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Jonah Goldberg, like Plato's cave-man philosopher, has briefly returned from the land of book writing and enlightenment to ruminate before us poor, shadow-watching mortals. Jonah considers the origin of the term slush fund, waxes poetic on military etymology, and reflects on the Lewinsky scandal, all before getting stuck in on feminism, John Bolton, the republican spirit, Graham Platner, party self-sabotage, and the cult of authenticity. Show Notes: —The Dispatch at the 92nd Street Y —Robert Nisbet - Prejudices: A Philosophical Dictionary —Jonah's underrated second book —Jonah's mom on TV —Friday's DisPod —Wednesday G-File —NYT Graham Platner piece —The Argument —Cult of authenticity G-File —Suicide of the West The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a nonpartisan perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including the Saturday Ruminant, audio versions of all our articles and newsletters, and Jonah's twice-weekly G-File—click here. Instructions on how to set up your members-only feed can be found here, and if you'd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
FIRST AIRED 7/31/2022Stale takes incoming! There's nothing people are clamoring for more than an Obi Wan Kenobi podcast in August 2022. We were supposed to release one on time, but Overbye's sprawling and personally fulfilling hiking trip derailed it. Anyway, here it is! I think there's a few new disses of this property mixed in with the ones the rest of the internet has already covered. Instagram: Instagram.com/authorizedpod
(SPOILERS!) The good, the bad and the stinky! Our first takes on Star Wars' first theatrical project in seven years. Follow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Maul, Darth Maul, Sam Witwer
Let's talk all things hype and excitement for The Mandalorian and Grogu with interviews live from the red carpet premiere. Featuring our friends:Will and Grayson of Determined Focus PodcastJake "Pizzabeard" HollandNick "Codename Fulcrum" WilliamsMollie and Alex of Star Wars ExplainedFollow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Maul, Darth Maul, Sam Witwer
Welcome to the Hyperspace Heroes Podcast, where 3 Gen 1 Star Wars fans are just trying to make their way in the Star Wars podcast universe. HHP EP 173 features Warren Proulx. Warren is an actor, Second Unit Stunts and Stand In for the Main Unit. We have seen his work in Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Book of Boba Fett and Obi Wan Kenobi where he was the stand in for Ewan McGregor! We wrap up with Collection Corner and SW Dad Joke of the Week.You can follow Warren on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/wrproulxHyperspace Heroes Podcast does weekly livestreams on Thursday nights at 8pm eastern. Audio versions are posted on all the pod catchers the following Mondays. You can find all of our links for livestreams, podcasts and social media athttps://beacons.ai/brownsquadronIntro/Outro Music: Strange Signal (Instrumental) HoliznaCCO/ Licensed under CCO 1.0 Universal License https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcodeSource: Free Music Archive https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/straight-to-vhs/strange-signal/Support HoliznaCCO via hisPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HoliznaBandcamp: https://holiznaroyaltyfree.bandcamp.com/Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/HoliznaVoice Over Work in Intro/Outro Performed by Milz Bowden & Henri GageYou can find Milz & Henri at https://youtube.com/@video4humans
¿Qué tienen en común Mr. Miyagi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, John Keating y Minerva McGonagall? Que ninguno habría aguantado una semana en un departamento de RRHH real... pero que todos nos enseñaron más que el sistema educativo. En este episodio analizamos el arquetipo del mentor en la cultura pop: por qué funciona tan bien narrativamente, qué patrones comparten estos personajes y qué pasa cuando los desmontamos de verdad. Desde el karate como metáfora del aprendizaje invisible hasta el Jedi que miente con absoluta calma galáctica, pasando por el profe que hace subirse a las mesas y la profesora que impone respeto sin necesidad de gritar. También debatimos: ¿quién habría sido despedido antes? ¿Cuál era el más tóxico? ¿Y quién elegiríais para vuestra vida real? Porque puede que no sepamos hacer ecuaciones... pero sabemos perfectamente encerar y pulir. Con Fer Colesterio y Luis Craich. Y los memes de @diamocasin. Con El Selenita a cargo de la creatividad digital. Y el Dictador Supremo Frikimalismo se meterá con vosotros por ver esta maravilla de programa y para recordaros que hay que mandar MX Dollars. Haz eso que no haces nunca de darle la LIKE y SUSCRIBIRTE. Twitter: @frikimalismofm Instagram: @frikimalismofm
Darth Maul: Shadow Lord es la prueba definitiva de que en Star Wars caer por un pozo partido por la mitad no significa morir… significa terminar convertido en un “combina tus piezas” de Lego. Y desde entonces el pobre Maul se convirtió en la oferta clásica del Carrefour: “Segunda mitad al 50%.” En este nuevo programa de Frikingos de la Galaxia analizamos Darth Maul: Shadow Lord, la serie animada situada pocos años después de la Orden 66, donde Darth Maul intenta reconstruir su imperio criminal tras ser traicionado por los mismos sindicatos criminales que él había unido en The Clone Wars. Vamos, que Maul montó su propio LinkedIn del inframundo galáctico… y aun así le hicieron la cama. Nuestro capi, Lord Bolketñon, contará con las colaboraciones de Joseja y Rulo para hablar de Darth Maul, Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Devon Izara, los Inquisidores, Crimson Dawn, Darth Vader, trauma Sith, manipulación emocional, crimen organizado galáctico y de por qué Maul no necesitaba una aprendiz: necesitaba terapia. Porque si algo demuestra Shadow Lord es que el odio puede llegar a ser una motivación muy cansina. Y si no, que se lo pregunten a Twitter. ¿Es esta una de las mejores series animadas de Star Wars? ¿Funciona Maul como villano trágico? ¿Devon Izara es la nueva gran caída al lado oscuro? ¿Y habría cambiado toda la galaxia si Maul hubiese entrado en el Senado gritando: “¡EL VIEJO ESE ES UN SITH!”? Todo eso y mucho más en un programa lleno de análisis, teorías, humor friki, trauma galáctico premium y Sith, con peor gestión emocional que muchos grupos de WhatsApp. Síguenos en nuestras redes: -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frikingosdelagalaxia4365 - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrikingosGalaxy?locale=es_ES - X (antes Twitter): https://x.com/FrikingosGalaxy - Instagram: https: //www.instagram.com/frikingosdelagalaxia/ - Ivoox: https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-frikingos-galaxia-cine-y_sq_f1417787_1.html - Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/frikingos-de-la-galaxia-cine-y-ocio/id1479825939 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LCxVBSt3Kt9cDhlcLKeZc
Our final thoughts on the phenomenal first season of Star Wars: Maul Shadow LordFollow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Maul, Darth Maul, Sam Witwer
Join us as we revisit our Star Wars favorites through a fun draft of movies, series, and games. We compare notes, share nostalgia, and see how our picks stack up in this lively episode. Let's Connect:Instagram: @tol.showTikTok: @tol.showYouTube: @tol_show00:00 Introduction to the Four by Four Fantasy Draft02:53 Drafting Movies and Series: The First Picks05:51 Exploring the Sequel Trilogy and Its Impact08:45 The Importance of Star Wars Lore and Characters11:43 Final Picks and Honorable Mentions14:31 Wrap-Up and Future Discussions29:57 Drafting the Ultimate Game Picks38:13 Exploring the Star Wars Gaming Universe45:53 Light Side User Selections01:05:03 Dark Side User SelectionsStar Wars, movie draft, video games, series, favorites, discussion, nostalgia, fandom, Star Wars universe, ranking Star Wars, video games, character debate, bracket challenge, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, lightsaber battles, Star Wars games, nostalgia, fan favorites
Dave Filoni created a brand new animated series that focuses on Maul after the war of Mandalore as he works to exact revenge upon the emperor for abandoning him. Listen in to find out what we thought and we'll even answer some questions such as 'how is Maul still alive after getting cut in half by Obi Wan?' Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Instagram: @confidently_pod YouTube: @confidentlywrongpodcast Website: confidentlywrong.simplecast.com Credits: Hosted by: Wesley Nakamura, Brian Redondo, Savon Jones Edited by: Wesley Nakamura Theme Music: Implied Authority by Bass Elf Link: https://soundcloud.com/bass_elf_music
No QueIssoAssim dessa semana, Brunão e Baconzitos recebem novamente Nick Ellis para falar da primeira temporada de Star Wars: Darth Maul - Lorde das Sombras, da Disney+ Provando que quem tá vivo sempre aparece, Darth Maul está de volta e desta vez atrás de vingança. Mas não é atraz do Obi-Wan Kenobi, mas sim dos líderes dos sindicatos do crime enquanto retoma o comando de todos eles. A série se passa alguns anos depois de Star Wars: Clone Wars e vai contar a estória de como o ex-aprendiz Sith virou o líder maior do Crimson Dawn e outros nos eventos de Han Solo: Uma História Star Wars.
Principal Matters: The School Leader's Podcast with William D. Parker
When I was a boy, I loved watching Star Wars. I thought it was incredible when Jedi masters like Obi-Wan Kenobi or Luke Skywalker could persuade others through thought or outwit opponents through their use of “The Force.” Sometimes, I like to describe amazing educators as “Jedis” in their own work. You know that teacher who seems to master any classroom setting, or that inspiring principal who can be both firm and caring at the same time? It's hard to describe what makes them so effective, but good teaching and leadership is both an art and science. In this week's Monday Matters, I'm sharing a recording with one of my longest-running Mastermind groups—a group of Jedi educators. Six years ago, Sheila Vitale at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce reached out about working with Ohio charter school leaders. We began with a series on my Hats for Leadership, and many of those leaders later transitioned into a Mastermind. For this episode, I invited the group that has been together the longest to record a session with me about how collaboration, coaching, and applying ideas have supported their growth. The takeaway for other leaders is simple: your commitment to collaboration, mutual mentoring, and coaching can protect you from isolation and inspire stronger connections with your teachers, students, and community. As we wrapped up the conversation, I asked each leader for a parting word of advice. I've included their insights below along with their school information. Anne Hyland – “Practice action-research cycles.” School: Franklinton High SchoolLocation: Columbus, OhioWebsite: https://www.franklintonhigh.org/ Jacqueline Flaker – “Find your people.” School: Rittman AcademyLocation: Rittman, OHWebsite: https://www.rittmanacademy.org/staff-directory/ Guyton Mathews – “Practice shared leadership.” School: Cincinatti Collegiate Preparatory AcademyLocation: Cinncinatti, OHWebsite: https://www.ccpalions.org/ Gisele James – “Believe in yourself.” School: PAR Excellence STEM AcademyLocation: Newark, OHWebsite: https://www.parexcellenceacademy.org/ Genesis Henderson – “Remember your why, and don't play the comparison game.” School: Cincinatti Collegiate Preparatory AcademyLocation: Cinncinatti, OHWebsite: https://www.ccpalions.org/ Laura Krulik – “Treat others as you want to be treated.” School: Utica Shale AcademyLocation: Salineville, OHWebsite: http://www.uticashaleschool.com/ Bill Watson – “Leadership is building others to accomplish the mission.” School: Utica Shale AcademyLocation: Salineville, OHWebsite: http://www.uticashaleschool.com/ Maria Rodgers – “Always take time to pause and reflect before taking action.” School: SCOPE AcademyLocation: Akron, OHWebsite: https://sites.google.com/scopeacademy.org/main Heather Wenger “You can't do it alone. Ask for help.” School: Arts and College Preparatory AcademyLocation: Columbus, OHWebsite: https://apcacad.org/ I'm grateful to each of these leaders, to Sheila Vitale, and to Adkins & Company for supporting the work we do with leaders across the state. Listen to the full conversation for even more takeaways. The post MONDAY MATTERS: Jedi Lessons from Legacy Mastermind Leaders appeared first on Principal Matters.
Welcome to the Hyperspace Heroes Podcast, where 3 Gen 1 Star Wars fans are just trying to make their way in the Star Wars podcast universe. HHP EP 172 features special guest Rory Ross. Rory is an actor and producer who has appeared in The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Book of Boba Fett. He has also created, produced and stars in a Star Wars fan film, The Path of the Lost. We wrap up with Collection Corner and SW Dad Joke of the Week.You can follow Rory on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/theroryrossHyperspace Heroes Podcast does weekly livestreams on Thursday nights at 8pm eastern. Audio versions are posted on all the pod catchers the following Mondays. You can find all of our links for livestreams, podcasts and social media athttps://beacons.ai/brownsquadronIntro/Outro Music: Strange Signal (Instrumental) HoliznaCCO/ Licensed under CCO 1.0 Universal License https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcodeSource: Free Music Archive https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/straight-to-vhs/strange-signal/Support HoliznaCCO via hisPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/HoliznaBandcamp: https://holiznaroyaltyfree.bandcamp.com/Buy Me A Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/HoliznaVoice Over Work in Intro/Outro Performed by Milz Bowden & Henri GageYou can find Milz & Henri at https://youtube.com/@video4humans
This week, we kick off our 'Pre-Prequel Parts' month by diving into 1996's Trainspotting. Join us to explore how Ewan McGregor's chaotic, star-making performance as Renton provided a glimpse of the actor who would soon become our definitive Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace.
Let's break down the epic finale of Star Wars: Maul Shadow LordFollow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Maul, Darth Maul, Sam Witwer
Happy Star Wars Month!!!! Our 3 Jedi Masters in exile have spent the last 10 years watching Luke run from his chores and we're pretty tired of it. A broken Obi-Wan Kenobi is called into the fray to tackle his greatest challenge: a small willful child (AKA Princess Leia). Meanwhile, the Inquisitors are struggling to find the last Jedi in the galaxy through layers of paint and prosthetics. Only one still frightens us, and curiously she only has her face contoured. Reeva (3rd Sister) has the drive and stubbornness of Lord Vader. We've got Flee as a kidnapper, Kumail as a jedi con artist, and the return of Hayden Christensen to spar against his old master and rake him over the coals. Goodness, that Sith is unforgiving!
Let's break down chapters seven and eight of Star Wars: Maul Shadow LordFollow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Maul, Darth Maul, Sam Witwer
Let's break down chapters five and six of Star Wars: Maul Shadow LordFollow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Maul, Darth Maul, Sam Witwer
Editor - Nena Erb ACE and Asst. Editor Gioia Caruso Wonder Man editor Nena Erb and her assistant Gioia Caruso first worked together on the R-rated road trip comedy, Joy Ride. A film that could not be more different than the grounded, character driven tv series, Wonder Man. Making the dramatic jump in tone and style from Joy Ride to Wonder Man might have been a daunting task for other editorial duos, but Nena's skills as a "digital quilter" and Gioia's talents as "keeper of the footage" helped them rise to the challenge. In the Marvel Spotlight series Wonder Man, superpowered individuals are banned from working in Hollywood by something known as the Doorman Clause. This is a challenge faced by struggling actor Simon Williams, who secretly has such powers. While out on auditions, Simon forms an unlikely friendship with fellow actor, Trevor Slattery. Together the pair attempt to land roles in a remake of the in-universe superhero film "Wonder Man". NENA ERB ACE Nena Erb ACE is an Emmy-winning film and television editor whose career reflects a steady climb to some of today's most high-profile projects. She began her journey in the industry as a production assistant in the art department on MADtv. From there, Nena transitioned into editorial, building a reputation through her work on acclaimed series such as Insecure, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Little America. For each, her sharp comedic timing and character-driven sensibilities became defining strengths. Nena's work on Insecure earned her a Primetime Emmy Award in 2020, cementing her status as one of the most respected editors working in television today. Her transition into feature filmmaking further expanded her range, with credits including the 2023 film Joy Ride. GIOIA CARUSO In addition to her work with Nena on Joy Ride and Wonder Man, Gioia has assisted on such projects as Scream VI, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Chicago Fire and Mr. Mercedes. Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs Hear Nena talk about her work on Insecure and Joy Ride Check out what's new with Avid Media Composer Leave your comments on The Rough Cut website Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube
I'm thinking today of the Original Episode IV A new hope were Obi-Wan Kenobi is on the desert planet tatooine. He plays an old “Jedi Mind Trick” on the stormtroopers and has this classic line:“These aren't the droids you're looking for”Don't we just want to call out to Jesus, as He picks His disciples:Are you SURE these are the guys you are looking for? Watch 6 minutes to hear His answer. Then follow, share and come back tomorrow as you make this a habit. https://youtu.be/ykCuec_aXmA
Let's break down chapters three and four of Star Wars: Maul Shadow Lord featuring the return of TTM founder, William Ryan Key of Yellowcard!Follow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Maul, Darth Maul, Sam Witwer
Let's break down the Chapters three and four of the Disney Plus series, Star Wars: Maul Shadow Lord featuring the return of TTM founder, William Ryan Key of Yellowcard!Follow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Maul, Darth Maul, Sam Witwer
Let's break down the phenomenal series premiere of Star Wars: Maul Shadow LordFollow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Maul, Darth Maul, Sam Witwer
One of our amazing listeners (and patron!) gifted us one of the books in the Star Wars "Be More" series, and of course it's the book about becoming more like Obi-Wan! We thought it would be fun to pick out our favorite passages and read them, and see what it takes to become more like our favorite Jedi. As the book says: "Glide elegantly through anything life throws at you with pearls of wisdom from Obi-Wan Kenobi and fellow sages. Learn how to face your fears and perfect your witty comebacks." In this episode, we'll try to do just that! Special thanks to our friend and follower, Ben, for the wonderful gift.
Paul Darnell, the man under the mask of the Inquisitor, Marrok, sits down with us at Collective Con 2026 to talk about his role in Ahsoka, stunt work, and what could be in store for the mysterious First Brother in future Star Wars stories. Then, Ivanna Sakhno—Shin Hati herself—joins us to talk about her role in Ahsoka, the tragic loss of Ray Stevenson, the recasting of Baylan Skoll with Rory McCann, and more!Follow and message us on Instagram to get 20% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Subscribe to Thank the Maker on YouTubeSupport Thank the Maker on Patreon:patreon.com/thankthemakerpodGet Thank the Maker merch:thankthemakermerch.comThank The Maker on social media:instagram.com/thankthemakerpodinstagram.com/armorpartyshowFollow the hosts on social media:instagram.com/adamtheskullinstagram.com/nickbaysideinstagram.com/williamryankeyinstagram.com/hondosupplytwitter.com/nickbaysidetwitter.com/williamryankeytwitter.com/hondosupply Ahsoka, Shin Hate, Baylan Skoll, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Ray Stevenson, Rory McCann, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi,
Darth Maul was cut in half at the end of The Phantom Menace — and then he spent a decade going slowly insane on a trash planet, came back, conquered Mandalore, and watched it all collapse again. With Maul: Shadow Lord arriving, Matthew and Erin lay out everything you need to know about how one of Star Wars' most iconic figures ended up here. Whether you're walking into Maul: Shadow Lord as a lifelong lore obsessive or someone who just remembers the double-bladed lightsaber, this is the episode that gets you ready.They trace Maul's full arc from Lotho Minor to the Siege of Mandalore: his obsessive fixation on Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Shadow Collective he built from crime lords and Death Watch soldiers, and the moment he used Satine's death to make Kenobi feel what he had felt for years. They also dig into what Order 66 actually cost him — not just the Shadow Collective, but the only two purposes that had been animating his life since The Phantom Menace.The conversation lands on what makes Maul: Shadow Lord such a compelling premise: Maul is the man who saw it all coming and was ignored by everyone. Now the war is over, his enemies are gone, and he has to figure out what he's fighting for. Plus, Erin makes a strong case for why Sam Witwer's voice performance is the reason anyone is this excited about a Maul show in the first place.Mentioned in This EpisodeThe Phantom MenaceStar Wars: The Clone Wars — Season 4, Season 7 (Siege of Mandalore arc)Solo: A Star Wars StoryAhsokaThe MandalorianThe Bad BatchRevenge of the SithStar Wars Generations Episode 324 — Maul, Death Watch, and the fall of MandaloreStar Wars Generations Episode 327 — Darth Maul in LegendsLinksConnect with Matthew: matthew@theethicalpanda.com · TikTok · Facebook · Instagram · Twitter/XConnect with Erin: Instagram · TikTok**************************************************************************This episode is a production of Star Wars Generations, an Ethical Panda podcast and part of the TruStory FM Entertainment Podcast Network. Check out our website to find out more about this show and our sister podcast Superhero Ethics.We want to hear from you! Keep up with our latest news and send us feedback, questions, or comments via social media or email.TikTok · Twitter/X · Instagram · Facebook · EmailTo learn more about co-host Erin and her incredible cosplay: Instagram · TikTokJoin the conversation in the Star Wars Generations and Superhero Ethics channels on the TruStory FM Discord.Want even more content while supporting the podcast? Become a member! For $5 a month or $55 a year you get access to bonus episodes and bonus content at the end of most episodes — and you can even give membership as a gift. Sign up here.You can also support us through our sponsors:Purchase a lightsaber from Level Up Sabers, run by friend of the podcast Neighborhood Master Alan.Use Audible for audiobooks. Sign up for a one-year membership or gift one through this link.Purchase any media discussed this week through our sponsored links.
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Let's break down a key set of stories to get you primed for the eagerly anticipated new animated series MAUL SHADOW LORD. We have a list spanning everything from The Phantom Menace to Rebels that we'll recap over two weeks. In part Two, we tackle The Clone Wars Season 7, Star Wars: Rebels and Solo: A Star Wars StoryFollow Will DiamondFollow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, Maul, Darth Maul, Sam Witwer
This week, James brings us everything we need to know about Maul. April 6th is the release of the first 2 episodes of the Maul TV Series, Maul: Shadow Lord. Before that comes out, we wanted you to know all about the man himself in this deep dive into what made him who he is. We break down Maul's origins, his training under Darth Sidious, and how his apparent death became the beginning of something far more interesting. From his rise to power on Mandalore to his role as a criminal mastermind, we explore how Maul transformed from a tool of the Sith into a character driven by revenge, survival, and ultimately purpose. We also discuss his relationships with key figures like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Savage Opress, and Emperor Palpatine, and how those rivalries shaped his destiny. Plus, we debate: is Maul truly a Sith, or something else entirely? Whether you're a longtime fan or just rediscovering Maul's story, this episode covers it all—his best moments, his most brutal fights, and the legacy he leaves behind. Grab your double-bladed lightsaber and join us as we unpack the tragedy, rage, and brilliance of Darth Maul in this epic adventure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Qui-Gon but Not Forgotten Ewan McGregor returns to the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in a 2022 miniseries that gives him another chance to school his rogue Padawan, Hayden Christensen, for rebranding himself as Darth Vader. But is the Force strong enough with this middle-aged Jedi Master to save little Princess Leia (Bird Box's Vivien Lyra Blair) after she's kidnapped by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea? And will Inquisitor Moses Ingram (The Queen's Gambit) succeed in her mission? Listen now to find out whether Arnie, Stuart, and Justin have renewed hope that Star Wars will thrive on Disney+.
Send us Fan MailMichigan freshman goalie Elizabeth Johnson joins the show to talk about how getting pelted by her older brother's friends in street hockey turned her into a fearless shot-stopper. We get into her journey from Concord, New Hampshire to Ann Arbor — including the recruiting summer she calls one of the best experiences of her life, bonding with her dad on road trips to tournaments across the country.EJ breaks down the mental side of starting as a freshman in a D1 program, why she writes a list of affirmations before every game, and how repeating "I'm built for this" carried her through double overtime against BC. She shares what she's learned training with Goaliesmith and working one-on-one with grad assistant Erin O'Grady (aka Obi-Wan Kenobi), including the biggest adjustment to her college game — playing smarter angles and creating lateral momentum to get behind faster shots.We also get into baiting shooters, why she practices with her stick in the wrong hand just to test her explosion, the importance of building relationships with your defense off the field, and why she'll never take off the sweatpants in goal.Key Topics:Street hockey origin story with older brotherAffirmations and positive self-talk in gamesDouble OT mindset against BCAdjusting arcs and angles for the college gameTraining with GoaliesmithMentorship from Aaron O'Grady and Shay DolceBaiting techniques and practicing new skills pressure-freeRecruiting journey and why she chose MichiganBuilding trust with your defense through relationshipsSupport the show
Let's break down a key set of stories to get you primed for the eagerly anticipated new animated series MAUL SHADOW LORD. We have a list spanning everything from The Phantom Menace to Rebels that we'll recap over two weeks. In part One, we go from The Phantom Menace to The Clone Wars season 4.Follow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth
We return with the back half of a little movie called Star Wars. We can finally talk about some of the most foundational moments in the franchise. The very first lightsaber duel--and its relationship to a little tv show called Obi-Wan Kenobi. The series' three protagonists finally sharing screen time. The Death Star trench run and its relationship to the Force and Technology. But we also get to talk about some of the stuff that gets lost along the way. Like about just how funny Star Wars has always been. How the Empire is already a bit of a send-up of bureaucrat sci-fi baddies. And how whether Lucas knew the particularities of their history or not, Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi show up with enough ambiguity and depth to carry years and years of storytelling to come. Show Notes George Lucas: The Wizard of 'Star Wars' | Rolling Stone REBEL SCANNERS: Preserving Star Wars (with Rob of TEAM NEGATIVE 1) Hosted by Rob Zacny (robzacny.bsky.social) Featuring Alicia Acampora (ali-online.bsky.social), Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social), and Natalie Watson (nataliewatson.bsky.social) Produced by Austin Walker Music by Jack de Quidt (notquitereal.bsky.social Cover art by Xeecee (xeecee.bsky.social)
There once was a man in VancouverWhose appendage got stuck in the hooverHe said, with a shout, "Get it out, get it out!!!"Before trying the Heimlich maneuver!Randy's away, Kev's home, and we're covering the opening track, "Play the Game", from 1980's triumphant masterpiece, The Game. Also, Obi Wan Kenobi? Weird!If Kev were to title this podcast, he'd probably call it “Play the Game”, or possibly, “Don't play baseball. Tis a boring game!” !NOTE: Skip forward to 31:27 if wanna get straight into the manifestations and wheel spin.The music at the end of the episode is from Absofunkinlutely's "black album", Residential Gas Leak. It's called Tell Me. I told you. Now go and listen to it here: https://youtu.be/l4qFPhc1Te0If you want to get involved in the Kofi Klub, you can make a donation here: https://ko-fi.com/seasidepodreview and let us know which song you want us to add to the wheel! We also have a private channel in our Discord community for donors.Follow us onFacebook: @seasidepodreviewDiscord: https://discord.gg/nrzr2mQjBluesky: @seasidepodreview.bsky.socialKo-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/seasidepodreviewBoneless Podcasting Network: https://boneless-catalogue-player.lovable.appAlso, check out Kev's other podcastsThe Tom Petty Project: https://tompettyproject.comThe Ultimate Catalogue Clash: https://shows.acast.com/uccAnd if you want to check out Randy's music, you can find it here:https://randywoodsband.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Obi-Wan Kenobi. There are so many things that come to mind when we think about Obi-Wan. He is the model Jedi Knight, a wise and understanding teacher, as well as a compassionate and reliable friend. Join us as we discuss why we love Obi-Wan and why his story is such an important part of Star Wars. Help us Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope! 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.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are sent to track Savage Oppress down after his attack on the Jedi. At the same time, Asajj Ventress enacts her revenge on Count Dooku. In this fully armed and operational episode of Podcast Stardust, we discuss: Our overall thoughts on this episode, Further thoughts on the difference between the Nightbrothers, Nightsistrs, and Zabrak, The presence of the Commandos, Having Anakin and Obi-Wan together in an episode of The Clone Wars again, How Dooku attempted to train Savage Oppress and parallels to other events in Star Wars, Dooku's grudge against King Katuunko, The fight between Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku, and Savage Oppress, and more. For more discussion of The Clone Wars, check out episode 1009. Thanks for joining us for another episode! Subscribe to Podcast Stardust for all your Star Wars news, reviews, and discussion wherever you get your podcasts. And please leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts. Find Jay and her cosplay adventures on J.Snips Cosplay on Instagram. Follow us on social media: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube. T-shirts, hoodies, stickers, masks, and posters are available on TeePublic. Find all episodes on RetroZap.com.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are sent to track Savage Oppress down after his attack on the Jedi. At the same time, Asajj Ventress enacts her revenge on Count Dooku.
Star Wars news has a lot to do with Galaxy's Edge and Video Games. Then James tells us all about a guy named Obi-Wan Kenobi? Finally: The bricks are back in the sandbox, and this time they brought history with them. In this episode, we dive into “Lego Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past”, the latest chapter in the delightfully scrambled galaxy far, far away. If you thought canon was sturdy, this special gleefully pops it apart like a Millennium Falcon mid-hyperdrive tune-up and snaps it back together in ways that would make even Darth Vader tilt his helmet. We break down the biggest twists, the blink-and-you'll-miss-it deep cuts, and the moments that had us pausing to say, “Wait… did they really just do that?” From unexpected character mashups to lore-bending brick wizardry, this installment leans fully into playful chaos while still sneaking in heartfelt beats under the plastic sheen. We also talk about how the special connects to the larger LEGO Star Wars universe, what longtime fans of Star Wars will appreciate most, and whether this story truly honors the “pieces of the past” or just joyfully rearranges them. Is it a clever remix of galactic history? A nostalgia-powered starfighter? Or just pure LEGO-fueled fun with a hyperdrive strapped to it? Grab your kyber crystals and your brick separators. It's time to rebuild the galaxy… again.
We dissect a new article from Variety about Kathleen Kennedy where she gives some new insights about the Lucasfilm handoff, AI boundaries and some fresh news about The Mandalorian and Grogu. For our chat about film marketing, check out: thequorum.comFollow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth
Towards the end of 2024, we gave a talk called What's Our Lineage? and then in May of 2025, we presented a sequel called Our Tantrik Lineage. Both these talks are my attempt to reflect upon and understand the diverse influences that pour like so many streams into my lectures and spiritual life. These two talks are also a commentary on how complex and nuanced the lineage of Sri Ramakrishna is! But even having presented these ideas over the course of the last three years, and even having given about 21 lectures on the the role of the guru in the Tāntrik tradition over the course of the last six years (they're all here in this playlist), there's still some confusion about who I am, whether or not I have the right to do what I do and whether or not my views are based. And in the interest of having a broader discussion on responsibility, integrity and accountability in the spiritual world, especially on the internet, we present this talk "What is Our Lineage, Actually" to reflect upon the tension between sticking to tradition and innovating beyond it! In this talk, our subtlest & most nuanced yet, we dicusss mīmāmsa, the reverential & yet critical reading of a sacred text with an appeal to Yāska's rules of grammar & etymology (Nirukta) before asking: are these still relevant and valuable today? In other words, do the rules still apply when we read texts now in the modern era?And more importantly, which texts should be read reverentially?Is there a sense in which the texts that are considered authoritative and sacred back then no longer hold the same place in light of modernity? And perhaps an even more cutting question is this: is there even a place for logic, grammar, etymology (i.e the analytical mind) in the study and practice of sacred texts like Vedas & Tantras? And if we don't think there is, then, what tools are left for us when it comes to discernment in our study and practice? More importantly, even if we accept Niruka (the rules of Sanskrit grammar and etymology), when we comment on a text is it ever exegetical (an unbiased attempt to explain what the text is saying) or is it necessarily, given the confirmation bias that we all carry, eisegesis (explaining a text to promote and support what we already believe). Besides these questions above, we ask a series of 8 difficult questions about the tensions between sticking to tradition and innovating beyond it! More importantly, I present a few different stories from our history to show some divergences between Gurus and their disciples:1. Ramanuja & Yamunacarya 2. Chaitanya, Krishna Bharati & Ishvara Puriand some more contemporary examples3. Vivekananda & Ramakrishna4. Chaitanyananda (Ayaji) & Amritananda Saraswati5. Anakin Skywalker & Obi Wan Kenobi to pose a few difficult questions about ekāvākyatā, sampradāyic consistency!Support the showLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and again at Friday 11am PST Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM
Check out books 17-20 of the Jedi Apprentice series to wrap up the Legends story of how Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi became master and padawan.
We're joined by the creative team behind the immersive Outer Rim cantina experience, SPACE DIVE, to talk about conceptualizing and building the annual event along with some previews for what to expect in 2026. For more info, please check out SPACE DIVEFollow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth
Tony Gilroy created one of the most vivid, realistic and vital analogues of our political reality in "ANDOR: A Star Wars Story." We're joined by political scientist, stand-up comedian and host of the "Behind the Data" podcast Andrea Jones-Rooy for a candid conversation about the intersection of politics and Star Wars. More about Andrea at her website. https://www.jonesrooy.com/Follow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth
Do we need new math to explain dark matter? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Paul Mecurio explore unsolved problems in math, simulation theory, base systems and more with mathematician Terence Tao.NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://startalkmedia.com/show/is-the-universe-a-math-problem-with-terence-tao/Thanks to our Patrons Drake Mccammon, Lourosa Thomas, Christopher, WireRider, Kevin Walter, Erik Majsai, Zoe Briskey, Roger W. Cavallo Jr., Tibi Chiorean, Maggie, Guy Cummins, Sean E, Sebastian, Ty Powell, Iceo Bergins, Anissa Aponte, Keith Autry, Guy_%, Kyle Kern, Scott Morris, Francisco Cueto, Psychoquark, Joe Rivera, Chris Coyle, Brian White, Michael Boring, Adrian Mihai, Rowdy Payton, Ben Huang, Jerred Cook, KennyS, Gonzalo Oria, Herb Tobias, Kevin Revels, Sean Taylor, AndersonRobotics, Faruk Arslan, Antonio Alcala, Rudolfo Munguia, Tim Winter, B Boyette, Pilar Rodriguez, Justin Brackenbury, Kosta Papageorgiou, Mickey Mouse, Charles Garcia, Sultan Bin Zaal, Brian Rall, Mike, Dave, Rodolphe Phelouzat, Joshua Fisher, Xan Kriegor, Michael L. Price, Wendy Welch, RichInDC, Justin Lebron, Brad Cook, Auralen Isara Maelis, Obi Wan Kenobi, Avinav Abraham, Stanko, Colton Murphy, Patrick Quinn, Haze, John Stamm, Roberto Delgado, Hans Gab, Richard Nolan, Tony R, Trisha Hadden, Stephen Flenley, Robby Vasquez, Abraham, Dr. Bebop, Damon, Richard Thompson, Prince N., David Rivanis, Daniel Slack, Guy Bergeson, Shawna Couplin, MrFish, Lisette Ramos-Voigt, Scott Mccoy, Steffen Thomas, Cassio Magellan Campos, Rodger Reinhardt, Michael Becker, Billie Lyons-Super, Todd Chambers, Mo Elzeinab, Talal, Joseph Glynn, John Hermanns, TheNaden, Mark Parker, Seth Davison, Anon328648926, and David Bentley for supporting us this week. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio 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 pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
We are so back! Star Wars is headed back to the big screen and we've got a trailer for it. Let's break down the official trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu. Follow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth
SABER is a feature-length documentary that follows a passionate group of LED saber combat athletes as they train for the Saber Legion World Championships in Las Vegas. But this isn't just a story about competition or fandoms, it's about the power of shared passions to bring people together.For more info on the film, check out SABERDOC.COMFollow Matthew WiattFollow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth
We're joined by Lacey and John from The Resistance Broadcast as we throw responsible speculation to the wind and try to prognosticate about all of the upcoming Star Wars projects with wild abandon.Follow Lacey GilleranFollow John HoeyFollow and message us on Instagram to get 15% off your first purchase at rsvlts.com!Follow TTM on social media: thankthemakerpod.comDonate to "WHAT CHOICE? - Star Wars Fans For Abortion Access" at gofundme.Follow the hosts on social media:Adam RussellNick GhanbarianWilliam Ryan KeyMike ForesterJason ChiodoAhsoka, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, The Bad Batch, The High Republic, #makesolo2happen, The Mandalorian, Star Wars Visions, Anime, Star Wars Anime, Disney Gallery, Galactic Starcruiser, Halcyon, Chandrila Star Line, Galaxy's Edge, Rogue Squadron, Disney+ Day, Hondo Supply, Armor Party, Kathleen Kennedy, Star Wars Celebration, Star Wars Black Series, Temuera Morrison, Black Krrsantan, Tosche Station, Danny Trejo, Fennec Shand, Ming-Na Wen, Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker, Cad Bane, Princess Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, Carrie Fisher, Tales of the Jedi, Cassian Andor, Bix Caleen, Brasso, Luthen Rael, Mon Mothma, Vel Sartha, Cinta Kaz, Dedra Meero, Syril Karn, Orson Krennic, Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth
We return to the final days of the old Republic. But not the Old Republic. That's different, now, that's like... an even older time before all this. Anyway, the Battle of Coruscant has concluded and its heroes, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi can finally come home for a little rest. And a little scheming. And a little paranoia. The Jedi Council members spin their wheels despite having all the clues. Palpatine spins the world around his finger. And Padme, Anakin's Wife (remember this), is also there. Next Time: The Rest of the Book Show Notes Hosted by Rob Zacny (robzacny.bsky.social) Featuring Alicia Acampora (ali-online.bsky.social), Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social), and Natalie Watson (nataliewatson.bsky.social) Produced by Austin Walker Music by Jack de Quidt (notquitereal.bsky.social Cover art by Xeecee (xeecee.bsky.social)
We review the latest rumors which indicate the time has come for Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy to step down from her leadership role to concentrate on producing films and Dave Filoni will be stepping up to have full creative control of the Star Wars franchise. We look at the pros and cons. We share memories of when Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars microseries premiered as a series of shorts on Cartoon Network back in 2003. A new still photo from The Mandalorian and Grogu was released this week and we look at the budget for the film and speculate on potential box office success. Plus, we dig deep into some Jon Favreau interview quotes for clues, revisit the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Star Wars in Pop Culture features Stranger Things and more!