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 sometimes they are just plain weird. How are we to react to these filler episodes? To dig into this question, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden…
Read MoreIt’s easy to complain about derivative plots and copycat characters, to want something fresh and new that doesn’t recycle the same old tropes. But this can obscure that fact that sometimes we like repetition–if it’s done well. I mean, who doesn’t want to see Lucy pull the football away from Charlie Brown one more time?…
Read MoreWhat will the father do when his daughter is kidnapped? Whatever it takes. What will the detective do to clear his name from a wrongful accusation of murder? Whatever it takes. What will the group of superheroes do when half the world is wiped out by a ma
Read MoreIt’s 2018, and we’re back with Episode 84 of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling! The facts: Story School, simple vs. complex plots; Our Take on Tales, our 2017 reads In other words: Your hosts, Timothy Deal and Nicholas Hayd
Read MoreWords. Since you were knee-high to a grasshopper, you’ve been bombarded by them. Flash cards, spelling bees, Facebook comments from people who haven’t learned how to use gifs yet…they’re everywhere. Sometimes we take them for granted, and sometimes we t
Read MoreForetold by prophecy and brought forth from its pleasant village in the Woods of Tranquility to liberate the Intrawebs from the forces of evil memes, Episode 67 is here! To guide it upon its hero’s journey, guides Nick and Tim train it in the ways of the
Read More“Show, don’t tell.” It’s a rule pounded into storytellers…but are there times when telling is better? After all, you can’t show everything, can you? Exposition is an essential part of storytelling, and your hosts Tim and Nick examine the good, the bad,
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