Tell The Damn Story, ep 373: Summer Shorts, Tackling Six Essential Writer Questions
Co-hosts Alex and Chris blend their signature wit, real-world writing experience, and a few sun-soaked vacation antics to tackle some of the most frequently asked questions from writers like you.
Broadcasting poolside—Mai Tais not included—they dive into six of the biggest hurdles writers face: from crafting non-linear narratives and writing powerful scenes without dialogue, to building mysteries from a first-person perspective and portraying complex emotional states, even when you haven’t lived them yourself.
This episode is a treasure trove of practical advice, classic and modern examples (think "Inception," "Memento," "Jojo Rabbit," "The Apartment," and more), and actionable tips you can use right away.
Whether you’re struggling with making your romantic comedy both quirky and authentic, or you’re wrestling with telling tough stories from a child’s viewpoint, Alex and Chris have your back.
Plus, stick around for some bonus downloadable resources!
Tune in, get inspired, and—as always—tell the damn story.
Bonus Study material:
Q1: Jonathan Nolan - Memento Mori | PDF | Nature: https://www.scribd.com/document/186546164/Jonathan-Nolan-Memento-Mori
"PULP FICTION" -- by Quentin Tarantino & Roger Avary
Inception.pdf: https://thescriptlab.com/wp-content/uploads/scripts/Inception.pdf
Q2: Raiders of the Lost Ark.pdf : https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/RaidersoftheLostArk.pdf
Iron Man Script: Quotes, Characters, Ending, and Screenplay PDF: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/iron-man-script-screenplay-pdf-download/
Q3:7 Great Crime Novels with First Person Narrators ‹ CrimeReads:
https://crimereads.com/7-great-crime-novels-with-first-person-narrators/
Q4: Dennis LeHane's Shutter Island, Robert Bloch's Psycho, and It's Been a Privilege by Chris Ryan.
Q5:Steven Wright novel HaroldJoJo Rabbit
Q6: When Harry Met Sally, Notting Hill, Silver Linings Playbook, The Big Sick, About Time, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Crazy, Stupid, Love, 500 Days of Summer
Addendum:
A copy of the script for THE APARTMENT: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14Fc72LzElBs7sbslJ43B2hQkMiks9f5z/view?usp=sharing
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00:00 "Answering Common Writing Questions"
05:30 "Learning from Film Script Classics"
07:06 "Visual Storytelling Without Dialogue"
12:36 Unquestioned Loyalty in Action
13:44 "Enhanced Sound to Replace Dialogue"
19:26 Creative Character Perspective Techniques
22:45 Understanding Alcoholism: A Complex View
23:53 Authentically Portraying OCD in Stories
29:52 Child's View of Hitler
32:29 Understanding an 8-Year-Old Perspective
36:17 Corporate Climber's Moral Dilemma
38:04 "Humor and Drama in Human Flaws"
42:17 "Character Research Essential for Stories"
44:52 Mai Tai Summer Send-Off
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