Derailed Trains of Thought

Hosted ByNick Hayden & Timothy Deal

Derailed Trains of Thought is your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer. Hosted by Nick Hayden and Timothy Deal, Derailed Trains of Thought discusses a wide range of storytelling topics, from the practical to the philosophical, in a engaging, conversational manner. It also includes bouts of fiction, brainstorming, Internet weirdness, puns, and a general enjoyment of the intersection between the written word, film, story, and meaning.

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Episode 150 – Remember When…

Sometimes we look back at the stories that shaped us, at the memories of characters and fictional worlds that left their impression upon us. We can remember with fondness...

Episode 149 – In the Middle of It All

Everyone knows famous first lines from classic novels. Everyone has their favorite endings to a long-running series. But people don’t share their favorite “middle scenes” near as often. The...

Episode 148 – Come On, Set Me Up, Man!

Many modern stories hit the ground running, throwing the reader or viewer into a whirlwind of names, places, situations, and conflicts. This can be exciting. No trudging through useless...

Episode 147 – Take Two Stories and See Me in the Morning

It’s nearly Christmas. Among other things, this means it’s time to rest from the chaos of Christmas preparations; it’s time to spend some with the people you love most;...

Episode 146 – Someone in This Story is a Killer

There’s a dead body in the isolated small-town bed and breakfast. All the weekend guests have been kept indoors because of the storm. Luckily, a famed detective is also...

Episode 145 – A Shadow on the Soul

Nearly everyone has a story about that one cartoon or movie they watched as a child that gave them nightmares, whether it was an “Elephants on Parade” acid trip...

Episode 144 – This is the Filler Episode

Nearly every long-running series has at least a few episodes that seem to be “killing time.” Sometimes they are unique one-off stories. Sometimes they are humorous character studies. And...

Episode 143 – The Moral is Simple

All stories teach a lesson of some sort. Some lessons are very obvious and simple: Tell the truth. Kindness is best. True beauty comes from within. But what makes...

Episode 142 – Free For All

Every creative work is the product of someone’s hard work and imagination. That’s why there’s copyright laws. Storytellers of all kinds should be paid for their work and own...

Episode 141 – Looking Into Story’s Mirror

It is true that the stories we consume can affect the sort of people we are. In this episode, however, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden examine the truth...