Derailed Trains Of Thought

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

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