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 actually do that much creating. This episode, Tim and Nick analyse their own reasons for creation (and lack thereof), and in the process probably touch on some of your own desires and barriers.

If that's too personal, hang out until the second half, when we discover the combat-typing game Sesame Street Fighter and why EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!

Winter's not over yet (for some reason), so stay inside and listen in on Derailed Trains of Thought Episode 42, your answer to life, the universe, and everything...*

*Results may vary.

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Episode 41 - Can't See No Forest For All These Trees

We all have our little pet scenes and characters. You know, that one line you'll watch again and again or that minor villain you write long fan fictions about because he's just SO COOL. Then there's costumes design of the palace guards (which is just so tacky) and the euphoric emotionality of their sordid romance and that shadows--see, it really is a munchkin hanging himself! And wait, what? You mean Orlando Bloom isn't the star of The Hobbit?

Let's just say we sometimes get caught up in the spectacle, in the moment, in the inessential details and bunny trails, and miss what the story is really all about--and that's what this episode is all about.

Then in the second half, Nick and Tim perform a live dramatic reading of a section of The Unremarkable Squire, Nick's latest fantasy novel.

Serious discussion, obligatory LOST references, long analyses of Frozen, and ridiculous accents--that's what you can expect from Episode 41 of your premiere podcast about storytelling! Listen in!

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Episode 40 - Of Making Many Books There Is No End

'Tis the season, and if you're like us, you'll end up with books and movies beneath your tree. But in a media-saturated culture, how do you navigate among the millions of choices for entertainment and art?

Well, lucky for you, Tim and Nick have decided to tackle that exact question. (Imagine that!) And, just to help you out further, they also share some of the most influential work they've experienced this year, in case you're looking for a good book or movie.

It's the last podcast of the year--number 40! We're officially over the hill. So, enjoy an hour with your favorite podcast on storytelling. And since we won't see you again until 2014, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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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 letting the viewer see the strings that move the puppet? Nick and Tim investigate--or, at least, talk around the issue--in the 39th episode of Derailed Trains of Thought.

Also, for your entertainment, your intrepid hosts put the Peter Jackson "if one movie is good, then three is better" magic to work on classic literature.

Listen. Enjoy. Your premiere podcast about storytelling is here, just in time for the start of the holidays. Isn't that convenient?

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Episode 38 - If Not I, Nor He, Then You?

In the words of the famous (read: unknown) poem from Alice in Wonderland:

He sent them word I had not gone
(We know it to be true):
If she should push the matter on,
What would become of you?

And what does this mean? No idea. But, it introduces an important point--understanding the perspective from which a story is told is vital to understanding the story. So, is first person perspective best or third person? Why would you use second person? How can tweaking the narrator's perspective change the entire warp and woof of the story? Believe it or not, Nick and Tim manage to discuss such things for half an hour. And it's interesting!

Then, just so you don't think our random Wonderland quote is too random (is anything too random for Wonderland?), we spend the second half of the episode discussing fall TV, including one show involving a white rabbit.

So buckle up. It's that time once again. You know he said it (and I mean it, too): "It's time to listen in on the 38th episode of Derailed Trains of Thought!" (Original live recording available here.)

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