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EP 408 - Definitely A Chat With Definitely The Real Alex Lifeson (AKA Tony Binns)

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Release Date: 03/27/2025

EP 430 - Rambling Reflections From A Lemons To Lemonade Road Trip

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

This episode features a rambling reflection that Mark recorded on part of an unexpected and unplanned four-day road trip from Calgary, Alberta to Waterloo, Ontario. When Mark was in Calgary, Alberta for the When Words Collide conference, Air Canada went on strike and all flights were canceled. Finding himself unable to get home (without having to pay for 4 nights in a hotel plus a flight on an alternate airline that would have cost him $1500), Mark decided to rent a car and drive back home nearly 3,500 kilometers (2174 miles) during the week of Monday August 18th through Friday August 22nd....

EP 429 - A Post-Mortem on Co-Hosting the 2025 Aurora Awards with Liz May Anderson

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

This episode features a campfire chat with Mark's partner Liz Anderson about co-hosting the 2025 Aurora Awards livestream on Sunday August 10, 2025. In the interview, Mark and Liz talk about: The background of co-hosting the Aurora Awards over the years Working on a pandemic parody music video on a whim within about 24 hours as a bit of an escape The trepidation and challenge of working on something that one is not as familiar about The level of commitment and interest within the speculative fiction community How much time and creative energy people have poured themselves into the creative...

EP 428 - The "Author Versus AI" Project with Alison McBain

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Canadian author Alison McBain about her "Author Versus AI" project, her life in writing, and more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Alison talk about: The various roles that Alison has played in the creative arts Wanting to be a writer since she was young and her first written story created when she was 4 years old Thinking that one day...

EP 427 - A Tale of Two Mountains: An Uphill Climb, Rain, Exhaustion, And Rainbows

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this solo episode Mark talks about the experience of hiking two different mountainscapes in the Canadian west. The first, Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, British Columbia. And the other, the foothills of Fairview Mountain at Lake Louise, Alberta. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) ...

EP 426 - Getting YOUR Book Into Bookstores and Libraries

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark shares clips and highlights from a talk he'll be giving at the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Summer Virtual Conference 2025. Ready to take your children’s book career to the next level? Wherever you are in your publishing journey, the Virtual Summer Conference provides an opportunity for growth, creativity, and connection. Dive into every aspect of the children’s book world, from writing and illustrating to translating, marketing, and self-publishing. Put your art in front of industry pros in the career-launching Portfolio Showcase. And...

EP 425 - Escaping the Self-Publishing Rapid Release Rat Race with Johnny B. Truant

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark speaks to author Johnny B. Truant about THE ARTISAN AUTHOR. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Johnny talk about: Johnny's return to this podcast (with neither of them being able to remember how many episodes he'd been on previously). Technically, this is his fourth time. Two previous episodes were...

EP 424 - Passion From Between and Beyond The Pages with Jessica Rampersad

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Jessica Rampersad AKA JessBeyondThePages, an expert experienced in social media management, content creation, and editing who helps authors and brands elevate their online presence. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Jessica talk about: Jessica being a reader her entire life and how she has fallen in and out...

EP 423 - Dear Writer: The World Needs Your Writing Now More Than Ever

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this solo episode Mark expresses his frustration, anger, and anxiety over what's happening in the world right now, and reminds himself, and listeners, about the power of writing and why the world NEEDS you and your writing now more than ever before. Link to video of Mark's Keynote for The BookFest Spring 2025. "Writer, the World Needs You: Why Your Writing Is More Important Than Ever." Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin...

EP 422 - Writing, Humor, and Teaching with Patrick MacPhee

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Patrick MacPhee, teacher and Writers of the Future award-winning author about his love of reading, writing, and helping to inspire students. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Patrick talk about: Patrick's experience reading Fellowship of the Rings when he was rather young and how it impacted him in a profound...

EP 421 - Some Publishing Pitfalls

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this solo episode Mark shares some audio excerpts from his book PUBLISHING PITFALLS FOR AUTHORS. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By

More Episodes

Mark interviews Tony Binns, an award-winning stand-up comedian and screenwriter whose feature #ROXY was nominated for 3 Canadian screen awards, 3 Canadian Comedy Awards, and took home Best Feature at the Ampia awards as well as Best Feature for Teens at the Kidscreen awards. Tony is also the man behind the parody profile on Facebook called Definitely The Real Alex Lifeson where he pretends to be a guy pretending to be the real guitarist from Rush.

Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, which includes a few engagements he'll be speaking at in person and virtually:

IN PERSON: (Brantford, ON) Brantford Public Library (April 2, 2025 from 6 PM to 7:30 PM) – Inside the Writer’s Mind: Mark Leslie Lefebvre on Ghosts and Paranormal Storytelling
VIRTUAL: (Online) The BookFest (April 6, 1:30 PM Eastern). Keynote: Writer, The World Needs You: Why Your Writing Is More Important Than Ever
IN PERSON: (Los Angeles, CA) Writers of the Future. Week of mentoring winning writers and Gala Dinner/Evening celebrating this year's winners on April 10, 2025

Mark then shares a word about this episode's sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by Toronto Indie Author Conference, taking place April 26 & 27, 2025 in Toronto, ON. The schedule appears below

Learn more about Toronto Indie Author Conference 2025 here.

In their chat, Mark and Tony talk about:

How Tony is a multi-faceted nerd who used to tape episodes of SCTV so he could play them back and memorize them
Being big into Monty Python and, of course, Rush
Always thinking that he was going to be an actor and his love of Shakespeare, but always getting the comedic parts
Being a good actor but not being so good at auditioning because he freezes when put in a pressure situation
Founding a comedy sketch troop called Obscene But Not Heard which was partially inspired by his love for Kids In The Hall
Evolving into doing stand-up despite being a shy person
Deciding to leave stand-up comedy around the time that Covid hit
The movie XROXY (a modern tale based on Cyrano de Bergerac) that Tony wrote after he pitched it to some producers he had done some other work for
Having a strength for dialogue but a weakness when it comes to plot
Being brought in to help punch up an episodic YouTube series that was a campy horror flick and make it funnier (TRUCKSTOP BLOODSUCKERS)
Tony's most recent script entitled SAVING MR. CHRISTMAS and how it evolved into a completely different movie than the one that he originally pitched
The "we love this, change everything" thing that happens with movies
Tony's WAITING FOR WAITING FOR GODOT which is a show about two women waiting for a production of the play Waiting For Godot which never happens, and how that play was inspired by the way that days could blur together for people, particularly as we get older and "become that guy"
Being a Rush fan since he first heard "Spirit of Radio"
How Tony was inspired to create a fake Alex Lifeson account on Facebook after he's seen a fake Geddy Lee account
The relation between ADHD and being "all in" on something -- like Rush, Monty Python and Rush for Tony
How, during Covid Tony did a one-man reading of Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Doing a Canadian overdub of Dragonball Z
Adapting a pilot from a Canadian novel called The Smeltdog Man by Frank Macdonald and leveraging the "Deadpool" style of breaking the fourth wall
Advice that Tony would give to the young nerdy Mark and Tony
How Tony used to write sketches even though he didn't have an outlet for them
The Dungeons & Dragons podcast that Tony is a part of called The +2 Rodcast
And more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that came up in the discussion.

Links of Interest:

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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