Storybeater

A podcast about writing, for new and aspiring writers. Hosted by Anthony Falcone and Andrew Wheeler.

Storybeater Episode 092: The Crown 11/25/2020

Storybeater Episode 092: The Crown Anthony and Andrew look at the fourth season of Peter Morgan's The Crown, the blockbuster Netflix series about the life of Queen Elizabeth II. What are the unique challenges of writing a biography, and especially of fictionalizing the lives of people who already feel familiar? /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/16958918

Storybeater Episode 091: Lovecraft 10/28/2020

Storybeater Episode 091: Lovecraft For this year's Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew dig into the horror style and influence of H.P. Lovecraft, and look at the recent HBO series Lovecraft Country and the novel that inspired it. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/16581968

Storybeater Episode 090: The Super Team 08/28/2020

Storybeater Episode 090: The Super Team Anthony and Andrew count down their favourite superhero and supervillain teams and talk about what makes a team dynamic work! Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/15794975

Storybeater Episode 089: The Cowboy 06/17/2020

Storybeater Episode 089: The Cowboy Anthony and Andrew discuss the cowboy archetype in fiction, including the tropes, classic and modern interpretations, masculinity, America, and the archetype's relationship to politics and privilege. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/14867006

Storybeater Episode 088: Hercules 05/20/2020

Storybeater Episode 088: Hercules Anthony and Andrew explore the legend of Hercules, what he represents, and how his stories have been told. Plus, they talk about what they're reading and what they're writing. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/14505029

Storybeater Episode 087: Inward & Onward 04/26/2020

Storybeater Episode 087: Inward & Onward Anthony and Andrew get together (remotely) to talk about writing in the age of Covid-19. How are they adapting, what are their coping mechanisms, how do they think this will shape their work, and do they feel an obligation to produce great works during lockdown? (Spoiler: No!) They also talk about the new Disney Pixar movie Onward, released direct to Disney+ following the movie theatre shutdown, and they talk about what they're been reading and distracting themselves with in quarantine! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/14150648

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll 03/29/2020

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll Due to the current and ongoing crisis, we're not recording new episodes of Storybeater at present. Instead, Andrew has read and recorded the full text of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll -- because in difficult times, we need great stories! Enjoy this reading, and check out some of our past episodes if you're looking for more entertaining distractions, including our episodes on detectives, Mary Poppins, Robin Hood, Marvel movies, and more. Thanks for listening! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/13750106

Storybeater Episode 086: Oscars 2020 02/01/2020

Storybeater Episode 086: Oscars 2020 Anthony and Andrew share their thoughts on this year's nominees for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards, including Jojo Rabbit, The Irishman, Little Women, Joker, The Two Popes, 1917, Knives Out, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, Parasite, and Marriage Story. Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/12975296

Storybeater Episode 085: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 01/18/2020

Storybeater Episode 085: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker This month, Anthony and Andrew were meant to talk about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker... And then Andrew decided he couldn't face it. But the show must go on! So, while Andrew shares his reasons for not going to see the movie, Anthony talks about what it gets right and what it does wrong. Andrew also talks about the new Netflix hit The Witcher. Plus, Anthony and Andrew talk about what they're writing and what they're reading! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/12791306

Storybeater Episode 084: The Christmas Episode 12/16/2019

Storybeater Episode 084: The Christmas Episode In the first ever Storybeater Christmas episode, Anthony and Andrew discuss sentimentality, Hallmark, the best and second best Christmas stories, Santa Claus world-building, how Christmas stories ate pagan stories, the true meaning of Christmas, and the meaning that writers can bring to "Christmas". They also talk about what they've written in 2019, and in the "What We're Reading" section they discuss The Mandalorian and Knvies Out! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/12400640

Storybeater Episode 083: Women Who Kick Ass 11/25/2019

Storybeater Episode 083: Women Who Kick Ass To mark the release of a new Charlie's Angels movie, Anthony and Andrew put together their own squads of women who kick-ass, drawing from all of movies, TV, video games and literature! Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/12158147

Storybeater Episode 082: Zombies! 10/21/2019

Storybeater Episode 082: Zombies! Fantasy zombies. Fast zombies. Colonial zombies. Consumerist zombies. Brainless zombies. Vengeful zombies. Zombies as us. Zombies as them. For the annual Storybeater Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew discuss the changing meaning and significance of zombies in fiction, from White Zombie to The Walking Dead and beyond. Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/11722907

Storybeater Episode 081: The Detective 09/21/2019

Storybeater Episode 081: The Detective Anthony and Andrew discuss the detective archetype in fiction, from Sherlock Holmes to Jessica Fletcher. What are the tropes, what are the types, and what do detectives really represent? Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/11339378

Storybeater Episode 080: Hobbs & Shaw 08/15/2019

Storybeater Episode 080: Hobbs & Shaw Two bald men discuss two bald men as Wheeler and Falcone break down the tropes, cliches, triumphs and failings of Hobbs & Shaw, the latest installment in the beloved Fast & Furious franchise. Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/10890733

Storybeater Episode 079: Disney Villains 07/29/2019

Storybeater Episode 079: Disney Villains Anthony and Andrew count down their personal top five Disney villains and unpack what makes Disney's villains so effective and iconic. Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/10694603

Storybeater Episode 078: Game of Thrones 06/14/2019

Storybeater Episode 078: Game of Thrones On this month's episode, Anthony and Andrew offer a post-mortem look at one of the biggest TV shows of all time, Game of Thrones. The ending let a lot of people down, but where did the show go wrong? Can a story that sets out to subvert storytelling conventions ever deliver a truly satisfying ending? /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/10150569

Storybeater Episode 077: Avengers: Endgame 05/24/2019

Storybeater Episode 077: Avengers: Endgame Anthony and Andrew discusss the storytelling successes and failures of Avengers: Endgame and the entire MCU narrative project. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/9912755

Storybeater Episode 076: Five Years of Storybeater 04/22/2019

Storybeater Episode 076: Five Years of Storybeater To mark the fifth anniversary of Storybeater, Anthony and Andrew look back over the past five years and answer some questions about the podcast and about writing, including dream projects, writing processes, and memories of some of their favourite episodes! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/9484955

Storybeater Episode 075: Captain Marvel 03/17/2019

Storybeater Episode 075: Captain Marvel Anthony and Andrew talk about the latest installment in the MCU series, and the first with a female solo lead, Captain Marvel. The structure, the villainy, the comedy, the politics; it's time to break it all down! Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/9035198

Storybeater Episode 074: Oscars 2019 02/17/2019

Storybeater Episode 074: Oscars 2019 Anthony and Andrew discuss the ten nominees for best original screenplay and best adapted screenplay at the 91st Academy Awards in the fifth annual Storybeater Oscars special, including: The Favourite First Reformed Roma Green Book Vice The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Can You Ever Forgive Me BlackkKlansman If Beale Street Could Talk and A Star Is Born. Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/8672555

Storybeater Episode 073: Batman and the Vigilante in Fiction 01/26/2019

Storybeater Episode 073: Batman and the Vigilante in Fiction On the occasion of Batman's 80th anniversary, Anthony and Andrew look at how the character has evolved over the decades, and at his contributions to the archetype of the vigilante in fiction. Why do we keep revisiting Batman's origin story? What makes Gotham unique? Why is Batman's core supporting cast so huge? What are the essential Batman tropes? Where do vigilantes fit in to our moral view of the world? And how do writers approach the tension between "campy Batman" and "macho Batman"? Anthony and Andrew break it all down, plus they reveal what they're writing and what they're reading! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/8407904

Storybeater Episode 072: Mary Poppins 12/19/2018

Storybeater Episode 072: Mary Poppins Is Mary Poppins a protagonist? Is she a witch? Is she mean? Is she a Manic Pixie Dream Girl? Is she fighting the patriarchy and tearing down the Empire? Anthony and Andrew look at the 1964 Mary Poppins movie and the character of the nanny with the brolly. Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/7982384

Storybeater Episode 071: Robin Hood 11/27/2018

Storybeater Episode 071: Robin Hood Storybeater unpacks the literary tropes and traditions surrounding the British folklore hero Robin Hood. How has Robin Hood evolved? Why is archery a popular skill for heroes? What's the definitive trope of a Robin Hood story? Who is the best Merry Man, why are some Merry Men more iconic than others, and how gay is Will Scarlet? Anthony and Andrew discuss all these questions and more! Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/7708595

Storybeater Episode 070: Halloween 10/26/2018

Storybeater Episode 070: Halloween For this year's special Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew discuss the tropes and conventions of the slasher genre, including the recently rebooted Halloween movie franchise. The conversation covers the sexual politics of slashers, the appeal of fear in storytelling, the post-modern deconstruction of the genre, and more! Plus, what we're writing, and what we're reading! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/7328753

Storybeater Episode 069: The Dragon Prince and Other Stories 09/28/2018

Storybeater Episode 069: The Dragon Prince and Other Stories Anthony and Andrew discuss the new Netflix animated show The Dragon Prince and its tropes, characters, and prospects. They also talk about what they're writing, and discuss Spider-Man... and Thomas Mann. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/7103507

Storybeater Episode 068: Rom-Coms 08/29/2018

Storybeater Episode 068: Rom-Coms Anthony and Andrew discuss the blockbuster rom-com Crazy Rich Asians and how it compares to the tropes of the genre. They also talk about favourite rom-coms and how the genre has changed over time, and where the future of the rom-com might lie. As always, Anthony and Andrew also talk about what they're writing and what they're reading! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/6984977

Storybeater Episode 067: Another Marvelous Episode 07/26/2018

Storybeater Episode 067: Another Marvelous Episode Anthony & Andrew discuss the new Marvel movie Ant-Man & The Wasp and the second season of Luke Cage on Netflix, and break down the tropes, the villains, the ways the stories use power, and much more. They also discuss whether it's time to stop talking about Marvel all the time! Plus, what they're writing, and what they're reading, including Yahtzee Croshaw's Jam, and Mackenzi Lee's A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/6852107

Storybeater Episode 066: The Heist 06/27/2018

Storybeater Episode 066: The Heist We're putting a team together. Andrew and Anthony discuss the story beats behind heist movies, with a focus on Ocean's 8 and the other movies in the Ocean's franchise, but also touching on heist movies as different as Topkapi and Lucky Logan. Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/6748824

Storybeater Episode 065: Infinity War 05/18/2018

Storybeater Episode 065: Infinity War Anthony and Andrew look at the big "season finale" of Marvel Studios' ten year cinematic universe project, Avengers: Infinity War. Does it work as a movie? Does Thanos work as a villain? And what might be next for the MCU? Plus, what we're writing, and what we're reading! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/6607313

Storybeater Episode 064: Lost In Space 04/28/2018

Storybeater Episode 064: Lost In Space Anthony and Andrew break down what works and what doesn't about the new Lost In Space TV show. Is Parker Posey the Dr Smith we need right now? They also discuss space-based sci-fi, and talk about what they're reading and writing. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/6533179

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