TELL THE DAMN STORY, ep 413: The Monster in the Mirror: Stealing From the Classics ..."
"...to Build Characters Who Last."
What do you do with a monster who's been alive for 160 years, speaks a dozen languages, and sees the moral essence of every human being in colors and shapes — but just wants to understand what it means to be human?
You make him a private detective in 1939 New York. And then you let him loose on the Nazis.
This week, Alex and Chris sit down with author and storyteller Teel James Glenn, whose Paradise Investigation Series reimagines one of literature's most iconic monsters — Mary Shelley's creature — as the ultimate outsider: a philosopher, a protector, and a man who chose decency despite everything he suffered.
But this episode isn't just about Adam Paradise. It's about what every writer can learn from Teel's process — how he took a public domain character, asked the questions the original story left unanswered, and built a rich, historically grounded world that tackles Roma persecution, Tong conspiracies, the KKK, and Japanese fifth columnists — one book at a time.
We dig into the craft behind the creation — how a short story became a trilogy, how a pantsing writer built a six-book arc, how to write outside your own culture with respect and courage, and why making your hero genuinely interesting is harder — and more satisfying — than making your villain compelling.
The Paradise Investigation Series by Teel James Glenn is available now on Amazon. Books one and two are out now. Book three — The Undiscovered Country — is available for pre-order.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D684FJ63
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00:00 Introducing Adam Paradise, Frankenstein's creature
10:24 Introducing Vandoma and Leroy
13:34 Creating a layered book series
22:25 Writing a direct sequel
24:00 Emotional book research experience
33:24 Discussing global tensions and storytelling
39:10 Cultural Awareness in the 1930s
41:00 Preserving history through storytelling
50:24 Making Superman more relatable
55:14 Protagonist's view of reality
59:58 Writing and getting publisher feedback
01:02:47 Directing viewers to questions and links
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