Novel Discourse: Recent Episodes
Sam Clark & Andy Gotelli
Award-winning YA author Mark Rosendorf joined us to discuss thoughtful worldbuilding, magic systems, and how to do time travel the right way. We also discuss his rules for keeping your stories timeless, and how to ensure that audiences 10, 20, and 50 years from now will still find your work relevant.
Mark's award-winning series, The Witches of Vegas, has a new installment coming out January 4th 2023, Witch Way To Vegas, and is available for pre-order today. You can check out this and all of Mark's works at MarkRosendorf.com or find him on twitter at @markrosendorf.
https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Way-Vegas-Witches/dp/1509246797/ref=sr_1_1?crid=23ZJVVPJWUMLR&keywords=Witch+Way+to+vegas&qid=1666922196&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjY5IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=witch+way+to+vegas%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1
It shouldn't be a surprise that man who asks "You talkin' to me?" to his mirror might be an unreliable narrator. How do you turn a character as strange and unlikeable as Travis Bickle into a narrator worth rooting for? When does showing harmful viewpoints turn into glorifying them? Join us this week as we dive into the complex character piece that is Taxi Driver.
Apple +'s most talked about show, "Severance", is a creepy and thoughtful look into our relationship with work, corporate loyalty, and worker's rights. Executive Producer Ben Stiller has created a story that is both highly accessible to wide audiences, yet is artfully crafted with deep themes. We all gave this show a high 9 out of 10, so why did we love this show so much? On this week's episode, we dive into the technical elements of what makes this story click.
Martin Scorsese's 2006 Oscar juggernaut "The Departed" has everything you'd want in a crime thriller: An outstanding cast, a phenominal script, and a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. So how did the Mob thriller manage to keep us guessing until the final minutes? We discuss that and more on this week's episode.
The Novel D team is out this week, and as much as it pains us, we've had to unearth one of our older episodes to serve as this week's conversation. After a unanimous vote, we decided to bring you our discussion on Nightcrawler - one of the best and most disturbing character-driven stories of the 21st century.
Nightcrawler was nominated for the 2014 Oscar for best original screenplay, yet is still one of the most overlooked and underdiscussed movies of the 2010’s. We discuss how its dynamic main character explores the winners and losers of capitalism. We also revisit one of the most riveting music documentaries of recent memory, Woodstock ‘99.
The 1988 Film "Akira" was groundbreaking in many ways, from its storytelling to its animation, and even, what it said about Japanese society in such a transitional time. In this week's episode, we discuss why makes Akira one of the most influential stories of all time, and how it still remains a standard bearer for modern Anime.
Amazon Prime's Billion-dollar attempt to battle Game of Thrones launched this week, when the first two episodes of the Lord of the Rings prequel, The Rings of Power, dropped. Was the anticipation worth the wait? Were the early reports of messy & pandering writing accurate? What does the future of this massive Tolkien undertaking look like? We discuss all this and more.
Ernest Hemingway's 1926 classic "The Sun Also Rises" has remained at the forefront of classic literature for its sparse, tight prose and its glimpse into the life of the Lost Generation. In this week's epsiode, we discuss the Lost Generation, life after World War !, and how these events shaped Hemmingway into the writer he would become. We also discuss why this bull fighting classic is still influencing writers and writing styles, even to this day.
We don't have a story or an analysis to share with you this week. Instead of re-packaging an old episode, Sam walks through one of the most fun and strange hypotheticals he's seen in recent memory, and asks: Where would you be willing to live for one billion dollars?
Nobody will blame you if you don't like Amazon Prime's "The Boys". It's not for everyone. But for those who enjoy it, there's a reason that this uber dark and twisted look on "what if superheroes were real?" actually works. This week, we discuss what we like about "The Boys" so far, where we think they've missed the mark, and where the show could go from here.
1 Bestselling author Avanti Centrae stopped by this week to discuss how travel shaped her writing, and how propaganda has shaped our world. Her latest novel, Cleopatra's Vendetta, is an international thriller that deals with a host of modern and longstanding issues, including who really gets to write history.
Cleopatra's Vendetta goes on sale this November 15th and is available for pre-order on Amazon. You can find this and more of Avanti's works on vanops.net.
"Zero Dark Thirty" received five Oscar nominations, a heap of praise, and several scathing critiques about its accuracy. So what did the screenplay get right, and where did facts turn to fiction? We discuss that and more on this week's episode.
There's a difference in nostalgia and just citing facts. There's also a difference in anti-heroes who play to the story's theme and heroes with unflushed issues that the author failed to notice. "Ready Player One" is the first work of fiction covered on Novel Discourse that we all ranked below a 5/10, but what didn't work? This week, we discuss the flaws and missed opportunities in this story.
Crime Fiction novelist James Michels stopped by this week to talk about his latest work, "The Ballad of Johnny Carlo", what makes the Mafia unique from other criminal organizations, and how a popular anime peaked his curiosity for anti-heroes. If you're a fan of history or of crime fiction, you won't want to miss this conversation.
You can find " The Ballad of Johnny Carlo" as well as "Ice Rising" on Amazon and you can find James on Twitter @jamesrealmike. Make sure to reach out to him for a signed copy of either of his latest adventures!
Oliver Stone has made a career out of highly stylized films that speak to serious issues within society, and Any Given Sunday is no different. It's a gritty look at how difficult and wild life inside the NFL actually is. But just how accurate is this fictional tale of the NFL? And how well did Oliver Stone write and direct this story? We discuss and debate on this week's episode.
Integrating themes and messages into stories is a stumbling block for many novels and screenplays, but not Norman McClean's "A River Runs Through It". Through poetic narration and a dynamic, character-driven plot, we aren't told the lessons of grace and living an artistic life, but rather, we're shown. In this week's episode, we discuss how both the film and the novella work well to let the audience learn at their own pace.
Romantic Comedies are often some of the most formulaic stories told, which is why the 2011 film "Crazy, Stupid, Love" stands out as both an original screenplay and a unique film. In this week's episode, we dissect how screenwriter Dan Fogelman used rom-com tropes and expectations to his advantage and created a story nearly everyone can relate to.
Stephen King's close-to-home novella "The Body" touches on several coming-of-age topics in a format rarely enjoyed by his normal audience. Its film adaptation, "Stand By Me" takes liberties to make the story even more family friendly. This week, we discuss what makes both stories work, and why they both became American classics in their own regard.
This is the second and final part of our two-part series, where we draft the best villains in all of fiction.
Villains make the story, as they provide the angst, horror, and hurdles for our heroes to overcome. In this week's episode, we draft the fictional villains that are the most iconic, the most vile, and the most fitting for their story world.
Villains make the story, as they provide the angst, horror, and hurdles for our heroes to overcome. In this week's episode, we draft the fictional villains that are the most iconic, the most vile, and the most fitting for their story world.
Taylor Sheridan's Frontier Trilogy covers rarely-explored territories across the United States, each adding their own twist to the Neo-Western genre. Through subtle exposition and thoughtful world building, "Hell or High Water" shows us a glimpse of life in West Texas, and how far desperate men are willing to go to save what they love.
We conclude our analysis of the Star Wars prequels with Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith. While this may have been the strongest screenplay of the trilogy, it too had unexplained plot elements, rushed character development, and missed opportunities. In this week's episode, we discuss the missteps and what they could have done differently.
Perhaps more so than any of the Star Wars prequels, "Attack of the Clones" is the biggest missed opportunity. Rushed character arcs, lack of subtext, and questionable decisions all take away from the highly-anticipated precursor to the Clone Wars. We discuss where the screenplay all went wrong, and what they could have done to fix it.
The Star Wars prequels are three of the most divisive, insulted, and perhaps anguished films of modern cinema, not just because of what they were, but what they could have been. In this series, we break down why the writing of the Star Wars prequels didn't work, and what they could have done to fix them. This week, we cover The Phantom Menace and its many whiffs.
Sam Raimi makes his long-anticipated returns to Superhero films with Dr. Strange 2. While we're given the Sam Raimi style and horror elements we've been expecting, the screenplay leaves much to be desired, and gives the MCU a handful of future plot holes to patch up. This film was a beautiful mess, and we discuss why on this week's episode.
Agatha Christie's 1934 murder/mystery classic has captured audience imaginations worldwide and has yielded many faithful (and not so faithful) adaptations. This week, we discover what makes this classic novel work, what bits haven't stood the test of time, and where most of the silver screen adaptations of the Belgian detective have gone wrong.
"The Northman" is a condensed retelling of the legend of Amleth, the story from which Shakespeare's Hamlet was born. It's also arguably one of the best movies of 2022 thus far. This week, we break down what makes the writing, directing, casting, and everything else work so well, and why Robert Eggers just might be the next great filmmaker.
Novel and Film "Annihilation" are about roughly the same story - an alien visits earth, teaching our protagonist about life, loss and the self-destructing tendencies of mankind. Yet, the original novel and the movie adaptation take entirely different approaches to explaining these heavy themes. We break down both on this week's episode.
Aaron Sorkin's Best Adapted Screenplay, "The Social Network", did more than just tell a needed and robust story, it also did something more important - it entertained us. With the help of "Se7en" and "Gone Girl" director David Fincher, "The Social Network" became both a well crafted story, but a beautiful one as well.
Nobel Prize winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro's latest novel touches on high-concept themes like life, loss, loneliness, and the human condition, all through the lens of a child-like artificial intelligence. We break down what makes this POV work, where it struggles, and how this book is more than meets the eye.
This week, we review Kenneth Branagh's highly personal directorial and writing masterclass, BELFAST, which deservedly won Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars. We also discuss other Oscars winners & losers, both with the films themselves and with certain members of the crowd...
An ensemble albeit small cast of actors worked to produce, write, and star in the Netflix movie, Windfall. We discuss what makes this chamber drama work, and how information reveals can deepen and heighten tension.
This week, we do a deeper dive on HBO's STATION 11, a show we've raved about in the past. We also discuss one of the nominees for Best Picture, THE POWER OF THE DOG, and how it does antagonists right.
The Batman lived up to the hype and then some. We discuss what made this noir detective story click, and compare it against some of the previous iterations of Batman.
Euphoria is one of America's most watched, most discussed, and most controversial shows out today. This week, we discuss what makes it work, whether or not the controversy is warranted, and what we expect from the show moving forward.
This week, we dive into Netflix's latest number 1 show, and why all parodies are not created equal. We also discuss how to structure a thriller, and why self contained stories are becoming rarer each year.
We discuss the themes, story structure, and genre-bending world build that defines the 1995 classic "Ghost in the Shell". We also review the 2022 Oscars nominations and discuss what they got right, what they got wrong, and who will win big.
This week, we take turns selecting what we believe to be the best screenplays of the 90's, and see who can come up with the best roster of stories. Part 2 of a 2 part series.
Author, publisher, podcaster, and beta reader Tiffany C. Lewis joined us this week to discuss what it takes to polish your manuscript, and why getting beta readers might be the most critical part of any editing process
You can find all seven of Tiffany’s novels, as well as more information about her new podcast BETA READER BITS at https://tiffanychristinalewis.com/ . You can find Beta Reader Bits anywhere you get your podcasts.
This week, we take turns selecting what we believe to be the best screenplays of the 90's, and see who can come up with the best roster of stories. Part 1 of a 2 part series.
Roxy Eloise joined us this week to discuss her journey from dreamer to published author. We explore the pros and cons of listening to critique, and why self-belief is a writer's greatest asset.
Roxy's debut novel, THE GUIDAL: DISCOVERING PURACORDIS is coming out April 2nd, 2022! You can pre-order your copy at https://www.roxyeloise.com/
Disney's MIRACLE tells the story of the United States' quest for the 1980 Olympics gold medal in ice hockey. Join us as we explore the beats to any fantastic sports triumph, as well as get ourselves ready for this year's Olympic games.
Mike DeLucia joined us this week to discuss his journey from actor to screenwriter and novelist. We explore what it takes to be great, and why mindset is often more important than talent.
Mike is an award-winning author of several novels, including his latest, BORN FOR THE GAME. You can find this and Mike’s other projects at http://www.booksbymikedelucia.com/ or by keying his name into Amazon.
Nightcrawler was nominated for the 2014 Oscar for best original screenplay, yet is still one of the most overlooked and underdiscussed movies of the 2010’s. We discuss how its dynamic main character explores the winners and losers of capitalism. We also revisit one of the most riveting music documentaries of recent memory, Woodstock ‘99.
Aleksandra Tryniecka joined us this week to discuss compelling female protagonists, what modern day writers can learn from Victorian literature, and why the meaning of Christmas is a year-round lesson to be learned.
Aleksandra is an Assistant Professor of Neo-Victorian literature at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Poland and the author of "Bunky and the Walms: The Christmas Story". You can find her at https://www.aleksandratryniecka.com/
Dan Brown's 2003 mega bestseller was equal parts popular and polarizing. But was it actually well written, or just opportunistic? And why did this, among all other mystery/thrillers of the era, take off? We discuss on this week's episode.
"Dune" rocked. "King Richard" didn't rule. Marvel tried to save the year, but a certain "Green Knight" might have done the saving. We discuss all that and more on this week's episode.
"Based off a true story" is an important call-out, especially when the facts undermine the entire theme of the plot. We talk about how Remember the Titan's screenplay turned a little-known tale into a sports classic we can all enjoy.
How do you reintroduce a character with 40+ years of television and literary history? What makes for a good origin story? We discuss all this and more on this week's episode.
We stan Elle Woods. But why? What makes the lead of "Legally Blonde" such a lovable character? And how did this screenplay flip late 90's coming-of-age tales on their heads? We discuss this and more.
One of the poster children for the new wave of fantasy novels, The Name of the Wind showcases how to write brash characters, the importance of integration magic into your setting, and how to clever dialogue is done right.
The Sandlot is a masterpiece in nostalgia, and it's no accident. Through well defined characters and thoughtful exploration into childhood, The Sandlot was written to be remembered for years. In this inaugural episode of Novel Discourse, we discuss how the writers pulled it off.