Electronic

Episode 49 – Write It Again, Sam

Writing is revision and a movie is discovered in the editing room. Or so “they” tell us. Isn’t vision enough? If not, how do we go about casting our re-vision anyway? Tim and Nick take up the topic with their usual flair in Episode 49 of Derailed Trains o

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Episode 47 – The SFW ‘NSFW Episode’

You know what makes a story real? What makes it intelligent and high-minded? Sex. Also, unflinching violence. Then probably more sex. Or at least another pint of blood. But is this true? At what point do these things become gratuitous? Or are they always

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Episode 46 – The Expurgated Version

Dear listeners: You may have heard the hosts of this podcast refer to such works as Star Wars, Babylon 5, The Muppets, LOST, The Wheel of Time, and other such well-known works once or twice (or 1753 times) in previous podcasts. We would like to inform you

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Episode 45 – The One Certain Thing (Not Taxes)

Everyone knows if you’re wearing a red shirt, you’re going to die. And if you run out of flashbacks, you’re going to die. And if you’re someone’s mentor, you’re going to die. And if you’re in a Shakespearean tragedy, you and everyone dear to you is going

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Episode 42 – Why We (Don’t) Create

It’s no secret Tim and Nick like to create. I mean, they’ve recorded more than 40 podcasts discussing the art of storytelling! But every creative person has a reason they create. And every creative person has multitudes of excuses for why they don’t actua

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Episode 36 – Real “Steel”?

We’re back! Again! After an extended hiatus to reflect and retool the podcast, Nick and Tim return with a new, live format for Derailed Trains of Thought! This episode was originally streamed live last week at mixlr.com, which allowed us to interact with

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Episode 35 – Now The Page Was Formless and Void

A new year brings new beginnings…like a new podcast about beginnings! That’s right, after starting with endings way back in Episode 1, Nick and Tim come full circle to the beginning of things. Whether it’s how best to start a story or why audiences like

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Episode 34 – Total Recall?

Just in time for the holidays, the celebratory 2nd Anniversary Derailed Trains of Thought podcast! So…instead of working ourselves to the bone (you know, as we usually do, trying to get out one episode every 9 weeks or so), we compiled a collection of o

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Episode 32 – Another World Awaits You

Wardrobes, Deloreans, looking-glasses, ter’angreal, blue phone boxes, linking books…if you want to enter a new realm, there are ways. But, of course, someone has to make the world first. Hence, world-building. We start this episode with an interview wit

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Episode 28 – Of God and Supermen

Greetings, faithful listeners! This episode, Tim and Nick examine how belief interacts with fiction. How does God appear in stories? How do you tell the Truth when you’re making things up? Also mentioned: aliens, superheroes, and, as always, the Doctor. W

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