It’s spooky season! Join us as we discuss the limits of science vs fantasy and the separation between mad science and just, well, science. Byron might be offended, but hopefully Mary Shelley would be proud.

Two people are attracted to each other. One of them has a boyfriend. Plot complications ensue. Join us this episode as we ask the serious questions, like is there a difference between friend chemistry and romantic chemistry? is there a proper amount of time for characters to stay friends before becoming lovers? and did Ron really deserve Hermione? Listen and find out!

Have you or someone you love been inexplicably chosen by mysterious forces to drive the plot forward? If so, you may be entitled to hundreds of pages of questionable decisions and unaccountable triumphs! Tune in today for more information!

Gimme a D! Gimme an A! Gimme a D! What’s that spell? Steve Harrington! Have you recently written the phrase, “I didn’t sign up for this?” Is your protagonist a grumpy old man or a deadbeat alcoholic? Is there a child or childlike adult involved? If so, you might have a Reluctant Father Figure on your hands! Join us this episode as we talk about just how much we love this trope in all its iterations. (Spoiler: It’s a lot.) Other spoilers: The Karate Kid, Stranger Things, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, The Witcher, and The Last of Us, with minor spoilers for Cobra Kai, Raising Arizona, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Lord of the Rings, Gilmore Girls, Twilight, and Up.

OMG MOM you just don’t understand me! If you’re writing a teenager and their parents aren’t conveniently gone from the story, this episode is for you. Join us as we discuss the intricacies of mother/daughter relationships and how not to annoy your reader with cliché dramatics or weak writing. Parents are people, too, you know. Spoilers for Matilda, Brave, and Captain Fantastic.

Does a manic pixie dream girl need a dreamer? Does this trope set feminism back fifty years? Is Zooey Deschanel a real person? Join us this episode as we discuss the pros and cons of the manic pixie dream girl and how to turn her into the much more palatable manic quirky self-actualized person. We argue, we talk semantics, and we bring up other such mindbending questions as, “Is Rafiki a manic pixie dream girl?” and “Does Twilight pass a reverse Bechdel test?” Slight spoilers for Doctor Who, Elf, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Whether you’re the prom queen, the prankster, or somewhere in between, it’s common knowledge that Big Things™ happen at the Prom. Check out this episode for advice on how to write this high school dance trope for both humor and drama, a short history of Prom, and discussions on whether the Red Wedding, the Netherfield Ball, and the Phantom’s Masquerade count as Proms. Mild spoilers for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Sky High, Mean Girls, and Stranger Things.

Depends on who you ask, but if it sounds like George Clooney, you’re doing this trope right. Join us as we discuss talking animals, from the anthropomorphic to the imaginary, the humorous to the communist. Featuring such fascinating topics as uncanny valley CGI, the very different story of Wilbur the Human, and Tigger’s latent carnivorous instincts. Tell your dog we said hi.

Gallant knights and swashbuckling swordplay and...wait, is that a cell phone? Join us in this episode on anachronisms as we chat about the limits of worldbuilding and how to set your story in a certain time period. Whether you’re aiming for political correctness or just doin’ it for the aesthetic, tune in for the do’s and don’t’s and sure why not’s of story, setting, and plot.

Get ready for the shock of your lives! Female characters should be written as, that’s right, real people. Whoa. Follow our meandering discussion as it flows from what a Mary Sue actually is to why we hate Strong Female Characters™ to how characters can fall into both categories. Tune in for tips on writing women—and characters in general—tips for avoiding common writing mistakes, and more repetitions of the word “agency” than you’ll hear the rest of the year.