The Audio Epics Podcast

Common storytelling mistakes

In this episode, we LITERALLY explode talking about common writing mistakes and we beat outselves up over our own flaws and neurotic compulsions.

Things mentioned in this episode:

• Frasier
• Futurama
• Rosetta
• The Big Lebowski
• 3rd Rock from the Sun
• The Name of the Wind
• The Lightning Thief
• Septymus Heap
• Castaway
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Malazan Book of the Fallen
• The Stormlight Archive
• Mistborn
• Merlin
• Star Wars
• Doctor Who
• The Giver
• The Hobbit

People mentioned in this episode:

• Brandon Sanderson
• Patrick Rothfuss
• Steven Erikson
• Lois Lowry
• J.K. Rowling

The Sidekick

If you've got someone by your side whom you can kick, then you've got a sidekick. Sounds like fun! So in this episode, Eline and Domien explore some of the famous sidekicks throughout storytelling history, what types of sidekicks there are and how they function in a plot. We talk about henchmen, volleyballs, passive-aggressive space aliens and there's some gushing over The Lord of the Rings. So sit back and enjoy the ride!

Sidekicks mentioned:

• Sancho Panza
• Doctor Watson
• Snowy
• Robin
• Samwise Gamgee
• Obélix
• Mr. Spock
• Chewbacca
• Jar-Jar Binks
• C-3PO
• R2D2
• Luigi
• Princess Peach
• Harley Quin
• Buzz Lightyear
• Pikachu
• Syndrome
• Kif
• Waylon Smithers
• Navi
• Muchu
• Abu
• Rajah
• Pascal
• Mini-Me
• Patrick Star
• Wilson
• Donkey
• Dory
• Ron
• Hermione
• Crabb & Goyle
• Iago
• Diego
• Merlin
• Folkrin
• Rudolf Bauknecht
• Captain Elsenbach

Types we've identified:

• Fairy companion
• Kid sidekick
• Coward
• Animal companion
• Comic relief
• Conscience
• Henchman
• Assistant
• Apprentice

Roles for a sidekick:

• Providing cynical commentary
• Giving pep-talks to the hero(ine)
• Becoming the future villain
• Getting rescued by the hero(ine)
• Screwing everything up so the hero(ine) can fix it
• Being the loyal friend
• Providing a useful skill
• Speaking for the audience
• Having someone to explain the plot or the lore to
• Providind a viewpoint perspective on the main character

 

FEAR in storytelling

Fear is the mind-killer, but it's also an essential part of storytelling. So face your fears with us as we explore what haunts the darkest dreams of characters and audiences and why. We delve into a world of madness, trauma, anguish and terror. We also drink tea and talk about The Lion King.

Mentioned in this podcast:

• The Time Machine
• The Secret of NIMH
• The Hunger Games
• Hamlet
• Dragonheart
• World War Z
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Death Becomes Her
• Interview with the Vampire
• Arachnophobia
• Snakes on a Plane
• Jaws
• The Birds
• Vertigo
• It
• Alien
• Hard Times
• Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde
• The Hulk
• X-Men
• Twilight
• The Scarlet Letter
• Keeping Up Appearances
• The Lion King
• Night of the Living Dead
• The Will of the Woods
• Doctor Who
• The Hobbit
• Great Expectations
• Beautiful Boy
• How To Train Your Dragon
• Avatar
• Dune
• 300

People mentioned:

• Brandon Sanderson
• Margaret Weis
• Tracy Hickman
• Jim Carrey
• Steven Spielberg
• William Shakespeare
• Oscar Wilde
• Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Anne Rice
• Alfred Hitchcock
• Charles Dickens

Originality in storytelling

What is originality? Why do storytellers pursue it? Was Avatar really just Pocahontas in Space? Was A.I. just Pinocchio in the future? Was The Shawshank Redemption really about Jesus? Can we go one episode without mentioning Tolkien, Brandon Sanderson or The Hunger Games? Why are there so many werebear romance novels? When will we stop asking questions?

Find out in this completely original new episode, not based on anything and utterly copyrighted by us.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Avatar
• Pocahontas
  Ferngully
• Dances With Wolves
• The Last Samurai
• Dune
• A.I.
• Star Wars
• The Hunger Games
• Fantastic Beasts
• Ulysses
• E.T.
• The Shawshank Redemption
• Up
• Jumanji
• Zathura
• Jurassic Park
• The Twilight Zone
• Shadowlands
• The X-Files
• Cowboys v. Aliens
• The Sword of Truth
• Game of Thrones
• Nobody's Boy
• Witch Hunter
• Solomon Kane
• The Will of the Woods
• The Village
• The Dark Crystal
• The Neverending Story
• Legend

People mentioned in this episode:

• James Cameron
• James Horner
• George Lucas
• Suzanne Collins
• Brandon Sanderson
• James Joyce
• Jack Ward
• Terry Goodkind
• George R.R. Martin
• Hector Malot
• Robert E. Howard
• Alan Lee
• Brian Froud
• Don Bluth

 

We're sorry (and we love you)

There's no new storytelling podcast episode. Why not? Allow us to explain. We also answer some of your questions in this shorter episode.

Storytelling: sequels & prequels

We're back! Why stick with one movie, book or game if you can have more? In this new episode of our Storytelling Podcast we examine prequels and sequels as well as midquels and prsequels! Find out why Eline is afraid to read the third part of the Reckoners trilogy and why The Dark Knight wasn't dark enough for Domien (and Shrek 2 was a better sequel).

Read the rest of this entry »

Storytelling: Remakes& reboots (and re-imaginings)

Sometimes a movie is just not good enough and you have to make it again. Sometimes a movie is so good, you want to make it again too. And sometimes you just want to make something completely different and give it the same title.

Read the rest of this entry »

Storytelling: quarantine questions

Instead of discussing a specific topic, we decided to have some fun this episode by asking each other questions about movies, games, books and the like.

Find out whether Danny DeVito should play Ludlov in the movie version of Witch Hunter, discover Eline's slightly disturbing plans for a Middle-earth theme park and find out who would win in a fight between five Batmans and one Darth Vader.

As for Jerry Goldsmith's score for the movie Legend, you can find it on YouTube and Spotify.

Storytelling: lockdown dilemmas

In this hard-hitting investigative documentary, we ask each other some tough questions and do our best to provide the wisest possible answers. Find out how we feel about flying golden retrievers, impersonating Stalin and L.A. in the rain. Have we inspired you to come up with your own silly questions? Feel free to let us know!

The Hornfolk - Witch Hunter Background Lore

The threat of the Hornfolk has always been a challenge for the people of Sevenpeaks and Ivennendale, but what do we really know about them? In this lore podcast, we take a look at the history of these enigmatic barbarians... If you enjoyed Witch Hunter and The Beast of the Western Wilds and you would like to find out more about the setting, then this is for you.