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Adrian Tchaikovsky: How to Write Absurdly Well | How I Write

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Dec 31, 2025

Guest

Adrian Tchaikovsky

Adrian Tchaikovsky, the celebrated author behind over 60 science fiction and fantasy works, shares insights into his imaginative writing process. He explains his method of meticulous worldbuilding and the importance of compelling characters. Tchaikovsky discusses the art of crafting fight scenes, emphasizing emotional truth and narrative significance. He also explores the balance between originality and research, suggesting that magic should come with a cost. Throughout the conversation, he highlights the significance of immersive settings and the surprising depth characters can reveal.

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Episode notes

Respect The Left Wall Of Science

Treat your 'left wall' of scientific plausibility as a boundary you can’t cross without deliberate choice.
Research the contours of that left wall early to avoid late-stage contradictions.

Expert Help For Weird Technical Gaps

For octopus spaceships in Children of Ruin, Adrian consulted a submarine designer to understand water-filled ship physics.
He sought experts to patch gaps where real-world knowledge doesn't map neatly to speculative ideas.

One Big Lie, Everything Else True

Use one big fictional leap but make everything else as true as possible to sell plausibility.
Solid science and detail around the lie give the story weight and make readers believe the scenario could happen.

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Why Adrian plans worlds in advance

00:33 • 1min

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How Adrian outlines chapters and beats

02:00 • 38sec

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Linear planning vs organic detours

02:38 • 1min

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Leaving the final sentence unplanned

03:58 • 2min

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Playful imagining and the 'what-if' seed

05:32 • 1min

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Choosing original what-ifs

06:58 • 4min

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Ground-up worldbuilding for cohesion

10:57 • 42sec

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Phases: world stage, planning, and subconscious brewing

11:39 • 2min

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City settings produce complex character webs

14:08 • 2min

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Letting drama emerge from the setting

16:14 • 1min

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Cities vs travelogues: consequences matter

17:38 • 2min

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Imagining a world: visuals, sounds, gestalt

20:00 • 1min

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Characters growing organically from setting

21:20 • 2min

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Characters surprise the author

23:46 • 2min

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Science fiction's left wall and research

25:17 • 2min

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Getting experts and museum research

27:18 • 4min

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The one-big-lie and supporting realism

30:56 • 3min

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Differences across fantasy and science fiction

33:47 • 3min

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Why magic often has a price

36:38 • 1min

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Writing maxims: hold rules lightly

37:53 • 4min

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How to write compelling fight scenes

42:06 • 3min

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Fights as narrative and character tools

45:18 • 1min

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Showcasing world details through combat

46:44 • 4min

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Keeping research subtle on the page

50:20 • 11sec

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Trying new things to avoid ruts

50:31 • 1min

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Attraction to post-tech and ruined worlds

51:50 • 2min

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Author, reader, and character knowledge triangle

53:32 • 4min

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Subconscious collaboration in creation

57:38 • 1min

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Improving craft: goals, peers, and reading now

59:07 • 2min

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Connecting readers emotionally

01:01:07 • 2min

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What makes a satisfying ending

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Published in 1937, 'The Hobbit' is a children's fantasy novel that introduces readers to the richly imagined world of Middle-earth. The story follows Bilbo Baggins, a home-loving hobbit, who is persuaded by Gandalf to join Thorin and his twelve dwarves on a quest to reclaim their treasure from the dragon Smaug. During the journey, Bilbo encounters various creatures, including trolls, goblins, and the mysterious Gollum, and discovers a magical ring that renders the wearer invisible. The novel is a prequel to 'The Lord of the Rings' and explores themes of personal growth, courage, and unexpected heroism.

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In *Piranesi*, the protagonist lives in a world called the House, a labyrinthine structure filled with thousands of statues, tides that surge through staircases, and clouds in the upper halls. Through his meticulous journals, Piranesi reconstructs the story of his arrival and explores the House, only to discover messages indicating the presence of another person. As he delves deeper, he uncovers secrets and confronts the possibility of a world beyond his known reality.

Adrian Tchaikovsky came on the show to talk about how he writes fantasy and science fiction. He won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for his book, Children of Time, and has written more than 60 books and novellas.

He spends his life thinking about how to make believable worlds and how to build characters that have weight to them. My favorite thing is how he writes a fight scene, how he thinks through the pacing and all the action. If you want to write imaginative stories filled with wonder and fantasy, you're going to like this episode.

About the host Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible. Follow me Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv X: https://x.com/david_perell

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