Secrets of Story Podcast

Osad

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  The Final Episode in this Feed: Another preview of "A Good Story Well Told"! 01.05.2025 1t 5min

  It's another episode of Matt's new podcast, "A Good Story Well Told" with Jonathan Auxier, this time discussing "The Giver", but from now on, to get new content, you'll have to subscribe to the "A Good Story Well Told" feed. Meanwhile, this feed will remain active so you can enjoy the wonderful archives of Matt and James's content.
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  Introducing a new podcast: A Good Story Well Told with Jonathan Auxier 18.04.2025 42min

  It's a special preview of the first episode of Matt's new podcast with Jonathan Auxier: A Good Story Well Told. Search for and subscribe to the new podcast to get a second episode now!
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  Live Show: Capturing the Nature of Children with Betsy Bird 16.09.2024 45min

  Recorded Live at The Book Stall in Winnetka, IL, hosted by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, James and Matt welcome the legendary Betsy Bird to tackle a topic all three know something about: Capturing the Voices of Children in Your Writing. Matt argues that novels that feature truly authentic kids are by definition not children's books, and James and Betsy debate him on that.
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  Episode 47: The Heroine's Labyrinth with Douglas A. Burton 24.06.2024 1t 26min

  Matt and James welcome author Douglas A. Burton to discuss his new book The Heroine's Labyrinth! Matt blurbed it and said "The Heroine's Labyrinth is filled with profound and unique observations on the topic of story structure, no matter what the gender of your protagonist. Burton closely analyzes a wide breadth of stories and proves his thesis that Joseph Campbell missed half the story." James agrees and we dive into some of Douglas's many interesting new archetypes!
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  Episode 46: Organizing Chaos with Sophie Beal and Gary Dalkin 16.01.2024 59min

  Sophie Beal and Gary Dalkin return to discuss novelists' relationship with editors, whether freelance or at a publisher. All four of us have been on one side of that divide or another, and most of us more than one, and we have a grand old time discussing it.
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  Episode 45: Specific vs. Generic (Or is it Factual vs. Archetypal?) 07.12.2023 1t 11min

  It's always good to load up your story with specifics, right? Not so fast! James talks about his decision to leave some information out of his new novel Bride of the Tornado, and Matt quibbles.
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  Episode 44: Putting the Secrets of Story Into Action with Torrey Maldonado 19.10.2023 1t 24min

  Matt and James welcome acclaimed novelist Torrey Maldonado to talk about how he's put Matt's advice into action for his books for young people (much to James's chagrin)
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  Episode 43: Writing Every Day with Brock Swinson 26.06.2023 1t 7min

  Matt and James are joined by author Brock Swinson and discuss his new book of writing advice Ink by the Barrel. All three of us agree that writers must write every day and then sheepishly admit that we don't actually do that. Download Brock's book for free at BrockSwinson.com and check out his podcast Creative Principles!
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  Episode 42: Mackendrick's Rules, the Epic Conclusion 19.06.2023 52min

  Alexander Mackendrick summed up the wisdom that film schools (and MFA programs in general) hand down to writers. Is it helpful or poisonous? In this episode, Matt and James finish examining and questioning his 41 rules.
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  Episode 41: Mackendrick's Rules, Part 2 12.06.2023 59min

  Matt and James once again use the rules of Alexander Mackendrick as a springboard to talk about what makes for a good story. Bonus: Matt posits his theory of what's in the case in Pulp Fiction and completely convinces James!
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  Episode 40: Mackendrick's Rules, Part 1 06.06.2023 1t 9min

  The great filmmaker Alexander Mackendrick famously passed along 41 rules of writing advice and now Matt and James are going to evaluate them all in a three-part epic!
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  Episode 39: Agents 02.02.2023 1t 22min

  James and Matt discuss their checkered history of getting agents/managers, failing to hold onto them, and getting new ones, with lots of tips for the unagented! Check out lots of supplemental materials on SecretsOfStory.com.
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  Episode 38: AI 24.12.2022 57min

  Can a computer do our jobs? Matt puts it to the test and James scoffs, as is his wont.
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  Episode 37: Craft in the Real World 02.11.2022 1t 13min

  The long-awaited return! James and Matt reunite to discuss Matthew Salesses' book Craft in the Real World. Matt is worried about offending anyone and James is less so!
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  Episode 36: Save the Cat with Sophie Beal and Gary Dalkin 04.04.2022 55min

  Special guests Sophie Beal and Gary Dalkin join us to debate the merits of the most infamous writing guide of all, Blake Snyder's Save the Cat
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  Episode 35: Co-Authoring and Transgression with Keir Graff and Linda Joffe Hull 20.12.2021 1t 19min

  A whopping two guests join us to discuss the feat of co-authoring three thrillers as "Linda Keir", including "The Swing of Things", which leads to a discussion of whether or not transgression need always be punished in American literature.
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  Episode 34: Building Character Voice 16.11.2021 1t 19min

  James and Matt discuss Metaphor Families, Default Personality Traits, and Default Argument Tactics. James quotes great wisdom forgetting that he's quoting Matt, and Matt heaps praise on James's new book-- It's a kumbaya love fest!
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  Episode 33: Niceness, Apologies and PTSD 29.10.2021 1t 10min

  James checks in on a prediction he made years ago (in Episode 4) that stories would start getting nicer. As it turns out, Ted Lasso proved him right!
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  Episode 32: Notes 24.09.2021 1t 12min

  Matt and James have a contentious history of giving (or not giving) feedback to each other, and they reveal some big philosophical differences on the fraught topic of how to give and receive notes.
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  Episode 31: Irony 27.08.2021 1t 9min

  Matt and James discuss 14 types of Irony and use Casablanca, Blazing Saddles and Mulan as examples.