🎙️ Manga With Josh — Episode 22
From Reader to Creator — The Stories Behind My Own Manhwa Series

Most episodes of Manga With Josh are dedicated to exploring manga and manhwa created by other writers and artists. This time, I’m turning the spotlight on two series that I created myself: The Iron Fist Chronicles and I Died and Became the Heavenly Demon.

After years of reading manga, manhwa, and web novels, I found myself wanting to create stories that captured the elements I love while adding my own perspective. In this episode, I talk about the inspiration behind both series, the tropes I wanted to play with, and why I decided to take the leap from reader to creator.

Whether you’re a fan of fantasy adventures, dungeon crawling, cultivation stories, or simply curious about the writing process, this episode offers a look at the ideas, characters, and worlds that became my own books.

📖 What We Talk About

Why modern manga and manhwa inspired me to start writing my own stories

The origins of The Iron Fist Chronicles

A boxer reincarnated into a fantasy world with almost no magic

Adventure ranks, quests, dungeon crawling, and party building

The story behind I Died and Became the Heavenly Demon

Murim settings, cultivation, comedy, and character growth

How both series were inspired by the genres I enjoy reading

The transition from manga fan to author

⚔️ Why These Series Stood Out To Me

Creating these books gave me the opportunity to explore familiar concepts in my own way. Rather than focusing on overpowered protagonists from the start, both stories center on characters who must earn their progress through persistence, mistakes, and growth. They reflect many of the reasons I fell in love with manga and manhwa in the first place while allowing me to contribute something of my own to the genres that inspired me.

💭 Final Thoughts

This episode is a little different from the usual format, but it felt like the right time to share the stories I’ve been working on and the creative journey behind them. If you’ve ever thought about creating something inspired by the media you love, I hope this episode encourages you to take that first step.

📚 About the Show

Manga With Josh is a podcast dedicated to discovering manga, manhwa, and webtoons that deserve more attention. From hidden gems to well-known classics, each episode explores what makes a series memorable and why it might deserve a place on your reading list.

As always, this is Manga With Josh — where we explore manga you may not have heard of, but probably should have.