Why Writing Fiction Still Matters in 2025 - Better Writer Podcast Episode 1

In the very first episode of the Better Writer Podcast, I’m asking one very important question: Does writing fiction matter?

When AI has shown up to replace us and the world feels like it’s always in a state of crisis does it still make sense to sit down and write your stories?
I believe it is. Here’s why.

Links mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe to the Better Writer Weekly newsletter here: https://olivia-helps-writers.kit.com/...
Learn more about my work here: https://oliviahelpswriters.com
Read my blog post on harmful worldbuilding tropes here: https://www.oliviahelpswriters.com/bl...
Check out the sources that I consulted in putting together this show:
Article: Does reading fiction make us better people? https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20...
Study: How Does Fiction Reading Influence Empathy? An Experimental Investigation on the Role of Emotional Transportation https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles...
Bookworms versus nerds: Exposure to fiction versus non-fiction, divergent associations with social ability, and the simulation of fictional social worlds https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...
Article: Why Sharing Stories Brings People Together https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/bl...
Paul Slovic observes the ‘psychic numbing’ of COVID-19 https://www.apa.org/members/content/c...
Why Your Brain Can’t Empathize with Large Tragedies https://www.cracked.com/blog/why-your...
Books Mentioned (affiliate links):
Wired for Story https://bookshop.org/a/93888/97816077...
The Well of Tears https://bookshop.org/a/93888/97814299...
The Duke and I (Bridgerton #1): https://bookshop.org/a/93888/97800623...

For a full transcript of the episode, please visit oliviahelpswriters.com/bwp/1