Derailed Trains of Thought

Is this really it? The fifth episode of Derailed Trains of Thought? Yes, it is! We apologize for the delay, but we were thrown off our posting rhythm, which, coincidentally, is exactly the topic of this episode’s Story School. We discuss plot pacing, dramatic rhythm, forward momentum, and all those things that accentuate the story’s individual moments. We also introduce two new segments called Listener Feedback and A Bit of Story; Muppet-obsessed Timothy Deal educates us on long-lost Henson products; and Nick Hayden peeks into China’s underground church. It’s all in a day’s podcast for Derailed Trains of Thought. SPECIAL NOTICE: This episode does not include a single reference to Star Wars. It does, however, manage to talk about Lost, so Nick and Tim are vindicated. Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace5').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_005_A_Time_and_A_Pace_for_Everything.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

Is this really it? The fifth episode of Derailed Trains of Thought? Yes, it is! We apologize for the delay, but we were thrown off our posting rhythm, which, coincidentally, is exactly the topic of this episode’s Story School. We discuss plot pacing, dramatic rhythm, forward momentum, and all those things that accentuate the story’s individual moments. We also introduce two new segments called Listener Feedback and A Bit of Story; Muppet-obsessed Timothy Deal educates us on long-lost Henson products; and Nick Hayden peeks into China’s underground church. It’s all in a day’s podcast for Derailed Trains of Thought. SPECIAL NOTICE: This episode does not include a single reference to Star Wars. It does, however, manage to talk about Lost, so Nick and Tim are vindicated. Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace5').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_005_A_Time_and_A_Pace_for_Everything.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

This episode we turn to the always faithful supplier of conversation--the weather. But instead of hearing us drone on about meterologists and people who can't drive in snow, enjoy as we highlight the ways weather can accentuate emotions and deepen the layers in a scene. Then join us as we introduce yet another new segment, discuss high-risk game shows, and chill to some lovely music. (Get it? Chill? Cold?) Get your coats on, we're going outside. Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace6').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_006_Forecast_Atmospheric_Story_Conditions_to_Continue.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

This episode we turn to the always faithful supplier of conversation--the weather. But instead of hearing us drone on about meterologists and people who can't drive in snow, enjoy as we highlight the ways weather can accentuate emotions and deepen the layers in a scene. Then join us as we introduce yet another new segment, discuss high-risk game shows, and chill to some lovely music. (Get it? Chill? Cold?) Get your coats on, we're going outside. Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace6').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_006_Forecast_Atmospheric_Story_Conditions_to_Continue.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

As we celebrate the Christmas season and look forward to a new year, we decide to look back on our old works and see what we've learned. Then, in a special holiday Take on Tales, we rate our favorite Christmas movies. Find a comfy chair, some hot cocoa, and join us for a shorter "unplugged" episode of Derailed Trains of Thought. Have a Merry Christmas! Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace7').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_007_Lest_Old_Stories_Be_Forgot.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

As we celebrate the Christmas season and look forward to a new year, we decide to look back on our old works and see what we've learned. Then, in a special holiday Take on Tales, we rate our favorite Christmas movies. Find a comfy chair, some hot cocoa, and join us for a shorter "unplugged" episode of Derailed Trains of Thought. Have a Merry Christmas! Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace7').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_007_Lest_Old_Stories_Be_Forgot.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Timothy Deal and Michael Cera as Nick Hayden, this investigative thriller follows the hard-hitting investigation of two heretofore unknown podcasters as they delve into the intricacies of movie adaptations, stumbling deep down the rabbit hole of Hollywood business decisions and fan demands to discover, once and for all, whether there is truth behind that universal declaration, "The book was better." With a rip-roaring Soundtrack, commentary by Listener Feedback, newly expanded Project Updates, and a behind-the-scenes Cinema Selections, this is one experience that the San Francisco Herald-Tribune-Gazette calls, "heart-stoppingly wonderful...cruelly sophisticated...hopelessly naive...the best hour of pure entertainment since that one time!" Don't miss it! (3D glasses not included.)  Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace8').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_008_Based_on_the_Best-selling_Podcast.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Timothy Deal and Michael Cera as Nick Hayden, this investigative thriller follows the hard-hitting investigation of two heretofore unknown podcasters as they delve into the intricacies of movie adaptations, stumbling deep down the rabbit hole of Hollywood business decisions and fan demands to discover, once and for all, whether there is truth behind that universal declaration, "The book was better." With a rip-roaring Soundtrack, commentary by Listener Feedback, newly expanded Project Updates, and a behind-the-scenes Cinema Selections, this is one experience that the San Francisco Herald-Tribune-Gazette calls, "heart-stoppingly wonderful...cruelly sophisticated...hopelessly naive...the best hour of pure entertainment since that one time!" Don't miss it! (3D glasses not included.)  Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace8').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_008_Based_on_the_Best-selling_Podcast.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

Are you buried under a mountain of continuity? Are you lost among a crowd of extraneous characters? Does your story stink to high heaven with the concerns of yesteryear? Don't worry! Just REBOOT! This episode, THRILL as Nick and Tim discuss the reasons why writers find rebooting a series attractive! GASP as they enter into the realm of comicdom in hopes of answers! SHUDDER as they encounter just a few modern Reboot examples! SOAR with an extended Take on Tales! It's not just a podcast, it's Podcast 2.0!  Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace9').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_009_Once_Upon_A_Time_Again.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

Are you buried under a mountain of continuity? Are you lost among a crowd of extraneous characters? Does your story stink to high heaven with the concerns of yesteryear? Don't worry! Just REBOOT! This episode, THRILL as Nick and Tim discuss the reasons why writers find rebooting a series attractive! GASP as they enter into the realm of comicdom in hopes of answers! SHUDDER as they encounter just a few modern Reboot examples! SOAR with an extended Take on Tales! It's not just a podcast, it's Podcast 2.0!  Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace9').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_009_Once_Upon_A_Time_Again.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

Hello, there! No new podcast this week, but we have A Bit of Story for you. This is a recording of one of Nick's flash fictions, "Man," read by the author. Tim gives a nice introduction so have a listen. Hopefully it'll tide over our legions of fans until the new podcast, which is coming soon. Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspaceST3').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Side_Tracks_003_Man.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

Hello, there! No new podcast this week, but we have A Bit of Story for you. This is a recording of one of Nick's flash fictions, "Man," read by the author. Tim gives a nice introduction so have a listen. Hopefully it'll tide over our legions of fans until the new podcast, which is coming soon. Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspaceST3').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Side_Tracks_003_Man.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

Strong. Noble. Honest. The hero grips sword in hand, righteous and determined, and sets upon his quest to right the wrongs of the world. Will he succeed? And why do we care? In our milestone 10th podcast, Tim and Nick discuss what makes a hero heroic, compare "perfect" and "flawed" heroes, allude numerous times to comic books and The Lord of the Rings, and discover some possible heroic pitfalls. So, sheath your sword, grab some mead, and settle in for a new foray into Derailed Trains of Thought. Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace10').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_010_I_Need_A_Hero.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

Strong. Noble. Honest. The hero grips sword in hand, righteous and determined, and sets upon his quest to right the wrongs of the world. Will he succeed? And why do we care? In our milestone 10th podcast, Tim and Nick discuss what makes a hero heroic, compare "perfect" and "flawed" heroes, allude numerous times to comic books and The Lord of the Rings, and discover some possible heroic pitfalls. So, sheath your sword, grab some mead, and settle in for a new foray into Derailed Trains of Thought. Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspace10').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Derailed_Trains_010_I_Need_A_Hero.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });

We promised, we delivered! Here it is, the full Hitchcock interview with Brian Scherschel. We cut A LOT from the initial interview to fit into the regular podcast, so here's all 50 minutes of our discussion on Hitchcock, his methods, and his films, Notorious in particular. (Which, if you haven't watched yet, shame on you!) So, delve into film history and get to know the one and only Hitchcock! Download Show Notes Loading the player ... jwplayer('mediaspaceST4').setup({ 'flashplayer': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/player.swf', 'file': 'http://www.worksofnick.com/wp-content/uploads/podcasts/Side_Tracks_004_Hitchcock.m4a', 'controlbar': 'bottom', 'width': '470', 'height': '24' });