Our Take on Tales

Where we discuss our thoughts on whatever books, movies, comics, TV shows, or other story we’ve come across.

Episode 115 – What Was That Title Again?

Remember your favorite episode of Derailed Trains of Thought? Yeah–that one. It was about…I mean, there was a funny What If? and…yeah, a great discussion about books…or something. Have you ever found yourself forgetting the details of your favorite

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Episode 110 – The Weird, The Bizarre, and The Ugly

Some stories are safe; some are nightmare fuel. Some stories reflect the world we live in; others subject us to worlds of pure imagination. Some stories present us with pleasant characters; other star David Bowie in tight pants. What is the appeal of thes

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Episode 106 – ONE THEORY to RULE THEM ALL!!

What if I told you everything you knew was a lie? The Island is actually purgatory and all the Pixar films are connected and Aladdin actually takes place in a future post-apocalyptic wasteland and Captain Planet and the Magic Schoolbus are actually the sa

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Episode 102 – Character Developing, Please Wait…

A wise and weird man once said, “My, my, this here Anakin guy, May be Vader someday later, now he’s just a small fry.” Which raises the important question: How? How does the village coward become a brave knight? How does a fussy old Hobbit become an adven

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Episode 100 – Journey to Tanner Mountain

It’s here! IT’S HERE! EPISODE 100! After nearly 9 year and 99 episodes, we’ve finally arrived at episode 100. Triple digits, here we are! It’s been quite a journey and, without spoiling much, so is this episode. Don’t wait, press play, and join Timothy De

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Episode 97 – Every Stage’s a World

While the entertainment world gives tons of coverage to movies, video games, and books, what about the stage? (And not just musicals?) Well, in today’s Story School the play’s the thing we discuss with special guest Lauren Nichols, Artistic Director for a

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Episode 95 – Tempted at Story’s Altar

Story is good. We’ve said that before. But story can also take an out-sized and even, shall we say, idolatrous place in our media-soaked lives. Nick and Tim discuss the dangers of story for the creator and consuming in this episode’s Story School. Then it

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Episode 92 – More Than One Way to Craft a Story

The Hero’s Journey is essential to a good story, right? How about an epic climax? Five acts? Three? A witty sidekick? What does a story need and what do we modern Westerns think it needs? Many of our conventions of story telling are just that, conventions

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Episode 91 – This Just In….

THE INTERNET – Podcasters Timothy Deal and Nicholas Hayden interviewed freelance newswriter Laura Finch for Episode 91 of the Derailed Trains of Thought podcast. Finch, who writes for World Magazine, explained how newswriting is like storytelling, how aud

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Episode 87 – Adventure is Out There!

Whether it’s through a portal, across the sea, among the stars, or deep into the earth, we all dream of going on an adventure. That’s why so many stories are concerned with adventures, and why Timothy and Nick tackle the genre–along with guest Greg Meyer

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