Derailed Trains of Thought: Recent Episodes
Nick Hayden & Timothy Deal
Derailed Trains of Thought is a podcast about writing, film making, and everything in between. Hosted by Timothy Deal (filmmaker) and Nick Hayden (writer), Derailed Trains of Thought is at heart a podcast about storytelling in all its various forms.
Sometimes we look back at the stories that shaped us, at the memories of characters and fictional worlds that left their impression upon us. We can remember with fondness what we learned and experienced. Sometimes the memories are bittersweet, with the taste of loss mixed in.
In this, our final episode of Derailed Trains of Thought (for now), hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden begin with a Story School about nostalgia and stories, but they continue with a wide-ranging review of 150 episodes and more than 13 years of podcasts. Join them as they look back over the highlights and memories, the guests and segments, of your premiere podcasts on storytelling for the creator and the consumer, Derailed Trains of Thought.
We're glad you've joined us on this journey. Time to pull into the station.
Show Notes
Everyone knows famous first lines from classic novels. Everyone has their favorite endings to a long-running series. But people don't share their favorite "middle scenes" near as often. The middle can be messy. It can be slow or rushed or just plain confusing. That's why hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden decide to analyze what makes a middle really work, and what makes it really not work.
Then, in the second half, Tim and Nick compete in a Challenge Accepted!, putting their literary knowledge against passages unearthed from the centers of classic novels.
This is the penultimate episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer, Derailed Trains of Thought, before our hiatus. But while it's closer to an ending than a middle, it's sure to get you thinking about all things in-between.
Show Notes
Many modern stories hit the ground running, throwing the reader or viewer into a whirlwind of names, places, situations, and conflicts. This can be exciting. No trudging through useless exposition, no waiting for the action to pick up.
However, not all set-up is bad. As hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden discuss, good, strategic story set-up can heighten a story's drama and impact, while modern stories' obsession with don't-worry-I'll-explain-(maybe)-later plotting can cause confusion and lack of character connection.
In the second half, Tim and Nick share their annual Take on Tales, recounting this past year's book club books, detailing the good, the bad, and the weird.
We won't throw you in headfirst. We'll lead you into the heart of our conversations gently, so listen in to this, the 148th episode of your premiere podcasts on storytelling for the creator and the consumer, Derailed Trains of thought.
Show Notes
It's nearly Christmas. Among other things, this means it's time to rest from the chaos of Christmas preparations; it's time to spend some with the people you love most; it's time to ponder peace on earth and goodwill toward man. It's time to reevaluate the year that's past and look forward to the year to come. It's a time of restoration.
Stories, too, can have a real restorative power in a world full of brokenness, busyness, and sin. In this episode, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden examine the many ways that good stories can help restore us, refresh us, and make us more fully human.
Then, after this year's final Once Upon a Scene, Tim and Nick finish up 2023 with What If? If stories really can heal, then why not prescribe them for whatever ails you? Though they do not have medical degrees, Dr. Tim and Dr. Nick do their best to cure everything from hair loss to amputation with just the right story.
May this 147th episode of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere storytelling podcast for the creator and the consumer, be the perfect addition to a season of joy, peace, and thoughtful introspective this season. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
Show Notes
There's a dead body in the isolated small-town bed and breakfast. All the weekend guests have been kept indoors because of the storm. Luckily, a famed detective is also a guest this weekend. It's time to figure out whodunit!
Everyone is familiar with some version of this setup. Mysteries are a well-loved and entertaining genre--but somehow hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden haven't discussed it yet! This episode, they examine what's so appealing about mystery stories and explore some of their essential elements.
Then, after another round of Once Upon a Scene, Tim and Nick tackle a mystery of their own in It Came From the Intrawebs.
Finally, they share an important, not-to-be-missed Project Update concerning this very podcast.
Maybe you know who the killer is. Maybe you've been fooled by the red herrings. Either way, at least there's no mystery about what you're getting with this 146th episode of your premiere podcast for the creators and consumer--another hour of entertainment and enlightenment!
Show Notes
Nearly everyone has a story about that one cartoon or movie they watched as a child that gave them nightmares, whether it was an "Elephants on Parade" acid trip or a "Why'd I'd watch this when I was seven?" childhood trauma.
But even as adults, there are stories that lodge deep in the psyche, that get under your skin and just bother us. What should we do with such stories? Do they have a useful purpose? Hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden tackle just that question as they examine the different types of stories that unsettle us.
Then, after Once Upon a Scene, Tim and Nick launch into a two-part second half. First, A Bit of Story, where the narrator is uneasy with a strange development in his life. Then, after a long hiatus, the return of Pun Times!
Halloween is around the corner (and seemingly everywhere already), but don't be disturbed--the 145th episode of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer, is ready to challenge and thought-provoke in the safety of your own home.
Show Notes
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 meet up with Bex, from the Redeemed Otaku podcast, to discuss filler episodes, especially in the context of anime.
Afterward, Nick and Bex face off in a Two Truths and a Lie-style Challenge Accepted!
Then, after our regular Once Upon a Scene, Tim and Nick engage in their annual summer movie review in Our Take on Tales.
This 144th episode may be about filler, but don't let the title fool you--every episode of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast for the creator and the consumer, is essential!
Show Notes
All stories teach a lesson of some sort. Some lessons are very obvious and simple: Tell the truth. Kindness is best. True beauty comes from within. But what makes these morals resonate in a story? Why do they come off as maudlin and sappy in some stories and profound and deep in others?
Hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden examine the difference between simple and simplistic morals. How does a story help its moral sink deep into the reader or viewer? They attempt to find out.
Then, after another Once Upon a Scene, Tim and Nick play a game of What If?, where they try to infuse flawed stories with new, overused morals.
So, listen it to this 143rd episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer, Derailed Trains of Thought. Remember--A podcast heard is a podcast learned.
Show Notes
Every creative work is the product of someone's hard work and imagination. That's why there's copyright laws. Storytellers of all kinds should be paid for their work and own their ideas.
However, at some point, all stories enter the public domain. What is public domain? What's the role of public domain in creativity? How does public domain change storytelling? How long should a copyright last? Hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden tackle these and related questions in this episode's Story School.
Then, after our monthly Once Upon a Scene, Tim and Nick dig into public domain for a special A Bit of Story involving rockets and old ladies.
So, listen in to this, the 142nd episode of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer. Share it! Discuss it! Enjoy it!
©2023 Derailed Trains of Thought
Show Notes
It is true that the stories we consume can affect the sort of people we are. In this episode, however, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden examine the truth of the reverse. Do a culture's stories reflect the sort of people we already are--both our virtues and our vices? In a wide-ranging discussion, they attempt to put a finger to the pulse of our culture's current story values and what it might say about who we are.
Then, after another Once Upon a Scene, Timothy and Nick discuss The Mandalorian, Andor, Muppets Mayhem, Peer Gynt, and other stories old and new in Our Take on Tales.
So, listen in to this 141st episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer. It certainly says something profound about your refined tastes in podcasts, if nothing else.
Show Notes
During Episode 140, guests Eric Anderson and Dallas Mora, joined by host Nick Hayden, competed in an epic showdown of geek-themed Jeopardy! However, that episode ran long, so only the first round made the final cut. The second round is now here for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!
Table top games. Cosplay. Anime. Superheros. Star Wars. Conventions. These are a few of a geek's favorite things. Those who love these things love to share them with others. Together, they make up geek culture. But behind these shared interests and hobbies are individuals who need the love and hope of Jesus Christ.
In this episode, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel and Dallas Mora of Geek Devotions share stories of their ministry to those who love all things geeky. They share their missions, their challenges and successes, and their hopes for the future in sharing God's love with those who love the same stories and entertainment that they do.
Then, in the second half, host Nick Hayden joins Eric and Dallas in a Jeopardy-style Challenge Accepted! featuring appropriately nerdy categories.
So listen in to this, the 140th episode of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer, because all stories can point to the True Story.
Show Notes
It'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?
This episode, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden discuss the joy of selective repetition. When does it work? Why does it work? How can creators utilize it more effectively?
Then, after another Once Upon a Scene, Tim and Nick dive into It Came From the Intrawebs, experiencing our Daily Dose of Internet and testing our meme-ology.
It's the same format, with the same hosts, but hopefully that familiarity will lure you in to listen to episode 139 of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and consumer, Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
The Rom-Com. It's boy meets girl. Or girl meets boy. Or hard-working single woman meets arrogant British chap. Or womanizing marine veterinarian falls for an art teacher with amnesia. Or...you get the idea.
The romantic comedy is a genre with its own beats and its own fans. What makes rom-coms appealing? How have they changed over the years? Are they just fluff, or do they point to deeper yearnings and truth?
In this episode's Story School, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden are joined by Danielle Deal, Timothy's sister, to discuss the joys and strengths of what some might relegate to chick flicks.
Then, after another edition of Once Upon a Scene, Tim and Nick try their hand at constructing their own romantic comedy movie and TV show in What If?
Come, listen. Even if you think you hate us, by the time we're done, we know you'll fall in love with this newest episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and consumer, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
Other possible titles for this episode: Food and Fiction. Scumptious Stories. Delectable Dramas. Mouth-watering Myths. Belly-satisfying Books. Yummy Yarns.
You get the idea.
We all eat. Most of us every day, even several times a day. It's understandable, then, that food shows up in the stories we consume (pun intended). But what is the role of food in stories? Is it simply to reflect real-life, or is there more going on? Guest Janelle Deal joins her husband Timothy Deal and co-host Nick Hayden to discuss the implications of dinner scenes and hungry characters in this month's episode.
Then, after a new twist on "Once Upon a Sentence," Janelle, Timothy, and Nick present the annual book club edition of Our Take on Tales.
Find the closest comfort food or glass of whatever-floats-your-boat and feast your ears on episode 137 of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer, Derailed Trains of Thought.
The Christmas season means Christmas movies, and one constant of Christmas movies is the need to believe. You must have faith in the Christmas spirit, or belief in Santa Claus, or even trust in the promises of God. Each of these are labelled belief or faith, and yet they can make for very different stories.
This episode, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden examine the theme of belief or faith in stories. When does it work? When is it an overused trope? And how can creators use this theme in helpful and creative ways?
Then, after the year's final Once Upon a Sentence, Tim and Nick share a dubious It Came From the Intrawebs, and then go head-to-head in a Christmas quote/lyric quiz in a hioliday-themed Challenge Accepted!
We hope you'll trust us to entertain you for an hour or so this holiday season, with this, the 136th episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer. Merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year!
Show Notes
We've all woken from some strange, disorienting dream and wondered, "What was that all about?" In stories, we also sometimes encounter strange dream sequences, and sometimes we still ask, "What was that all about?"
In this episode, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden examine these strange interludes to determine when a dream sequence is beneficial to a story and when it just kills time or confuses the audience.
Then, in the second half, Tim and Nick share "A Pleasant Dream" in A Bit of Story, and then experiment with letting an AI dream up art--with varying degrees of success--in It Came From the Intrawebs.
So sit down and listen in to the real thing, Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer.
Show Notes
'Tis the season...for skeletons and ghosts and witches, oh my!
But what does it say that many of our stories are filled with creatures of death and despair? And why do we decorate our lawns with gravestones and our kids as zombies? Are we infantilizing death--and does it matter? How should we treat dark subjects in our fiction? In this episode, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden tackle these and other related questioned in Story School.
Then after our monthly Once Upon a Sentence, we revel in Pun Times! before haunting various fictional characters in a death-defying What If...?
Whether you wait for Halloween all year long or decry it as the bane of mankind, we think you'll find something interesting in this, the 134th episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer, Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
That movie you grew up with? It's 30 years old now. That book you read in school and loved? It's 70 years old. That series you're watching today could someday be a classic. But will it matter that it was released in 2022? Does knowing A Tale of Two Cities was written more than 150 years ago in England about a time in France 60+ years earlier than that change whether we can enjoy it in the digital age?
In this episode's Story School, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden discuss whether digging into the historical and cultural moment of a story helps our understanding and enjoyment of it. Do we need to do a Wikipedia deep dive before tackling Robinson Crusoe or can we just enjoy it on its own merits?
Then, after another challenging Once Upon a Sentence, our intrepid hosts tackle Internet quizzes, dating words, movies, and TV shows in their proper chronology.
I'm sure if you listen to the first episode of Derailed Trains of Thought, you'll find it a historical time capsule--but live in the moment and enjoy this, the 133rd episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and consumer.
Show Notes
Laughter, they say, is the best medicine, and we all can remember times when a good belly laugh made the world seem bright and joyous.
But comedy is not always a cure-all. It is not always innocent and bright. Humor has a dark side. Or, at least, that is what your hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden explore in this episode's Story School--the sharp, biting edge of comedy.
In the second half, after another Once Upon a Sentence challenge, Tim and Nick tackle their annual summer movie (and streaming) review in Our Take On Tales. Finally, they share a Project Update that hints at a future podcasting adventure.
So, listen in to episode 132 of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer. If we make you laugh, it's only because we love what we're talking about.
Show Notes
Imagine you're part of a hunter-gatherer tribe. Who do you value most? That awesome hunter dude who brings home the boar bacon? The guy with the big muscles who tore apart a lion with his bare hands? Or is it the storyteller who tells the myths of your people?
This episode, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden use an article that attempts to answer this exact question as a jumping off point for examining the role and worth of storytellers in our modern society. Do we value storytellers too little? Too much? And what does that say about us?
The second half follows with a rather silly Bit of Story featuring an unusual princess. Then, in It Came From the Intrawebs, we peruse of a series of unique "experiences" recorded in the newspaper The Guardian.
So, listen in to Episode 131 of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premier podcast about storytelling for the creator and the consumer. Because, well, we know you like storytellers, at least a little....
Show Notes
Perhaps you've sat down for a seventeen-hour session of Monopoly. You roll dice, you take cards, you pay fake money, and you build houses. But you can also imagine yourself as a budding real estate tycoon, trying to avoid jail, consolidating your own personal Potterville in which to squeeze every last penny out of your competitors. As you play, you can also be part of the story the game furnishes.
Tabletop games are an often overlooked avenue for storytelling because they present their story differently. This episode, hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden talk with former game developer Aaron Brosman about the process and possibilities of developing a story in tabletop games.
Then, in the second half, they bring out their trusty "words in a hat" routine to create a variety of eccentric new tabletop games in the always creative What If? segment.
Whether you stick to classics like Candyland, enjoy collecting wheat and rocks in Settlers of Catan, or delve in the deep lore of Magic: The Gathering, you're sure to find something interesting in this, the 130th episode of your premier podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
Everyone has at least one--a piece of art that they keep meaning to experience someday. You know, things like War and Peace or The Rules of the Game or Der Ring des Nibelungen. But it's long and maybe it's boring and you don't like weird foreign names and, I mean, you could just watch Friends again, right?
Hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden are here to help you break your cycle of "maybe later" and invest yourself in something denser and more rewarding than your usual Love It or List It fare. They identify some of the obstacles that keep us from enjoying great art so that we can all finally read the complete works of Shakespeare, or whatever it is that's been on your list too long.
Then, in the second half, we combine great literature and the new Once Upon a Sentence segment into a book-nerd's Challenge Accepted!
So, despite this podcast being far less intellectually rigorous than any episode of Hardcore History, we do hope you listen in to this, the 129th installment of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and consumer, Derailed Trains of Thought
Show Notes
Apology from Nick: I reference Dragon Quest IV several time. In each case, I should have said Dragon Quest V, except in the case of the remix's origin.
Not every hero is squeaky clean. Not every hero wants to save the world and then go back to living a decent, unassuming life. Some heroes cheat. Some heroes kill. Some heroes, in other circumstances, might be considered the bad guy.
What do we do with these so-called anti-heroes? Do we celebrate them for being realistic? Do we revile them for being broken? Hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden tackle the role of anti-heroes for your listening pleasure in the first half.
In the second half, they share another Once Upon a Sentence, and then examine a variety of animes, video games, and series in Our Take On Tales.
So, whether you're a knight in shining armor or a scarred and tortured protagonist using violence to save an innocent child from a twisted post-apocalyptic world, listen in to Episode 128 of your premiere podcast on story-telling for the creator and the consumer, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
This episode might be about stories that are too ambiguous and thereby confusing. On the other hand, this episode might be about stories that are just ambiguous enough and thereby powerful. Perhaps hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden can find a definitive answer in this episode's Story School.
In the second half, they share another Once Upon a Sentence, some Listener Feedback, and a vaguely unsettling What If?, where great movies are given uncertain endings.
If you're wavering between listening to this or some other piece of audio, let us take away your uncertainty. Listen to this, your premiere podcast on storytelling, for the creator and the consumer. It's definitely the right choice.
Show Notes
You've heard the story before--a young man from a remote village is thrust into the larger world because he takes on the responsibilty of a great quest, where he'll have great adventure and meet strange creatures. You know, Star Wars. I mean, The Lord of the Rings. Never mind, I mean The Muppet Movie.
Obviously, what matters is not the general outline of the story, but the details. Is the hero a farmboy, a hobbit, a frog, or something else? The specifics is where a story becomes truly itself.
That's what hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden discuss (in detail) in this episode's Story School.
In the second half, we return to It Came From the Intrawebs, with forays into untranslatable words and strange subreddits.
We don't know the specifics of where you'll listen to this (in the car, in the kitchen, during a boring meeting), but we're convinced that you'll enjoy this 126th episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
POW! WHAM! The hero slugs the bad guy. Unconscious henchmen lay sprawled everywhere. The city is saved! All in a day's work for an average action-adventure protagonist.
BUT--is there another way? Why do we enjoy violent endings and are there satisfying nonviolent resolution to such stories? Hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden wrestle (politely discuss) these questions and more in this episode's Story School.
Then, after Once Upon a Sentence (listen in to find out!), we tackle (politely discuss) Great Expectations, The Tombs of Atuan, The Green Ember, and more in our annual Book Club Book Review in Our Take On Tales.
So, whether you prefer anime-level pugilism or long heart-felt soul-bearing for your endings, you're sure to enjoy this 125th episode of your premiere podcast about storytelling for the creator and the consumer, Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
Every story, whether long or short, written or visual, occupies a space of time--and then it's over. Gone.
Unless, of course, you can read or watch it again.
Still, there is a transience to stories, a space they occupy in our lives that ends and can never really be repeated. How does this affect our experience of stories? Tim and Nick attempt an answer in this episode's Story School.
Then, with festive munificence, your hosts round out the second half not with one, not with two, but with three segments! First, what's a holiday without Pun Times! Then, a special Christmas CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! about...Christmas specials. Finally, there's A Bit of Story to touch on the meaning of the season.
Wherever and whenever this episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and consumer finds you, we hope it's a jolly good time. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Show Notes
This December is the 20th Year Anniversary of the release of The Fellowship of the Ring movie. For Tim, this was a seminal movie in his life. Nick, on the other hand, has probably only seen it once or twice.
But now, they are watching the movie together (the Director's Cut) for the first time, with a few extra little ones with them, to discuss how it holds up two decades later.
We've been there; let's go back again and consider one of the greatest fantasy movies of all time.
We've all been there. We're watching season 17 of our favorite show or book 26 of our favorite series and suddenly wonder--Wait, what? What just happened?
Whether it's something too insane or too dumb or too out-of-character or simply too much, "this isn't the same story it used to be" moments happen all the time in storytelling. That's why hosts Tim and Nick are here to analyze why stories "jump the shark" and how to avoid it.
The second half is jammed packed with a Wikipedia-inspired Challenge Accepted! and a long-awaited story in Project Update.
So, listen to the 123rd episode of your premiere storytelling podcast for the creator and the consumer! Or else next time we'll have to reveal that Tim and Nick have been dead the whole time and this podcast has been an elaborate Russian mind game.
Show Notes
If it's the end of the world, or the end of a way of life, or even just the end of a really bad day, mightn't a person turn toward God? But that option doesn't present itself in most modern stories.
Hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden examine the unconscious naturalism in many of today's most popular plots and examine how the absence of a supernatural worldview affects such stories.
Then, in the second half, they present their annual Summer Movie Review, including Jungle Cruise, Free Guy, F9, Luca, Black Widow, and, of course, Shang-Chi.
So, if you've ever felt we didn't need midichlorians to explain the Force, or wondered why post-apocalyptic worlds don't discuss an increase in (non-cultic) belief in God, you've come to the right podcast. Listen in to episode 122 of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer.
Show Notes
What if...you decided to defy fate. Could you succeed? And what would it mean if you did?
What if...whenever you made a choice, a new universe spun off? What does that mean for your alternate selves?
What if...you listened to hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden discuss the complicated web of destiny, freewill, and the multiverse?
What if...in the second half, Tim and Nick threw alternate versions of famous characters together on (not so epic) quests?
What if...you stopped everything you're doing and fulfilled your destiny by listening to episode 121 of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer?
Show Notes
Bad news, good news time.
Bad news - there's no new July episode of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer.
Good news - This bonus episode brings you book discussions, Zillow houses, and "off mic" digressions from the cutting room floor. These segment could have been lost forever, but now they're streaming straight into your ears.
So, listen in as Timothy and Nick discuss a "fascinating/frustrating" novel, Tim reviews his first major foray into audiobooks, and they record mic test banter. It's a smorgasbord of Derailed Trains goodness.
If you've ever read a plot summary, you've probably thought, "But that's not what the story's REALLY about." There are ideas and connections within a story that don't show up in a 100-word Netflix blurb.
That's why this episode hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden discuss how stories add multiple layers of meaning.
Then, in the second half, Tim and Nick serve some sweet double meanings in Pun Times, followed by an audio production of an original short story in A Bit of Story.
Listen in to this 120th episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer. You're sure to find more than you expect at first glance.
Show Notes
Here at Derailed Trains of Thought (your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and consumer), we like to talk about genre fiction. You know, science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, superheroes, blah, blah, blah.
But the heart of story is character, right? So are hyperdrives and Act 2 betrayals just lazy writing? Do storytellers use genre conventions as a crutch? Are character studies "pure" storytelling? Maybe you've never asked these questions, but Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden do in this episode's Story School.
Then, in a jam-packed second half, we share Listener Feedback before diving into the wild world of Zillow Gone Wild and ending with a shrine to Jerry Maguire in It Came From the Intrawebs!
So, whether you prefer Ulysses or Ready Player One, it's time to buckle up and listen in to episode 119 of Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
Superman. Captain America. Wolverine. You've heard of these superheroes, and most everyone has held a comic from Marvel or DC in their hands. But there is an entire world of independent comics waiting for curious readers beyond the shadow of these two companies.
In this episode's Story School, writer Nate Chen joins hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden to explore the width and breadth, as well as the why and how, of indie comics, including discussions of his own upcoming title, Hexwood.
We follow up with Our Take on Tales to share some of the stories, comics and otherwise, that we've been enjoying lately.
If you're sick of superheroes, but still want a rousing tale that combines art and creative vision, this one's for you. Listen in to the latest episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
Creativity is valued in many areas of life. Whether you're writing a book, starting a business, or writing a script about a cheese shop, being able to think outside the box and come up with new solutions is a vital skill. But how do you get better at the hard work of thinking up new things?
Worry not! Hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden have answers. Aided by the wisdom of the one and only John Cleese, they lay out methods by which you, too, can beef up your creative chops.
In the second half, Tim and Nick put their skills to the test in a classic What If?, pulling out multiple "solutions" to creative prompts.
It's time for some spring training for your brain. Listen in and get ready to work out with episode 117 of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling.
Show Notes
"Did God really say...?" From the beginning, lies have been a central feature of the drama of mankind. Not surprisingly, they also fuel many of our stories. Hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden dig into layers of deceit to determine why and how best to use untruths in stories.
Then, in the second half, we have a special A Bit of Story. Guest Nathan Marchand reads the exciting first chapter of the new novella, Zorsam and the God Who Devours.
But wait, there's more! We finish up with a two-truths-and-a-lie inspired Challenge Accepted!
Truly, this is your premiere podcast on storytelling for the creator and the consumer. Listen in!
Show Notes
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 stories? Do you read a book and realize a month later you remember nothing about it? Hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden discuss just such circumstances and what it means about the purpose of stories.
In the second half, we have our annual New Year book edition of Our Take on Tales. (You didn't forget, did you?)
You can't be expected to remember everything from 115 episodes of a podcast, even if it is your premiere podcast on storytelling. But you can enjoy it while you listen.
Show Notes
It's Christmas, a time for giving and receiving presents. And, contrary to popular belief, not all gifts come from Amazon. In fact, the very act of creativity can be a gift.
At least, that's what hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden suggest in this episode's Story School as they explore the generosity of story and other forms of creativity.
In the second half they share a holiday remembrance from the Journals from the Realm of Derailed Thoughts and put creative gift-giving into practice in It Came from the Intrawebs!
So, come unwrap episode 114 of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought. As always, it's our gift to you. Merry Christmas!
Show Notes
A blank page is a frightening thing. It represents limitless possibilities. But once a genre is chosen, or a point of view, or a character, or anything, suddenly there is direction. There are now limited possibilities. And that is a freeing thing.
Limitations for the creator can be beneficial, as Nick and Tim argue in this episode's Story School.
In the second half, your intrepid hosts put this thesis to the test in Challenge Accepted! In this quick-thinking creative exercise, they word vomit stories confined by specific and somewhat random limitations.
You could listen to any of innumerable podcasts, but you chose this one. Take some time and enjoy this 113th episode. It is, after all, your premiere podcast on storytelling.
Show Notes
Do you remember what it was like ten years ago? Netflix was still sending out DVDs and people were still using camcorders to make found-footage movies. And, believe it or not, the first episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought, was sent out into the Internet. Ten years ago. Ten years. Count them. Ten.
Hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden look back at the last decade of podcasting in this anniversary episode in a special Story School. In the second half they reminiscence on old theater experiences in place of their annual summer movie review.
Come take a trip down memory lane with this landmark episode of Derailed Trains of Thought. It only happens once a decade.
Show Notes
Most people think they don't want math in their mysteries, or numerals in Numenor. These people are wrong. Many times, numbers are integral to our enjoyment of stories.
In the 1st half of episode 111, your favorite 2 podcasters, Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden, look 4 ways in which numbers ADD to the TAKE AWAY value of stories.
Then in the 2nd half, we have 3 distinct segments--the return of the 1 and only Pun Times!, followed by a PRIME example of A Bit of Story. Finally, to ROUND out the EQUATION, we enjoy some unPARALLELed Intrawebs finds.
So, now that we have your unDIVIDED attention, listen in to this unEQUALED foray into storytelling, numerology, and fun. This is our eleventieth first episode, so you know you can COUNT on a good time!
Show Notes
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 these strange, unusual stories? Tim and Nick consider stories on the scale of oddball to downright disturbing in this episode's Story School.
The second half features a downright normal Take on Tales.
So find a pleasant spot and listen in to your premiere podcast on storytelling. All the normal people do.
Show Notes
Has urban life made people soft? Does living off the grid make you one with Nature? Does eking out an existence on a deserted island improve your moral character? Following up last episode's discussion on nature, Tim and Nick examine how characters are changed for the better (or worse) by the wild.
In the second half, after our first audio Listener Feedback, our intrepid hosts tackle such pressing questions as "How would Charlie Brown survive if he was stranded on the moon?" in a rousing What If?
So, whether you're a city slicker or a noble savage, you're sure to enjoy the latest episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
The flowers are blooming, the trees blaze green, and the world shines in the aftermath of cool showers. Spring is here! And so, naturally (pun intended), Nick and Tim discuss the place of nature in fiction.
They follow up with a short, plant-based "It Came From the Intrawebs," followed by a quick hop back to topic of Biblical adaptations to highlight The Chosen in "Previously On..."
So, get outside, put in those ear buds, and listen to the soothing sounds of episode 108 of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling.
Show Notes
Even when you're stuck at home, there are still worlds to explore! In this special Side Track, socially distanced hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden share the contents and histories of their book and movie shelves.
It's a special quarantine Side Track of your favorite podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought! Listen in. You have nothing better to do.
Show Notes
What 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 magic glove? Whatever it takes!
Strong-willed protagonists get things done. But are proactive main characters always the best choice? Why do we love them and are there times to enjoy/create other types of protagonists? Hosts Nick and Tim muse about these thing in this episode's Story School.
Then, in the second half, we play "Guess That Protagonist!" in a new Challenge Accepted!
So, what will you do to find time to listen to episode 107 of your premiere podcast on storytelling? Whatever it takes, obviously.
Show Notes
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 same show. Also, Jar Jar Binks is a Sith Lord.
Or maybe we're over analyzing. Your hosts, Nick and Tim are here to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of analyzing (and over analyzing) a story. Then, in the second half, they tackle their annual book club Take on Tales.
So, whether Derailed Trains of Thought is your premiere podcast on storytelling or just a cleverly designed element of your Truman Show life, listen in and enjoy.
Show Notes
If you haven't heard, there's been a new Star Wars movie. Oh, and some streaming show featuring a cute green creature and an armored dude. So, of course, Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden are digging into these two new Star Wars adventures like Jawas into a Mudhorn egg.
You may have thought you'd heard everyone and their brother's opinion on The Rise of Skywalker and The Mandalorian, but you were wrong. Listen. Here. Now. Finally.
We have spoken.
Merry Christmas! 'Tis the season for nativities and stories of the Nativity, which put Tim and Nick in the mood to discuss Biblical adaptations. How do you adapt a Bible story, and what makes it different from a normal adaptation?
Then, for this month's What If?, your hosts decide to try their hand at their own adaptations of well-known (and little known) Biblical accounts.
So, as you wait for Christmas Day, and all the joy it represents, perhaps a little diversion with your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought, would make your wait even better. Merry Christmas!
Show Notes
Some stories make you laugh. Others make you cry. And some can make you laugh, cry, cower in terror, and want a nice cup of tea with a friend. In this episode's Story School Tim and Nick examine the range of emotions that some stories can carry and how creators can help readers/viewers feel deeply.
In the second half, your trusted hosts revisit old topics with new twists in "Previously On...," asking such questions as "What are the metaphysical implications of human communication?" and "Why do people like cheese?"
Whatever your mood, listening to this newest episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought, is sure to brighten your day.
Show Notes
So, the Internet says that there's a 1 in a trillion chance of you having a doppelganger somewhere on the planet. But that must be wrong, because characters in stories run into their lookalikes all the time. And if not their doppelganger, than their clone. Or a robot version of themselves. Or a dark psychic double. Or...well, you get the idea. Tim and Nick discuss the use of doubles in fiction in this episode's Story School.
In the second half, Tim and Nick look to AI to help them write a story in It Came From the Intrawebs! And then they share not one, but two Bits of Story. Kinda.
It's all here in episode 103 of this truly unique podcast, the one and only Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
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 adventurer? Or, in other words, how does a character change? Tim and Nick delve into the depths of character development, hoping to find some answers.
In the second half, they present their hopefully-not-too-late review of summer movies and TV shows, from Endgame to Stranger Things.
So listen in to the newest episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought. While some chem teacher become drug lords, and not all white wizards remain true, we're here once again, changing only for the better.
Show Notes
If there's one thing everyone knows about the end of the world, it's that it's pretty cool to watch on the big screen. There's nothing like destruction, chaos, and extinction-level events to make us sit back and think, "Man, this is awesome."
Guest Nathan Marchand joins hosts Nick Hayden and Timothy Deal to discuss this phenomenon. Then they join in the fun by adding giant monsters to classic books and movies in this episode's What If?
They've been there and back again, but now it's time for Nick and Tim to get back to work on your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought. Listen in. It would be a disaster if you didn't.
Show Notes
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 Deal and Nick Hayden for a very special edition of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought. We hope you enjoy the trip!
Show Notes
IT'S HERE! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!? IT'S REALLY HERE! EPISODE 99 OF THE WORLD'S MOST AMAZINGLY AWESOME PODCAST ON STORYTELLING! IT'S THE GREATEST! IT'S STUPENDOUS! AFTER YOU LISTEN TO THIS, YOUR LIFE WILL BE COMPLETE!
Now take a breath.
This episode in Story School, Timothy and Nick examine how hype affects our view of stories. Then, after a Project Update, they revisit It Came From the Intrawebs! to subject themselves to fan-made trailers in search of some of that hype we so enjoy reveling in, with mixed results.
No matter what ails you, this podcast--THIS PODCAST!--will totally blow you away and make you wish that you could listen to episode 100 RIGHT NOW!
Oh, the agony of waiting!
Show Notes
Of the many stories never mentioned on Derailed Trains of Thought (your premiere podcast on storytelling), one is The Monster at the End of This Book: Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover, where Grover tries to prevent the appearance of the monster at the end of the book. He has a certain sense of foreboding (probably given him by the title of the book) that, perhaps, there might be a monster at the end of the book.
If this isn't foreshadowing, we don't know what is.
This episode Nick and Timothy discuss the use of foreshadowing in stories, while not discussing Grover or other puppet-like creatures.
Then, in part 2, you get a double dose of fun! First, a short What If? and then a Disney-saturated It Came From the Intrawebs!
Now that you have a sense of what's coming when you hit the play button, go ahead and see how it unfolds.
Show Notes
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 all for One Productions.
Then, get ready, in the second half, Nick shares some of his favorite podcasts and Timothy finally (finally!) unloads his thoughts about the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts III.
The curtain's going up, so settle in and enjoy the spectacle that is Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
It might be a rant, a heartfelt reminiscence, a personal reflection, an exposition dump, or a rousing speech, but whatever it is, there's something special about one character taking a minute (or ten) to share what's on his mind. This episode, Nick and Timothy examine the types and uses of monologues in story.
In the second half we introduce a new segment: "Challenge Accepted!" In it, Nick and Timothy challenge each other to NAME THAT MONOLOGUE!
So, if you're in the mood to hear other people talk with no chance of engaging in a dialogue, hit the play button and enjoy episode 96 of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
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's time for this year's Book Recap in Our Take on Tales, where we tackle exciting and humorous fantasies, philosophical mythology, mystical play practices, suspenseful deceits, war-torn rebellions, and Dickens.
Listen in to this episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought. In its proper place, it's pretty darn entertaining.
Show Notes
It's Christmas, and while that means food and festivities, hopefully it also means moments of silence and thoughtfulness. This episode, Nick and Tim muse over the use and flavors of silence in stories.
In the second half, they present a special holiday collage of original fiction designed to highlight the meditative nature of Christmas and the reason for the season.
Find a quiet spot where you can drink some hot chocolate and watch the snow falling on the fields outside and listen in to your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
It's Thanksgiving, and while the commercial world is rushing on to Black Friday, Timothy and Nick want to pause a moment and give thanks for stories. So, in Story School, we list the ways stories benefit our lives.
Then in What If? we shoehorn the oft-neglected Thanksgiving special into a variety of popular franchises.
So, before the tryptophan kicks in, grab an extra helping of mashed potatoes, gather the family, and listen in to your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
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. This episode, Timothy and Nick discuss story conventions past, present, and elsewhere in Story School.
In the second half, we take on another Take on Tales (literary edition) and return to an old topic in a Previously On... segment.
You know the drill--listen in, enjoy, tell all your friends. This is your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
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 audio reporting differs from written reporting, and how to let facts speak for themselves.
The interview, which was broadcast during the initial portion of the podcast called Story School, was followed by Deal and Hayden discussing summer blockbusters.
Derailed Trains of Thought claims to be its listeners' premiere podcast on storytelling.
Show Notes
Sound. It's all around us--and it plays an important, if often overlooked, role in many of our stories. So Timothy and Nick decide to give sound its due.
Then, because it's our 90th episode, we share a aurally-enhanced Bit of Story and step into a especially calming corner of Youtube in a scalp-tingling It Came from the Intrawebs.
Shut out the world for a few moments, put on your headphones, and soak in the ear candy of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
You have a story. Now you have a choice. Will you tell it visually, aurally, or textually? Is it long form or short? Does it lean into the constraints of the form or against it? And why does it matter?
This episode, Timothy and Nick examine the relationship between message and medium, between style and story. Then, because it just fits, we follow up with a What If? about, you guessed it, taking a story and drastically changing the medium. (Sorry, Jane Austen.)
So, basically, this is exactly the sort of episode you've come to expect from your premiere hour-long (give or take) audio discussion on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
So, you've created something. Great job. Don't you know that someone else has already done it better and that you're a sorry excuse for an artist and that you'll never compare with the greats out there?
Truth is "creatives" always compare themselves to others. Timothy and Nick discuss this aspect of the artist's life in this month's Story School.
Then, back by "popular" demand, it's Pun Times!, followed by a new dose of It Came From the Intrawebs.
Listen in to episode 88 of Derailed Trains of Thought. We might not be on the iTunes front page, but we think you might enjoy anyway.
Show Notes
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.
Then in part two, we take a look at the world of comics, in the floppies, on TV, and on the big screen.
So, wherever you're off to, take us along with you--Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling!
As spring comes, people everyone develop wanderlust. They want to get out, to travel and see the world. Well, guess what? Plenty of fictional characters travel, too.
In this episode, Timothy and Nick examine the role of the journey in stories. Then, in the second half, they send various fictional characters on vacation in What If?
So whether you're off exploring some distance realm or stuck at home doing dishes, why don't you let us take you on a little journey? Join us for episode 86 of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
If there's anything we repeatedly reference on Derailed Trains of Thought (and there's plenty), Star Wars and Final Fantasy are certainly in the Top 10. So, in today's Side Track we bring you lost recordings on both unearthed for the public--first, Tim and Nick's annual discussion of a new Star Wars movie (The Last Jedi, now available on Blu Ray...so, better late than never?), and then Tim's thoughts on Final Fantasy XV's DLC content.
Whether you are as into droids and Chocobos as much as we are or just miss hearing our lovely voices, join us for some indepth geeky discussions about two of pop culture's long-lived franchises!
If the movie Inside Out taught us anything, it's that Sadness has a place, and so your intrepid hosts, Timothy and Nick, enter the Swamp of Sadness for this episode's Story School to discuss the place of sorrow in stories.
Then, on a lighter note, they respond to some Listener Feedback, tell A Bit of Story, and revist a not-that-old topic in Previously On.
So be sad no longer, dear audience, and dry your tears, for we have returned for yet another episode of your premeire podcast on story telling, the one and only Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
It'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 Hayden, tackle the plot continuum, meaning those plots ranging from shoot-'em-up action-movie simple to multi-volume worldbuilding metaphysical complex, examining the strengths and weakness of each, while all-the-while bantering and throwing out their trademark examples. Then, after a rousing Soundtrack, they present an overview of the various literary pleasures consumed during the past year in the hope of encouraging listeners to pick up a novel they may not have read before. Finish the delightful experience with another rousing soundtrack.
The long and short of it? Listen in and enjoy!
Show Notes
It's Christmas! And among the many things people think about during the holidays, family is a big one. But did you know families also show up in stories? They do! So this holiday season Timothy and Nick examine the role of families in the stories we consume.
Did we mention it was Christmas? Well, no Christmas is complete without a Christmas Special, and the second half of this podcast isn't complete without a Special Christmas Contest about Christmas Specials!
So here's our gift to you this season, the 83rd episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Merry Christmas!
Show Notes
You may not want to judge a book by its cover, but why not judge a character by his clothes? We can talk all day about motivation and emotional turmoil, but, seriously, can you believe what Effie Trinket is wearing?
So, Timothy and Nick discuss what a character's appearance tells us about who the character really is.
Then we tackle another What If? and pit our creative powers against an abstract noun generator to create a number of, er, "interesting" character sketches.
Listen in to Episode 82 of your premiere podcast on storytelling. You may not know what we look like, but from the sounds of our voices we must devilishly handsome.
Show Notes
If you're reading this, chances are you have eyes. And if you have eyes, I'll wager you tend to see things, you know, things like images. And while words are fascinating and important (see episode 79), we would be remiss if we didn't discuss the power of images in storytelling. And so was birthed this episode!
Then, in the second half, we unleash a smorgasbord of segments--A Bit of Story, It Came From the Intrawebs, and even, yes, Pun Times!
So listen in to episode 81 of Derailed Trains of Thought and let's SEE whether we can't have a good time.
Show Notes
It's our 7th anniversary! In celebration, we opened up the mailbag, signed-in to the gmail, scoured Messenger, and kept our ears open. You had questions for us, your intrepid hosts, and we dedicate the first half of our 80th episode to answering your most burning questions!
Then, back to tradition--our annual summer movie review!
Listen in as we listen to you!
Show Notes
Words. 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 think words are a dying breed, to be replaced by their new overlords, the image. What have Timothy and Nick to SAY about that? (With words, I might add.) Guess you'll have to find out.
Then in the second half, we discuss a strange book called the Book of Strange New Things, and Timothy comments on some rumblings in Muppetdom.
It's episode 79! Listen in!
Show Notes
via GIPHY
Here at Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling, we like to discuss, well, telling stories. So this episode we unpack the assertion that EVERYTHING is story...or, at least, it can be if looked at right.
Then, in our second half, Tim unearths some strange videos from the Intrawebs to see Nick react. Hilarity ensues.
Part philosophical, part ridiculous, and entirely awesome, episode 78 is here! Listen in!
Show Notes
There are many different types of logic in the world. Logic states that 1+1=2. It also states that your ability to survive a cataclysmic disaster exponentially increases if you are a well-loved furry animal. In other words, some logic is, well, logical, while other logic is more, shall we say, emotional. Or so Timothy and Nick discuss in this month's Story School.
Encouraged by these findings, they decide to test just how much a world run by story logic would affect their lives in "What If?" Throw in a Project Update and you have episode 77 of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling--whether you like it or not.
Show Notes
Worldview. It's one of those terms thrown around by people who like to talk about big ideas. So, of course, Tim and Nick have decided to talk about it. Every story presents a way of looking at the world. How can a reader/viewer navigate these different points of view? How can a writer use an awareness of worldview to sharpen his own work? Listen in and see if Tim and Nick can help you out.
Then, in a new What If? section, our fearless hosts imagine what kind of stories famous philosophers, politicians, and scientists would write as an expression of their worldview. (It's a lot more fun than it sounds.)
So, come listen in on this 65th episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling. Assuming you find podcasts morally acceptable, of course.
Show Notes
Before people got all smartypants and started talking about atoms and neurons and Newtonian physics, the great storytellers understood how the world worked--because gods, yo. And though mythology is still used as source material, there's something unique about how it approaches the world in its basic form. Or so Tim and Nick surmise as they examine the subject and insert gratuitous references to "Till We Have Faces."
Then, after another Bit of Story, they introduce yet another new segment, "Previously On...", where they revisit topics covered in podcasts of ages past. In this case, they add new understanding to their original coversation about reboots and sequels.
So listen in to Derailed Trains of Thought, the podcast that is a legend in its own time. Maybe. Or not.
Show Notes
For most of us, Friday comes after Thursday, college comes sometime after preschool, and death follows taxes. For those living in a story world, however, life is not necessarily so simple. Dinner might be interrupted by a memory of childhood before you reach dessert, and you may very well may be cold in a tomb before you make a name for yourself on the battlefield. Stories, unlike life, are not always linear, as Timothy and Nick discuss in this epsiode’s Story School.
Then we head off to Our Take on Tales, where Nick reviews one of the most popular books of all time and Timothy discusses the latest in one of the most popular RPG video game series of all time.
Jump right in! We started at the end, and we’ve been jumping around ever since. No need to go in order, as long as you enjoy!
Remember back in January when you made that resolution? Yeah, that one. How's that going for you?
If you're like most people, you've either given up on it or decided not to make one at all. Still, most of us would like to make goals that we follow through on, so Tim and Nick talk with Zach Hayden, our local productivity guru, on ways to help us follow through on the changes we want to make.
Afterward we indulge in a long overdo Bit of Story, some Project Update, and perhaps another short yet ridiculous segment.
So, put us on your To Do list and resolve to improve your day with another episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
You may have noticed that political discussions are a thing on the Internet. This is not one of those.
However, politics show up in stories as well. Why? Do we really want to spend an hour watching people debate each other? Is this another tale of trade route taxation and blockades? Does walking through hallways while talking policy make everything more exciting? Tim and Nick look at what politics can add to a story that another round of fisticuffs can't.
Then in "What If?" we throw various fictional races into the same world and see how they manage to navigate their differences. So, whether you want to join the Wookie-Fraggle-Noldor Alliance or prefer the rule of the Nazi-Hutts, I'm sure you'll want to get off social media and enjoy the wit and wisdom that is Episode 73 of your premier podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
Sneaking in at the end of 2016, here's a two-part Side Track. The first half consists of a discussion on some of our favorite stories of the year, cut from Episode 72, after we discussed "Five Strangers in Search of an Exit" with the Children of the Wells crew.
The second half includes Tim and Nick's thoughts on Rogue One--because we like to talk Star Wars from time to time.
Enjoy and Happy New Year!
It's Christmastime, the time when families gather to celebrate the holidays, watch their favorite Christmas movies together, and read the Nativity story out loud to the kids. What better time to examine how we experience stories together! So that's just what Tim and Nick do.
Then, to put theory into action, we invite our Children of the Wells co-authors to watch and respond to a Christmas episode of The Twilight Zone. Strange? Yes, but completely in line with this podcast.
So, round up your loved ones, cue up your premiere podcast on storytelling, and enjoy a festive listen to episode 72 of Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
We read all sorts of things everyday--tweets, emails, menus, Cracked articles, etc. But not all reading is equal. This episode Nick and Tim discuss "deep reading," the act of engaging in a text (or, similarly, in a visual story) in a real and immersive way. They ponder the why's and how's of such in-depth interaction. And, despite this episode's title, they do not once mention LOST.
Then, in the second half, they "read" the experimental interactive fiction "Aisle" and its far less serious cousin, "Pick Up the Phone Booth and Aisle." So, unplug from distraction, put on your headphones, and zone in to your premier podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
"You probably thought you saw something up in the sky other than Venus, but I assure you, it was Venus." -"Jose Chung's From Outer Space," The X-Files
Perhaps you aren't a true believer like Mulder, but even you must admit that aliens of all shapes and sizes have invaded our books, living rooms, and movie screens for decades. This episode, Tim and Nick examine how the idea of the alien works itself out in the stories around us.
Then, because it's EPISODE 70, and the SIXTH ANNIVERSARY of your premier podcast on storytelling, we have a special segment--Our Take on a Bit of Live Crackpot Pun Project Brainstorming from the Intrawebs If It Was Selected For Cinema! It's just as awesome as it sounds. And it involves werewolves.
So, seriously, it's Halloween, it's a new episode, we discuss aliens and werewolves...why haven't you listened yet?
Show Notes
Books and movies are not merely entertainment. At their best (and too rarely), they draw us out of ourselves and touch us in deep places, sometimes in a way almost spiritual. Your faithful hosts, Tim and Nick, have decided to take some time to examine this special work that stories can do.
Then they have an end-of-big-projects Project Update and their annual summer movie recap in Our Take on Tales. Add a bit of Beethoven and their regular wit, and you have the makings of a truly extraordinary episode of your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
Today we're excited to bring you a special interview with Christopher Getman, also known as Mazedude, a musician and remixer (and creator of many of Nick's favorite OCRemix songs). We talk the creative process and his new Kickstarter album American Pixels, a tribute to American video game composers.
Then--because how do you follow up an interview with Mazedude?--we play Name That Tune, Mazedude Edition. Then, to cap it all off, Nick finally gets to play his long-requested- but always-denied seven-minute Soundtrack, "Glow Worm Jim."
So, basically, here's the TL:DR version -- Listen to the podcast, support American Pixels!
Show Notes
Foretold 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 Chosen One, so that through their wise instruction it might prevail and not fall prey to bad storytelling.
Then, since the journey is long, Tim and Nick spend the evenings regaling it with their Take on Tales from the world of video games, including a Kingdom Hearts game and two classics, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, which result in a rant so intricate, Episode 67 could scarce comprehend. But that is why he has been granted wise sages from the Fates.
Long live Episode 67!
Show Notes
People say there are only nine basic plots. They say stories can be broken down into tropes and stereotypes and MacGuffins. Well, Tim and Nick say, "That sounds like a good episode topic!" So listen in as they discuss the skeleton of a story, the primal pieces that shock a story to life.
In the second half, they debut a new segment that should be pun times for all, and revisit Live Brainstorming! It's episode 66 of your premiere podcast on storytelling, full of the silliness, sidetracks, LOST references, and occasional wisdom that are the foundation of a hour you'll enjoy for long after you listen (and never get back). Enjoy!
Show Notes
"Show, don't tell." It's a rule pounded into storytellers, and for good reason. Many great stories are marked by the raised eyebrow and the evocative phrase, the shimmer of recognition in the hero's eyes and the tantalizing hint of a dark past. In other words, what a character (or creator) implies can speak volumes. And that, not to put too fine a point on it, is Tim and Nick's topic this episode.
In the second half they review some of their recent reads, including books from well-known franchises/series.
So, if you happen to find yourself with a bit of extra time, perhaps you'd enjoy tuning your auditory organs to the sound of locomotive synaptic process violently running off its tracks. (Wink, wink, know what I mean?)
Show Notes
Music is called the universal language; therefore, it would be remiss to discuss storytelling without discussing the way music undergirds so much of modern multimedia art. And Nick and Tim would never dare be remiss.
SO! This is an episode about how music guides, lifts, and imbues story with meaning and power. Because we like music. And so do you.
But after so much music, we head into "It Came from the Interwebs!" for a break. For, surely, there's no music on the Internet...or is there?
Settle in, tune your eardrums, and enjoy episode 63 of your premier podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
If you've ever listened to Derailed Trains of Thought, you know that Tim and Nick mention Star Wars almost every episode. If you're not living in a cave, you know that a new Star Wars movie just came out.
I'll give you three guesses what this Side Track discussion is about. The first two guesses don't count.
Joining Nick and Tim is Weekly Hijack contributor and fellow Star Wars fan Zach Hayden.
SPOILER WARNING! Do NOT listen to this if you haven't seen the movie.
It's that time of year, the time we've been waiting for for months. Yep, that's right, it's finally Christmas! (Also: Star Wars opening!)
As you settle down to watch your favorite Christmas movie (also: space opera), one thing you'll notice right away--the setting. You know, the lights and carols and snow and roast beast. (Also: the cool spaceships and laser-swords and aliens and mysterious masked villains.) This episode Tim and Nick examine the various ways setting affects story, both consciously and unconsciously.
They follow up with a lightning round review of recent movies and TV shows, and finally end with some observations on how a certain science-fiction pop culture touchstone has infected everything in the entire world. Except our podcast, obviously.
Merry Christmas! (Also: May the Force be with you!)
Show Notes
There are many ways to promote yourself and your work in this modern connection economy. The first step is to NOT do what the title of this podcast says. Don't be that guy. Seriously.
The next step is to listen in as Tim and Nick stumble into author Nathan Marchand in this week's podcast. Because, miracle of miracles, we discuss exactly this topic!
Then we give Nathan a chance to talk about his new book, Ninjas and Talking Trees, a comedy fantasy. I mean, what would a podcast about promotion be without a little promotion?
Tell your friends! Re-tweet us! Give us five-star reviews and purchase our stock! This is your premier podcast on storytelling--Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
You may have noticed, if you're especially perceptive, that there are a lot of story franchises and long-running shows around. For instance, there's some sort of space opera coming out with its seventh episode this December. Seven episodes? Seriously? Isn't it time to end the thing already?
Thankfully, we have Nick and Tim here to give us the answers we need. When is it time to end a long series or franchise? They ponder this question in their fifth anniversary episode.
Then, because they know no bounds in their efforts to inform and entertain, they share yet another Bit of Story and resurrect Crackpot's Corner.
And the answer is--no. Keep making Star Wars. Forever.
Show Notes
Once upon a time, a young man found a story in the woods. He fed it and raised it and, when it had grown, he let it out into the wild. Later, a band of merchants tamed the story and took it with them on their tour of the world. Boys and girls everywhere loved the story and dreamed of the story and began, in their own way, to look after the story, until it grew into a legend. Two intrepid podcasters then heard of the story and asked each other, "Okay, but who owns it?"
And that, dear listeners, is how Tim and Nick came upon this episode's Story School. Scout's honor.
Afterwards they tackle their annual "Take on Tales: Summer Movie Edition," so you can bathe in the last remembrances of summer days before fall. So whether your enjoying an early pumpkin spice latte or still desperately trying to sunbathe, this is our podcast, and you'd best listen to it.
© 2015 Loco-Notion Productions
Show Notes
Everyone loves zombies. Why? Because they're the disgusting, shuffling, brain-eating, undying corpses of your friends and family.
Wait--what? Let's start again.
Everyone loves an apocalypse. Why? Because the foundations of society crumple and instead of working at a ho-hum but decent job and raising a nice, mostly put-together family, you're forced to survive hostile terrain, insane machines, cataclysmic weather, incurable diseases, and unfathomably repulsive aliens.
Wait--again? Seriously, guys. Zombies? Invasions? Disaster? Why do we enjoy this stuff?
Let Nick and Tim help answer your questions as they analyze the appeal of post-apocalyptic stories in this episode of Derailed Trains of Thought. Then, because the world can't get enough death and destruction, they decide to brainstorm a few of their own "end of the world" scenarios for your enjoyment.
But don't be afraid. As long as you can jury-rig a car battery to operate your iPod so you can listen to your favorite podcast on storytelling, who cares if the world burns. Am I right?
Show Notes
Art communicates truth. That's a given. But we all know stories cough FernGully cough that shove the meaning down our throats. They have an agenda--and you shall comply! Or at least feel angry and/or guilty when you leave the theater.
But where is that line? When does the message of the story overtake the story itself? When does the agenda destroy the art? Into the deep jungles of such questions dive our intrepid explorers Tim and Nick.
Then in "Our Take on Takes" we emerge from the last rain forest to journey to The Sound and the Fury and Big Trouble in Little China as well as a few places in between.
Once upon a time there was a little boy who didn't listen to Derailed Trains of Thought. And his brain turned to mush and he spent his entire life licking postage stamps for a faceless megacorp in post-alien invasion L.A. Moral of the story--listen in to your premier podcast about storytelling. Now. Before it's too late.
It's almost too late all ready....
Show Notes
Can you believe people actually watch bonnet movies? You know, those semi-romantic historical dramas with female protagonists? Blech! Don't they know their artistic sensibilities are morally inferior and seriously stunted? I mean, if you're not watching Orange Is The New Black, who are you really?
Or...perhaps, we all have different tastes in what stories we enjoy. Is that possible? And if so, what does it mean? This episode, Tim and Nick discuss the role of tastes in how we interact with stories and how being aware of our own tastes can broaden our view of art.
Then we dive into the strange world that is Homestuck as part of It Came From the Intrawebs! We may or may make sense of it.
Listen in! No matter your tastes, I'm sure you'll find something enjoyable in episode 56 of Derailed Trains of Thought. If not, you're obviously an uneducated lout.
Show Notes
Writer's Block. You've had it. I've had it. Everyone's had it, except possibly Isaac Asimov. The solution, of course, is to just start writing, but that's like saying the best way to find patience is to wait for it. So, can podcast hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden help out? Who knows? But, gosh darn it, they'll try.
Then for the second half of the show they delve into the weird and wonderful world of What If? This episode they smash together movie titles to see if the resulting mess is a viable product on its own. Unfortunately, the podcast was recorded just a bit too early to tackle Avengers: Unfriended.
So, whether you're hoping to procrastinate on your latest project or are just horribly bored, why don't you listen in to your premiere podcast on storytelling, Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
To: Timothy Deal From: Nick Hayden
Subject: Regarding Episode 54's Write-up
Tim, we gotta get this podcast posted, but my knack for inventing a clever hook for the write-up is failing me. I just need that and we're set to go. After the hook, I just mention that this week's topic is the use of meta in fiction and that in the second half we do some Take of Tales stuff.
Seriously, though, if we're really going to be everyone's premier podcast on storytelling, we need a intriguing hook. Otherwise they won't listen to episode 54 of Derailed Trains of Thought, and they really, really should.
Thanks!
Nick
P.S. Brain died for the title, too, but it's better than "Three-Dimensional Pun," which was my other option.
Show Notes
It doesn't matter if you're all bloody. It doesn't matter if a mad scientist is about to complete his nefarious plot. It doesn't matter if you don't know if you really love her or if you love that girl back home instead. Tensions are high. Lives are at stake. You know what you have to do--you gotta kiss the girl!
Romance is a great spice to all sorts of stories, and in this episode your hosts Nick and Tim talk romantic subplots, action hero damsels in distress, love triangles, and all manner of relational drama.
Then, in the resurrection of Crackpot's Corner, Tim shares some plot ideas he received from dreams, including an intriguing political thriller filled with presidential doubles and, somehow, Neil Patrick Harris.
Join us for Episode 53! Come on. You know you love us.
Show Notes
"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, and the ugly of explanation, narration, and good old-fashioned info-dumps.
Afterward, they try their hand at flipping "showing" and "telling" in famous scenes from movies and books in their newest installment of "What If?" So, to get to the point: Hit play and listen to the newest episode of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere podcast on storytelling.
Show Notes
"There goes Mr. Humbug. / There goes Mr. Grim. / If they gave a prize for bein' mean, / The winner would be him." Everyone knows it's not Christmas without Ebenezer Scrooge, so we're examining A Christmas Carol this December as we discuss the presentation of redemption in fiction.
Then, because nothing says "Christmas is coming!" like a run of big releases in the theater, (not Tiny) Tim and (not Saint) Nick discuss their favorite recent movies, including Interstellar, Mockingjay Part 1, Big Hero 6, and a lesser known Muppet Christmas special.
Have a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and in the oft-repeated but always wonderful words of Tiny Tim, "God bless you, every one!"
Show Notes
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, the incomparable Derailed Trains of Thought!
What are you waiting for? There's too much to tease, so jump right in! There's something for everyone! And if you hear a slight echo, it's only because there's so much awesomeness contained within the file, even the microphones couldn't handle it.
Enjoy!
Show Notes
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 of Thought.
Then, just because, they try their hand at revising popular movies and books--because, that's what people do now, you know? Listen in! Enjoy! Take notes! And remember, next up is our 50th podcast extravaganza!
Show Notes
"Balder the Beautiful / Is dead, is dead!" These words once caused a young C. S. Lewis to glimpse a scene of beauty and joy. We all have our own memories of a moment in some story that resonated deeply with us with its beauty. What makes such a moment? What is beauty, anyway, and can we capture it? Tim and Nick are on the case, examining the role of beauty in art.
In the second half, join us for A Bit of Story, recalling the longings of youthful springs, and some exciting project updates.
The leaves are turning, and a lovely chill is on the wind. Settle in and listen to the 48th episode of everyone's favorite storytelling podcast, Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
You know what makes a story real? What makes it intelligent and high-minded? Sex. Also, unflinching violence. Then probably more sex. Or at least another pint of blood.
But is this true? At what point do these things become gratuitous? Or are they always unnecessary? When does showing depravity go too far? Where should we draw the line? Where!? WON'T ANYONE TELL US?
Fear not! Tim and Nick are here to tackle these questions with all the grit and stoic fortitude they can manage.
Then for a change of pace, they take a look back at summer movies, as well as at a few summer reads.
It may not have enough science teachers turned drug lords for your liking, but come in anyway and listen to the 47th episode of everyone's favorite storytelling podcast--Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
Dear listeners:
You may have heard the hosts of this podcast refer to such works as Star Wars, Babylon 5, The Muppets, LOST, The Wheel of Time, and other such well-known works once or twice (or 1753 times) in previous podcasts. We would like to inform you that all such references have been blacklisted. Timothy and Nick must attempt a podcast referring only to lesser-known works. This experiment is being conducted with full cooperation of the hosts and will be temporary in nature.
We are also subjecting Timothy and Nick to Jim Carrey's website. While more hazardous, we have good reason to suspect the hosts will come out (largely) unscathed. The 46th episode of Derailed Trains of Thought is sponsored by the Organization to Downplay Dostoyevsky, Balrogs, Aslan, Locke, Lupin, and Such (ODDBALLS). Enjoy.
Sincerely, The Auditors
Show Notes
It's been awhile since our last Side Track (like 2011!), so when the Children of the Wells gang got together recently, we thought we'd have a round table discussion of what makes us tick as creators.
You know Tim and Nick, of course, but here's also Greg Meyer, Laura Fischer, Nathan Marchand, and Aaron Brosman, to share their thoughts on what makes a good story, as well as ponder other, less serious, questions.
Our next regular podcast should be out early August, since Nick is MIA for the rest of July. (Sorry!)
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 to die. And if you go to Z'ha'dum, you will die.
But why? What's the dramatic purpose in a character's death? In this episode of Derailed Trains of Thought, Nick and Timothy defy the Grim Reaper and scratch the surface of the ways and reasons fictional characters encounter death.
Then, for fun, we host an impromptu bracketed death match competition among a widely random selection of heroes and villains. I mean, Zantana vs. Yoshi--you've always wanted to know, right?
Someone famous once said: "Give me Derailed Trains of Thought or give me Death!" To that we say, "Listen in, and you can have both!" Enjoy!
Show Notes
Look--it's a fact. Not everyone can make diabolically elaborate plans go off without a hitch like the Joker or those guys from Ocean's Eleven. That's why some people use copious outlines while writing, and others...not so much. This episode, Nick and Tim explore the continuum between outliner and pantser, between those who plan everything and those who plan nothing, and what advantages each style holds.
In the second half, we enjoy a hearty Take on Tales that examines Brandon Sanderson, Jack Kirby, Person of Interest, and Captain America.
So, how about planning to listen in on the 44th episode of your favorite podcast about storytelling? Or would you prefer to spontaneously decide to listen? Either way works for us. Enjoy!
Show Notes
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 kids appeal to adults? What limitations do such stories have and how can they go wrong? Tim and Nick may or may not tackle these questions in their wide-ranging discussion.
Then, in the second half, they re-imagine various classic stories (such as Citizen Kane) as cartoons and animated films. Why? Because they can. Also, there may be a mention of a certain movie involving Muppets.
So, whether you're 2 or 222, listen in to the 43rd episode of everyone's favorite podcast about storytelling!
Show Notes
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.
Show Notes
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!
Show Notes
'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!
Show Notes
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?
Show Notes
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!"
Show Notes
Ever had one of those days when you wake up late, spill hot coffee on yourself, accidentally sever your hand in the car door, and then witness the utter destruction of everything you know and love by a trans-dimensional blitzkrieg?
Me, either. But if you're a fictional character, it's not outside the realm of possibility. So why do creators put their characters through such torture? Does a character ever suffer too much? And why are we attracted to suffering in TV and books we would be happy to avoid in real life?
If those questions are too much for you, skip to the second half to hear Tim and Nick talk about perfume.
So enjoy the always surprising, possibly fascinating, 37th episode of Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
We're back! Again! After an extended hiatus to reflect and retool the podcast, Nick and Tim return with a new, live format for Derailed Trains of Thought! This episode was originally streamed live last week at mixlr.com, which allowed us to interact with our listener while recording as well as drastically reduce our editing time. We had a few technical snafus (early on, you'll hear music playing before we intended it to), but overall it was a fun and mostly successful first broadcast!
But what, pray tell, did we talk about? Realism in fantasy, a topic inspired by the end of the summer movie season and controversy over Man of Steel in particular. How do storytellers help audiences suspend disbelief? And how does one make a story believable while maintaining the essence of the fantastic? Tim and Nick wrestle with these questions, review some of this summer's movies, babble about their current projects, and more in the long-awaited return of Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
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 origins so much, your premiere storytelling podcast has you covered. And don't miss as Tim and Nick give their obligatory two cents about who should direct Star Wars in What IF? and share a very important Project Update.
So, hang up your new cat calendar, sign up for that gym membership, and listen in to the latest episode of Derailed Trains of Thought. After two years, we're just getting started.
Show Notes
Just in time for the holidays, the celebratory 2nd Anniversary Derailed Trains of Thought podcast!
So...instead of working ourselves to the bone (you know, as we usually do, trying to get out one episode every 9 weeks or so), we compiled a collection of our favorite segments from the last year.
I mean, who can forget our discussion of feminism and story, or the history of punctuation, or our treatise on the theological meaning of Looney Tunes? But, if for some reason you have, that's what this clip show is all about.
Sit back and bask in an hour's condensed glory of your premiere storytelling podcast. Also, listen to Nick and Tim nearly break into fisticuffs.
Show Notes
We're alive! Tim and Nick emerge from their summer hiatus with an instant classic! It's a modern masterpiece! A genre-setting podcast! The best audio entertainment since "War of the Worlds"!
...
Or, at least, we discuss what makes a work of fiction "classic," and that has to be worth something, right?
We follow up with A Bit of Story from the "so-unknown-it-must-be-classic" Story Project and finish with a mini Take on Tales. So, if you've been pining for some Derailed Trains of Thought, we've got you covered. It might not be Shakespeare, but who wants to read that ancient fuddy-duddy stuff anyway?
Show Notes
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 with Dr. Pamela Jordan-Long, Chair of the Department of Professional Writing at Taylor University and Director of the Center for the Study of C.S. Lewis and Friends. (How's that for a title?) We talk secondary worlds, the act of creating a world beyond this one.
In the second half, Tim and Nick have a go at impromptu worldbuilding. So, if you ever have a longing for Faerie-land or perhaps a world reached by stepping just left of this one, listen in! We're sure you'll come back refreshed.
Show Notes
This episode we discuss colorful language, and we're not talking purple prose. (And unless you're Sergeant Snorkel from "Beetle Bailey," @!&%#$! probably isn't going to cut it.) So, while Nick tries to avoid swearing like a sailor, we come to the question: when, if ever, is swearing appropriate in fiction and film?
Afterward, join us for a Take on Tales where Tim discusses immortal alchemists living as 1930s gangsters (really!) and Nick actually finishes a video game. All this and more in episode 31 of Derailed Trains of Thought, your premiere storytelling podcast.
Great Odin's Raven, what more could you ask for?
Show Notes
C-3PO. Short Round. Dr. Watson. That funny guy from National Treasure. Just because a character isn't the focus of a story, it doesn't mean he can't make an impression. So, Timothy Deal, with sidekick Nick (or is it Nick Hayden, with sidekick Tim?) take a look at what makes good supporting characters and why they're so essential.
Also with us is our own supporting character, Brian Scherschel, who presents Frank Capra's Lost Horizon, a movie that takes the viewer to Shangri-La and back. What more can you ask from the 30th(!) episode of your premiere storytelling podcast? We've been gone awhile, but one listen, and it'll be like we've never left. Like riding a bike. Or something.
Show Notes
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 something else? All the above?
We also present a scene of Satan on trial in "A Bit of Story" and then venture into brighter territory in a whirlwind of other mini-segments. Tune in for philosophical pondering and nerdy silliness in the 29th episode of your premiere storytelling podcast, Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
Greetings, faithful listeners! This episode, Tim and Nick examine how belief interacts with fiction. How does God appear in stories? How do you tell the Truth when you're making things up? Also mentioned: aliens, superheroes, and, as always, the Doctor.
We follow up with Project Update (Taylor Trilogy!) and a Take on Tales featuring Alan Moore and girls who jump through time.
Join us for this episode of the ever-interesting, mostly coherent, exceptionally wonderful storytelling podcast, Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
Happy Valentine's Day (or Singles Awareness Day)! Seeing as the calendar reads February 14, we finally give up our pride, and our prejudice, and examine the idea of romance in fiction. In Story School, author Dawn Crandall shares experiences gleaned from her first novel to help us guys understand what makes a romance work. Then in Cinema Selections, movie-lover Brian Scherschel presents "Summertime," a beautiful, conflicted example of romance in movies.
So, show your good sense, and your sensibility, and give a listen to an extra-long Episode 27 of your premiere storytelling podcast.
And send us chocolate. Please?
Show Notes
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,in the return of What If?--WHAM!--Tim and Nick examine the horrifying possibility--TICK, TICK--of Michael Bay directing The Wizard of Oz.
So, find your favorite bomb shelter--ZAP!--and listen to...wait, do you hear....TICK, TICK, TICK....
BOOOOOOMMM!!
Show Notes
01001000 01100101...er, I mean, Hello! I write to you through the wonders of electricity, fiber optics, Pentium chips, and other things that work by magic AKA science. This episode, Nick and Tim examine how technology not only continues to change how stories are told, but what stories are told. We also resurrect Our Take on Tales with short stories by Ray Bradbury and a darker anime series.
So, hook up the electronic audio system of your choice and imbibe the first episode of Derailed Trains of Thought of 2012. It's not the flying car you were promised, but it's almost as awesome.
Show Notes
Hello, all! A brief, unexpected Side Track here. I had the pleasure to sit down with Donald Merriman for a short interview. If you've never heard of him, he's a self-proclaimed "Christmas Crusader" and quite an interesting fellow. I'm sure you'll enjoy what he has to say. Have a listen.
And Merry Christmas!
Show Notes
Merry Christmas! It's that time of year again when Tim and Nick spend time looking back, this time at stories that affect us differently now than previously. Listen as we wax nostalgic and consider how time changes tastes.
Then join us for discussion of a Christmas movie you've probably not seen, introduced by the world-traveling Brian Scherschel.
After all, you can't welcome a new year without at least one more episode of Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
To be brief, this episode features Nick and Tim pondering the task of telling a short story. How do you break a story down to essentials?
They also perform live brainstorming. Listen in.
Show Notes
Ah, Halloween. This is that festive time of year when such cuddly, creepy, heart-warming, bone-chilling creatures as evil witches, blood-slurping vampires, rotting zombies, and gory chainsaw-wielding psychopaths grace the forefront of our popular culture. Why do people enjoy being scared? And what role does fear have in storytelling?
Nick and Tim are joined by frequent-contributor Brian Scherschel to tackle these questions and more. In this topsy-turvy episode, we begin with a Cinema Selections look at a classic 1955 thriller, and then move to discuss the appeal of the horror genre, the merits of suspense over surprise, and try to figure out what's the deal with this zombie craze anyway.
Whether you're a horror addict or someone who hides behind the couch at the appearance of a menacing trash can, you're sure to find today's discussion intriguing. Take a listen!
Show Notes
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 discuss the art of discovery in fiction.
Joined by scholar and writer John Bahler, they delve into mysteries, gaze into unattainable vistas, and ponder the combining of two of their favorite subjects.
It's a new era for your favorite storytelling podcast, Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
In honor of the podcast's first anniversary, we've sent our previous episode descriptions through the blender and come up with this:
Hello, there! Have we got an original for you! The perfect cure to your sterotypical, connect-the-dots podcast!
This episode we turn to the always faithful supplier of conversation--Derailed Trains of Thought, which, coincidentally, is exactly the topic of this episode’s Story School.
Join us for a meaty discussion for the both creator and the audience that the San Francisco Herald-Tribune-Gazette calls, "Relentless. Ruthless. And all that brouhaha. Your intrepid and intriguing hosts, Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden, spawn their own subculture.”
Along the way, fanfiction writer Laura Fischer, resident YA book expert Natasha Hayden, Nathan Marchand, author of Pandora's Box, and Brian Scherschel jump in. Don't miss it!
We promised, we delivered this extra-long, wide-ranging episode of Derailed Trains of Thought!
It's not just a podcast, it's Podcast 20!
Show Notes
Everyone's a comedian...or are they? In the latest episode of Derailed Trains of Thought (your one and only (please?) storytelling podcast), Tim and Nick tackle the hard work of dissecting what makes the audience laugh. (It's a function of the lungs and/or stomach in 86.15% of cases.)
In the second half, we examine the science fiction German silent film "Metropolis" in Cinema Selections, proving that 80-year-old movies are still cool.
So take a listen and learn that the mediator between the head and the hands is the funny bone!*
*Obtuse joke to be found funny only after listening to the entire podcast. Maybe.
Show Notes
Ever had one of those days? Your father's been murdered by your uncle and you just don't know what to do. Your best friend's fallen down the stairs, broken his leg, gotten bone marrow in his blood, and died. And your crazy neighbor's crazy girlfriend just plummeted to her death because she saw a nun. (That's right, a nun.) Life's a tragedy, isn't it?
Death, disasters, and hollow victories focus this episode's discussion of the art of the tragedy. What makes a good "bad ending"? Is it more literary to make the audience depressed? What's the meaning of it all? Listen as Tim and Nick wrangle with these intriguing questions, as well as review the summer blockbusters, in the latest episode of Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
Witches, wizards, and warlocks--oh my! This episode Tim and Nick discuss whether the use of magic in fiction is the downfall of modern society. Join us for a meaty discussion of the pitfalls and potential of spells, enchantments, and Turkish Delight for the both creator and the audience.
Also, stay tuned for the premiere reading of Destroyer, a novella written by Nathan Marchand, Timothy Deal, and Natasha Hayden, all Derailed Trains contributors! It's another sensational hour of the podcast devoted to conversations on the art of storytelling.
Show Notes
Admit it. Sometimes when you're reading a book, you wish you could jump in and spend some time in that world. This episode, Tim and Nick discuss formats in which you ARE the main character of a story—Choose Your Own Adventures, video games, and other forms of interactive fiction!
Also this episode, a very special Cinema Selections. Let's just say this: '80s fantasy meets German expressionism in a film Tim has been long overdue in experiencing. Was it worth the wait?
Find out in this extra-long, wide-ranging episode of Derailed Trains of Thought!
Show Notes
Have we got an original for you! What do you get when you mix 20+ minutes of philosophical merry-go-round on the need for creativity; some regular dashes of Star Wars and Jim Henson; a healthy dose of dead French author, serial killer-obsessed writer, and caped crusader; a teaspoon of environmentally conscious alien; a drop of Heineken for flavor; and some guy named Gorō? The perfect cure to your sterotypical, connect-the-dots podcast!
Or, at least, the 15th episode of Derailed Trains of Thought, your favorite podcast about storytelling. Have a listen!
Show Notes
Trekkies, MSTies, Browncoats, Twi-hards, Gleeks, Whovians, Deleteheads.... How does a story spawn its own subculture? Fanfiction writer Laura Fischer joins us to discuss what drives fans to create new fiction, art, and communities about their favorite story universes.
Then stay tuned for a sample of Laura's fanfiction, Nick and Tim pitching one of their nerdiest ideas yet, and some sweet fandom-related music, of both the rocking and poignant variety. It's all here in the latest episode of Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
Dr. Suess says you can read with your eyes shut, but we're not so sure. This episode we take a reader's viewpoint to discover what it takes to fully engage a story. Along the way, Tim shows off his film school terminology, Nick pulls out his "I've read Russian novels" card, and we attempt a defense of much-maligned movies.
Also, Brian Scherschel joins us again to introduce us to director John Ford and his western The Searchers. So, come on, give us a chance. Maybe you'll give that crazy foreign film a second look as well.
Show Notes
YA! Why are we so excited? Because everyone loves YA (young adult) books, and we have resident YA book expert Natasha Hayden with us this episode to discuss YA trends, explain why she enjoys YA books more than regular adult fiction, and give us her reading recommendations.
We're also excited because after MUCH DELAY, we're back! Take a break from your work-a-day world and listen in on discussions of movies foreign and domestic, listener responses on book/movie differences, and much more!
Show Notes
Relentless. Ruthless. Witty retorts. A rockin' theme song. Villains often captivate us with their acts of savagery and urbane smiles. Why do we love a good villain?
In this episode, Tim and Nick explore the lure of villainy, the idea of justice for antagonists, and what it means to have compassion for those characters we love to hate.
Time to ambush the villain's hideout. Sneak in and take a listen to a new (and long delayed) installment of Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
We promised, we delivered! Here it is, the full Hitchcock interview with Brian Scherschel. We cut A LOT from the initial interview to fit into the regular podcast, so here's all 50 minutes of our discussion on Hitchcock, his methods, and his films, Notorious in particular. (Which, if you haven't watched yet, shame on you!)
So, delve into film history and get to know the one and only Hitchcock!
Show Notes
Strong. Noble. Honest. The hero grips sword in hand, righteous and determined, and sets upon his quest to right the wrongs of the world. Will he succeed? And why do we care?
In our milestone 10th podcast, Tim and Nick discuss what makes a hero heroic, compare "perfect" and "flawed" heroes, allude numerous times to comic books and The Lord of the Rings, and discover some possible heroic pitfalls.
So, sheath your sword, grab some mead, and settle in for a new foray into Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
Hello, there! No new podcast this week, but we have A Bit of Story for you. This is a recording of one of Nick's flash fictions, "Man," read by the author. Tim gives a nice introduction so have a listen. Hopefully it'll tide over our legions of fans until the new podcast, which is coming soon.
Show Notes
Are you buried under a mountain of continuity? Are you lost among a crowd of extraneous characters? Does your story stink to high heaven with the concerns of yesteryear? Don't worry! Just REBOOT!
This episode, THRILL as Nick and Tim discuss the reasons why writers find rebooting a series attractive! GASP as they enter into the realm of comicdom in hopes of answers! SHUDDER as they encounter just a few modern Reboot examples! SOAR with an extended Take on Tales!
It's not just a podcast, it's Podcast 2.0!
Show Notes
Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Timothy Deal and Michael Cera as Nick Hayden, this investigative thriller follows the hard-hitting investigation of two heretofore unknown podcasters as they delve into the intricacies of movie adaptations, stumbling deep down the rabbit hole of Hollywood business decisions and fan demands to discover, once and for all, whether there is truth behind that universal declaration, "The book was better."
With a rip-roaring Soundtrack, commentary by Listener Feedback, newly expanded Project Updates, and a behind-the-scenes Cinema Selections, this is one experience that the San Francisco Herald-Tribune-Gazette calls, "heart-stoppingly wonderful...cruelly sophisticated...hopelessly naive...the best hour of pure entertainment since that one time!" Don't miss it! (3D glasses not included.)
Show Notes
As we celebrate the Christmas season and look forward to a new year, we decide to look back on our old works and see what we've learned. Then, in a special holiday Take on Tales, we rate our favorite Christmas movies.
Find a comfy chair, some hot cocoa, and join us for a shorter "unplugged" episode of Derailed Trains of Thought.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Show Notes
This episode we turn to the always faithful supplier of conversation--the weather. But instead of hearing us drone on about meterologists and people who can't drive in snow, enjoy as we highlight the ways weather can accentuate emotions and deepen the layers in a scene.
Then join us as we introduce yet another new segment, discuss high-risk game shows, and chill to some lovely music. (Get it? Chill? Cold?)
Get your coats on, we're going outside.
Show Notes
Is this really it? The fifth episode of Derailed Trains of Thought? Yes, it is!
We apologize for the delay, but we were thrown off our posting rhythm, which, coincidentally, is exactly the topic of this episode’s Story School. We discuss plot pacing, dramatic rhythm, forward momentum, and all those things that accentuate the story’s individual moments.
We also introduce two new segments called Listener Feedback and A Bit of Story; Muppet-obsessed Timothy Deal educates us on long-lost Henson products; and Nick Hayden peeks into China’s underground church.
It’s all in a day’s podcast for Derailed Trains of Thought.
SPECIAL NOTICE: This episode does not include a single reference to Star Wars. It does, however, manage to talk about Lost, so Nick and Tim are vindicated.
Show Notes
Shakespeare! Harry Belafonte! Nazis! Anne with an E! Muy Tai! Outtakes! What connects these things? Are you willing to find out? And you ready to accept the consequences?
Find all this out and more in our fourth podcast as we delve into the Moral Universe: what it is, what it means, why it matters, and all that brouhaha. Then stick around for discussion of ABC's No Ordinary Family, a Hitchcock-inspired episode of The X-Files, and CYOA cinema. It's all here, and much, much more, at Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
For this week's Side Track, we follow up on our interview with Nathan Marchand, author of the newly released Pandora's Box by presenting an audio version of the book's prologue. Thanks to Natasha, my wife, for performing the narration. Enjoy!
Two days late and a little long, but we finally have Episode 3 up and running!
It's a packed episode, too. We start with a discussion of time management (see how that worked out with our late podcast), and end up somewhere in Jim Henson and Pixar territory. We also bemoan the lost art of boredom, reminisce about numerous projects, and reference "On Fairie-Stories."
In the second half we interview Nathan Marchand, author of the newly published "Pandora's Box" and good friend, about the writing process. It's like a DVD featurette for the book. So come on, settle into a comfy chair, and join us for the newest installment of Derailed Trains of Thought.
Show Notes
Here's a little surprise for our faithful listeners! In editing our last episode, we had to cut out a couple of sections of discussion for time restraints. But they're interesting enough that we thought we'd share them with you in our week-between-episodes. So sit back and enjoy these lost snippets of discussion about The Event, movie dialogue, and more, presented primarily in their original, unedited format.
What do Reese's Pieces, talking animals, and believing in yourself have in common? They mean you've sold your artistic vision to the corporate man. Or do they? We explore Commercial vs. Artistic Vision, plus much more in the second episode of Derailed Trains of Thought.
We're now on iTunes! Subscribe to us!
Show Notes
This is it – the first official Derailed Trains of Thought podcast! Featuring your intrepid and intriguing hosts Timothy Deal and Nick Hayden, we delve into the end of all things, or at least, the end of a few things. Along the way, we touch upon a long unfinished novel; LOST; The Jazz Singer; why Aang is Luke Skywalker; a guy named Wallace P. Fitzgerald; town-wide “Movie Sign!”; intergalactic, trans-dimensional car races; alternate endings for films; and various other sundry topics. You probably see why we call it Derailed Trains of Thought. We’re glad you’re with us at the bitter end. Welcome to a new beginning!
Show Notes