Podcasts about Arthur Miller

In the final chapter of Marilyn Month, we're covering the last years of Marilyn Monroe's life and the mystery that still surrounds her death more than 60 years later. From her divorce from Arthur Miller and buying a home of her own, to her rumored relationships with the Kennedys and the infamous “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” performance at Madison Square Garden. We're also getting into Marilyn's final photo shoots, her last days, and what we know about the night she died. Then, we're breaking down the conspiracy theories that have followed her death for decades: the Kennedys, the conflicting timelines, the unanswered questions, and what we actually believe happened. Created and produced by Claire Donald and Tess Bellomo Follow us on social media, buy merch, and more⁠ HERE! ⁠ Join our PREMIUM CHANNEL HERE Sources: Marilyn Monroe: The Biography , The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes , Vanity Fair Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In episode three of our Marilyn Monroe Month, we're getting into the height of Marilyn's fame: the iconic movies, the scandals, and her marriages to two of the most famous men in America, Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller. While Hollywood wanted Marilyn Monroe the sex symbol, Marilyn wanted something more. We're talking about her fight with the studio system, her determination to become a serious actress, and how she eventually took on Hollywood itself. TW: This episodes contains discussions of physical abuse Created by Claire Donald and Tess Bellomo Follow us on social media, buy merch, and learn more about the show ⁠HERE⁠ Join our premium channel ⁠HERE ⁠ ⁠Get $28 off your first month of Nuuly with code RAM ⁠ Sources: ⁠Marilyn Monroe The Biography ⁠, ⁠Interview with Jane Russell⁠, ⁠Interview with Lauren Bacall ⁠, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is an encore episode of 'The View' — new episodes return Tuesday, September 8! 'The View' co-hosts and guest co-host Sheryl Underwood weigh in as a preliminary inquiry reported by 'The New York Times' finds the United States at fault for the missile strike on a girls' school in Iran that killed 175 people, raising urgent questions nearly two weeks into the ongoing attacks. Nathan Lane returns to Broadway in a bold revival of 'Death of a Salesman' and joins the show to reflect on why Arthur Miller's themes feel more urgent than ever. He also shares his thoughts on Timothée Chalamet's controversial comment that “no one cares” about ballet or opera. Plus, Stephen Lang stops by to discuss honoring a powerful true story in 'The Optimist'. He shares what drew him to portraying Holocaust survivor Herbert Heller and reflects on why these stories must continue to be told. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Talking Art, host Ben Gougeon sits down with director Tristan Tapscott to discuss The Mockingbird's upcoming production of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman at Black Hawk College. With Ben taking the stage as Biff Loman, the two explore the process of bringing this American classic to life, Tristan's background in theatre, and the ideas and relationships at the heart of the play. They also look ahead to The Mockingbird On Main's new partnership with Black Hawk College and what it could mean for the future of theatre, education, and artistic opportunities in the Quad Cities. The production opens August 20 at the Black Hawk College Theatre.

Brad Fiedel wrote one of the most recognisable pieces of music in film history, and he did it on a drum machine, a sequencer and a keyboard chained together with a computer ribbon cable, before MIDI was really a thing. The famous lurch in the rhythm is him hitting a button by hand and deciding the wobble was better than the fix. Years later Henry Mancini rang up wanting to record it with a big band, and the man writing the lead sheet couldn't work out the time signature.There is a lot more to Brad than Terminator, and that's really what this conversation is about. He grew up inside his parents' school of the arts on Long Island, his dad a jazz musician, his mum a modern dancer who studied with Martha Graham. He spent years improvising live for dance classes, which turned out to be exactly the muscle a film composer needs, though nobody told him that at the time. He nearly signed to Columbia. He played keys for Hall and Oates in 1974 and jammed with the band that became the E Street Band. He was working with Arthur Miller and Vanessa Redgrave before James Cameron ever called.We get into temp tracks and why he never did his best work against one, when a scene is better off with no music at all, the direction Cameron gave him on the canal chase in T2, and the moment after the True Lies sessions when a small voice told him he was finished. These days his regular gig is writing musicals with first graders in Santa Barbara, and he's very clear that he gets as much out of it as they do.This podcast is completely independent and made possible by listener support. If you'd like to help me keep making these episodes, you can join my Patreon community here: https://patreon.com/jamiebenning Watch more on YouTube:Check out the Filmumentaries YouTube channel for behind-the-scenes clips and extra content: https://youtube.com/filmumentariesAll my links

El Teatro El Galpón presenta Panorama desde el puente, uno de los grandes clásicos de Arthur Miller, con dirección de Héctor Guido. Escrita en la década de 1950, la obra mantiene su vigencia al abordar temas como la migración, el poder, la violencia, el deseo y las tensiones que atraviesan la vida en comunidad. Ambientada en un barrio de inmigrantes italianos en Brooklyn, la historia de Eddie Carbone y su familia invita a reflexionar sobre los vínculos, la justicia y las reglas —escritas y no escritas— que organizan la convivencia.Conversamos con Camila Durán, quien interpreta a Catherine, una joven que lucha por conquistar su libertad dentro de una estructura familiar profundamente patriarcal. La actriz destaca la decisión de Guido de apostar por una puesta atemporal y despojada, sostenida casi exclusivamente por la palabra y el trabajo actoral. Además, comparte cómo la construcción de su personaje la llevó a pensar en el valor de la comunidad, la escucha y la vigencia de los conflictos que plantea Miller en un presente atravesado por las redes sociales, el individualismo y la necesidad de volver a encontrarnos.Panorama desde el puente puede verse los sábados a las 21:00 y domingos a las 19:30 en la Sala Campodónico de El Galpón. Las entradas están disponibles a través de RedTickets y en la boletería del teatro.

Led by presenter James Naughtie, the award-winning writer Janice Hallett speaks to a Bookclub audience about her debut novel, The Appeal. Published in 2021 the novel - which is presented as a series of documents, emails, messages and transcripts - follows an amateur dramatics troupe called The Fairway Players, which is staging a rendition of Arthur Miller's, All My Sons, to raise funds little Poppy Reswick's life-saving medical treatment. But it is possible a murderer is hiding in plain sight? This episode of Bookclub was recorded in Broadcasting House, London.Producer: Dominic Howell Editor: Gillian Wheelan This is a BBC Audio Scotland production.

On August 5, 2026, Donelle Dadigan (Founder/President of The Hollywood Museum) The Hollywood Museum  located the Historic Max Factor Building) and some of our celebrities and personalities that have performed over the past 70 years thru today, will commemorate the 64th Anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death by holding a special event surrounded by the recently unveiled 100th birthday Marilyn Exhibit. Stars of today will read letters they wrote to Marilyn. The Hollywood Museum has re-dedicated the Blondes Only Room that houses many of Marilyn Monroe's  most personal items, clothing, jewelry, shoes, her delicates & undergarments, her makeup chair & case, her million-dollar honeymoon dress worn on her honeymoon with Joe Dimaggio and to entertain the U.S. troops in Korea, and the bottles of prescription medication found on the nightstand the night she died. Other items include Marilyn's personal clothing, jewelry that Arthur Miller gave her. The Hollywood Museum offers a rare and exclusive look at personal photos of Marilyn. FOLLOW THE MUSEUM:WEBSITE: www.TheHollywoodMuseum.comFACEBOOK: Facebook.com/TheHollywoodMuseum TWITTER: @HollywoodMuseum  INSTAGRAM: @HollywoodMuseum

Anthony LaPaglia is best known to audiences for a host of big- and small-screen roles, including films such as Looking for Alibrandi, Lantana and Balibo and US TV shows including Without a Trace. But the 67-year-old is also no stranger to the stage, having once won a Tony for his performance in the Arthur Miller play, A View from the Bridge. He’s back in Australia right now to front another Miller play – one the great works in the American canon – playing Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. A limited two-week season kicks off Tuesday, August 11 at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne, before moving on to Brisbane. LaPaglia joins us for a chat about acting and art, family and football – and what he wished he'd known 20 years ago. This episode is hosted by Good Weekend deputy editor Konrad Marshall.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marilyn Monroe is one of the greatest Hollywood stars of all time. She rose from orphan to icon by creating an on screen character America could not peel their eyes away from. And she did it all while battling anxiety, depression and addiction. Along the way she bedded, married, and otherwise conquered America’s most impressive men — Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller, Frank Sinatra and President John F. Kennedy to name a few. And her relationship with JFK and his younger brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, would prove disastrous and result in long-running rumors and conspiracy theories about her death that are as hard to debunk as they are to dismiss. This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including sexual assault and suicide. If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us Fan MailAfter a string of recent successes, Pearl Chanda is gearing up for her return to the Almeida Theatre in Rebecca Frecknall's summer revival of Sarah Kane's Cleansed. Fresh off an incredibly brooding, restrained turn in Hedda to navigating trauma-induced paralysis in Arthur Miller's Broken Glass at the Young Vic, Pearl gives us an unfiltered look into what it really takes to inhabit Kane's nightmarish world. Having described her time performing Sarah Kane's Crave at the Sheffield Crucible as like "going to war," she breaks down why the themes of the show resonate with her so deeply and why her work is more important than ever. Pearl also gives us an insight into her working relationship with Rebecca Frecknall and why the Almeida Theatre continues to draw in such a loyal audience.In our new interview with Pearl Chanda, we hear her talk about taking on roles like Hedda Gabler as well as the likes of Mae in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Stephanie Rahn in Ink. Amidst her booming screen career in hit projects like I May Destroy You, See How They Run, and Mary & George, Pearl explains why she keeps returning to the wonderful and terrifying world of theatre. She tells us about her love for working with great actors and with great directors, experiences that still happens a lot in the theatre world. As she prepares to open Cleansed, she tells us about the excitement around tackling on a historically challenging piece that she hopes will still have the same potency as it did when the show first opened at the Royal Court Theatre.Cleansed runs at Almeida Theatre on 21 July - 29 August.

Am 29.6.1956 heiratet Hollywoods Sex-Symbol den Pulitzer-Preisträger und das "intellektuelle Gewissen Amerikas". Die Presse jubelt - doch die Ehe scheitert spektakulär. Von Anja Arp.

Publishing one hundred years after her birth, Andrew Wilson's biography of Marilyn Monroe, I Wanna Be Loved By You: Marilyn Monroe: A Life in 100 Takes (Grand Central Publishing, 2026), is a kaleidoscopic tour of her life told through 100 captivating snapshots.Dreamer. Bombshell. Icon. Featuring a wealth of unpublished material, I Wanna Be Loved By You presents Marilyn in a startling new light. It draws upon unpublished letters from Marilyn, Arthur Miller, and Joe DiMaggio; case notes and private letters from Monroe's psychoanalyst, Dr. Ralph Greenson; and unpublished audio recordings from the likes of Jane Russell, Billy Wilder, John Huston, Amy and Milton Greene, housekeeper Eunice Murray (the last person to see Marilyn alive), and many more.We go behind the scenes of her marriages to teenage sweetheart Jim Dougherty, Joe DiMaggio, and Arthur Miller. We see Marilyn train with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, working to dismantle the common perception that she was merely a dumb blonde. And in the concluding chapters, Wilson dissects what happened on the night Marilyn died after a suspected drug overdose. Were the Kennedys involved, or was she just let down by those closest to her? With a dazzling and unique blend of reportage, archival investigation, interviews, and oral history, I Wanna Be Loved By You is a revealing and nuanced portrait of the life, death and afterlife of an icon who still fascinates us today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

Publishing one hundred years after her birth, Andrew Wilson's biography of Marilyn Monroe, I Wanna Be Loved By You: Marilyn Monroe: A Life in 100 Takes (Grand Central Publishing, 2026), is a kaleidoscopic tour of her life told through 100 captivating snapshots.Dreamer. Bombshell. Icon. Featuring a wealth of unpublished material, I Wanna Be Loved By You presents Marilyn in a startling new light. It draws upon unpublished letters from Marilyn, Arthur Miller, and Joe DiMaggio; case notes and private letters from Monroe's psychoanalyst, Dr. Ralph Greenson; and unpublished audio recordings from the likes of Jane Russell, Billy Wilder, John Huston, Amy and Milton Greene, housekeeper Eunice Murray (the last person to see Marilyn alive), and many more.We go behind the scenes of her marriages to teenage sweetheart Jim Dougherty, Joe DiMaggio, and Arthur Miller. We see Marilyn train with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, working to dismantle the common perception that she was merely a dumb blonde. And in the concluding chapters, Wilson dissects what happened on the night Marilyn died after a suspected drug overdose. Were the Kennedys involved, or was she just let down by those closest to her? With a dazzling and unique blend of reportage, archival investigation, interviews, and oral history, I Wanna Be Loved By You is a revealing and nuanced portrait of the life, death and afterlife of an icon who still fascinates us today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Publishing one hundred years after her birth, Andrew Wilson's biography of Marilyn Monroe, I Wanna Be Loved By You: Marilyn Monroe: A Life in 100 Takes (Grand Central Publishing, 2026), is a kaleidoscopic tour of her life told through 100 captivating snapshots.Dreamer. Bombshell. Icon. Featuring a wealth of unpublished material, I Wanna Be Loved By You presents Marilyn in a startling new light. It draws upon unpublished letters from Marilyn, Arthur Miller, and Joe DiMaggio; case notes and private letters from Monroe's psychoanalyst, Dr. Ralph Greenson; and unpublished audio recordings from the likes of Jane Russell, Billy Wilder, John Huston, Amy and Milton Greene, housekeeper Eunice Murray (the last person to see Marilyn alive), and many more.We go behind the scenes of her marriages to teenage sweetheart Jim Dougherty, Joe DiMaggio, and Arthur Miller. We see Marilyn train with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, working to dismantle the common perception that she was merely a dumb blonde. And in the concluding chapters, Wilson dissects what happened on the night Marilyn died after a suspected drug overdose. Were the Kennedys involved, or was she just let down by those closest to her? With a dazzling and unique blend of reportage, archival investigation, interviews, and oral history, I Wanna Be Loved By You is a revealing and nuanced portrait of the life, death and afterlife of an icon who still fascinates us today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/photography

Publishing one hundred years after her birth, Andrew Wilson's biography of Marilyn Monroe, I Wanna Be Loved By You: Marilyn Monroe: A Life in 100 Takes (Grand Central Publishing, 2026), is a kaleidoscopic tour of her life told through 100 captivating snapshots.Dreamer. Bombshell. Icon. Featuring a wealth of unpublished material, I Wanna Be Loved By You presents Marilyn in a startling new light. It draws upon unpublished letters from Marilyn, Arthur Miller, and Joe DiMaggio; case notes and private letters from Monroe's psychoanalyst, Dr. Ralph Greenson; and unpublished audio recordings from the likes of Jane Russell, Billy Wilder, John Huston, Amy and Milton Greene, housekeeper Eunice Murray (the last person to see Marilyn alive), and many more.We go behind the scenes of her marriages to teenage sweetheart Jim Dougherty, Joe DiMaggio, and Arthur Miller. We see Marilyn train with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, working to dismantle the common perception that she was merely a dumb blonde. And in the concluding chapters, Wilson dissects what happened on the night Marilyn died after a suspected drug overdose. Were the Kennedys involved, or was she just let down by those closest to her? With a dazzling and unique blend of reportage, archival investigation, interviews, and oral history, I Wanna Be Loved By You is a revealing and nuanced portrait of the life, death and afterlife of an icon who still fascinates us today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

"Kopf heiratet Körper", so ging es durch die Presse, als sich die Filmdiva Marilyn Monroe und der Schriftsteller Arthur Miller 1956 das Jawort gaben.

Oscar-winning superstar director Ron Howard talks to his former New World Pictures colleague Joe Dante and co-host Josh Olson about the movies that made him and continue to impress him! Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode Limit Up (1989) Grand Theft Auto (1977) Infested (2002) The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963) Hollywood Blvd. (1976) I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977) Citizen Kane (1941) Rush (2013) Curious George (2006) *One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - 24:00 Amadeus (1984) American Graffiti (1974) 12 Angry Men (1957) The Howling (1981) The 'Burbs (1989) *The Graduate (1967) - 31:49 Bonnie and Clyde (1967) Romeo and Juliet (1968) White Heat (1949) The Searchers (1956) *The Apartment (1960) - 39:26 Some Like It Hot (1959) Sunset Blvd. (1950) Night Shift (1982) Splash (1984) Parenthood (1989) Silver Streak (1976) Foul Play (1978) Witness for the Prosecution (1957) *As Good As It Gets (1997) - 44: 37 All The President's Men (1976) Three Days of the Condor (1975) Network (1976) *Schindler's List (1993) - 49:00 Amistad (1997) The Color Purple (1985) Jurassic Park (1993) Cape Fear (1991) Apollo 13 (1995) Frost/Nixon (2008) *Dog Day Afternoon (1976) - 53:41 *Das Boot (1981) - 56:43 Eight Days A Week (2016) A Hard Day's Night (1964) Unforgiven (1992) *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - 63:05 It's A Wonderful Life (1946) It Happened One Night (1934) *A Boy And His Dog (1975) - 70:22 David and Lisa (1962) Mad Max (1979) The Road Warrior (1981) Backrooms (2026) Obsession (2026) Other Notable Items Our revamped Patreon!  The Hollywood Food Coalition Michael Curtiz Ron and Clint Howard's memoir The Boys (2021) Rance Howard Jean Speegle Howard  The University of Oklahoma Dennis Weaver Gary Cooper Bruce Dern Harry Dean Stanton Vincente Minnelli The Andy Griffith Show TV series (1960-67) Samuel Fuller TFH Guru Allan Arkush TFH Guru Roger Corman New World Pictures Our latest RZA podcast Imagine Entertainment Brian Grazer Curious George TV series (2006-22) Milos Forman Danny DeVito Christopher Lloyd Kirk Douglas Michael Douglas Haskell Wexler Jack Nicholson One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest novel by Ken Kesey (1962) Gary Sinise Death of a Salesman play by Arthur Miller (1949) Nathan Lane Lee J. Cobb Henry Fonda Mister Roberts play by Joshua Logan (1948) John Ford The 'Burbs TV series (2026- ) Mike Nichols Robert Surtees Franco Zeffirelli  The Sopranos TV series (1999-2007) Sidney Hickox  Warner Bros. Pictures French New Wave Andy Griffith The Cornell Theatre in Burbank, CA Charles Martin Smith Happy Days TV series (1974-84) Penny Marshall Billy Crystal Lowell Ganz Babaloo Mandel Thomas L. Miller Glenn Close James L. Brooks Cliff Robertson Ned Beatty Steven Spielberg Michael Jordan Peter Morgan The Crown TV series (2016-23) Tom Hanks Making Movies memoir by Sidney Lumet (1995) On Directing Film book by David Mamet (1991) Bill Connor Dog Day Afternoon play by Stephen Adly Guirgis (2026) Wolfgang Peterson Ringo Starr Paul McCartney Meryl Streep Gene Hackman Clint Eastwood James Stewart Frank Capra Sam Rosen John Carradine D.W. Griffith Don Knotts Sheldon Leonard The Beverly Hillbillies TV series (1962-71) Petticoat Junction TV series (1963-70) Anson Williams Bobby Sherman Linda Purl L.Q. Jones  John Cassavetes Alvy Moore George Miller Harlan Ellison Jason Robards Robby the Robot Don Johnson TechniscopeSpectreVision Radio is a bespoke podcast network at the intersection between the arts and the uncanny, featuring a tapestry of shows exploring creativity, the esoteric, and the unknown. We're a community for creators and fans vibrating around common curiosities, shared interests and persistent passions. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠spectrevisionradio.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linktr.ee/spectrevisionsocial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cʹest une histoire dʹamis amants sur fond de comédie musicale, Le Milliardaire, Letʹs Make Love, de George Cukor sorti en 1960. Le scénario est en partie écrit ou réécrit par Arthur Miller, le mari de Marilyn. Sur lʹécran nous trouvons Yves Montand en milliardaire désabusé tombant amoureux de la vedette dʹun petit show de Music-hall. Cette vedette nʹest autre, vous lʹavez deviné, que Marilyn Monroe. Et entre les deux acteurs principaux du film, une idylle se noue. Le couple Arthur Miller-Marilyn Monroe et le couple Simone Signoret-Yves Montand, se connaissent déjà. Ils ont passé dʹagréables soirée à New York ensemble quand Yves Montand était la coqueluche de Broadway. Mais là, les choses changent. Montand-Monroe deviennent amants pendant le tournage. Un couple adultère, très médiatisé. Les époux Simone Signoret et Arthur Miller assistent impuissants à cette drôle dʹaventure. Le film sort sur les écrans auréolés du scandale de cette passion éphémère qui aurait duré de fin avril à juin 1960. Le public se presse pour voir Marilyn, toujours elle, dans ce qui sera son avant-dernier film, le dernier achevé étant les Désaxés. Montand, lui, rentre en France et poursuit sa carrière de chanteur, de comédien, tout en faisant un peu de politique. The Show must go on. REFERENCES SPOTO, Donald, Marilyn Monroe, la biographie, Presses de la cité, 1993 LEAMING, Barbara, Marilyn, une femme, Albin Michel, 2000 Montand au Letterman Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeUqFfYROB4 Dans une interview enregistrée en 1974, le comédien français Yves Montand évoque le souvenir de Marilyn Monroe qui fut en 1960 sa partenaire dans le film Le Milliardaire de George Cukor. https://www.rts.ch/archives/1995/audio/souvenir-de-marilyn-25611445.html Yves Montand en 1959 à Montréal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmJu0-N5MJo Arthur Miller documentaire sur Marilyn Monroe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phuRgCHVApQ Quand le cinéma cite Marilyn Monroe, Blow Up, Arte https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pWMdyrY4vw Deux couples à Hollywood : Signoret et Montand, Monroe et Miller, documentaire de Sylvain Bergère, France télévision, 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeAAQtDKvzw

Harold Rogers and Sean Thor Conroe on Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Vertigo by WG Sebald, and The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. From 6.6.26 in New York City. https://www.patreon.com/c/1storypod

During the Cold War, hearings led by U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy soon turned into a witch hunt, as paranoia and political opportunism destroyed the careers (and lives) of actors, directors, singers, filmmakers, writers, and prominent scientists who were accused of disloyalty, subversion, and treason. But even as the accusers cited poems, plays, novels, and song lyrics to bolster their attack, literature mounted a counteroffensive, striking back at the powerful in what Marjorie Garber has termed "poetic revenge." In this episode, Jacke talks to Garber about her book A Treacherous Secret Agent: How Literature Spoke Truth to Power During the Red Scare about the long reach of authors like William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Kyd, John Donne, and others, whose works exposed the lies and hypocrisies of one of America's darkest periods. PLUS Jacke takes a look at Arthur Miller's late-in-life reflections on his own work of poetic revenge, the great anti-McCarthyist play The Crucible. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL EPISODE. Please check out the full podcast episode on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture The 79th annual Tony Awards were held last night, and it was an incredible show with equally incredible winners, speeches, musical numbers, and other memorable moments, with Pink hosting. The big winners of the evening were "Schmigadoon!," "Ragtime," "Liberation," "Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman," and "The Lost Boys." How did Cody Dericks, Dan Bayer, and Lauren LaMagna do on their predictions? Please tune in to listen to them along with Ben Langford for the first time on the show as they discuss the highs and lows of last night's show in this season's final episode. Thank you, and we hope you enjoy it! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laurie Metcalf is one of the most acclaimed actors of her generation, known for bringing extraordinary depth and humanity to every role she takes on. A four-time Emmy Award winner and two-time Tony Award winner, she has spent decades captivating audiences on stage and screen with performances that are at once precise, vulnerable, and unforgettable.Now, Laurie is earning widespread acclaim—and another Tony nomination—for her portrayal of Linda Loman in Broadway's celebrated revival of Death of a Salesman, which has received 9 Tony Award nominations.In this rare interview, Laurie joins Katie to discuss the enduring relevance of Arthur Miller's masterpiece, what draws her to complex characters, how she approaches the craft of acting, and what she's learned over a career that has spanned television, film, and theater. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we continue our week of Marilyn Monroe, the Swinging 1960s are upon us. Within this episode, we explore the first two years of the decade for Marilyn, which involve some tough times. Included are the bust-up of her marriage with Arthur Miller, a scandalous affair, a reconnection with Joe DiMaggio, and a new President for the United States too. Want early, ad-free episodes, regular Dumpster Dives, bonus divorces, limited series, Zoom hangouts, and more? Join us at⁠ patreon.com/trashydivorces⁠! Want a personalized message for someone in your life?⁠ Check us out on Cameo⁠! To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to ⁠info@amplitudemediapartners.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we continue our week of Marilyn Monroe, the Swinging 1960s are upon us. Within this episode, we explore the first two years of the decade for Marilyn, which involve some tough times. Included are the bust-up of her marriage with Arthur Miller, a scandalous affair, a reconnection with Joe DiMaggio, and a new President for the United States too. Continue your investigation with ad-free and bonus episodes on ⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠! To advertise on Done & Dunne, please reach out to ⁠⁠⁠info@amplitudemediapartners.com⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marilyn Monroe is one of the most recognisable women who has ever lived, but the version the world fell in love with was, in many ways, built in a studio.  Today, we trace how Marilyn Monroe emerged from Norma Jean's unstable and abusive childhood to become the Hollywood icon everyone thinks they know. We follow her early modelling career, her studio-made voice, and the blonde bombshell image she spent years trying to outrun. But there is a darker side to this story too: the marriages, the power struggles, and the myths that shaped her final years. Marilyn Monroe's story is what happens when public fantasy grows far bigger than the woman forced to carry it.  Topics Include  norma jean's childhood, foster homes, and abuse how marilyn monroe was made by hollywood the breathy voice, the bombshell image, and studio control joe dimaggio, arthur miller, and public fascination jfk, conspiracy theories, and the final unraveling Resources and Further Reading  Marilyn Monroe - Encyclopaedia Britannica Marilyn Monroe - FBI Vault Marilyn's Method - The Criterion Collection Host & Show Info  Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox Intro Music:Alice in dark Wonderland Community & Calls to Action  Review & follow on: Spotify & Apple Podcasts Instagram: @theCompendiumPodcast Website: TheCompendiumPodcast.com Support us: Sign up to Patreon We're Hiring: Find the perfect job at the circus Share this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Host & Show InfoHosts: Kyle Risi & Adam CoxIntro Music: Alice in dark WonderlandCommunity & Calls to ActionReview & follow on: Spotify & Apple PodcastsInstagram: @theCompendiumPodcastWebsite: thecompendiumpodcast.comSupport us: Sign up to PatreonCircus Job Board: Apply to join the CircusShare this episode with a friend! If you enjoyed it, tag us on social media and let us know your favourite takeaway. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The stage and screen star received a seventh career Tony nomination for his acclaimed performance in Arthur Miller's classic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Við kynntumst aðeins starfi Aldin, samtaka eldri aðgerðarsinna gegn lofslagsvá í þættinum í dag. Sólveig Baldursdóttir og Halldór Reynisson eru félagar í Aldin og þau komu til okkar og sögðu frá tilurð samtakanna, starfinu, samnefndum kór og þýðingu hans í þeirra starfi. Í lokin fengum við svo að heyra upptöku af kóræfingu. National Theatre Live er framtak Breska Þjóðleikhússins þar sem margar af bestu sýningum leikhússins eru sýndar í völdum kvikmyndahúsum um allan heim. Bíó Paradís er samstarfsaðili NTL á Íslandi og meðal sýninga framundan er uppfærsla Breska Þjóðleikhússins, All My Sons, eða Allir synir mínir eftir Arthur Miller, sem sýnd verður 25.maí. Ása Baldursdóttir dagskrárstjóri í Bíó Paradís og Sigríður Jónsdóttir, verkefnastjóri á leikminjasafni Þjóðminjasafnsins, komu í þáttinn og fóru til dæmis yfir hvaða sýningar verða í boði. Einar Sveinbjörnsson kom svo til okkar í dag í veðurspjallið. Hann byrjaði á veðurútlitinu og veðurhorfum fram á kjördag og mikilvægi þess að almennar kosningar á landinu eru tímasettar á þeim árstíma þegar auðvelt er að komast leiðar sinnar. Svo fjallaði hann um muninn á veðri, tíðarfari, veðurfari og loftslagi. Að lokum voru það svo El-Nino og La-Nina, sem eru fyrirbæri í Kyrrahafinu og Einar skýrði fyrir okkur hver munurinn á þeim er og tengsl þeirra við veður á jörðinni og hnattræna hitann. Tónlistin í þættinum: Og co. / Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson (Magnús Þór Sigmundsson, texti Vilhjálmur Vilhjálmsson) Jörðin mín / Aldin kór (Jón Ásgeirsson, texti Ludvig Guðmundssyni) Glaumbær / Dúmbó og Steini (Jóhann G. Jóhannsson) Ítalskur calypso / Erla Þorsteinsdóttir (Monte & Merrell, texti Loftur Guðmundsson) Landsímalína / Spilverk þjóðanna (Valgeir Guðjónsson og Sigurður Bjóla Garðarsson) UMSJÓN: GUÐRÚN GUNNARSDÓTTIR OG GUNNAR HANSSON

Nathan Lane just received a Tony nomination for his starring role as Willy Loman in ‘Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.' He's a veteran of the stage – often in comedic and musical roles. But in the role of Loman, which he does eight times a week, he's noticed something different in the audience. “There's an old joke – my job is just to keep 1600 people from coughing. It's kind of true, but when you hear what we hear during ‘Salesman,' you hear people weeping in the dark.”  At the age of 70, Lane says this production of ‘Salesman' is the thing he's most proud of. He spoke with ‘Fresh Air' guest interviewer Sam Fragoso, host of the podcast ‘Talk Easy.'  Later, Ken Tucker reviews new songs by Ella Langley, Robyn, and Allison Russell. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Nathan Lane just received a Tony nomination for his starring role as Willy Loman in ‘Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.' He's a veteran of the stage – often in comedic and musical roles. But in the role of Loman, which he does eight times a week, he's noticed something different in the audience. “There's an old joke – my job is just to keep 1600 people from coughing. It's kind of true, but when you hear what we hear during ‘Salesman,' you hear people weeping in the dark.”  At the age of 70, Lane says this production of ‘Salesman' is the thing he's most proud of. He spoke with ‘Fresh Air' guest interviewer Sam Fragoso, host of the podcast ‘Talk Easy.'  Later, Ken Tucker reviews new songs by Ella Langley, Robyn, and Allison Russell. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

In this episode of Half Hour, we take a deeper dive into the 2026 Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman at the Winter Garden Theatre. We walk through the production's take on the American Dream, the pressure to succeed, and how those themes land in 2026. We break down Joe Mantello's direction, including the spare, symbolic staging, the recurring car motif, and the way the production frames Willy Loman's world as a kind of purgatory. We also look closely at the performances, from Nathan Lane's take on Willy's unraveling to Laurie Metcalf's grounded, quietly devastating Linda, along with the supporting work from Christopher Abbott and Ben Ahlers. We talk about how this revival speaks to modern capitalism, influencer culture, technology's impact on sales, the cycle of debt in America, and why Death of a Salesman keeps returning to the Broadway stage. We also consider critical reception so far and make some early Tony predictions for the production and its stars. Follow and connect with all things @HalfHourPodcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Share your thoughts on this production in the comments on Spotify, and let us know what you would like us to cover next. If you enjoy these post-show discussions, follow Half Hour and leave a rating and review so more theater lovers can find the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April brings to a close Project Audion's sixth season! For our 80th production, director Pete Lutz made a fascinating choice - a 1956 Australian radio adaptation of the lauded American drama "Death of a Salesman". "Death of a Salesman" is, of course, one of the classic America plays: the first to win both the Tony Award for Best Author, the New York Drama Circle Critics' Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Arthur Miller's intense family drama might have seemed ideal material for a prestige radio adaptation, but perhaps too intense for American radio networks.  However, Australia's radio stations had no such nervousness. The Australian edition of Lux Radio Theatre adapted "Death of A Salesman" on January 29, 1956, using two of the lead actors who originally premiered it  in Australia.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April brings to a close Project Audion's sixth season! For our 80th production, director Pete Lutz made a fascinating choice - a 1956 Australian radio adaptation of the lauded American drama "Death of a Salesman". "Death of a Salesman" is, of course, one of the classic America plays: the first to win both the Tony Award for Best Author, the New York Drama Circle Critics' Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Arthur Miller's intense family drama might have seemed ideal material for a prestige radio adaptation, but perhaps too intense for American radio networks.  However, Australia's radio stations had no such nervousness. The Australian edition of Lux Radio Theatre adapted "Death of A Salesman" on January 29, 1956, using two of the lead actors who originally premiered it  in Australia.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PROJECT AUDION 80 – LUX Radio Theatre (Australia): Death of a Salesman Death of a Salesman is one of the classic America plays: the first to win both the Tony Award for Best Author, the New York Drama Circle Critics' Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Arthur Miller's intense family drama might have seemed promising material for a prestige radio adaptation, but perhaps it was too intense for American radio networks. However, Australia's radio stations had no such nervousness. The Down-Under edition of Lux Radio Theatre presented their adaptation on January 29, 1956, using two of the lead actors who originally premiered it in Australia. Now, even as a new production arrives on Broadway, Audion brings forth the Lux adaptation for Project Audion's virtual airwaves: a story of the American Dream gone wrong, and the devastating effects it has on Willy Loman and his family. Still vital, after all these decades. Our big, widespread cast: Les Marsden (Willy) in California Laura Mirsky (Linda) in New Jersey Pete Lutz (Biff) in Texas Dana Gonsalves (Hap) in Texas Paul Arbisi (Charley) in Illinois Nick Wommack (Bernard/Lux Spokesman) in Texas Rhiannon McAfee (Lux Spokeswoman/Mai Zetterling) in California Patte Rosebank (Narrator/Miss Frances) in Toronto, Canada David Ian (Howard/Paul Jacklin) in Oregon Tom Konkle (Announcer) in California Original music was by Ross Bernhardt Transcribed and Directed by Pete Lutz Production was supervised by Larry Groebe (who also played Stanley)

El programa aborda la tensión entre Estados Unidos y aliados de la OTAN, como España, por el apoyo en Oriente Medio. Se plantean posibles sanciones, como la suspensión de España o la revisión de la postura sobre las Malvinas, lo que preocupa por Ceuta y Melilla. Pedro Sánchez insiste en trabajar con documentos oficiales. En política nacional, el PSOE andaluz hace campaña puerta por puerta, generando incomodidad. Se reviven polémicas del Comité Federal del PSOE de 2016, con reacciones de Susana Díaz y Soraya Rodríguez. Pedro Sánchez acusa a PP y VOX de crear ciudadanos de primera y segunda clase con la "prioridad nacional". La sección cultural propone el Festival Festín en Valencia (arte y gastronomía), la obra "Panorama desde el puente" de Arthur Miller (inmigración) y el documental "Los mejores años de nuestra vida" sobre Hombres G. En lo social, una vecina de Huelva lucha por recuperar su vivienda heredada, ocupada por un narcotraficante, y sufre amenazas. Se presenta el proyecto ...

After thrilling Broadway audiences at the Booth theatre last year, JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN has arrived at the Royal Court Theatre in London, 70 years after The Crucible was produced at the venue, for its professional UK premiere.The play, written by Kimberly Belflower, follows a group of students in 2018 Georgia responding to personal and academic questions as they study Arthur Miller's allegorical work at the height of the MeToo movement.Mickey-Jo chats with Dónal Finn and Molly McFadden on being part of the play's UK premiere.check out Mickey-Jo's brand new substack newsletter:www.mickeyjotheatre.substack.comAbout Mickey-Jo:As one of the leading voices in theatre criticism on a social platform, Mickey-Jo is pioneering a new medium for a dwindling field. His YouTube channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MickeyJoTheatre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is the largest worldwide in terms of dedicated theatre criticism, where he also share features, news and interviews as well as lifestyle content for over 95,000 subscribers. With a viewership that is largely split between the US and the UK he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with PR, Marketing, and Social Media representatives for shows in New York, London, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Toronto, Sao Pãolo, and Paris. His reviews and features have also been published by WhatsOnStage, for whom he was a panelist to help curate nominees for their 2023 and 2024 Awards as well as BroadwayWorldUK, Musicals Magazine and LondonTheatre.co.uk. Instagram/TikTok/X: @MickeyJoTheatre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kia ora! Laika Rountree joins Crawley for Stage Direction, chatting about three upcoming and current productions: Helen Clark in Six Outfits, Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, and Selene. And Peter Lineham chats to Crawley about pre-Christian Māori spirituality for That's The Spirit. Thanks to The Beer Spot!

The great Bret Crow of TikTok fame joins the pod to discuss CLD's Breath of a Salesman. You've likely seen Bret's creations even if, like me, you've never used TikTok, likely because a friend or internet stranger has posted his videos all over creation. Bret digs into the songwriting details of Breath, and we find numerous connections to the tune via the Arthur Miller pun, annoying salespeople, hangers-on who try to get in with celebrities, and even Tales From The Crypt. Find Bret @thebretcrowshow on the socials.Get involvedInstagramFacebookEmailBurn your money 

Naz Shah has been the MP for Bradford West since 2015, after a battle with George Galloway's Respect Party, but her personal journey into politics is remarkable. Naz was born in Bradford but sent to Pakistan at the age of 12, to escape the attentions of her mother's abuser. Then when she was 20 her mother was convicted of his murder. For years Naz looked after her younger siblings, while campaigning alongside Southall Black Sisters for her mother's release and was instrumental in achieving a reduction in her mother's jail term. She joins presenter Kylie Pentelow to discuss her story as she publishes her memoir Honoured: Survival, Strength and My Path to Politics.Have you heard about the ‘alpine divorce' trend? Women on social media are describing it as an extreme style of breakup in which a man leaves his partner stranded during a hike or outdoor adventure. Jo Hemmings, a Behavioural Psychologist and Relationship Counsellor, and broadcaster and author Mary-Ann Ochota discuss this troubling new relationship trend and how women can feel safe while navigating the outdoors.The Anti-discimination charity Kick it Out has received 131 reports of sexist incidents at football matches from the start of the men's season until the end of February this year. That's more than double than for the same period last season, with comments to female fans including, 'What do you know about football? You should be in the kitchen getting your husband's tea." We discuss why this sexism is increasing and what can be done about it with BBC Sport senior journalist Sally Freedman, who's written a book about her expereinces, and Sarah Collins, head of Safeguarding at Stockport County Football Club. In the new play, John Proctor is the Villain, high school girls in small town America are studying The Crucible, Arthur Miller's allegorical portrayal of the Salem witch trials. The play takes place just as the #MeToo movement catches fire, and comes close to home. As the Broadway hit premieres in the UK at London's Royal Court Theatre, playwright Kimberly Belflower and director Danya Taymor join Kylie to discuss viewing Miller's classic through a #MeToo lens. Presenter: Kylie Pentelow Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob discuss a play which has been called a combination of "Death of a Salesman" and "Our Town." Emily Feldman, a sharp and theatrical emerging playwright, has always wanted to write a play with a Stage Manager character, like in Thorton Wilder's famous play. Now she has. Her play "The Best We Could" explores some of the same themes and structure as Arthur Miller's classic, while taking place in a highly contemporary world. Listen in.  ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue.  https://www.patreon.com/noscriptpodcast  ----------------------------- We want to keep the conversation going! Have you read this play? Have you seen it? Comment and tell us your favorite themes, characters, plot points, etc. Did we get something wrong? Let us know. We'd love to hear from you. Find us on social media at:  Email: noscriptpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/No-Script-The-Podcast-1675491925872541/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noscriptpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/noscriptpodcast/ ------------------------------ Thanks so much for listening! We'll see you next week.

John Proctor is the Villain made a huge impact when it ran on Broadway, and it is finally making its UK premiere in a (now sold out) run at the Royal Court. Two of the show's stars, Sadie Soverall and Dónal Finn, discuss what the experience has been like and bringing this radical interrogation of Arthur Miller to the stage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What makes a character so compelling that readers will forgive almost anything about the plot? How do you move beyond vague flaws and generic descriptions to create people who feel pulled from real life? In this solo episode, I share 15 actionable tips for writing deep characters, curated from past interviews on the podcast. In the intro, thoughts from London Book Fair [Instagram reel @jfpennauthor; Publishing Perspectives; Audible; Spotify]; Insights from a 7-figure author business [BookBub]. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community and get articles, discounts, and extra audio and video tutorials on writing craft, author business, and AI tools, at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn This episode has been created from previous episodes of The Creative Penn Podcast, curated by Joanna Penn, as well as chapters from How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book. Links to the individual episodes are included in the transcript below. In this episode: Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' trifecta, how to hook readers on the very first page Define the Dramatic Question: Who is your character when the chips are down? Absolute specificity. Why “she's controlling” isn't good enough Understand the Heroine's Journey, strength through connection, not solo action Use ‘Metaphor Families' to anchor dialogue and give every character a distinctive voice Find the Diagnostic Detail, the moments that prove a character is real Writing pain onto the page without writing memoir Write diverse characters as real people, not stereotypes or plot devices Give your protagonist a morally neutral ‘hero' status. Compelling beats likeable. Build vibrant side characters for series longevity and spin-off potential Use voice as a rhythmic tool Link character and plot until they're inseparable Why discovery writers can write out of order and still build deep character Find the sensory details that make characters live and breathe More help with how to write fiction here, or in my book, How to Write a Novel. Writing Characters: 15 Tips for Writing Deep Character in Your Fiction In today's episode, I'm sharing fifteen tips for writing deep characters, synthesised from some of the most insightful interviews on The Creative Penn Podcast over the past few years, combined with what I've learned across more than forty books of my own. I'll be referencing episodes with Matt Bird, Will Storr, Gail Carriger, Barbara Nickless, and Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. I'll also draw on my own book, How to Write a Novel, which covers these fundamentals in detail. Whether you're writing your first novel or your fiftieth, whether you're a plotter or a discovery writer like me, these tips will help you create characters that readers believe in, care about, and invest in—and keep coming back for more. Let's get into it. 1. Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' Trifecta When I spoke with Matt Bird on episode 624, he laid out the three things you need to achieve on the very first page of your book or in the first ten minutes of a film. He calls it “Believe, Care, and Invest.” First, the reader must believe the character is a real person, somehow proving they are not a cardboard imitation of a human being, not just a generic type walking through a generic plot. Second, the reader must care about the character's circumstances. And third, the reader must invest in the character's ability to solve the story's central problem. Matt used The Hunger Games as his primary example, and it's brilliant. On the very first page, we believe Katniss's voice. Suzanne Collins writes in first person with a staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short declarative sentences—that immediately grounds us in a survivalist mentality. We care because Katniss is starving. She's protecting her little sister. And we invest because she is out there bow hunting, which Matt pointed out is one of the most badass things a character can do. She even kills a lynx two pages in and sells the pelt. We invest in her resourcefulness and grit before the plot has even begun. Matt was very clear that this has nothing to do with the character being “likable.” He said his subtitle, Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love, doesn't mean the character has to be a good person. He described “hero” as both gender-neutral and morally neutral. A hero can be totally evil or totally good. What matters is that we believe, care, and invest. He demonstrated this beautifully by breaking down the first ten minutes of WeCrashed, where the characters of Adam and Rebekah Neumann are absolutely not likable, but we are completely hooked. Adam steals his neighbour's Chinese food through a carefully orchestrated con involving an imaginary beer. It's not admirable behaviour, but the tradecraft involved, as Matt put it—using a term from spy movies—makes us invest in him. We see a character trying to solve the big problem of his life, which is that he's poor and wants to be rich, and we want to see if he can pull it off. Actionable step: Go to the first page of your current work in progress. Does it achieve all three? Does the reader believe this is a real person with a distinctive voice? Do they care about the character's circumstances? And do they invest in the character's ability to handle what's coming? If even one of those three is missing, that's your revision priority. 2. Define the Dramatic Question: Who Are They Really? Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling, came on episode 490 and gave one of the most powerful frameworks I've ever heard for character-driven fiction. He explained that the human brain evolved language primarily to swap social information—in other words, to gossip. We are wired to monitor other people, to ask the question: who is this person when the chips are down? That's what Will calls the Dramatic Question, and it's what he believes lies at the heart of all compelling storytelling. It's not a question about plot. It's a question about the character's soul. And every scene in your novel should force the character to answer it. His example of Lawrence of Arabia is unforgettable. The Dramatic Question for the entire film is: who are you, Lawrence? Are you ordinary or are you extraordinary? At the beginning, Lawrence is a cocky, rebellious young soldier who believes his rebelliousness makes him superior. Every iconic scene in that three-hour film tests that belief. Sometimes Lawrence acts as though he truly is extraordinary—leading the Arabs into battle, being hailed as a god—and sometimes the world strips him bare and he sees himself as ordinary. Because it's a tragedy, he never overcomes his flaw. He doubles down on his belief that he's extraordinary until he becomes monstrous, culminating in that iconic scene where he lifts a bloody dagger and sees his own reflection with horror. Will also used Jaws to demonstrate how this works in a pure action thriller. Brody's dramatic question is simple: are you going to be old Brody who is terrified of the water, or new Brody who can overcome that fear? Every scene where the shark appears is really asking that question. And the last moment of the film isn't the shark blowing up. It's Brody swimming back through the water, saying he used to be scared of the water and he can't imagine why. Actionable step: Write down the Dramatic Question for your protagonist in a single sentence. Is it “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you brave enough to love again?” or “Will you sacrifice your principles for survival?” If you can't answer this with specificity, your character might still be a sketch rather than a person. 3. Get rid of Vague Flaws, and use Absolute Specificity This was one of Will Storr's most important points. He said that vague thinking about characters is really the enemy. When he teaches workshops and asks writers to describe their character's flaw, most of them say something like “they're very controlling.” And Will's response is: that's not good enough. Everyone is controlling. How are they controlling? What's the specific mechanism? He gave the example of a profile he read of Theresa May during the UK's Brexit chaos. Someone who knew her said that Theresa May's problem was that she always thinks she's the only adult in every room she goes into. Will said that stopped him in his tracks because it's so precise. If you define a character with that level of specificity, you can take them and put them in any genre, any situation—a spaceship, a Victorian drawing room, a school playground—and you will know exactly how they're going to behave. The same applies to Arthur Miller's Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, as Will described it: a man who believes absolutely in capitalistic success and the idea that when you die, you're going to be weighed on a scale, just as God weighs you for sin, but now you're weighed for success. That's not a vague flaw. That's a worldview you can drop into any story and watch it combust. Will made another counterintuitive point that I found really valuable: writers often think that piling on multiple traits will create a complex character, but the opposite is true. Starting with one highly specific flaw and running it through the demands of a relentless plot is what generates complexity. You end up with a far more nuanced, original character than if you'd started with a laundry list of vague attributes. Actionable step: Take your protagonist's flaw and pressure-test it. Is it specific enough that you could place this character in any situation and predict their behaviour? If you're stuck at “she's stubborn” or “he's insecure,” keep pushing. What kind of stubborn? What kind of insecure? Find the diagnostic sentence—the Theresa May level of precision. 4. Understand the Heroine's Journey: Strength Through Connection Gail Carriger came on episode 550 to discuss her nonfiction book, The Heroine's Journey, and it completely reframed how I think about some of my own fiction. Gail explained that the core difference between the Hero's Journey and the Heroine's Journey comes down to how strength and victory are defined. The Hero's Journey is about strength through solo action. The hero must be continually isolated to get stronger. He goes out of civilisation, faces strife alone, and achieves victory through physical prowess and self-actualisation. The Heroine's Journey is the opposite. The heroine achieves her goals by activating a network. She's a delegator, a general. She identifies where she can't do something alone, finds the people who can help, and portions out the work for mutual gain. Gail put it simply: the heroine is very good at asking for help, which our culture tends to devalue but which is actually a powerful form of strength. Crucially, Gail stressed that gender is irrelevant to which journey you're writing. Her go-to examples are striking: the recent Wonder Woman film is practically a beat-for-beat hero's journey—Gilgamesh on screen, as Gail described it. Meanwhile, Harry Potter, both the first book and the series as a whole, is a classic heroine's journey. Harry's power comes from his network—Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, his friendships with Ron and Hermione. He doesn't defeat Voldemort alone. He defeats Voldemort because of love and connection. This distinction has real practical consequences for writers. If you're writing a hero's journey and you hit writer's block, Gail said, the solution is usually to isolate your hero further and pile on more strife. But if you're writing a heroine's journey, the solution is probably to throw a new character into the scene—someone who has advice to offer or a skill the heroine lacks. The actual solutions to writer's block are different depending on which narrative you're writing. As I reflected on my own work, I realised that my ARKANE thriller protagonist, Morgan Sierra, follows a hero's journey—she's a solo operative, a lone wolf like Jack Reacher or James Bond. But my Mapwalker fantasy series follows a heroine's journey, with Sienna and her group of friends working together. I hadn't consciously chosen those paths; the stories led me there. But understanding the framework helps me write more intentionally now. Actionable step: Identify which journey your protagonist is on. Does your character gain strength by being alone (hero) or by building connections (heroine)? This will inform every plot decision you make, from how they face obstacles to how your story ends. 5. Use ‘Metaphor Families' to Anchor Dialogue and Voice One of the most practical techniques Matt Bird shared on episode 624 is the idea of assigning each character a “metaphor family”—a specific well of language that they draw from. This gives each character a distinctive voice that goes beyond accent or dialect. Matt explained how in The Wire, one of the most beloved TV shows of all time, every character has a different metaphor family. What struck him was that Omar, this iconic character, never utters a single curse word in the entire series. His metaphor family is pirate. He talks about parlays, uses language that feels like it belongs in Pirates of the Caribbean, and it creates this incredible ironic counterpoint against his urban setting. It tells us immediately that this is a character who sees himself in a tradition of people that doesn't match his immediate surroundings. Matt also referenced the UK version of The Office, where Gareth works at a paper company but aspires to the military. So all of his language is drawn from a military metaphor family. He doesn't talk about filing and photocopying; he talks about tactics and discipline and being on the front line. This tells us that the character has a life and dreams beyond the immediate scene—and it's the gap between aspiration and reality that makes him both funny and believable. He pointed out that a metaphor family sometimes comes from a character's background, but it's often more interesting when it comes from their aspirations. What does your character want to be? What world do they fantasise about inhabiting? That's where their language should come from. In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a spiritual hermit, but his metaphor family is military. He uses the language of generals and commanders, and that ironic counterpoint is part of what makes him feel so rich. Actionable step: Assign each of your main characters a metaphor family. It could be based on their job, their background, or—more interestingly—their secret aspirations. Then go through your dialogue and make sure each character is consistently drawing from that well of language. If two characters sound the same when you strip away the dialogue tags, this is the fix. 6. Find the Diagnostic Detail: The Diagonal Toast Avoid clichéd character tags—the random scar, the eye patch, the mysterious limp—unless they serve a deep narrative purpose. Matt Bird on episode 624 was very funny about this: he pointed out that Nick Fury, Odin, and eventually Thor all have eye patches in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Eye patches are done, he said. You cannot do eye patches anymore. Instead, look for what I'm calling the “diagonal toast” detail, after a scene Matt described from Captain Marvel. In the film, Captain Marvel is trying to determine whether Nick Fury is who he says he is. She asks him to prove he isn't a shapeshifting alien. Fury shares biographical details—his history, his mother—but then she pushes further and says, name one more thing you couldn't possibly have made up about yourself. And Fury says: if toast is cut diagonally, I can't eat it. Matt said that detail is gold for a writer because it feels pulled from a real life. You can pull it from your own life and gift it to your characters, and the reader can tell it's not manufactured. He gave another example from The Sopranos: Tony Soprano's mother won't answer the phone after dark. The show's creator, David Chase, confirmed on the DVD commentary that this came from his own mother, who genuinely would not answer the phone after dark and couldn't explain why. Matt's practical advice was to keep a journal. Write down the strange, specific things that people do or say. Mine your own life for those hyper-specific details. You just need one per book. In my own writing, I've used this approach. In my ARKANE thrillers, my character Morgan Sierra has always been Angelina Jolie in my mind—specifically Jolie in Lara Croft or Mr and Mrs Smith. And Blake Daniel in my crime thriller series was based on Jesse Williams from Grey's Anatomy. I paste pictures of actors into my Scrivener projects. It helps with visuals, but also with the sense of the character, their energy and physicality. But visual details only take you so far. It's the behavioural quirks—the diagonal toast moments—that make a character feel genuinely alive. That said, physical character tags can work brilliantly when they serve the story. As I discuss in How to Write a Novel, Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike is an amputee, and his pain and the physical challenges of his prosthesis are a key part of every story—it's not a cosmetic detail, it's woven into the action and the character's psychology. My character Blake Daniel always wears gloves to cover the scars on his hands, which provides an angle into his wounded past as well as a visual cue for the reader. And of course, Harry Potter's lightning-shaped scar isn't just a mark—it's a direct connection to his nemesis and the mythology of the entire series. The rule of thumb is: if the tag tells us something about the character's interior life or connects to the plot, it's earning its place. If it's just there to make the character visually distinctive, it's probably a crutch. Game of Thrones takes character tags further with the family houses, each with their own mottos and sigils. The Starks say “Winter is coming” and their sigil is a dire wolf. Those aren't just labels—they're worldview made visible. Actionable step: Start a “diagonal toast” notebook. Every time you notice something strange and specific about someone's behaviour—something that feels too real to be made up—write it down. Then gift it to a character who needs more texture. 7. Displace Your Own Trauma into the Work Barbara Nickless shared something deeply personal on episode 732 that fundamentally changed how I think about putting pain onto the page. While starting At First Light, the first book in her Dr. Evan Wilding series, she lost her son to epilepsy—something called SUDEP, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. One day he was there, and the next day he was gone. Barbara said that writing helped her cope with the trauma, that doing a deep dive into Old English literature and the Viking Age for the book's research became a lifeline. But here's what's important: she didn't give Dr. Evan Wilding her exact trauma. Evan Wilding is four feet five inches, and Barbara described how he has to walk through a world that won't adjust to him. That's its own form of learning to cope when circumstances are beyond your control. She displaced her genuine grief into the character's different but parallel struggle. When I asked her about the difference between writing for therapy and writing for an audience, she drew on her experience teaching creative writing to veterans through a collaboration between the US Department of Defense and the National Endowment for the Arts. She said she's found that she can pour her heartache into her characters and process it through them, even when writing professionally, and that the genuine emotion is what touches readers. We've all been through our own losses and griefs, so seeing how a character copes can be deeply meaningful. I've always found that putting my own pain onto the page is the most direct way to connect with a reader's soul. My character Morgan Sierra's musings on religion and the supernatural are often my own. Her restlessness, her fascination with the darker edges of faith—those come from me. But her Krav Maga fighting skills and her ability to kill the bad guys are definitely her own. That gap between what's mine and what's hers is where the fiction lives. Barbara also said something on that episode that I wrote down and stuck on my wall. She said the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul. I've been thinking about that ever since. On my own wall, I have “Measure your life by what you create.” Different words, same truth. Actionable step: If you're carrying something heavy—grief, anger, fear, regret—consider how you might displace it into a character's different but emotionally parallel struggle. Don't copy your exact situation; transform it. The emotion will be genuine, and the reader will feel it. 8. Write Diverse Characters as Real People When I spoke with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673—Sarah is Choctaw and a historical fiction author honoured by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian—she offered a perspective that every fiction writer needs to hear. The key message was to move away from stereotypes. Don't write your American Indian character as the “Wise Guide” who exists solely to dispense mystic wisdom to the white protagonist. Don't limit diverse characters to historical settings, as though they only exist in the past. Place them in normal, contemporary roles. Your spaceship captain, your forensic scientist, your small-town baker—any of them can be American Indian, or Nigerian, or Japanese, and their heritage should be a lived-in part of their identity, not the sole reason they exist in the story. I write international thrillers and dark fantasy, and my fiction is populated with characters from all over the world. I have a multi-cultural family and I've lived in many places and travelled widely, so I've met, worked with, and had relationships with people from different cultures. I find story ideas through travel, and if I set my books in a certain place, then the story is naturally populated with the people who live there. As I discuss in my book, How to Write a Novel, the world is a diverse place, so your fiction needs to be populated with all kinds of people. If I only populated my fiction with characters like me, they would be boring novels. There are many dimensions of difference—race, nationality, sex, age, body type, ability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, class, culture, education level—and even then, don't assume that similar types of people think the same way. Some authors worry they will make mistakes. We live in a time of outrage, and some authors have been criticised for writing outside their own experience. So is it too dangerous to try? Of course not. The media amplifies outliers, and most authors include diverse characters in every book without causing offence because they work hard to get it right. It's about awareness, research, and intent. Actionable step: Audit the cast of your current work in progress. Have you written a mono-cultural perspective for all of them? If so, consider who could bring a different background, perspective, or set of cultural specifics to the story. Not as a token addition, but as a real person with a real life. 9. Respect Tribal and Cultural Specificity Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673 was emphatic about one thing: never treat diverse groups as monolithic. If you're writing a Native American character, you must research the specific nation. Choctaw is not Navajo, just as British is not French. Sarah described the distinct cultural markers of the Choctaw people—the diamond pattern you'll see on traditional shirts and dresses, which represents the diamondback rattlesnake. They have distinct dances and songs. She said that if she saw someone in traditional dress at a distance, she would know whether they were Choctaw based on what they were wearing. She encouraged writers who want to write specifically about a nation to get to know those people. Go to events, go to a powwow, learn about the individual culture. She noted that a big misconception is that American Indians exist only in the past—she stressed that they are still here, still living their cultures, and fiction should reflect that present reality. I took a similar approach when writing Destroyer of Worlds, which is set mostly in India. I read books about Hindu myth, watched documentaries about the sadhus, and had one of my Indian readers from Mumbai check my cultural references. For Risen Gods, set in New Zealand with a young Maori protagonist, I studied books about Maori mythology and fiction by Maori authors, and had a male Maori reader check for cultural issues. Research is simply an act of empathy. The practical takeaway is this: if you're going to include a character from a specific cultural background, do the work. Use specific cultural details rather than generic signifiers. Sarah talked about how even she fell into stereotypes when she was first writing, until her mother pointed them out. If someone from within a culture can fall into those traps, the rest of us certainly can. Do the research, try your best, ask for help, and apologise if you need to. Actionable step: If you're writing a character from a specific culture, identify three to five sensory or behavioural details that are particular to that culture—not the generic version, but the real, researched, lived-in version. Consider hiring a sensitivity reader from that community to check your work. 10. Give Your Protagonist a Morally Neutral ‘Hero' Status Matt Bird was clear about this on episode 624: the word “hero” simply means the protagonist, the person we follow through the story. It's a functional role, not a moral label. We don't have to like them. We don't even have to root for their goals in a moral sense. We just have to find them compelling enough to invest our attention in their problem-solving. Think of Succession, where every member of the Roy family is varying degrees of awful, and yet the show was utterly compelling. Or WeCrashed, where Adam Neumann is a narcissistic con artist, but we can't look away because he's trying to solve the enormous problem of building an empire from nothing, and the tradecraft he employs is fascinating. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, readers must want to spend time with your characters. They don't have to be lovable or even likable—that will depend on your genre and story choices—but they have to be captivating enough that we want to spend time with them. A character who is trying to solve a massive problem will naturally draw investment from the audience, even if we wouldn't want to have tea with them. Will Storr extended this idea by pointing out that the audience will actually root for a character to solve their problem even if the audience doesn't actually want the character's goal to be achieved in the real world. We don't really want more billionaires, but we invested in Adam Neumann's rise because that was the problem the story posed, and our brains are wired to invest in problem-solving. This connects to something deeper: what does your character want, and why? As I explore in How to Write a Novel, desire operates on multiple levels. Take a character like Phil, who joins the military during wartime. On the surface, she wants to serve her country. But she also wants to escape her dead-end town and learn new skills. Deeper still, her father and grandfather served, and by joining up, she hopes to finally earn their respect. And perhaps deepest of all, her father died on a mission under mysterious circumstances, and she wants to find out what happened from the inside. That layering of motivation is what turns a flat character into a three-dimensional one. The audience doesn't need to be told all of this explicitly. It can emerge through action, dialogue, and the choices the character makes under pressure. But you, the writer, need to know it. You need to know what your character really wants deep down, because that desire—more than any external plot device—is what drives the story forward. And your antagonist needs the same depth. They also want something, often diametrically opposed to your protagonist, and they need a reason that makes sense to them. In my ARKANE thriller Tree of Life, my antagonist is the heiress of a Brazilian mining empire who wants to restore the Earth to its original state to atone for the destruction caused by her father's company. She's part of a radical ecological group who believe the only way to restore Nature is to end all human life. It's extreme, but in an era of climate change, it's a motivation readers can understand—even if they disagree with the solution. Actionable step: If you're struggling to make a morally grey character work, make sure their problem is big enough and their methods are specific and interesting enough that we invest in the how, even if we're ambivalent about the what. 11. Build Vibrant Side Characters Gail Carriger made a point on episode 550 that was equal parts craft advice and business strategy. In a Heroine's Journey model, side characters aren't just fodder to be killed off to motivate the hero. They form a network. And because you don't have to kill them—unlike in a hero's journey, where allies are often betrayed or removed so the hero can be further isolated—you can pick up those side characters and give them their own books. Gail said this creates a really voracious reader base. You write one series with vivid side characters, and then readers fall in love with those side characters and want their stories. So you write spin-offs. The romance genre does this brilliantly—think of the Bridgerton books, where each sibling gets their own novel. The side character in one book becomes the protagonist in the next. Barbara Nickless experienced this firsthand with her Dr. Evan Wilding series. She has River Wilding, Evan's adventurous brother, and Diana, the axe-throwing research assistant, and her editor has already expressed interest in a spin-off series with those characters. Barbara described creating characters she wants to spend time with, or characters who give her nightmares but also intrigue her. That's the dual test: are they interesting enough for you to write, and interesting enough for readers to demand more? As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, characters that span series can deepen the reader's relationship with them as you expand their backstory into new plots. Readers will remember the character more than the plot or the book title, and look forward to the next instalment because they want more time with those people. British crime author Angela Marsons described it as readers feeling like returning to her characters is like putting on a pair of old slippers. Actionable step: Look at your supporting cast. Is there a side character who is vivid enough to carry their own story? If not, what could you add—a specific hobby, a distinct voice, a compelling backstory—that would make readers want more of them? 12. Use Voice as a Rhythmic Tool Voice is one of the most important elements of novel writing, and Matt Bird helped me think about it in a technical, mechanical way that I found really useful. He pointed out that the ratio of periods to commas defines a character's internal reality. A staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short sentences—suggests a character who is certain, grounded, or perhaps survivalist and traumatised. Katniss in The Hunger Games has a period-heavy voice. She's in survival mode. She doesn't have time for complexity or qualification. A flowing, comma-heavy style suggests someone more academic, more nuanced, or possibly more scattered and manipulative. The character who qualifies everything, who adds sub-clauses and digressions, is a different kind of person from the character who speaks in declarations. This is something you can actually measure. Pull up a passage of your character's dialogue or internal monologue and count the periods versus the commas. If the rhythm doesn't match who the character is supposed to be, you've found a mismatch you can fix. Sentence length is the heartbeat of your character's persona. And voice extends beyond rhythm to the words themselves. As I discussed in the metaphor families tip, each character should draw from a distinctive well of language. But voice also encompasses their relationship to silence. Some characters talk around the thing they mean; others say it straight. Some are self-deprecating; others are blunt to the point of rudeness. All of these choices are character choices, not just style choices. I find it useful to read my dialogue aloud—and not just to check for naturalness, but to hear whether each character sounds distinct. If you could swap dialogue lines between two characters and nobody would notice, you have a voice problem. One practical test: cover the dialogue tags and see if you can tell who's speaking from the words alone. Actionable step: Choose a key passage from your protagonist's point of view and read it aloud. Does the rhythm match the character? A soldier under fire should not sound like a philosophy professor at a wine tasting. Adjust the ratio of periods to commas until the voice feels right. 13. Link Character and Plot Until They're Inseparable Will Storr made the case on episode 490 that the number one problem he sees in the writing he encounters—in workshops, in submissions, even in published books—is that the characters and the plots are unconnected. There's a story happening, and there are people in it, but the story isn't a product of who those people are. He said a story should be like life. In our lives, the plots are intimately connected to who we are as characters. The goals we pursue, the obstacles we face, the same problems that keep recurring—these are products of our personalities, our flaws, our specific ways of being in the world. His framework is that your plot should be designed specifically to plot against your character. You've got a character with a particular flaw; the plot exists to test that flaw over and over until the character either transforms or doubles down and explodes. Jaws is the perfect example. Brody is afraid of water. A shark shows up in the coastal town he's responsible for protecting. The entire plot is engineered to force him to confront the one thing he cannot face. Will pointed out that the whole plot of Jaws is structured around Brody's flaw. It begins with the shark arriving, the midpoint is when Brody finally gets the courage to go into the water, and the very final scene isn't the shark blowing up—it's Brody swimming back through the water. Even a film that's ninety-eight percent action is, at its core, structured around a character with a character flaw. This is the standard I aspire to in my own work, even in my action-heavy thrillers. The external plot should be a mirror of the internal struggle. When those two are aligned, the story becomes irresistible. Will also made an important point about series fiction, which is where most commercial authors live. I asked him how this works when your character can't be transformed at the end of every book because there has to be a next book. His answer was elegant: you don't cure them. Episodic TV characters like Fleabag or David Brent or Basil Fawlty never truly change—and the fact that they don't change is actually the source of the comedy. But every episode throws a new story event at them that tests and exposes their flaw. You just keep throwing story events at them again and again. That's a soap opera, a sitcom, and a book series. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, character flaws are aspects of personality that affect the person so much that facing and overcoming them becomes central to the plot. In Jaws, the protagonist Brody is afraid of the water, but he has to overcome that flaw to destroy the killer shark and save the town. But remember, your characters should feel like real people, so never define them purely by their flaws. The character addicted to painkillers might also be a brilliant and successful female lawyer who gets up at four in the morning to work out at the gym, likes eighties music, and volunteers at the local dog shelter at weekends. Character wounds are different from flaws. They're formed from life experience and are part of your character's backstory—traumatic events that happened before the events of your novel but shape the character's reactions in the present. In my ARKANE thrillers, Morgan Sierra's husband Elian died in her arms during a military operation. This happened before the series begins, but her memories of it recur when she faces a firefight, and she struggles to find happiness again for fear of losing someone she loves once more. And then there's the perennial advice: show, don't tell. Most writers have heard this so many times that it's easy to nod and then promptly write scenes that tell rather than show. Basically, you need to reveal your character through action and dialogue, rather than explanation. In my thriller Day of the Vikings, Morgan Sierra fights a Neo-Viking in the halls of the British Museum and brings him down with Krav Maga. That fight scene isn't just about showing action. It opens up questions about her backstory, demonstrates character, and moves the plot forward. Telling would be something like: “Morgan was an expert in Krav Maga.” Showing is the reader discovering it through the scene itself. Actionable step: Look at the main plot events of your novel. For each major turning point, ask: does this scene specifically test my protagonist's flaw? If not, can you redesign the scene so that it does? The tighter the connection between character and plot, the more powerful the story. 14. The ‘Maestra' Approach: Write Out of Order If you're a discovery writer like me, you may feel like the deep character work I've been describing sounds more suited to plotters. But Barbara Nickless gave me a beautiful metaphor on episode 732 that reframes it entirely. Barbara described her evolving writing process as being like a maestra standing in front of an orchestra. Sometimes you bring in the horns—a certain theme—and sometimes you bring in the strings—a certain character—and sometimes you turn to the soloist. It's a more organic and jumping-around process than linear writing, and Barbara said she's only recently given herself permission to work this way. When I told her that I use Scrivener to write in scenes out of order and then drag and drop them into a structure later, she was genuinely intrigued. And this is how I've always worked. I'll see the story in my mind like a movie trailer—flashes of the big emotional scenes, the pivotal confrontations, the moments of revelation—and I write those first. I don't know how they hang together until quite late in the process. Then I'll move scenes around, print the whole thing out, and figure out the connective tissue. The point is that discovery writers can absolutely build deep characters. Sometimes writing the big emotional scenes first is how you discover who the character is before you fill in the rest. You don't need a twenty-page character worksheet or a 200-page outline like Jeffery Deaver. You need to be willing to follow the character into the unknown and trust that the structure will emerge. As Barbara said, she writes to know what she's thinking. That's the discovery writer's credo. And I would add: I write to know who my characters are. Actionable step: If you're stuck on your current chapter, skip it. Write the scene that's burning in your imagination, even if it's from the middle or the end. That scene might be the key to unlocking who your character really is. 15. Use Research to Help with Empathy Research shouldn't just be about factual accuracy—it's a tool for finding the sensory details that create empathy. Barbara Nickless described research as almost an excuse to explore things that fascinate her, and I feel exactly the same way. I would go so far as to say that writing is an excuse for me to explore the things that interest me. Barbara and I both travel for our stories. For her Dr. Evan Wilding books, she did deep research into Old English literature and the Viking Age. For my thriller End of Days, I transcribed hours of video from Appalachian snake-handling churches on YouTube to understand the worldview of the worshippers, because my antagonist was brought up in that tradition. I couldn't just make that up. I had to hear their language, feel their conviction, understand why they would hold venomous serpents as an act of faith. Barbara also mentioned getting to Israel and the West Bank for research, and I've been to both places too. Finding that one specific sensory detail—the smell of a particular location, the specific way an expert handles a tool, the sound of a particular kind of music—makes the character's life feel lived-in. It's the difference between a character who is described as living in a place and a character who inhabits it. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, don't write what you know. Write what you want to learn about. I love research. It's part of why I'm an author in the first place. I take any excuse to dive into a world different from my own. Research using books, films, podcasts, and travel, and focus particularly on sources produced by people from the worldview you want to understand. Actionable step: For your next piece of character research, go beyond reading. Watch a documentary, visit a location, talk to someone who lives the experience. Find one sensory detail—a smell, a sound, a texture—that you couldn't have invented. That detail will make your character feel real. Bonus: Measure Your Life by What You Create In an age of AI and a tsunami of content, your ultimate brand protection is the quality of your human creation. Barbara Nickless said that the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul, and I believe that with every fibre of my being. Don't be afraid to take that step back, like I did with my deadlifting. Take the time to master these deeper craft skills. It might feel like you're slowing down or going backwards by not chasing the latest marketing trend, but it's the only way to step forward into a sustainable, high-quality career. Your characters are your signature. No AI can replicate the specificity of your lived experience, the emotional truth of your displaced trauma, or the sensory details you've gathered from a life of curiosity and travel. Those are yours. Pour them into your characters, and they will resonate for years to come. Actionable Takeaway: Identify the Dramatic Question for your current protagonist. Can you state it in a single sentence with the kind of specificity Will Storr described? Is it as clear as “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you the only adult in the room?” If you can't answer it with that kind of precision, your character might still be a sketch. Give them a diagonal toast moment today. Find the one hyper-specific detail that proves they are not an imitation of life. And then ask yourself: does your plot test your character's flaw in every major scene? If you can align those two things—a precisely defined character and a plot that exists to test them—you will have a story that readers cannot put down. References and Deep Dives The episodes I've referenced today are all available with full transcripts at TheCreativePenn.com: Episode 732 — Facing Fears, and Writing Unique Characters with Barbara Nickless Episode 673 — Writing Choctaw Characters and Diversity in Fiction with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer Episode 624 — Writing Characters with Matt Bird Episode 550 — The Heroine's Journey with Gail Carriger Episode 490 — How Character Flaws Shape Story with Will Storr Books mentioned: The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love by Matt Bird The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book by Joanna Penn You can find all my books for authors at CreativePennBooks.com and my fiction and memoir at JFPennBooks.com Happy writing! How was this episode created? This episode was initiated created by NotebookLM based on YouTube videos of the episodes linked above from YouTube/TheCreativePenn, plus my text chapters on character from How to Write a Novel. NotebookLM created a blog post from the material and then I expanded it and fact checked it with Claude.ai 4.6 Opus, and then I used my voice clone at ElevenLabs to narrate it. The post Writing Characters: 15 Actionable Tips For Writing Deep Character first appeared on The Creative Penn.

'The View' co-hosts and guest co-host Sheryl Underwood weigh in as a preliminary inquiry reported by 'The New York Times' finds the United States at fault for the missile strike on a girls' school in Iran that killed 175 people, raising urgent questions nearly two weeks into the ongoing attacks. Nathan Lane returns to Broadway in a bold revival of 'Death of a Salesman' and joins the show to reflect on why Arthur Miller's themes feel more urgent than ever. He also shares his thoughts on Timothée Chalamet's controversial comment that “no one cares” about ballet or opera. Plus, Stephen Lang stops by to discuss honoring a powerful true story in 'The Optimist'. He shares what drew him to portraying Holocaust survivor Herbert Heller and reflects on why these stories must continue to be told. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Takes All Kinds”—An American Public Affairs Discussion and Demonstration of Journalistic Theatre Actor and playwright Dan Hoyle and his director, celebrated director/actor Aldo Billingslea, provide an inside look at the creation of their widely acclaimed new solo performance piece “Takes All Kinds.” Dan's blog reminds the viewer that  ”I'll be disappearing into these different characters and stories and you'll be glad to journey there with me. They've been traveling with me these last couple years. I think they'll stay with you too.” With “Takes All Kinds,” Hoyle and Billingslea use journalistic theater and embodied storytelling to portray powerful, funny and complex people caught in the social and political currents roiling our society. They create portraits of everyday Americans through moving and funny true stories of American democracy: school board showdowns in Florida, grassroots organizers in Atlanta, barber shops in Las Vegas, deprogrammers of violent extremists in Missouri and more. In this mostly offstage oriented “talk-back” presentation, listeners and observers will have an opportunity to explore with Hoyle and Billingslea how thousands of hours go into a little over an hour show. The artists' view reveals (somewhat) the amazing mystery of live transformative theatrical narrative that has everyone laughing and pin-drop listening with the next moment. And always has the audience talking as they depart. Yes—it's about politics, but could experiencing public affairs embodied theatre journalism bring people something they needed more than they realized?   “Stunning…something almost supernatural happens,” according to the  San Francisco Chronicle. Currently based at the Marsh Theatre, “Takes All Kinds” has toured elsewhere in California plus New York City, Charleston and Chicago, and will be heading to Idaho, Florida and more in 2026. About the Speakers Oakland-based Dan Hoyle is an actor and writer whose immersion research theater work has been hailed as "riveting, funny and poignant" (The New York Times) and "hilarious, moving and very necessary" (Salon). His solo shows, all originated at The Marsh in San Francisco, have played across the country at The Public Theater, Culture Project, Baltimore Center Stage, Berkeley Rep, Cleveland Playhouse, Mosaic Theater Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage, Playmakers Rep, Painted Bride, Pure Theater and abroad in India, Ireland, Wales, Mexico, Canada and Nigeria. Aldo Billingslea (director) is a professor of theater at Santa Clara University (SCU). SCU's associate provost for diversity and inclusion, and served as the vice president of the 100 Black Men of Silicon Valley; he's a board member of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, theatre program director for The222.org in Healdsburg, California.As an academic, he is a professor of American theatre from the Black perspective, acting styles, Shakespeare, and seminars on August Wilson. Billingslea is a lifelong professional actor featured in more than two dozen Shakespeare plays, productions of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and Fences, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, and Lorraine Hansberry's The Sign in Sydney Bernstein's Window. He also worked at the American Conservatory Theater, the Aurora Theater, California Shakespeare Theater, Lorraine Hansberry Theater, and the Marin Shakespeare Theater. An Arts Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums.  Organizer: Anne W. Smith  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman premiered in 1949. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. It’s been said that it’s “probably the most successful modern play ever published.” This hour, with a new Broadway revival in previews, and with Peter Jacobson playing the title role in a new production at Hartford Stage, a look at Arthur Miller’s masterpiece of American drama, Death of a Salesman. GUESTS: Melia Bensussen: Artistic director at Hartford Stage and the director of their current production of Death of a Salesman Peter Jacobson: An actor; he’s playing Willy Loman in Hartford Stage’s current production of Death of a Salesman Stephen Marino: Founding editor of The Arthur Miller Journal and the author, most recently, of Arthur Miller’s New York: Visions of the City The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Robyn Doyon-Aitken contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arthur Miller's The Price @ Pacific Resident Theater – 8.5 out of 10! Great Show! LA Theatre Bites Recommended! www.latheatrebites.com

Arthur Miller's classic play “All My Sons” tells the story of a father who attains the American Dream, but at a high cost to himself and everyone around him. Nearly 80 years after the original, Berkeley Rep's new production reimagines the play with a Puerto Rican family at the center.  The main characters, Joe and Kate Keller, are played by real life couple Jimmy Smits and Wanda De Jesús. We'll talk with the actors and director David Mendizábal about what the production has to say about the American Dream today. Guests: David Mendizábal, associate artistic director and director of "All My Sons," Berkeley Repertory Theatre Wanda De Jesús, actor starring as Kate Keller, Berkeley Repertory Theatre's production of "All My Sons" Jimmy Smits, actor starring as Joe Keller, Berkeley Repertory Theatre's production of "All My Sons" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we celebrated the American Dream by watching a movie about how achievable and real it is! The 1985 made-for-TV-movie Death of a Salesman, starring Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich. Tune in next week when our movie will be... The 'Burbs. ----- Follow Emily on Instagram and visit Emily's ETSY store FlemGems See Matt at the Punch Line in San Francisco March 3-7 with Beth Stelling.  THE JORDAN MORRIS WORLD TOUR!! (jk, it's just a couple of dates) 2/25 - Collectors Paradise North Hollywood, 5pm - 7pm 2/26 - Predator Double Feature @ The Frida Cinema in Orange County, 7pm https://thefridacinema.org/coming-soon/ 2/28 - Books With Pictures Eugene, OR 12pm - 3pm Also Jordan is doing some dates with the Doughboys. You can get your tickets at BirdFuck.com 2/28 - Portland 3/1 - Seattle

Most people meet Tituba through Arthur Miller. Nicole Brooks met her differently. The Canadian artist, producer, composer, and performer spent over a decade creating Obeah Opera, a fully sung a cappella theatrical work that centers Tituba and the other women of Salem as healers, wise women, and people who loved and were loved. In this conversation Nicole opens up about the research, the music, the controversy, and the story she believes America is ready to hear.What You Will LearnWho Tituba was beyond The CrucibleWhy Nicole positions every woman in the story as a healerHow the word Obeah appears in Puritan records and what that tells usThe love story at the heart of Obeah OperaHow the girls who made accusations were themselves silenced and powerlessWhat Tituba's name means in YorubaWhy an all-female cast changes how the story landsHow music makes the heaviest history bearableGuest Nicole Brooks, creator of Obeah OperaResources and Links Sign the Petition to Exonerate the Boston 8The History of Witch Trial Exonerations in MassachusettsAbout the MA Witch Hunt Justice ProjectPurchase a MA Witch Hunt Justice Project Memorial Pin

Actor/comedian Jeremy Piven is back for part two of his interview and talks about the ten years it took to get his movie made. "The Performance" is based on an Arthur Miller story in which a Jewish tap dancer is recruited to prance before Hitler. | Jeremy has made the jump from acting to stand-up comedy and still gets ridiculed by other comedians. | He grew up acting with John Cusack in his family theatre company in Chicago at age eight. *To hear the full show to go www.siriusxm.com/bonfire to learn more! FOLLOW THE CREW ON SOCIAL MEDIA: @thebonfiresxm @louisjohnson @christinemevans @bigjayoakerson @robertkellylive @louwitzkee @jjbwolf Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of The Bonfire ad-free and a whole week early.  Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.