The Thoughtful Bro

A story craft masterclass with Oscar-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3, Little Miss Sunshine, Star Wars: The Force Awakens). Highlights include: packing the most meaning possible into your climax; 3-act-structure pro hacks; how to get unstuck when blocked by reducing your story to a fairy tale; and what Hollywood can do to help stop gun violence.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm.

With the author of Tuesdays With Morrie, and one of the bestselling writers in American history, Mitch Albom. Discussing his new book, The Stranger In The Lifeboat, we got into the beguiling nature of answered prayers and how Mitch hopes to be the author readers reach for in times of trouble. In an emotional moment I also asked him, if he met Morrie again, what would Morrie think of what he's done with his life?

With guest host Daniel Ford, author of Black Coffee and founder of the Writers Bone Podcast Network. All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm.

With Pulitzer Prize-winner Jennifer Egan, discussing The Candy House, her critically-acclaimed follow-up to A Visit From The Goon Squad. Egan discussed how great prose voice is like great cooking stock (if it's good, anything you throw in becomes good, too); clues to finding your calling in both art and life; and how she writes blind on first drafts, trying to be a channel for the unconscious.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm.

With perhaps America's most popular historian, Erik Larson, discussing the "rogue elephant" Winston Churchill during the London Blitz, as featured in his book The Splendid And The Vile. We discussed Churchill's knack for giving devastating news but somehow lifting people's spirits; how he was basically a "f-ck up" till WW2, then went on to save civilization; and how he once sat down with FDR completely naked.

All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm.

With one of the key figures in recent American history, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, discussing his memoir, Here, Right Matters, and the pivotal role he played in the first Trump Impeachment. We talk about his optimism for American democracy, his enduring faith in the stability of our institutions, and what it's like to suddenly become Arnold Schwarzenegger's hero.

With guest host Jenna Blum, author of Those Who Save Us and Woodrow On The Bench. All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm.

With Caroline Kepnes, author of the social-media-stalker-creeptastic-love-story You, which became the runaway Netflix hit show with over 50 million viewers. We chat about her newly released third book in the series, You Love Me. A great episode for fans of snappy writing, 90s pop culture references, and basement murder cages.

With guest host Jenna Blum, the bestselling author of Those Who Save Us and Woodrow On The Bench. All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm.

With the Booker-Prize winning master himself, George Saunders, discussing his new book, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain. We talk about how to find a story's unconscious structure, the necessary qualities it takes for a young writer to succeed in publishing, and how George knew he'd found his true literary voice, when he heard his wife laughing one night in the next room.

With guest host Whitney Scharer, author of the award winning novel The Age of Light. All episodes of The Thoughtful Bro aired live originally on A Mighty Blaze. The Thoughtful Bro is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm.

Hi, I'm Mark Cecil host of The Thoughtful Bro.

I want to tell you about the podcast I'm launching.

See, a long time ago I realized that the greatest thing on the face of the earth, at least to me, is storytelling.

Storytelling is everywhere. It's in how we understand our planet, our country, our own bodies. Stories determine how we decide to vote, who to marry, what to eat, whether to fight a war, and quite simply, why to get out of bed in the morning.

Stories don't just reflect our world. They actively create it.

Storytelling is so fascinating to me, in fact, that pretty much my ideal social scenario is to go to a party, bump into a writer who's just put out a book, then whisk them away to a corner and spend the next 45 minutes or so, asking them about how and why they told the story that they did.

That 45 minute download is, in essence, the Thoughtful Bro podcast.

Every episode I'll spend time talking to a world class writer.

I'll speak to award winning authors like George Saunders, Erik Larson, Jennifer Egan, and Mitch Albom.

You'll hear from writers who've had their books turned into blockbuster TV shows and movies viewed by tens of millions of people: writers like Caroline Kepnes, whose books became the Netflix series "You," and Emily St. John Mandel, whose novel became the HBO show "Station Eleven."

I'll talk to writers involved in current events, like Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman, who had a key role in Trump's first impeachment; and Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Stavridis, who recently tried his hand at fiction.

I'll even talk to some of the most successful screenwriters working today—people like Michael Arndt, who wrote "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Toy Story 3," and David Koepp, who wrote "Jurassic Park," "Mission Impossible," and "Carlito's Way."

Together, these are some of the most innovative and decorated storytellers to be found anywhere. They've won the Pulitzer Prize, The Man Booker Prize, The MacAurthur Genius Grant, the Academy Award and more.

My interviews are wide ranging, fast moving, deep delving, and, I hope, entertaining. Think of the it as "Inside the Actors Studio"—but for storytellers.

Oh, and one last thing. What about the name? The Thoughtful Bro?

Well, that's me of course. As it turns out, being thoughtful and being bro-ish kind of go together like, say…a dinner jacket and a baseball hat. Like bourbon and Banksy.

The first two episodes of The Thoughtful Bro will be dropping very soon.

I hope you'll subscribe and check it out. In the meantime, stay thoughtful.