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!
Co-hosted by Alexander Wales
With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected
Links:
Daystar and Alexander are joined by special guest Duncan Sabien (TK17) to discuss multiple perspectives in fiction, including common pitfalls and benefits.
Co-hosted by Alexander Wales
Special guest: Duncan Sabien, aka TK17, Curriculum Director at CFAR and writer of Animorphs: The Reckoning.
With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected
Time Stamps
1:30 Archetypes vs Whole Characters
5:34 Choosing Who Gets what Scene
14:45 Shifting Focus and Disorientation
25:06 Different Character Dialogue
35:30 Differentiating Characters
Links
Animorphs: The Reckoning by Duncan/TK17
Metropolitan Man by Alexander Wales
Shadows of the Limelight by Alexander Wales
Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
Odyssey by Vance Moore
Daystar’s friends as magic cards, circa 2012:
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!
Co-hosted by Alexander Wales
With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected
Links:
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.
Co-hosted by Alexander Wales
With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
Daystar and Alexander discuss race in fiction, or rather, ethnicity, 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
Timestamps:
00:35 What is a political plot?
8:58 Main types of political plot structures
24:00 Political 5 Man Band
37:05 Challenges
Links:
Rules for Rulers
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 dropped threads and side plots in stories, what tends to lead to them and how to manage them as you go.
Co-hosted by Alexander Wales
With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected
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
Daystar and Alexander discuss character flaws; what makes for good ones, how to avoid Mary Sues, and why some flaws show up so often compared to others.
Co-hosted by Alexander Wales
With thanks to Tim Yarbrough for the Intro/Outro music, G.A.T.O Must Be Respected
Timestamps
0:35 Flaws As Conflict Generators
5:53 Mary Sues
15:23 Brought Low
23:14 Most Common Flaws
36:02 Rarest Flaws
Links
Twig by Wildbow
The Erogamer by Groon the Walker
