What If…?

Where we re-imagine some aspect of popular stories by asking, “What If…?”

Episode 21 – The Art of Fog

Having recovered from their EPIC anniversary episode, Tim and Nick set out to discover new realms of exploration. Along the way they realize, “Hey, it’s pretty cool to keep finding new lands and creatures and characters and stuff.” So they decided to disc

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Episode 26 – Capers, Chaos, and Pythons…Oh My!

KA-POW! In this episode of Derailed Trains of Thought, Tim and Nick–BAM!–fight their way through the–BANG!–dangerous question of what–RAT-TAT-TAT!–makes action awesome. TICK. And what makes it–SNICK! ARGHHH!–just a mess of dead bodies. TICK. Also,

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Episode 29 – Of Devils and Darkness

This episode, we muck around in the filth of humanity, in the deep mires of wickedness, in vile dens of…well, you get the idea. Why do we hang around in these places? We examine evil in fiction–is it psychological, a mistake, a cultural reaction, or so

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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 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 39 – That Was Easy…a Little TOO Easy

We all love our ah-ha! moments. We like plot twists and seeing set-ups pay off. That medallion of his dead wife he wears under his shirt? Yep, blocks a bullet in the final battle. But when do these drama conventions become too convenient? And how to avoid

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Episode 43 – The Child Within

Not everything’s War and Peace. Thankfully. Some stories don’t require a PhD. Sometimes we just want a good, simple story. So, Nick and Tim dive into the world of kidlit and kids’ movies–bastion (we hope) of innocence and wonder. Why do stories aimed at

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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 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 50 – Guest Starring…Everybody!

This is it, the show you’ve been waiting for–the 50th episode extravaganza! Join Tim and Nick and a boatload of guest stars as they lead you through a double-length whirlwind tour of the many segments, past and present, that make up the one, the only, th

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