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What do Discworld, Alice in Wonderland, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Lord of the Rings have in common? If you guessed “omniscient narration,” then you’re right, but you also cheated by reading my title. No matter – I will still share the secrets of this powerful but challenging … read more »
What we read influences what we write, often without our conscious intent. So if you’re working on your writing skills, pick your books carefully. Great books can show you how it’s done. Terrible ones can encourage poor habits. But which books are great? If you’re new … read more »
If you’ve ever wondered why authors bother to divide their books into numbered chunks called chapters, this is the podcast for you. Chapters are present in nearly every novel published today, but they’re something we don’t often think about. This week we are joined by … read more »
What’s that, Jim is still here in the podcast? Okay, then it’s time to talk about Discworld. There’s a lot going on in this disc-shaped world atop four elephants standing on the back of a giant turtle, the Great A’Tuin. A lot of it, like … read more »
Chris, Ariel, and Oren discuss transitions in writing and other media. They describe what transitions need to accomplish and various techniques for transitioning between scenes. While they’re at it, they debate whether Harry Potter should have died … Read more »
Chris, Mike, and Oren discuss the upsides and downsides of including non-humans in stories. They list their pet peeves with non-human races, and describe works with great or terrible depictions. Read more »
Chris, Mike, and Oren discuss how themes are a common part of worldbuilding. They describe worlds with memorable themes, contemplate how worldbuilders can add themes to their settings, and mention the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. Read more »
Mike, Oren, and Chris are confounded by all-encompassing definition of anti-heroes on TV Tropes. Oren shares his theory that all characters are either boring, anti-heroes, or Captain Picard. Chris asks why there aren’t female anti-heroes that aren’t also antagonists, and Mike describes anti-hero tricksters, templars, and … read more »
Oren, Chris, and Mike talk about breaking conventions in stories. They discuss works that offer delightful surprises to their audience, and contrast them with works that simply fail expectations. They also talk about Star Trek. A lot. Read more »
Discworld is an expansive fantasy series created by Terry Pratchett. It features a flat, disc-shaped world (who would have guessed) resting upon the backs of four enormous elephants standing on the shell of a giant turtle, the Great A’Tuin. It’s made up of multiple series … read more »