/playlists/fantasy-writing-for-barbarians">here</a>.
Intro music: "Adventures in Adventureland" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a>

How to make your story’s empire feel real and threatening

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