Storybeater

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

Storybeater Episode 143: Monster Manual 03/29/2025

Storybeater Episode 143: Monster Manual Anthony and Andrew talk monstrous ideas and inspirations by diving deep into the new Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/35918230

Storybeater Episode 142 02/22/2025

Storybeater Episode 142 Breaking down our thoughts on the screenplay nominees for the 97th Academy Awards. Writing (Adapted Screenplay) A Complete Unknown Conclave Emilia Pérez Nickel Boys Sing Sing Writing (Original Screenplay) Anora The Brutalist A Real Pain September 5 The Substance /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/35389625

The Goonies 01/27/2025

The Goonies Anthony and Andrew unpack the joys and challenges of classic 80s kids' movie The Goonies. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/35032990

Storybeater Episode 140: Wicked 12/16/2024

Storybeater Episode 140: Wicked We're dancing through life with John M. Chu's movie adaptation of the musical Wicked. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/34473475

Storybeater Episode 139: Swords and Sandals 11/30/2024

Storybeater Episode 139: Swords and Sandals To mark the release of Gladiator II, Anthony and Andrew unpack our fascination with gladiator stories and historical and mythological epics. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/34207280

Storybeater Episode 138: Horror Robots 10/29/2024

Storybeater Episode 138: Horror Robots For the annual Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew discuss scary robots, from Metropolis to M3GAN. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/33670307

Storybeater Episode 137: The Martial Artist 09/29/2024

Storybeater Episode 137: The Martial Artist What makes the martial artist an appealing archetype in fiction? Anthony and Andrew unpack the tropes with reference to some of their favourite examples! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/33249992

136: Deadpool and Wolverine 08/18/2024

136: Deadpool and Wolverine Mutants, multiverses, and mowing down the fourth wall! Anthony and Andrew talk Deadpool & Wolverine. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/32628632

Storybeater Episode 135: Man vs. Nature 07/22/2024

Storybeater Episode 135: Man vs. Nature With Twisters tearing through theatres, Anthony and Andrew look at the uses and meaning of "man versus nature" conflicts in narrative. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/32246112

Storybeater Episode 134: Delicious in Dungeon 06/25/2024

Storybeater Episode 134: Delicious in Dungeon Anthony and Andrew explore the dungeoneering tropes of the hit animated series Delicious in Dungeon, aka Dungeon Meshi. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/31883462

Storybeater Episode 133: Planets of the Apes 05/28/2024

Storybeater Episode 133: Planets of the Apes Anthony and Andrew explore the themes and approaches of the three iterations of the Planet of the Apes movie franchise. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/31493932

Storybeater Episode 132: Ten Years of Storybeater! 04/27/2024

Storybeater Episode 132: Ten Years of Storybeater! Anthony and Andrew mark ten years of the reading-and-writing podcast by reflecting on ten themes and trends in storytelling from the past decade, including streaming, shared universes, the state of the "sure thing", and the rise of cozy entertainment. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/31011638

Storybeater Episode 131: Oscars 2024 02/29/2024

Storybeater Episode 131: Oscars 2024 Anthony and Andrew break down the runners and riders in the 96th Academy Awards categories for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay. Movies discussed include: American Fiction The Zone of Interest Barbie Oppenheimer Poor Things The Holdovers May December Past Lives Anatomy of a Fall Maestro /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/30172943

Storybeater Episode 130: The Assassin 01/28/2024

Storybeater Episode 130: The Assassin Beekeepers, bricklayers, painters, and John Wick. Anthony and Andrew dive into the world of the assassin in fiction. What's the appeal of the archetype, what does it represent, and how does it work? /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/29677108

Storybeater Episode 129: Hayao Miyazaki 12/22/2023

Storybeater Episode 129: Hayao Miyazaki Anthony and Andrew discuss the themes, story structure, and worldbuilding of animator Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli movies, including My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Porco Rosso! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/29203643

Storybeater Episode 128: Roald Dahl 11/25/2023

Storybeater Episode 128: Roald Dahl Anthony and Andrew revisit a key author from their childhoods as they dip into the dark worlds of Roald Dahl, to mark both the release of Wes Anderson's adaptations of Dahl's short stories and the upcoming Wonka movie. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/28786058

Storybeater Episode 127: Aliens! 10/27/2023

Storybeater Episode 127: Aliens! It's time for the annual Storybeater monster episode. This year we're looking at aliens in fiction, where horror and sci-fi intersect, and what fears and anxieties aliens can represent. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/28444373

Storybeater Episode 126: Star Trek 09/27/2023

Storybeater Episode 126: Star Trek Anthony and Andrew discuss the recent series of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and take a look back over the history of the Star Trek franchise, from The Original Series to Lower Decks! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/28154114

Storybeater Episode 125: Barbie 08/21/2023

Storybeater Episode 125: Barbie Anthony and Andrew unpack the blockbuster sensation Barbie. It's bright, its breezy, and it's shockingly smart! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/27803343

Storybeater Episode 124: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 07/28/2023

Storybeater Episode 124: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Anthony and Andrew check out the latest and last Indiana Jones movie to ask whether there's still life in the adventure genre, what the tropes of an Indiana Jones movie might be, and where there may yet be untapped potential in this fictional world. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/27598131

Storybeater Episode 123: 60 Years of Doctor Who 06/20/2023

Storybeater Episode 123: 60 Years of Doctor Who With the 60th anniversary of classic BBC sci-fi show Doctor Who fast approaching, Anthony and Andrew look back at their memories of the original series, the challenges of the modern day revamp, and their hopes for the future of the show. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/27214851

Storybeater Episode 122: Fast X 05/23/2023

Storybeater Episode 122: Fast X Anthony and Andrew have a spoiler-filled discussion about Fast X, covering the trouble with Brian, the villain's queer coding, the need for a Johnny Tran resurrection, and what it might say about the franchise that the outlaws have become the in-laws. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/26920341

Storybeater Episode 121: Roleplaying and Writing 04/27/2023

Storybeater Episode 121: Roleplaying and Writing Anthony and Andrew discuss how playing roleplaying games has shaped them as writers and what writers can learn from playing RPGs! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/26668671

Storybeater Episode 120: The Last of Us 03/28/2023

Storybeater Episode 120: The Last of Us Anthony and Andrew break down the latest and perhaps most successful video game-to-live action adaptation, HBO's The Last of Us, to look at how the source material shapes the story. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/26366106

Storybeater Episode 119: Oscars 2023 02/27/2023

Storybeater Episode 119: Oscars 2023 Anthony and Andrew assess this year's Academy Award nominees for Best Adapted and Best Original Screenplay, including: Best Adapted: All Quiet on the Western Front Glass Onion Living Top Gun: Maverick Women Talking Best Original: The Banshees of Inisherin Everything Everywhere All at Once The Fabelmans Tár Triangle of Sadness /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/26059698

Storybeater Episode 118: The Benoit Blanc Mysteries 01/24/2023

Storybeater Episode 118: The Benoit Blanc Mysteries Anthony and Andrew discuss Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig's emerging murder mystery movie series, Knives Out and Glass Onion! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/25717140

Storybeater Episode 117: Santa Claus 12/08/2022

Storybeater Episode 117: Santa Claus Anthony and Andrew unpack the many faces of Father Christmas in fiction and the magic of the character's enduring appeal. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/25268970

Storybeater Episode 116: Interview with the Vampire 11/22/2022

Storybeater Episode 116: Interview with the Vampire Anthony and Andrew check out the first season of AMC's Interview with the Vampire, based on the work of Anne Rice. How has the story been adapted for the screen and how has this version evolved from Rice's own novel and the movie adaptation? /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/25103067

Storybeater Episode 115: Kaiju 10/27/2022

Storybeater Episode 115: Kaiju For the annual Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew look at the history and significance of the city-destroying giant monsters known as kaiju! /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/24823029

Storybeater Episode 114: Spider-Man 09/27/2022

Storybeater Episode 114: Spider-Man Anthony and Andrew pay tribute to Spider-Man on his 60th anniversary by examining the character's enduring appeal and the ways he's been reinvented in recent years. /episode/index/show/storybeater/id/24498618

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