Alex and I attended a writing retreat with some other authors in the rationality community, and while there decided to host an impromptu episode on subverting expectations, joined (primarily) by our Nebula nominated friend, Jamie Wahls. All I had to record with was my laptop, so apologies for the sound quality!

With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected

Links:

http://jamiewahls.com/

Today we're joined once again by Duncan Sabien, aka TK17, to discuss his incredible rationalfic, Animorphs: The Reckoning. It was recorded shortly after the story finished and includes questions on not just his writing process, but the various decisions that went into changes made from canon, so spoilers ahead!

With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected

Links:

Duncan's "How the MTG Color Wheel Explains Humanity"

Animorphs: The Reckoning AMA

Duncan's Previous Guest Appearance

Today we discuss Alexander's original serial fiction, Worth the Candle, and the various decisions and aspects of the story that came up throughout the writing process.

With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected

Daystar and Alexander discuss gender in fiction, and how it cultural gender norms or deviances can inform not just character personalities but can be an interesting part of world building.

With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected

Daystar and Alexander discuss using different species or "races" in fiction, and how it informs characters and is addressed by different types of stories.

With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected

Daystar and Alexander discuss race in fiction, or rather, species, and how it informs characters and is addressed by different types of stories.

Co-hosted by Alexander Wales

With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected

Timestamps

03:38 Race as a Social Construct

14:20 Approaches to Race in Fiction

22:30 Black Superman

32:55 How Race Informs Character

48:01 Literal Racism

56:48 Research

Daystar and Alexander discuss politics as a plot device, and and political fiction as a genre.

Co-hosted by Alexander Wales

With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected

8:58 Main types of political plot structures

24:00 Political 5 Man Band

37:05 Challenges

Links:

Daystar and Alexander discuss irrational or non-rational fiction. 

Co-hosted by Alexander Wales

With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected

Timestamps

00:35 "Rational" vs "Irrational"

10:04 How do you distinguish?

18:50 Conversations around the difference

33:05 Audience Mindset

48:18 Writing non-rational fiction

Daystar and Alexander discuss horror in fiction, and the unique challenges and opportunities that come with rational horror.

Co-hosted by Alexander Wales

With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected

Timestamps

0:37 What Do You Find Scary in Fiction?

7:42 Rational Horror

22:50 Horror vs Thriller

31:00 Strengths of Prose Horror

Links

Hereditary

It Follows

Dr. Who S4E11 - Midnight

Cordyceps

Ginny Weasley and The Sealed Intelligence 

Antimemetics

In the Mouth of Madness

John Dies at the End

Daystar and Alexander discuss dropped threads and side plots in stories, what tends to lead to them and how to manage them as you go.

Timestamps

2:34 Serial Fiction

9:32 What Ends Up on the Page

14:55 Side Plots

17:10 Serials

21:25 Why Threads Get Dropped

27:30 Story Shifts

37:30 Our Dropped Threads

44:28 Bonus Dropped Threads