The M. Gardner Show — Episode: “The Weight of the First Sentence”

Every great story has to begin somewhere.

But why do some opening lines stay with us forever, while others are forgotten the moment we turn the page?

In this episode of The M. Gardner Show, M. Gardner explores the incredible pressure—and power—behind the first sentence of a novel.

From Dickens's “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” to Stephen King's “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed,” and J.M. Barrie's “All children, except one, grow up,” we examine what makes certain opening lines unforgettable.

We'll explore:

📖 The psychology of first impressions
✍️ Why an opening line needs to make the reader want the next sentence
🎭 How opening lines work differently across genres
❌ Common mistakes that make opening lines fall flat
🔥 What makes a first sentence memorable
📚 How writers like Dickens, King, Tolkien, Melville, Kafka, Camus, and Austen approached their openings
🔑 The relationship between an opening line and the ending of a story
🚪 Why every first sentence is essentially a doorway into another world

M. Gardner also takes listeners into the Writer's Corner, where he works through the opening of his own sixth novel and explores the process of turning a serviceable first sentence into one that actually makes a reader want to know what happens next.

Because the goal isn't to write the most complicated first sentence.

It isn't even to write the most famous one.

The goal is to make the reader want the second sentence.

So pull up a chair around the campfire and join M. Gardner for a conversation about first impressions, storytelling, literary history, and the craft of opening a novel.

The first sentence is the doorway. What happens when the reader walks through?

🎙️ The M. Gardner Show
📖 Keep questioning. Keep telling stories. Keep creating.

The M. Gardner Show — Episode: “How Do You Kill a Character Correctly?”

Anybody can kill a character.

The hard part is making the audience care.

Why do some fictional deaths stay with us for years while others are forgotten almost immediately? What makes a character's death feel earned rather than cheap? And once you've killed a character, should you ever bring them back?

In this episode of The M. Gardner Show, M. Gardner explores the craft and emotional power behind some of fiction's most memorable deaths—from Boromir, Mufasa, Sirius Black, Ned Stark, Uncle Ben, and Tony Stark to the sacrifices and tragedies that define entire stories.

We'll explore:

⚔️ Why meaning matters more than shock
💀 What makes a character death feel cheap
❤️ Why readers become emotionally attached to fictional characters
🔄 When resurrection works—and when it destroys the stakes
🩸 Different types of character deaths and the emotions they create
📖 The four things a great character death can accomplish
✍️ How death can advance a plot, complete an arc, transform a survivor, or reveal a theme
🎭 The craft of actually writing a powerful death scene
🌑 Why sometimes the most important character in a death scene is the person who survives

M. Gardner also applies these ideas to his own novels, including Anrith, Epic of L, and The Last Exorcist, examining what the potential deaths of characters like Bear, L, Hoyt, Honey, Kia Stone, and Artemis Dread could actually mean for their stories.

Because a great character death isn't really about death.

It's about life. It's about meaning. It's about what a character leaves behind.

Pull up a chair around the campfire and join M. Gardner for a deep conversation about storytelling, character development, grief, sacrifice, redemption, and one of the hardest decisions any writer can make:

When—and how—do you let a character die?

🎙️ The M. Gardner Show
📖 Keep questioning. Keep telling stories. Keep creating.

The M. Gardner Show — Episode: “The Monster in the Mirror”

What if the monsters we fear most aren't hiding in haunted houses, dark forests, or ancient legends—but inside us?

In this episode of The M. Gardner Show, M. Gardner explores the monsters that live within us: jealousy, pride, greed, fear, addiction, resentment, and the need to protect ourselves from being hurt.

Using examples from The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Picture of Dorian Gray, A Christmas Carol, and other stories, M. Gardner examines why the greatest battles in fiction aren't always fought against external enemies. Sometimes, the real battle is against the darkness growing inside the hero.

The episode also explores redemption and damnation, the psychology of temptation, the role of internal conflict in creating compelling characters, and why great love stories are often secretly stories about overcoming the monsters within ourselves.

M. Gardner also takes listeners into the Writer's Corner, discussing the internal monsters carried by characters from his own novels, including Anrith, The Last Exorcist, and Epic of L.

Because every great story eventually asks the same question:

Can we become better than we are right now?

Pull up a chair around the campfire and join M. Gardner for a conversation about storytelling, human nature, and the monster waiting in the mirror.

🎙️ The M. Gardner Show
📖 Keep questioning. Keep telling stories. Keep creating.

Why Do We Love the Hero’s Journey?

Why does the same basic story keep appearing throughout human history?

In this episode of The M. Gardner Show, novelist M. Gardner explores the enduring power of the Hero’s Journey — from ancient mythology and The Epic of Gilgamesh to The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Marvel, and the stories we create ourselves.

Together, we explore why audiences connect with characters who face impossible odds, endure suffering, confront their darkest fears, and ultimately become someone different from who they were.

M. Gardner also looks at the psychological side of storytelling, including transformation, courage, the Shadow, narrative transportation, and why stories can sometimes help us make sense of our own struggles.

And in the Writer’s Corner, he brings the discussion into his own novels, including Anrith, Epic of L, and The Last Exorcist, examining how the Hero’s Journey has shaped his characters and their transformations.

Because maybe we don't love heroic stories simply because they're entertaining.

Maybe we love them because, deep down, we recognize ourselves in them.

Pull up a chair around the campfire. The journey is about to begin.

🔥 The M. Gardner Show
Keep questioning. Keep telling stories. Keep creating.

What drives someone to keep writing when the odds are terrible and the outcome is uncertain?

In this extended episode of The M. Gardner Show, novelist M. Gardner explores the deeply personal origins of his writing life. Beginning with a mental health diagnosis in 2017 and the chaos that followed, he shares how therapy, journaling, and imagination gradually transformed into a commitment to storytelling.

The conversation moves beyond autobiography into the psychology of narrative itself: why writing can create a sense of agency, how flow state affects the brain, and why stories have the power to transport us into other lives. M. Gardner also examines the different psychological drives behind fantasy, horror, thrillers, and romance, and reflects on what famous writers such as Stephen King, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Maya Angelou believed was the true purpose of writing.

This episode is ultimately about one question: What is the question your story is trying to ask?

Whether you’re an experienced author, a new writer, or someone with a story you’ve never dared to finish, this episode offers an honest look at the drive behind the page—and why that drive may be the rarest thing a writer possesses.

We stopped calling them myths. We started calling them blockbusters.

This week: how Superman is just Hercules in a cape, how George Lucas built Star Wars directly on Joseph Campbell’s research, why the MCU might be the most sophisticated mythology ever constructed, and why stadiums function like temples. Then things get darker — the eerie structural overlap between ancient myths and modern conspiracy theories, and where they part ways.

Plus, a Writer’s Corner breakdown on why the “reveal” in your story should never be the ending.

Pull up a chair. 🔥

Is being "chosen" actually a curse? Mike Gardner traces the Chosen One trope from ancient Egyptian god-kings and Moses to Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, and Paul Atreides — unpacking why the best stories aren't about destiny, but about the choice to act anyway. Plus: a Writer's Corner look at why Mike wrote his own hero to reject the trope entirely.

Can one book really change your life?

Out of the millions of books ever written, only a handful stay with us forever. In this first episode of The M. Gardner Show, author M. Gardner explores why certain stories become unforgettable, how books shape who we are, and what separates a good story from one that changes a life. From timeless classics to modern masterpieces, we’ll look at the power of storytelling and why the right book can arrive at exactly the right moment.

So pull up a chair, and let’s start at the very beginning.