Podcasts about World Builder

In this episode I'm inviting you into this question with me: “Is It Burnout Or The Energetic Expense Of A Spiritual Breakthrough?” Now let's be clear, sometimes it really is burn-out. Sometimes, no…a lot of the times, capitalism, the patriarchal refusal to compensate care work and the lack of a state sanctioned social safety net can really bring us to our knees and leave us feeling burned out. I want to acknowledge that, but what I also want to be emphatically clear about acknowledging is sometimes it is spiritual severance, self-denial and self-negation that is at the core of our exhaustion. What creative invitations have you been resisting? Let's take a look at that and try to answer these questions together. Resources Register for 4-Part Winter Worldbuilding Workshop: https://www.seedaschool.com/program Download the Creative Offer Questionnaire to Oneself: https://www.seedaschool.com/questionnaire Subscribe to the Seeda School Substack: https://seedaschool.substack.com/ Follow Ayana on Instagram: ⁠@ayzaco⁠ Follow Seeda School on Instagram: ⁠@seedaschool Citations For the Worldbuilder's Episode 52 “Releasing the Burden of Being Complicit In Our Own Suffering” published July 4, 2024 Karen M. Rose “Happy 2025 + Capricorn New Moon” Guidance Alexis Pauline Gumbs “Live Q&A About Daily Practice” Mundane Miracles with Sonya Renee Taylor “Episode 6: Let Your Old Life Fall Away” *The Oxford Anthology of African-American Poetry* edited by Arnold Rampersad and Hilary Herbold “Poetry Is Not A Luxury” by Audre Lorde “Uses of the Erotic, The Erotic As Power” by Audre Lorde Cover Art: Mary L. Proctor's Freedom of Expression (1998) Materials: Costume jewelry, buttons, cowrie shells, paint, on wood door. Dimensions: 80 x 30.5 inches. Image Source

Notes and Links to Fernanda Trías' Work    Fernanda Trías was born in Uruguay and is the award-winning author of three novels, two of which have been published in English. She is also the author of the short story collection No soñarás flores and the chapbook El regreso. A writer and instructor of creative writing, she holds an MFA in creative writing from New York University. She was awarded the National Uruguayan Literature Prize, The Critics' Choice Award Bartolomé Hidalgo, and the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz International Prize in Mexico for her novel Pink Slime. Both The Rooftop and Pink Slime were awarded the British PEN Translates Award, and Pink Slime was chosen by The New York Times in Spanish as one of the ten best books of 2020. Translation rights for her work have been sold in fifteen languages. She currently lives in Bogotá, Colombia, where she is a teacher at the creative writing MFA program of Instituto Caro y Cuervo. In 2017, she was selected as Writer-in-Residence at the Casa de Velázquez in Madrid, where she started writing her latest novel, Pink Slime. Buy Pink Slime   Fernanda Trias' Publisher Page for Simon and Schuster   Review of Pink Slime from Reactor Mag At about 2:00, Pete and Fernanda discuss the book's Spanish and English titles and different subtleties of each; Fernanda details how she decided to title the book as she dd At about 3:20, Annie McDermott, Episode 91 and Mario Levrero shout outs! At about 4:00, Fernanda discusses her reading life growing up, the ways in which better translations slowly came to Uruguay, and reading  At about 6:45, Fernanda talks about respect for Garcia Marquez, though not being a huge fan, and cites Juan Rulfo as “perfección” At about 8:15, Pete expands on a Rulfo favorite of his, “No Oyes Ladrar los Perros,” and Fernanda expands on her love of Rulfo's Pedro Paramo  At about 10:05, Fernanda talks about favorite contemporary authors, like Herta Muller and Olga Tokarczuk  At about 12:00, Pete shouts out Jennifer Croft, and Fernanda responds to Pete's questions about why there is such a affinity for Eastern European writing in Latin América, and she specifies the Río Plata region as connected  At about 14:55, Fernanda describes her familial connections to Europe-particularly Italy and Spain At about 17:15, Fernanda responds to Pete's question about seeds for her writing life At about 19:05, Fernanda references The Stranger and El Lugar by Levrero as chill-inducing books At about 21:30, Pete is complimentary of Fernanda's worldbuilding, and she expands on what she loves about it At about 23:00, Pete and Fernanda discuss translation in her book, especially of colloquialisms like “ni fu ni fa” At about 26:25, Fernanda responds to Pete's question about climate change and other stimuli for Mugre Rosa/Pink Slime At about 28:50, Pete mentions the book's interesting dialogues that complement the action, and Fernanda expands on the evolving dialogues   At about 30:50, Fernanda talks about the book's opening and the “first image” in her mind of a foggy port that creates an ambience for the book At about 33:45, Pete shares laudatory blurbs for the book, especially about the book's “envelop[ing]” world built by Fernanda At about 34:25, Fernanda describes the book's opening, including a pivotal scene involving a possible last fish At about 37:05, Pete wonders about nostalgia, and Fernanda talks about her interest and lack of interest in certain ideas of what has been lost  At about 39:40, Fernanda discusses the relationship between the narrator and Max and its significance in the novel, especially in charting changes in the narrator as the book continues At about 44:20, Pete points out a funny saying/joke from the book and Fernanda outlines her conversations with Heather Cleary in the translating of the joke At about 46:05, The two discuss “surrendering and letting go” and connections to the novel and specifically, the narrator and Max's relationship  At about 47:30, Pete lays out some basics on the relationships between the narrator and her mother, as well as her work situation with Mauro; Fernanda talks about how Covid's social dynamics have mirrored so many parts of her novel and the ways in which the rich were able to move to safety    At about 51:45, the two discuss the differing relationships between the narrator's two mother figure-Fernanda talks about the key questions of “What is a mother?” At about 55:50, Fernanda and Pete discuss Mauro and his health condition and his memories of the time outlined in the book At about 58:00, Pete and Fernanda reflect on ideas of community and if there is optimism/hope that comes with the book  At about 1:01:50, The two discuss ideas of systems and individuals' culpability  At about 1:04:00, Fernanda gives social media info, and places to buy her book      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.       I am very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode features segments from conversations with Jeff Pearlman, Matt Bell, F. Douglas Brown, Jorge Lacera, Jean Guererro, Rachel Yoder, and more, as they reflect on chill-inducing writers who have inspired their own work. I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 264 with Maggie Sheffer. She is Professor of Practice at Tulane University, where she teaches courses in design thinking and speculative fiction as tools for social change. She is a founding member of Third Lantern Lit, a local writing collective, and her debut short story collection, The Man in the Banana Trees, was selected by judge Jamil Jan Kochai for the Iowa Short Fiction Award, and is published as of November 5.    The episode airs on December 3.    Lastly, please go to ceasefiretoday.com, which features 10+ actions to help bring about Ceasefire in Gaza.

Nick Terry started his career at Buena Vista Pictures Marketing before moving to Paradigm Talent & Literary Agency. He then transitioned into talent management under Jeri Scott and Bernie Brillstein's mentorship. Prior to World Builder Entertainment, Nick worked at Zero Gravity Management with actors, writers, and directors. At World Builder, he represents a wide range of clients, developing content and new opportunities. He's actively involved in his clients' day-to-day business, serving as a liaison with external partners. Nick is a member of the Television Academy, an HRTS member, and a Jr. Hollywood Radio and Television Society mentor.  www.worldbuilderent.com X @NickTerryMgr Connect with your host Kaia all Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia  Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1 Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I almost titled this podcast “On Aligning Your Practice with Your Capacity and Surrendering to the Air”. Both work. A question for you: What would it feel like to pause and breathe into a deep, longgggg stretch instead of a sprint? I need to continue challenging myself. Rigor, change and curiosity are the electricity of my life, I'm clear on that. Capricorn rising, Gemini Sun over here. But what might it look like to prioritize the steady over the surge, the flow over the wave? What might it look like to prioritize the practice over the launch? Register for the free Worldbuilding Workshop, “Seed A Practice Rooted in the Truth of Your Desire” and check out the Worldbuilder's Way Compass here. Subscribe to ⁠Seeda School Substack⁠ for weekly essay and podcast releases straight into your inbox Follow Ayana on Instagram: ⁠@ayzaco⁠ Follow Seeda School on Instagram: ⁠@seedaschool Off the Grid episode titled, “Success is a Cycle (& Sometimes That Sucks)” by Amelia Hruby Cover Art: Amy Sherald, If you surrendered to the air, you could ride it (2019) Oil on canvas. Overall: 130 × 108 × 2 1/2in. (330.2 × 274.3 × 6.4 cm)

In this episode of Emergent Behavior, @8teapi talks with Hedra co-founder Michael Lingelbach. Listen as he shares his vision for a future of AI-powered storytelling, where creators can seamlessly blend real and generated content to bring their unique visions to life. Hedra believes that AI can empower storytellers of all levels, enabling them to create professional-quality video content without needing extensive technical expertise. Explore the democratization of video production with accessible AI tools and discover Hedra's vision for an AI-powered future where anyone can create compelling video content.

Creation Corner: Hungry for more worldbuilding ideas? Today we get to speak with our youngest Worldbuilder yet. Maxsun wrote us a glowing review that we read in a recent episode. In this episode we sit down with him to talk about his own creative endeavors, and what he has in store for some lucky gamers. There's some neat ideas to dig into in this one! ----- If you're interested in continuing the conversation, you can send your thoughts our way on Twitter, Instagram, or through our Discord server. Finally, we invite you to join our family friendly Discord server! Please check us out at https://discord.com/invite/sUUJp78r3E. ----- We didn't use any Creative Commons sound effects this time, but we still like to give credit to freesound.org, a fantastic resource for completely free sound effects. We also did not use some any Battlebards sound effects, but check them out at battlebards.com. If you sign up for a Prime account, be sure to use our special code, stack, and you'll get a 20% discount on your subscription. And now, on with the show-- we're excited to tell a story with you.

Alex McDowell is a production designer who has created environments for movies including The Crow, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Fight Club, Minority Report, The Terminal, Corpse Bride, Watchmen, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Man of Steel.He has done graphic design work with musicians like The Clash, Iggy Pop, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Queen, Neil Young, Madonna, Michael Jackson, ZZ Top, and Aerosmith. He has produced commercials for brands like Nike, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Chanel, and Sony with director David Fincher.Currently Alex runs Experimental Design, powered by his “World Building” practice, doing innovation and design work for companies like Boeing, Ford, Volvo, and MoMA.VISIT OUR AFFILIATES TO SUPPORT US- Framer – the best website builder: https://www.framer.com/?via=designdisciplin- ProtoPie – the best hi-fi prototyping tool: https://www.protopie.io/?ref=designdisciplin- LucidChart – the best way to create diagrams: https://try.lucid.co/ddPRODUCTS MENTIONED- How Innovation Works by Matt Ridley: https://geni.us/how-innovation- Butter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ButterON OUR WEBSITEhttp://designdisciplin.com/alex-mcdowellSOCIALWebsite: http://designdisciplin.com​Twitter: http://twitter.com/designdisciplin/TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@designdisciplinInstagram: http://instagram.com/designdisciplin/Main YouTube: http://youtube.com/@designdisciplinPodcast YouTube: http://youtube.com/@designdisciplin_podcastApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/design-disciplin/id1553829029Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VqYFGscuM2UVgtdZfk1hrCHAPTERS00:00 Intro04:08 Realizes that design is a job09:20 Style, philosophy, method, narrative13:45 "The only control you have...."19:55 What is production design?29:48 World Building35:10 Building worlds for a living43:02 Collaborations47:51 The teams who build worlds51:17 Influences54:04 The most amazing design products of all time56:35 What's next?

Johnny Fraser-Allen in conversation with Jordan Sorcery.After working as a conceptual and special effects artist at Weta Workshop on films like Steven Spielberg's BFG, Guillermo Del Toro and then Peter Jackson's the Hobbit movies, and James Cameron's Avatar Johnny Fraser-Allen began making miniatures for gaming in the fantasy realms he loves so much.Working with Alessio Cavatore & Riverhorse Games Johnny designed the miniatures for the boardgame adaptations of Jim Henson's Labyrinth and Dark Crystal. As a lifelong Warhammer fan his work has been featured on Warhammer Community, and his incredible creations have regularly appeared on Adam Savage's Tested.And all of that is before the creation of his 20-year-in-the-making magical world of The Gloaming. A folktale and fae inspired fantasy world drawing on European and Antipodean myths & legends, filled with incredible creatures, and perhaps one of the most immersive game settings ever devised. A full-size tour of The Gloaming has been produced by Weta with narration by Stephen Fry, and Johnny has been working on a series of campaigns to release 28mm scale miniatures and printable STLs for the denizens of this otherworldly place.Support my work:Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/jordansorcery]Element Games Affiliate Link [https://elementgames.co.uk/?d=11216]Download my Fantasy Battle Scenario: Dead King Wenceslas [https://jordansorcery.itch.io/dead-king-wenceslas]Ko-Fi [https://ko-fi.com/jordansorcery]Discord [https://discord.gg/vtjKzTGevD]This episode was originally released via YouTube: https://youtu.be/iVcVl3uidWM

I'm Josh Cooperman and this is another installment of Convo By Design presents WestEdge Wednesday, a look back at all of the incredible programming from the 2023 edition of the WestEdge Design Fair held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. These conversations were held on the stage designed by Marie Designs and presented by BR Home. This is part five in our series, entitled Rise of the Machines: How AI will Revolutionize the Design Industry. This conversation is moderated by yours truly and features Rachel Joy Victor, a designer, strategist, and worldbuilder, working with emergent technologies and mediums (XR, AI, web3) to create computational narrative, brand, and product experiences where systems & humans meet and Joshua Dawson, film director known for incorporating the built environment as an essential character in his films. In his body of work, termed "Speculative Climate Futures," he seamlessly melds CGI and live-action to explore water politics, resource extraction, and the impact of climate change on low-income communities of color. Dawson, a Master's graduate in Advanced Architectural Studies from the University of Southern California. Joshua's short films have premiered at festivals worldwide and have been showcased on platforms like Canal 180, the National Museum of Australia, and Vice Motherboard. Notably, his work has won the Jury Prize for Best Science Fiction Film at the Oscar-qualifying Cinequest Film Festival and a Core77 Design Award. Recently, Joshua was honored with a comprehensive profile in The New York Times and interviewed by the weather channel. Beyond his directorial role, Dawson extends his expertise as a World Builder and Conceptual Design consultant to Hollywood productions. Thank you to Convo By Design partners and sponsors ThermaSol, Moya Living and Design Hardware for making the podcast possible and thank you for listening and watching these episodes of the show. For links to all our partners, guests on this episode, WestEdge Design Fair, Marbe and BR Home. For those not familiar …   The Banana Republic lifestyle brand portfolio is known for delivering timeless ready-to-wear styles, and BR Home signals the brand's transformation into a leading destination for the modern explorer.  Expanding across living room, bedroom and dining room furniture as well as lighting, bedding, and home décor, BR Home showcases materials and craftsmanship from around the world, showcasing signature design details, warm, textural layers, natural materials and traditional production techniques. Please check the podcast show notes for links and you can find that at Convo By Design dot com and click the podcast tab. Thanks for watching and listening. Be well and take today first. - CXD

Notes and Links to Kate  Maruyama's Work        For Episode 216, Pete welcomes Kate Maruyama, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early reading and writing and love of diverse works from that of James Baldwin to Stephen King's work, connections between Catholicism and writing horror, the ways in which teaching and writing commingle, writing allegory and its connection to plot, the ways in which she wrote convincingly of the COVID quarantine, and key themes in her novellas, including race and racism, class, generational traumas and family cycles, and privilege and family culpability.    Kate Maruyama was raised on books and weaned on movies in a small college town in New England. She writes, teaches, cooks, and eats in Los Angeles, where she lives with her family.    Her novel, Harrowgate was published by 47North in 2013 and her novella Family Solstice named Best Fiction Book of 2021 by Rue Morgue Magazine was published by Omnium Gatherum. Her novella Halloween Beyond: a Gentleman's Suit appears in Halloween Beyond: Piercing the Veil is out now from Crystal Lake Publishing and Bleak Houses is available from Raw Dog Screaming Press, released in August 2023. Her short work has appeared in Asimov's Magazine, Analog SF among other journals and in numerous anthologies including Winter Horror Days, Halloween Carnival Three, and December Tales.     Buy Bleak Houses   Kate's Website at CA State LA   A Review from The Skiffy and Fanty Show for Bleak Houses At about 2:15, Kate talks about her reading and writing life as a child, and the town where she grew up   At about 4:00, Kate cites the Oz series and other fantasy/imaginative/horror books that shaped her literary tastes, including “formative” works by Stephen King   At about 6:40, The two discuss the connections between Catholicism and horror writing   At about 8:45, Kate discusses works and authors, especially James Baldwin and Another Country, which have inspired and influenced her   At about 10:00, The two discuss a real-life example from her life/background which made it into Kate's fiction   At about 11:15, Kate traces the ways in which her teaching informs her writing, and vice versa   At about 13:40, Kate gives background on the publishing journey and seeds for Bleak Houses   At about 15:00, Kate responds to Pete's questions about the genre(s) for her work   At about 17:00, Pete lays out the book's exposition and compliments Kate on writing about the early COVID days, asking her how she handled perspective in writing about the time   At about 19:40, Kate provides background on seeds for the book's first novella, especially Wolf's Lair and Beechwood Canyon   At about 20:20, Kate and Pete discuss some of the important characters in “Safer”, and Kate describes how working within Hollywood for years gave her inspiration for Celine     At about 23:00, Celine's son Story and his haunted friends are connected to Mr. Wolf's real-life story   At about 26:15, Kate discusses a chilling scene from the book that Pete compliments for its tension   At about 29:10, The two discuss themes from “Safer,” including power dynamics based on class and race; Kate talks about twisted ways in which those needing a job were often exploited during the early days of quarantine    At about 33:20, Pete compliments the thrilling action scenes written by Kate in “Safer”   At about 34:05, Pete asks about the history of the real-life house that inspired “Family Solstice,” and Kate talks about the importance of the solstice in general, and the seeds for the novella   At about 37:00, Pete sets out some of the novella's exposition and highlights key characters and key character traits    At about 39:00, Kate discusses the mother's passivity and possible reasons for it   At about 40:25, Kate responds to Pete's questions about “sitting in judgment” of her characters    At about 41:30, The two discuss generational traumas and cycles and questions of culpability in connection to Shea and her sister as differing narrators in the novella   At about 42:50, Pete wonders about how Kate balanced plot and allegory   At about 44:50, Kate discusses writing symbolism and politically and    At about 46:20, Kate shares exciting new projects   At about 49:10, Kate shares contact information    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 217 with Jeffrey Sharlet. He is the New York Times and national bestselling author of THE FAMILY and C STREET. He was an executive producer of the five-part Netflix series The Family (2019), based on two of his books. His newest book is THE UNDERTOW: Scenes from a Slow Civil War.    The episode will air on December 19.  

Notes and Links to Nick Fuller Googins' Work        For Episode 215, Pete welcomes Nick Fuller Googins, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early reading and writing and love of fellow Mainer Stephen King, the joys of unabated and carefree reading, how teaching informs his writing and vice versa, making climate fiction that is inherently hopeful, the “Green New Deal” and other seeds for prominent themes in his wonderful novel, including community and mutual aid, optimism, retribution, collective action, and more.      Nick Fuller Googins is the author of the novel, The Great Transition (Atria Books). His short fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, Men's Health, The Sun, The Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. He lives in Maine, and works as an elementary school teacher. He is a member of the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, as well as the National Education Association, the largest labor union in the United States.     Buy The Great Transition   Nick's Website    “A ‘Hopeful Climate Change Novel' ”-An Interview with Chicago Review of Books At about 1:30, Nick talks about his previously-published work in Men's Health   At about 3:30, Nick discusses his feelings of IGAM, an acronym used in his book for music   At about 4:20, Nick talks about his early reading and writing   At about 5:20, Nick talks about recreating the lazy and beautiful childhood days consumed with reading this past summer   At about 6:15, Nick talks about early writing-”happy stuff” for local Santa Monica papers, like The Santa Monica Mirror   At about 7:25, Nick talks about books and writers that were his “gateway into real adult literature,” including Stephen King   At about 9:20, Nick reflects on how his writing affects his teaching, and vice versa   At about 12:00, Nick shares how he was able to do unboxing of his book with his students and share his journey with his students    At about 15:00, Nick shares how he is able to talk climate crisis with his 4th graders   At about 16:00, Nick talks about the “challenge” of involving “such a unique figure” as Greta Thunberg in his book   At about 17:25, Pete gives background on Nick's novel, compliments its greatness, and shares blurb   At about 18:30, Nick gives seeds on the book's genesis, including how working with Los Angeles' GRID Alternatives was a huge moment    At about 22:50, Nick responds to Pete's questions about “taking the long view” and opening up any creativity   At about 26:50, Pete lays out the book's opening scene and asks Nick why he decided to start the book he did   At about 28:15, Pete traces some of the book's opening scenes, leading Nick to give background on Christina's character   At about 31:50, Nick discusses the “spectrum” of justice and injustice that propelled him forward in writing his book   At about 32:15, The two discuss discussions of guilt and burdens and expectations of successive generations as featured in the novel; Nick mentions recent migrants to his school and quick transitions and the work of Svetalana Alexievich    At about 36:50 (38:20), Pete talks about a parallel storyline and asks Nick his thoughts about optimism and pessimism as expressed in the novel and outside of the novel   At about 42:00, The two discuss the differing world views of Larch and Christina in the novel, and Pete wonders if the two were a “good match,” and Nick expands upon their shared history and individual histories    At about 46:20, Pete cites the book's creative and skillful narration choices    At about 47:20, Nick references Toni Early and her quote on “lighting fuses” in how he wrote his book   At about 48:00, Pete compares the reading experience of The Great Transition   At about 49:00, Pete asks Nick about the theme of community and expressed in the book   At about 53:50, Nick shares a story of a very hopeful time, and muses that similar movements will happen again   At about 57:00, Nick talks about exciting upcoming projects      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 216 with Kate Maruyama, whose novel, Harrowgate was published by 47North in 2013. Her novella Family Solstice was named Best Fiction Book of 2021 by Rue Morgue Magazine, and her short work has appeared in Asimov's Magazine, Analog SF among other journals.    The episode will air on December 12.

  Notes and Links to Julie Carrick Dalton's Work        For Episode 209, Pete welcomes Julie Carrick Dalton, and the two discuss, among other topics, her early relationship with nature and reading, formative and transformative teachers, how her journalism career informs her fiction and vice versa, the wondrous bee, and salient themes and topics from her book, including ecology, loss and love, climate change and hope, and whether the book is a call to action.          Julie Carrick Dalton is the author of The Last Beekeeper and Waiting for the Night Song, a CNN, USA Today, Parade, and Newsweek Most Anticipated novel. Her writing has appeared in BusinessWeek, The Boston Globe, The Hollywood Reporter, Orion, Chicago Review of Books, Lit Hub, Electric Literature, and other publications. An adjunct writing instructor for Drexel University's MFA program, Julie is currently working on her third novel, slated for publication in 2025.   Julie's Website   Buy Th   Book Review from New York Journal of Books At about 1:30, the two discuss Philadelphia   At about 3:00, Julie discusses her upcoming novel, slated for 2025 publication   At about 4:40, Julie describes her experiences as a child with story-including puppeteering!-and nature   At about 6:45, Squirrels and chipmunks-which are which?   At about 7:45, More discussion of puppets shows and foibles!   At about 8:30, Julie and Pete discuss loss of innocence and awe and wonder, and Julie expands on some of her writing that deals with these topics   At about 10:05, Julie discusses formative and transformative reading-including work about “mysterious events”   At about 11:05-12:40, Julie shares experiences with two inspirational teachers of hers and the ways in which her writing skill and affection grew   At about 12:45, Julie responds to Pete's questions about the ways in which journalism affects her fiction writing and vice versa   At about 15:00, When asked to name some current writing that moves and challenges her, Julie shouts out the “engaging” climate reporting from The New York Times, and Charlotte McConaghy   At about 17:15, Julie shares an anecdote about how teaching and parenting have influenced her writing, including a boat trip that led to a book   At about 20:15, Julie responds to Pete's question about seeds for the book by referencing a real-life loss of 40,000 bees   At about 22:00, Julie speaks about bees' importance and how food security and honeybees' pollination    At about 25:45, Pete and Julie discuss the book's opening scene and the ways in which fictional and real bees are in tune with the “G” note and ideas of “harmony”   At about 28:20, Pete marvels at ideas of notes and harmonizing in music, and Julie as a violinist and pianist explains a bit further   At about 29:30, Pete sets the book's exposition and asks Julie to summarize the state of the world in the book's adult timeline    At about 33:00, Julie explains why she chose to omit any mentions of time/years/etc.   At about 33:40, The two discuss and characterize some people in the book, including the protagonist's family and her housemates/squatters, and Julie explains some motivations for the “found family” members   At about 36:15, Julie responds to Pete's wondering about the world of the story and homophobia    At about 37:30, Pete refers to the book's apiary and inquires about any psychological insights Julie might have in the father's actions and choices   At about 40:25, Julie discusses Sasha's relationships with the bees and her deceased mother    At about 43:10, Julie expands upon the character of Uncle Chuck, “a complicated guy”   At about 45:50, Another Sopranos' reference from Pete!   At about 47:00, Julie tiptoes around some plot spoilers in describing the book's pivotal 11th birthday for Sasha   At about 48:25, Pete and Julie discuss some intriguing characters in the book   At about 50:10, Pete compliments the book's ending and asks Julie about the book as a “call to action”; she talks about the book as allegory and as story    At about 52:00, Julie brings forth some hopeful ideas in the book regarding nature/climate change and she and Pete discuss her elimination of oil and gas in the future   At about 53:55, Pete notes interesting ideas of nature as cyclical and points to “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Bradbury   At about 55:40, Julie gives out social media information and recommends indie stores to buy her book, as well as Bookshop.org       You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com. Please tune in for Episode 210 with Dan Sinykin. He is assistant professor of English at Emory University with a courtesy appointment in Quantitative Theory and Methods whose book, Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature, comes out with Columbia University Press on October 24, the date the episode airs.

I interviewed Meta Horizon World Builder Paige Dansinger at Meta Connect 2023. See more context in the rough transcript below. This is a listener-supported podcast through the Voices of VR Patreon. Music: Fatality

Notes and Links to Josh Riedel's Work      For Episode 205, Pete welcomes Josh Riedel, and the two discuss, among other topics, his Midwestern upbringing and early reading and writing, his love of Choose Your Own Adventure books, his evolving reading tastes, the experiences in early tech-at Facebook and as Employee #1 for Instagram-that inspired much of his book, and throughlines in the book like intimacy and connections, the free and not so free exchange of ideas, and the ways in which social media and Big Tech has altered our world and ourselves.      Josh Riedel was the first employee at Instagram, where he worked for several years before earning his MFA from the University of Arizona. His short stories have appeared in One Story, Passages North, and Sycamore Review. Please Report Your Bug Here is his first novel. He lives in San Francisco, California.     Josh Riedel's Website   Buy Please Report Your Bug Here   Chicago Review of Books Review of Please Report Your Bug Here       At about 1:45, Josh discusses his childhood reading and writing and Midwest upbringing in response to Pete citing an intriguing quote from    At about 5:20, The two discuss Josh's writing style and his reading and understanding of fellow Illinoisian David Foster Wallace and the power of Dave Eggers' work   At about 7:50, Peter Rock and Tony Early and Tin House are highlighted as helpful in shaping Josh's love of writing and writing and writing style   At about 9:30, Josh discusses his early days of working at Facebook and seeing working in tech as an aesthetic pursuit    At about 12:40, Josh gives background on how he became Instagram Employee #1   At about 16:20, Josh discusses what drew him to early tech worlds, and what he still respects about the industry    At about 20:45, Josh shares seeds for the book   At about 22:10, Josh talks about how time and physical distance helped him to better write his book   At about 23:40, Johs defines and explains the meanings of “bug” in the tech world and provides some examples    At about 24:45, Pete relates some of the book's exposition and Josh replies to Pete's questions about NDA's in tech and the ways they affect the consumer    At about 26:35, Josh speaks about the ways in which he characterizes The Founder in the book   At about 30:30, Josh speaks about the book's mission statement scenes and the possible naivete of the protagonist Ethan     At about 33:15, Josh and Pete speak about the work/rest balance in tech companies and the ways in which it has changed/evolved   At about 37:40, Pete wonders who Noma is to Ethan in the book and Josh responds    At about 38:50, Pete sets up what happens early in the book with Ethan's 100% match; Josh describes how this scene pushes the book in a surreal direction    At about 42:15, Josh and Pete describe how Noma takes Ethan out of his work bubble    At about 43:20, The two sum up the startup's roster and lay out The Corporation's machinations    At about 44:30, Yarbo is described by Josh in its makeup and philosophy   At about 46:00, Pete charts the Portals and surrealism of the book that becomes a/the main conflict    At about 49:00, Josh talks about bigger issues of connection that have changed since the book's main setting of 2010 ish   At about 52:10, The two discuss “curated profiles” based on a profound quote from the book   At about 53:45, Josh responds to Pete's questions on the unique and successful ending   At about 55:45, Josh discusses interesting upcoming projects and mentions a different topic about which he recently wrote for Esquire     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 206 with David Mura, whose memoirs, poems, essays, plays and performances have won wide critical praise and numerous awards. The topics range from contemporary Japan to the legacy of the internment camps and the history of Japanese Americans to critical explorations of an increasingly diverse America. His most recent standout is The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself.    The episode will air on September 29.  

Matthew Medney is not only the Founder, CEO and Co- Lead Writer at Herø Projects, the leader in custom animated storytelling for the stars. He is also the Head Writer for web3 gaming juggernaut Star Atlas, and a published author in his own right. If that wasn't enough for the eccentric renaissance man, Matthew is also the former CEO of the seminal and generational genre bending company, Heavy Metal. However his passion for writing and world building has never faltered. A creative force with dozens of graphic titles and his debut novel series Beyond Kuiper, hitting #1 on Amazon Best Seller lists for Hard Science Fiction. Matthew is creating during every moment of his existence. @MatthewMedney writerstake.substack.com Matthew's NFL comic: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxbmr9eP5Jl/?igshid=NzZhOTFlYzFmZQ== https://matthewmedney.com/ www.heroprojects.io Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia  Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Herein we review - with the authors' blessing - three full games published in the 2d20 World Builder's program: Ashland, Mermaids of the Depths, and Sentience. Join the conversation on Discord: https://discord.gg/5AtydRUDjX --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fluffncrunch/message

We've seen the rise of no-code and low-code platforms being applied to any number of applications and use-cases. What would happen if this thinking was applied to metaverse-style virtual worlds?

Episode 193 Notes and Links to Ethan Chatagnier's Work       On Episode 193 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Ethan Chatagnier, and the two discuss, among other things, Ethan's early reading and writing-John Saul!-his transformative and formative moments and educators at Fresno State, and salient issues in Singer Distance like emotional distance, entropy, father-child relationships, optimism and pessimism, and successful plot structures and schematics.       Ethan Chatagnier is the author of Singer Distance, a novel published by Tin House Books in October 2022, and of Warnings from the Future, a story collection from Acre Books in 2018. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of literary journals including the Kenyon Review Online, Georgia Review, New England Review, Story, Five Points, Michigan Quarterly Review, and the Cincinnati Review. His stories have won a Pushcart Prize and been listed as notable in the Best American Short Stories and the Million Writers Award.    He is a graduate of Fresno State, where he won the Larry Levis Prize in Poetry, and of Emerson College, where he earned an MA in Publishing and Writing. He lives in Fresno, California with his family.       Buy Singer Distance   Ethan's Website   Review of Singer Distance from Kirkus Review At about 3:00, Ethan discusses his early relationship with reading and writing-John Saul shout out!   At about 6:30, Ethan discusses his wrestling career and how writing and reading became more of interest    At about 9:30, Ethan discusses mentors and great professors at Fresno State, including Juan Felipe Herrera and Steve Yarbrough   At about 11:40, Ethan responds to Pete's questions about whether or not he wants to write widely or more focused on single subjects   At about 14:10, Ken Kalfus' Equilateral is cited as inspiration for Singer Distance   At about 15:15, Erika Swyler,  Kazuo Ishiguro, and R.F. Kuang are shouted out as contemporary writers who thrill and challenge Ethan    At about 17:20, Pete compliments Ethan for plot twists and asks him about how he balances science and plot   At about 18:15, Ethan summarizes the book and gives necessary background information and backstory   At about 23:15, Ethan responds to Pete's wondering about the speculative nature of women, especially Crystal Singer, in a pre-ERA world   At about 24:40, Pete reads a profound line from the book and asks Ethan about young and fervent love's role in the book   At about 26:50, Ethan connects an analogy about garbage in the book to Crystal and Rick's relationship    At about 28:30, Ethan and Pete share some of the early plot and discuss ideas of fame and ethereal happiness   At about 31:50, Ethan sums up Crystal's actions after her great feat in the Arizona desert, and what motivations she might have had due to her family situation    At about 34:30, Crystal and Rick are discussed in their shared love for Holliday, a famous scientist in the media   At about 36:35, Pete wonders about Rick's fractured relationship with his dad, Ethan talks about it being “a rift that was waiting to happen”   At about 37:55, Ethan shares a telling anecdote about fathers and sons from Steve Yarbrough's class at Fresno State   At about 39:30, Pete notes the ways in which “distance” is used in the book and spotlights a beautifully-drawn scene   At about 40:25, Pete lays out the book's structure and its parts and charts the beginning of Part II   At about 42:00, Ethan follows up on Pete noting that Rick's colleague Angie can't quite break through his emotional armor and why Rick sort of “get[s] by” in life and in his career   At about 44:25, The two discuss entropy and its usage in the book   At about 45:00, “Loneliness on the top” and obsession with regards to Crystal is discussed; he also juxtaposes with an author's situation in writing a second book after a successful first one   At about 48:55, Pete reads some heaping praise for the book, including from NPR, and Ethan talks about connections made and renewed after publicity for the book   At about 50:40, Pete asks Ethan about optimism and pessimism in the book, specifically in its ending; Ethan calls it “surprisingly hopeful” and gives an example of a vastly-depressing short story of his   At about 55:15, Ethan talks about his work and any interest in screenwriting   At about 57:45, Ethan talks about choosing upcoming projects, and gives out social media and contact information You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 194 with Ruth Madievsky, whose debut novel, All-Night Pharmacy, came out on July 11 with Catapult, and has been named a Best/Most Anticipated 2023 Book by The Los Angeles Times, Vogue, and Buzzfeed. Ruth's debut poetry collection, Emergency Brake, was winner of the Wrolstad Contemporary Poetry Series.     The episode will air on July 25.

I'm currently renovating my studio and instead of taking this week off, I wanted to share a really inspiring interview I did with Nikki White on my Spcial Needs Ohio podcast. Nikki White is from Raising Raymie on Instagram and Facebook. Nikki is here to talk about her autism parenting journey, and share what life is like for her amazing family, from her perspective.About Nikki White: Nikki is a wife and mother of 3. She created the Raising Raymie pages to help further autism acceptance in honor of her 5 year old son Raymie, who was diagnosed with severe non-speaking autism and all those just like him. She was recently published in The Gratitude Journal created by Amanda Owen, for Mom's of children with disabilities trying to find joy in the tough days.FacebookInstagramAbout Rob Gorski and The Autism Dad podcast:Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, social media influencer, and respected public figure for well over a decade.Connect with Rob Gorski: https://listen.theautismdad.com.Mentioned in this episode: Mentioned in this episode:Learn More: Social CipherSocial Cipher has released a video game called "Ava," designed to empower neurodivergent youth by teaching self-advocacy and confidence through social-emotional learning. Ava, an autistic space pirate, faces social challenges and self-doubt while connecting with her community. The game is used in over 220 schools and therapy centers across 6 countries. The new "World Builder" mode lets players create their own worlds, exploring social-emotional learning principles. Visit socialciphergame.com and use code: theautismdad for a 15% discount.Learn More: GoallyThe Goally tablet is focused on fostering independence in kids without the distractions of ads, social media, or potentially harmful content. Unlike Kindle and iPad tablets, Goally's Tablet exclusively features educational apps like Khan Academy, Duolingo ABC, and Starfall, and is entirely controlled by parents. Goally's Kids Calendar helps kids with things like task management. Kids also learn life skills through video classes and pre-made routines, enhancing their independence. For more information, you can visit getgoally.com and use the code “theautismdad” to save 10% off your order.Visit Goally

On this week's episode: Tara and Lauren are back by popular demand and we're taking on topics that you sent in. Today we're talking about finding balance when you have neurotypical and neurodivergent kids. It's an incredibly emotional conversation filled with lots of tears and laughter. This hit very close to home for all three of us and I hope listening to us share our experiences reminds you that you're not alone. About Tara Reynolds:A devoted advocate and entrepreneur had a life-altering experience when her son was diagnosed with autism at 18 months. Disappointed by the lack of support on social media, she decided to create a comforting community, sharing her journey and becoming a beacon of hope for other special needs mothers. This led to the inception of Peace Love Autism, an online shop promoting acceptance and love through fashionable products. Her goal is to establish a place where individuals feel recognized, validated, and empowered.https://www.peaceloveautism.com/@peace_love_autismAbout Lauren Flack:Lauren Flack is founder of The Channing's Joy Foundation, where she is dedicated to promoting inclusion and acceptance of autism and all individuals with special needs. Her son Channing was diagnosed in 2018.Channing's Joy@channingsjoy@laurensflackAbout Rob Gorski and The Autism Dad podcast:Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, social media influencer, and respected public figure for well over a decade.Connect with Rob Gorski: https://listen.theautismdad.com.Mentioned in this episode: Mentioned in this episode:Learn More: Quiet MindIntroducing The Original Weighted Pillow by Quiet Mind, an innovative tool for easing anxiety, stress, ADHD, and sensory processing disorder symptoms. This compact alternative to weighted blankets is created by Mikey Goldman, who himself deals with ADHD and anxiety. It's a portable companion, providing an instant calming effect. Unlike large weighted blankets, this soft, easy-to-move pillow won't make you too hot or claustrophobic. Using Deep Pressure Stimulation (DPS), it offers the benefits of weighted blankets in a smaller, portable format, ideal for children with autism, ADHD, or sensory processing disorder. Consider it a stress ball for your body - hold it, hug it, and let your mind relax. For more information, visit onequietmind.com and use the code “theautismdad” at checkout to save 15%Learn More: Social CipherSocial Cipher has released a video game called "Ava," designed to empower neurodivergent youth by teaching self-advocacy and confidence through social-emotional learning. Ava, an autistic space pirate, faces social challenges and self-doubt while connecting with her community. The game is used in over 220 schools and therapy centers across 6 countries. The new "World Builder" mode lets players create their own worlds, exploring social-emotional learning principles. Visit socialciphergame.com and use code: theautismdad for a 15% discount.

In this weeks episode, I have a conversation with Mikey Goldman about what it's like living with ADHD and anxiety. We talk about his journey, some of the struggles and what he's learned. There's a lot of really good insights in this episode. We also discuss how his experience lead him to invent the weighted pillow and build a company called Quiet Mind, in order to help other people struggling with ADHD, anxiety, autism, and sensory processing disorder. About Rob Gorski and The Autism Dad podcast: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, social media influencer, and respected public figure for well over a decade. Connect with Rob Gorski: https://listen.theautismdad.com. About Mikey Goldman: Growing up with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Quiet Mind founder Mikey Goldman has always struggled with ways to calm his mind and quiet that pesky internal monologue we all have. After trying a weighted blanket, he noticed its benefits, but found it difficult to move around at night and during the day. He needed a better solution, but couldn`t find one. That`s when he decided to create the world`s first weighted pillow—Quiet Mind. It was all-natural, convenient, and personal. He wanted to share his invention with other like-minded individuals dealing with the stress and anxiety of living everyday life, struggling to focus with ADHD, finding ways to help their children cope with autism, or who need to quiet their overwhelmed minds. Learn more about The Original Weighted Pillow by Quiet Mind by clicking here. Use the code “theautismdad” to save 15% off your order. Mentioned in this episode: Social Cipher: I'm really excited to share a great new video game we just played in my house, called Ava and it's created by a company called Social Cipher. Social Cipher's mission is to represent and empower Neurodivergent youth by teaching self advocacy skills and self confidence through Social Emotional Learning.  This amazing game follows Ava, an autistic space pirate, as she navigates her way through social challenges, self-doubt, and connecting with her community. Ava is helping kids in over 220 schools and therapy centers across 6 countries build the social emotional skills they need to better navigate everyday life.!  Social Cipher is excited to share that they have just released a brand new game mode, called World Builder. World Builder lets players design and create their own fantasy world while exploring the building blocks of social emotional learning. It's time to design a world with your own creative and adventurous spirit whether it's building a home, a pirate ship, or anything else you can dream up!  Visit https://www.socialciphergame.com/ and use the code: theautismdad to get 15% off and start playing today! Goally: Goally is a digital visual scheduler, AAC talker, token board system, and more all rolled into one easy-to-use app. It's made for unique thinkers like autistic kids and kids with ADHD. Kids together with Goally can conquer daily routines and therapy practice without prompting from mom or dad. This reduces that feeling of nagging your kids, and it also grants your kids some autonomy to sort of manage their own lives. Goally can easily be used on your child's existing device or with Goally's optional and affordable, dedicated device. In my house, we found that the dedicated device seems to work better for my son, so that's what we use. For more information, you can visit getgoally.com and use the code “theautismdad” to save 10% off your order.

In this weeks episode, I have a conversation with Mikey Goldman about what it's like living with ADHD and anxiety. We talk about his journey, some of the struggles and what he's learned. There's a lot of really good insights in this episode. We also discuss how his experience lead him to invent the weighted pillow and build a company called Quiet Mind, in order to help other people struggling with ADHD, anxiety, autism, and sensory processing disorder.About Rob Gorski and The Autism Dad podcast:Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, social media influencer, and respected public figure for well over a decade.Connect with Rob Gorski: https://listen.theautismdad.com.About Mikey Goldman:Growing up with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Quiet Mind founder Mikey Goldman has always struggled with ways to calm his mind and quiet that pesky internal monologue we all have. After trying a weighted blanket, he noticed its benefits, but found it difficult to move around at night and during the day.He needed a better solution, but couldn`t find one. That`s when he decided to create the world`s first weighted pillow—Quiet Mind. It was all-natural, convenient, and personal. He wanted to share his invention with other like-minded individuals dealing with the stress and anxiety of living everyday life, struggling to focus with ADHD, finding ways to help their children cope with autism, or who need to quiet their overwhelmed minds.Learn more about The Original Weighted Pillow by Quiet Mind by clicking here. Use the code “theautismdad” to save 15% off your order.Mentioned in this episode: Mentioned in this episode:Learn More: GoallyThe Goally tablet is focused on fostering independence in kids without the distractions of ads, social media, or potentially harmful content. Unlike Kindle and iPad tablets, Goally's Tablet exclusively features educational apps like Khan Academy, Duolingo ABC, and Starfall, and is entirely controlled by parents. Goally's Kids Calendar helps kids with things like task management. Kids also learn life skills through video classes and pre-made routines, enhancing their independence. For more information, you can visit getgoally.com and use the code “theautismdad” to save 10% off your order.Visit GoallyLearn More: Social CipherSocial Cipher has released a video game called "Ava," designed to empower neurodivergent youth by teaching self-advocacy and confidence through social-emotional learning. Ava, an autistic space pirate, faces social challenges and self-doubt while connecting with her community. The game is used in over 220 schools and therapy centers across 6 countries. The new "World Builder" mode lets players create their own worlds, exploring social-emotional learning principles. Visit socialciphergame.com and use code: theautismdad for a 15% discount.

Episode 186 Notes and Links to Stephanie Feldman's Work   *Content Warning-Please be aware of discussion of sexual assault*        On Episode 186 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Stephanie Feldman, and the two discuss, among other things, her early trajectory towards becoming a writer, formative and transformative writers and writing, genre and genre-less writing, the balance between allegory and plot in Saturnalia, the book's focus on Philadelphia and on the world at large, hedonism/inaction  in the wake of climate disasters, the long echoes of sexual assault, class and power in her book, and whether the book has a sense of optimism.       Stephanie Feldman is the author of the novels Saturnalia and The Angel of Losses, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, winner of the Crawford Fantasy Award, and finalist for the Mythopoeic Award. She is co-editor of the multi-genre anthology Who Will Speak for America? and her stories and essays have appeared in or are forthcoming from Asimov's Science Fiction, Catapult Magazine, Electric Literature, Flash Fiction Online, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, The Rumpus, Uncharted Magazine, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Weird Horror, and more. She lives outside Philadelphia with her family.     Buy Saturnalia   Stephanie Feldman's Website   Review of Saturnalia from John Mauro at Grimdark Magazine   At about 1:55, Stephanie describes her early reading and writing, and being “fated” to be a writer   At about 4:00, Stephanie shouts out Anne Rice, Jeanette Winterson, and others as formational and transformational writers   At about 6:00, Stephanie cites the “world building and atmosphere” of Rice's work that inspired Saturnalia and the Philadelphia of the book   At about 7:20, Stephanie highlights Sofia Samatar, her work regarding Uzbekistan especially, and Jeffrey Ford as beloved contemporary writers   At about 9:00, Stephanie responds to Pete's questions about the importance (or lack thereof) of genre   At about 11:55, Stephanie gives background on/seeds for Saturnalia, including The Masque of Red Death and the Covid pandemic   At about 15:00, Pete asks about the balance/timing involving the book's allegory/symbolism and its plot/premise   At about 16:30, The two discuss the epigraph from Umberto Eco and its connection to hedonism and climate change    At about 18:40, The exposition is laid out, and Stephanie discusses connections to Saturn and fortune telling's importance in the book   At about 22:45, Pete summarizes the night of the winter solstice, including The Lord of Misrule, and Nina's tough times that lead her to do a job for Max    At about 24:30, Pete connects a telling quote from Faulkner to the book's pivotal violation and gender roles and power dynamics   At about 30:50, Stephanie responds to Pete's musings about the book's commentary on social class and power    At about 33:00, Stephanie and Pete speak about Philadelphia's small-town feel and Niña's feelings of being “trapped”   At about 36:55, Stephanie responds to Pete's questions about any optimism/pessimism that comes from the book   At about 38:55, Alchemy and myth and the stories are discussed    At about 40:00, Stephanie talks about the ways she and readers continue to experience the book some seven months after publication    At about 41:40, Pete shares the book's blurb from Carmen Maria Machado    At about 42:00, Stephanie shares an exciting future project   At about 43:00, Stephanie gives the history of the “blue laws” in PA   At about 44:00, Stephanie shares social media/contact info and places to buy her work, including Main Point Books, A Novel Idea, Weird Horror “The Getaway”      You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.  Please tune in for Episode 187 with V Castro. She is a two-time Bram Stoker award nominated writer born in San Antonio, Texas, to Mexican American parents, and she has been writing horror stories since she was a child, always fascinated by Mexican folklore and the urban legends of Texas. Her latest is The Haunting of Alejandra.    The episode will air on June 13.

Join us and photographer Chris Guillen as we explore his story world of Modern Rosie!  Modern Rosie is based on the character of Rosie the Riveter, who was created for a recruitment campaign during WWII to attract women into the workforce.  See the project here: https://chrisguillencreative.com/rosieWatch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_hUYd5vzjpwModern Rosies are female leaders from various backgrounds who are tireless ambassadors for their communities and industries.  The project has a social impact core, looking to elevate women and inspire the next generation of Rosies. From talking about our own Modern Rosie (Mom) to a an inspiring transmedia content idea, we talked through a transmedia plan to get Modern Rosie out to or people,  how the conversation of elevating women needs male support, and a mentorship program that can make a huge difference.  It's a great, enlightening, and encouraging conversation!#modernrosie #rosietheriveter #photography #chrisguillen #storyworld #storytelling #transmedia #collectivejourney #artists #creatives #worldbuilder #producers #indie #newconcepts #storyworldexplorersSupport the show

Episode 174 Notes and Links to Allegra Hyde's Work       On Episode 174 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes  Allegra Hyde, and the two discuss, among other things, her lifelong love of reading and love for librarians (like her mom!) and libraries, her varied reading and writing genres, inspirations for her dazzling and inventive worldbuilding, dark humor, the main throughline of her story collection, ideas of climate change, “global weirding,” action and inaction, encroaching technology, misogyny and patriarch with regard to climate issues, and why she has hope for our world.      Allegra Hyde is the author of ELEUTHERIA, which was named a "Best Book of 2022" by The New Yorker. She is also the author of the story collection, OF THIS NEW WORLD, which won the John Simmons Short Fiction Award. Her second story collection, THE LAST CATASTROPHE, is out in the world as of today, March 28, published by Vintage.    A recipient of three Pushcart Prizes, Hyde's writing has also been anthologized in Best American Travel Writing, Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions. Her stories, essays, and humor pieces have appeared in The New Yorker, American Short Fiction, BOMB, and many other venues.    Hyde has received fellowships and grants from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Sewanee Writers' Conference, The Elizabeth George Foundation, the Lucas Artist Residency Program, the Jentel Foundation, the U.S. Fulbright Commission, and elsewhere.    She currently teaches at Oberlin College.     Buy The Last Catastrophe   Allegra Hyde's Webpage   Our Culture Mag Profile of Allegra Hyde and The Last Catastrophe     At about 7:10, Pete compliments The Last Catastrophe, referring to Allegra's work as “prophet[ic],” and Allegra talks about her mindset with her book now entering the world   At about 9:15, Allegra talks about her childhood relationships with the library, reading, and writing; she shouts out her love for The Chronicles of Narnia and audiobooks in general   At about 10:45, Pete wonders about any childhood experiences that may have steered Allegra to particular types of reading    At about 12:10, Pete highlights a particular story from the collection that is indicative of Allegra's skill with worldbuilding; she explains her approach to worldbuilding   At about 14:10, Allegra describes the “privilege” in doing authorial research and she and Pete shout out librarians and decry the recent spate of book banning   At about 15:40, Pete asks Allegra about who/what she is reading these days; she highlights Sleepwalk by Dan Chaon and Thornton Wilder   At about 17:15, Pete references the book's blurb as “dazzling and inventive” (Alexandra Kleeman) and Allegra describes her approach in writing one of those “dazzling” stories   At about 18:55, Allegra defines “retrofuturism,” and she describes how it was guiding her in these stories; she points out her story “Democracy in América” as an example   At about 20:15, Allegra characterizes the throughline of her short story connection, defining and expounding upon the term “Global Weirding”   At about 23:05, Pete cites an important and evocative opening line of the collection and asks Allegra about the line's larger meaning and if it served as a catalyst   At about 24:45, Pete and Allegra discuss the plot and significance of the story “Mobilization”   At about 27:55, Pete references a joke from Marc Maron and inaction on climate change/global weirdness; Allegra highlights the need to approach the crisis from a communal lens   At about 29:20, Pete refers to grass and drought issues and its connection to wealth and    At about 30:05, Pete quotes from the book and he and Allegra discuss ideas of optimism and pessimism regarding the future, particularly with regard to climate change/global weirdness   At about 32:35, Pete references the story “Zoo Suicides” and Allegra speaks to the story's intent and how it was “after” Donald Barthelme and Dana Diehl   At about 35:00, The two discuss the power of the dark humor in the book, and Allegra discusses the story “Afterglow” and its connections to global weirding and a more individual story of grief   At about 38:45, Allegra discusses the gender identity of the narrator of “Democracy in América” and talk about issues particular to America, especially as seen from outside the US   At about 40:55, Allegra describes the process of “Consignment,” which speaks to ideas of consumerism and an American obsession with youth and beauty, from the above story   At about 42:25, Commodification and issues of wealth inequality are discussed with regards to her story collection, especially with regards to how wealth and global weirding are so closely linked   At about 44:40, Pete highlights “The Future is a Click Away” as a standout story and he and Allegra discuss “The Algorithm” in the story as almost “mythical” and “god-like”   At about 47:30, “Cougar” is discussed as another story that deals with encroaching technology, and Allegra talks about “merg[ing] real pieces from her life with research and imagination   At about 49:40, “Endangered” and its statements on the state of art and artists, as well as captivity and endangerment in today's world, is discussed    At about 52:30, Misogyny and what Allegra calls “the mysterious nature of ‘Chevalier' ” are discussed, as well as ideas of invisibilia, both by the world at large and by the narrator of the story, who may be more directed by love than she would let on   At about 56:00, Allegra connects her stories to patriarchy and global weirding   At about 58:00, Pete and Allegra discuss legislative action and other ways in which women and other oppressed groups are being ignored and degraded    At about 58:55, Allegra explains why she “chafe[s]” against her writing being described as “satirical”    At about 59:30, Pete laugh over the absurd and awesome story involving a woman    At about 1:00:25, Allegra explains how she finds cause for optimism despite some often dark topics that populate the world and her work   At about 1:03:15, Allegra shouts out her upcoming tour dates, and shouts out Ben Franklin/Mindfair Books as one of many places to buy her book   At about 1:04:35, Allegra highlights her exciting upcoming project-there are caves involved!    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.

Andor hit different. As far as Star Wars stories go this show fell on the 'grittier' side of things. Much like Rogue One, where we first met Cassian Andor. It also told a story which was more focused on the million small stories that took place around the major Skywalker narrative present in the main trilogy based movies. While the show made a splash on our discord server leading to several gushing reviews, the response was not altogether positive with some members of the community wondering where Star Wars was headed in the future. Per usual - spoilers abound. Key Takeaways: Convey your setting with confidence - this is a WorldCraft Club bingo entry for sure. Andor throws you into the middle of the setting and doesn't stick around to explain much of the 'whys and wherefores' of it. You're just there in the moment. Ferrix was a great example of this. The culture of Ferrix plays an important role in the story but little of it is explained or developed for the audience. We're just placed there. Let your setting communicate your story's themes - several characters are developed by the settings they inhabit, from Mon Mothma's ritzy apartment to Luthen's brutal concrete antiquities store these elements say something about the characters that inhabit them and the ideas the story is trying to communicate. If you major on the majors a lot of peripheral sins can be forgiven - the gang weren't without some criticisms for the series, particularly the lack of alien life found on the prison planet but these doubts were quickly forgotten because of the setting's bold committment to its themes and narrative. The result was that the fans of the show quickly found a way to make the lagging details fit and participated in the growth of the setting. Links and Sundry: The only link you'll ever need - our LinkTree! The one stop shop to find the Worldbuilder's Journal (our disc bound notebook to lead you through the process of immersive worldbuilding), an invite to our Discord Server (where you can join in on discussions like these), and a slack handful of links to our various social media outlets.

Episode Introduction Is the mere depiction of enslavement enough to classify an entire Dungeons & Dragons setting as problematic? Maybe. Recently there was some low-grade Twitter fire about D&D's "Dark Sun" setting, a fan-favorite from the Second Edition era. The setting is known for being D&D on hard mode -- a mostly barren planet ruled by draconic sorcerer kings who revel in oppression, enslavement, and gladiatorial combat; it's a daily struggle to survive on Athas.  Wizards of the Coast employee and Dungeons & Dragons executive producer Kyle Brink recently did an interview with Bob the Worldbuilder and, in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it mention, he talked about how we're unlikely to see a "Dark Sun" rerelease under Fifth Edition or One D&D because of a lot of the issues inherent to the setting. It was a brief conversation -- less than 30 seconds because mainly they were talking about he recent OGL debacle -- but it got some folks talking about whether it was appropriate to rerelease "Dark Sun" essentially as is in the current climate. Wizards has gotten a ton of flack lately for their seeming inability to get their arms around the lingering racial issues in their content. In this episode, we go through some of the original "Dark Sun" book to see how deep those elements run throughout the setting and think about whether the setting can stand on its own without them. Would "Dark Sun" be unrecognizable if those elements were removed, or are some folks just looking to complain and stir up noise on social media? What do you think about Dark Sun as it is now? Would you enjoy the setting if it were tidied up a bit to incorporate some of the cultural lessons we've learned since its publication? Should it have an essentially unchanged re-release? Let us know at contact@goblinsandgrowlers.com or on Twitter. Join our Discord: bit.ly/goblindiscord Links! Kyle Brink Talks to Bob the Worldbuilder (YouTube) Listen, rate, and subscribe! If you like the show, please tell a friend about it. And if you want to tell more people, then please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. You can find and/or support us at all the places below: https://twitter.com/WayOfBrandolore  https://twitter.com/BlackCloakDM https://patreon.com/goblinsgrowlers https://facebook.com/GoblinsAndGrowlers https://goblinsandgrowlers.podbean.com (and basically any other podcatcher) https://quidproroll.podbean.com (our sister podcast, the best actual play) The Goblins and Growlers Podcast is produced by Goblins and Growlers, a Richmond, Virginia-based tabletop-roleplaying-game content and events company dedicated to inclusivity through TTRPGs.

Do you ever stop to ask yourself why? At the WorldCraft Club that’s a yearly tradition. In order to perfect the craft of building exceptional worlds we hold the practice of pausing to reflect. We consider the definitions of our terms and look at how our understanding has changed. In this episode Seth and James discuss the meaning of Worldbuilding and, more importantly, what good worldbuilding is. Key Takeaways: Worldbuilding vs. Story - There’s an ongoing question in creative spaces about the value of worldbuilding and there are markets emerging where having an exciting world is a big part of the value of the property. This is where the rub is with traditionally published authors like Stephen King and something we’d do well to think about in our own creative endeavors. Humility is worldbuilding currency - Participation is about your visitants creating their own head canon for the setting. It requires humility as a worldbuilder to let control of your creation go, at least a little bit, in order to see it flourish in the hands of your audience. This is how you know you’ve completed your path as a worldbuilding and, with the right mindset, can be thrilling to watch. Your world is ultimately a collection of unfinished, unresolved conflicts - Leaving these elements open ended is not only realistic (as life seldom resolves) but is incredibly enticing. “I wonder what happened to that guy?” “Did those two nations ever find peace?” Links and Sundry: The Infamous Stephen King Tweet - What are your thoughts on this? Go ahead and buzz us using our LinkTree below. Where to find Seth’s stuff: Seth’s nifty website - Find out the latest about Seth’s comings and goings on this site as well as catching up on his latest books. Seth’s Newsletter - To make sure you always know what he’s up to. How to reach us: The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.

Join the Black Women Stitch PatreonBlack Women Stitch 2023 Wall CalendarAmazon StoreSew Black InfoValerie GoodwinValerie S. Goodwin is a mixed-media fiber artist and architect whose works of fine art are included in museum and private collections. Most of her work is inspired by a love of aerial views of landscapes and cities. Many of her quilts are based on maps.Goodwin's art has moved through various stages, from traditional quilting to an interest in abstract expressionism, and, currently, it is inspired by real and imaginary landscapes and cities. In some cases, her work shows an architectural sense of space with an archaeological perspective.  In others, the network of the city and its built form is more prominent.  These compositions work on several levels, from close up and far away as if one was looking at it from above.She received degrees in architecture from Washington University and Yale University. Her award-winning work has been widely published and exhibited. She also lectures and gives workshops nationally and internationally. For over 26 years, she taught architectural design at Florida A & M University.Her book, Art Quilt Maps: Capture a Sense of Place with Fiber Collage-A Visual Guide is widely available.Lisa WoolforkLisa Woolfork is an associate professor of English, specializing in African American literature and culture. Her teaching and research explore Black women writers, Black identity, trauma theory, and American slavery. She is the founder of Black Women Stitch, the sewing group where Black lives matter. She is also the host/producer of Stitch Please, a weekly audio podcast that centers Black women, girls, and femmes in sewing. In the summer of 2017, she actively resisted the white supremacist marches in her community, Charlottesville Virginia. The city became a symbol of lethal resurging white supremacist violence. She remains active in a variety of university and community initiatives, including the Community Engaged Scholars program. She believes in the power of creative liberation. Insights from this episode:Valerie's sewing journeyThe connection between architecture and sewingHow Valerie is able to combine modern and analog techniques in quiltingHow she settled on mapping as a form of visual expressionValerie's teaching methodologiesThe importance of perseveranceLearning from our mistakesDetails about her retrospective exhibitionWhat Valerie is working on Quotes from the show:“I'd like to think that the DNA of both my maternal and cousin Hardy, is what has become part of my creative life” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“I sewed up until I got to high school, and then peer pressure set in, and it wasn't cool to do that anymore, so I stopped sewing altogether. I didn't pick up sewing again until I was teaching architecture” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“I taught myself how to cut fabric, I tested over 30 kinds of fabric: there are three settings (speed, frequency, and power), and so you need figure out all those settings” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“Critique is a skill, that's just my opinion. If you have to say things, say them in a nurturing way, although sometimes you have to be direct and challenging depending on who the student is” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“I wish for myself that there were others around me that so that I can get that critic and I have to check myself a lot of times” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“A lot of things that have happened to me in my life that have led me to what I am doing has kind of been happy circumstances, you know, coincidences” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”“I think perseverance is really important, and you have to be willing to make mistakes faster. Making mistakes is just as important as succeeding: you learn from your mistakes” —Valerie Goodwin in “Stitch Please”Stay Connected:Lisa WoolforkInstagram: Lisa WoolforkTwitter: Lisa WoolforkValerie GoodwinWebsite: https://valeriegoodwinart.comLinkedIn: Valerie GoodwinInstagram: @valeriegoodwinartFacebook: Valerie Goodwin Art This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.

Opening theme by Logan Howard (HE'S BACK!) Andrew Walter: Wolfbane, Hothouse David Johnston of Betelnut Games, The Pastel City Voltron, Primal (NOT Primeval), Stalker, Kraken Wakes, The Bull and the Spear Boris and Brom The Pink Phantom Chris Shorb's Into the Maze D23 News - Invasion of lava worms, cult of three armed priests and their slumbering overlord, silent bird folk, an angry tribe of undead fish-people, and a suspiciously friendly ogress. Test run 1. Also - issue 1 in PDF! Joshua Skelton Rufus graphic Online Oracle by Shawn Medero Bob the World Builder gives Gygax 75 some love --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/plundergrounds/message

Sometimes the process of worldbuilding can drag and steal your sense of excitement about a setting you’ve been crafting. The antidote? A good story, preferably a short one, set in your world that you can finish and share. Daniel McCormack talks with us about this powerful, instructive process that will make your worldbuilding richer, clearer and more fun than you dared to imagine. Key takeaways: You have a limited reservoir of wonder and excitement for your setting and short stories help fan this affection into flame rather than quenching it. In completing short stories you actually finish projects. Finishing means you have something complete to share and get feedback on, you get the psychic satisfaction of completing a task, and you’re forced to practice skills that can only be practiced with a completed work (satisfying character arcs, understanding the reader experience) Short stories can crystalize your ideas by causing you to interrogate your worldbuilding both adding to it as well as pruning elements that are unneeded, they can also help you determine types of stories that suit your setting and your goals as a storyteller and worldbuilder. Writing about what you love or what you hate can be incredibly powerful as you have a deep well of passion to draw from. Don’t be afraid to major on that major. Where you can find Daniel He wrote a blog on his medium about this topic that you can check out. Here’s his Facebook page. Come hang out with the WorldCraft Club Our Linktree has got everything you need to reach out to use including our Discord server, our Instagram, Facebook, and web store where you can buy the incredible Worldbuilder’s Journal to supercharge your worldbuilding.

Plotter or pantser? Do you take the time to write extensive outlines or do you find that you tend to create on the fly? It’s never really been a true dichotomy but rather a spectrum. The analogy of a garden or the process of cultivation with its pruning, grafting, and tilling earth seems apt. Seth and James talk about the process of gardening your worlds to life. Key Takeaways Don’t get caught up in your identity as a plotter or pantser but embrace the idea that you’re more likely on the garden spectrum. You may have an organized and well trimmed garden or you may have a wild one, but most worldbuilders will find themselves with a little pantsing in their plans or a planning in their pants. It’s not a bad thing to find that your world surprises you, in fact we’d argue that it’s a very good thing. Your characters and setting have begun to take on a life of their own. Where to find Seth’s stuff. Seth’s nifty website - Find out the latest about Seth’s comings and goings on this site as well as catching up on his latest books. Seth’s Newsletter - To make sure you always know what he’s up to. How to reach us: The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.

Not to be confused with "Mr. Worldwide", in this episode I walk you through the importance of world building and what to incorporate and consider when putting your world together. I may also throw some shade at the Divergent series, but I only because I enjoyed the first book and really wanted the rest of the series to be as good.

Jake, Steve, and Brian continue the adventure with the remaining world building that includes some role play, pivotal NPCs, and the teams very first villain! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Being GM is not easy. The worlds we create are supposed to ensnare our visitants and draw them in but when our audience have a mind of their own and desire to bring about meaningful change in our settings that can lead to some tricky situations. Greg from Worldbuilding.io joins us today to help us navigate the process of creating a setting that feels grounded but allows for dynamic change when encountering new ideas. Whether you’re into TTRPGs (Tabletop Roleplaying Games) or not, I think this medium has tons to teach us about crafting worlds that feel immersive and yet have vast story potential. Key Takeaways Know your audience, Greg’s familiarity with his audience helped him know what artifacts to place in his setting that would draw his visitants in. He uses the example of an Arena. You have players who you know are excited about fighting, put an item in the setting that will draw some fun out of them. Kill your darlings. You’re going to have great ideas, characters you fleshed out completely, plot hooks or points that were precious and exciting to you that you’ll just have to lay on one side for the sake of creating an experience for your visitants. Another way I think I’d modify this old axiom is this: ‘Adapt your darlings’. Like in the example of the mayor having the key the vault, he might not have it but the girl at the bar who the players are interested in might. It allows you to retain your plot point while funneling your setting through the interests of your visitants. Your world is founded in its conflicts. Every conflict that exists in your setting provides an opportunity to engross your audience. In this instance the audience are creating some of those conflicts but having the humility to reframe those challenges as a chance to make your world even deeper will yield serious dividends. Greg's Links Worldbuilding.io - Check out Greg's ite. It's a great clearing house for worldbuilding advice and a suite of tools to help with lots of different elements of your worldbuilding journey to get you ready for your next game. Greg on Twitter - Get your daily dose of worldbuilding wisdom here. Greg on Instagram - Or here. Greg's LinkTree - This contains links to Greg's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and a host of other goodies that you can find. WorldCraft Club The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.

Welcome to Flashbang and The Surgeon! A 5E actual play superhero campaign set in the City of Waterdeep. In this episode we meet the hosts, establish the setting, and get familiar with the player characters for the campaign at hand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For our final Worldbuilder of Altspace interview of 2022, we are proud to have Lightyear on our stage.Lightyear's worlds span from serene meditation temples to terrifying abandoned ruins, to the elaborate worlds found in The Witcher series.Join us as Lightyear talks us through his inspirations, some of his technical tricks, and then gives us a world tour of some of his blockbusters.Check it!

This Netflix series by Studio Trigger brought Night City to life in new and unexpected ways drawing so many of is in from the first episode of it’s tragic run. The Discord server was abuzz with ideas about it for weeks and many of us couldn’t wait to grab the mic and talk about it. What follows are some highlights from that conversation where we critically analyze the show and uncover some solid world building secrets from a setting that blew us all away. If you’re looking to grow as a storyteller and worldbuilder you’re going to love this one. Major Takeaways: Confidence in your setting and trust of your audience is key. Be bold about what you're making and resist the desire to breakdown and explain every element of your setting. The topics Edgerunners explored are timeless and run deep in the human soul: Identity, choice, love, death, and freindship. While the setting is contemporary and topical the world's deeper themes are what keep the setting perrenial. Links: The David Martinez - Marcos referenced this when he went on his riff about the origins of the ‘Cyber’ in ‘Cyberpunk’ Manga Shakespeare illustrated by Sonya Leon - Rach referenced this as being a great basis for a cyberpunk dueling corps romance. It’s a terrible idea. An amazing terrible idea. WorldCraft Club Link Tree - Get access to the Worldbuilder’s Journal, our nova Discord Community, social media channels and much much more through this link.

The best worlds might be grown rather than made. We often talk about these two separate concepts that exist in tension in solid worldbuilding. There’s wonder, this feeling of getting wrapped up in the scale of a setting, the sense of the unknown just beyond your eye line. Then there’s immersion, the grounded sensation that the world is understandable and predictable. Both of these ideas play off one another to create a setting that excites your audience but doesn’t alienate them. What is the bridge between these two seemingly opposing ideas? Questions. This is how you cultivate a setting that grows into more than a core concept. Andrew Zimba joins the show to reveal some sound world building tips. Key Takeaways Don’t be afraid to start with something not blank But then explore and color that setting with questions Explore Ardalencor Andrew's Instagram In Times of War: A Tale of Ardalencor on Amazon Ardalencor Website - Read the opening chapters for free! Links and Sundry George RR Martin - Gardener Wim Hoff - The Ice Man - This man is... nuts. WorldCraft Club LinkTree - This contains all the things, our Discord, The Worldbuilder’s Journal, Email, you name it.

Horror lives just outside of our eyeline. In the peripherals of our vision. It's a feeling we can't quite shake when something seems amiss and the hairs on the back of our necks rise as our pulse quickens. To that end, world-building is absolutely critical to that tangible atmospher of dread. But how do we create this sensation in our visitants? Happy Halloween everyone! For this spooky episode of the WorldCraft Club Podcast we dive into how we can create horror in our fictional settings by twisting familiar stories. Ramp up your spooky worldbuilding and give us a listen. Key Takeaways Horror is found in the gaps - A lot like wonder, horror is really based in what is not known more than what is. Leverage this by resisting the urge to lavish details where they may not be needed. Let your visitant's mind wander into grisly possibilities. Twisting tropes is powerful - Fear is often based in seeing something that should be familiar but finding that it's altered in some unsettling way. This is true for familiar stories and tropes Worldbuilding is critical for horror to land - The atmosphere of dread is almost as important as the dreadful elements of the story itself. It's the setting that tells a reader the situation is unusual or that something is amiss before even your protagonist has become fully aware. Links and Sundry Zack Goings interview - More on horror from our interview with the excellent Zack Goings. Uncanny Valley - You know when something doesn't look quite right? You're in the uncanny valley. Nearly human... but not quite. Review of The Conjuring - If you love movies and don't mind missing a few weeks of sleep I highly recommend this movie. Check out this review from Ryan Hollinger, my go to source on horror filmography. Bug Man Men in Black Scene - This scene still freaks me out to this day. Come hang out with us! WorldCraft Club LinkTree - This is our LinkTree, here you can find the Worldbuilder's Journal, access to our fantastic Discord community as well as other ways to get in touch.

N.K. Jemisin is a fantasy and science-fiction writer who won three consecutive Hugo Awards — considered the highest honor in science-fiction writing — for her “Broken Earth” trilogy; she has since won two more Hugos, as well as other awards. But in imagining wild fictional narratives, the beloved sci-fi and fantasy writer has also cultivated a remarkable view of our all-too-real world. In her fiction, Jemisin crafts worlds that resemble ours but get disrupted by major shocks: ecological disasters, invasions by strange, tentacled creatures and more — all of which operate as thought experiments that can help us think through how human beings could and should respond to similar calamities.Jemisin's latest series, which includes “The City We Became” and “The World We Make,” takes place in a recognizable version of New York City — the texture of its streets, the distinct character of its five boroughs — that's also gripped by strange, magical forces. The series, in addition to being a rollicking read, is essentially a meditation on cities: how they come into being, how their very souls get threatened by forces like systemic racism and astronomical inequality and how their energies and cultures have the power to rescue and save those souls.I invited Jemisin on the show to help me take stock of the political and cultural ferment behind these distressing conditions — and also to remember the magical qualities of cities, systems and human nature. We discuss why multiverse fictions like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” are so popular now, how the culture and politics of New York and San Francisco have homogenized drastically in recent decades, Jemisin's views on why a coalition of Black and Latinx voters elected a former cop as New York's mayor, how gentrification causes change that we may not at first recognize, where to draw the line between imposing order and celebrating the disorder of cities, how Donald Trump kept stealing Jemisin's ideas but is at the root a “badly written character,” whether we should hold people accountable for their choices or acknowledge the way the status quo shapes our decision-making, what excites Jemisin about recent discoveries about outer space, why she thinks we are all “made of exploding stars” and more.Mentioned:N.K. Jemisin interview on Vox's "The Gray Area with Sean Illing"Book recommendations:Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu ArakawaMechanique by Genevieve ValentineWitch King by Martha WellsThe Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane JacobsThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.“The Ezra Klein Show” is produced by Annie Galvin, Jeff Geld and Rogé Karma. Our researcher is Emefa Agawu. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris and Mary Marge Locker. Original music by Isaac Jones. Mixing by Jeff Geld and Sonia Herrero. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta. Special thanks to Kristin Lin, Kristina Samulewski and Jesse Bordwin.

VRChat world builder Fins had 3 experiences in Venice Immersive 2022 with one in competition (Treasure Heist), and two in the Worlds Gallery (Magic Heist and District Roboto). Fins comes from an illustration and concept artist background, and so he's been able to be quite prolific in make a variety of different types of worlds with each one doing different types of experimentations with including narrative. He said that he was able to put together Treasure Heist within just a couple of months, which is pretty incredible compared to the timelines of other projects take many times longer than that. I get the story of Fins' journey into VR, and then we walk through the progressive development of his worlds starting with Shark‘s Fin Cafe, Deep Blue, Pandora Night, Mine Heist, Magic Heist, District Roboto, & Aquarius. Fins wasn't able to complete all of Treasure Heist in time for Venice Immersive, and so he's currently trying to wrap it up in time for the Raindance competition starting at the end of October. One of the challenges he faced was trying to balance the difficulty of the puzzles across two radically different demographics: the core VRChat/gamer community who usually think his puzzles are too easy vs the the more passive film festival attendees who usually think some of his puzzles are too difficult. Fins also shared some of his inspirations of Avatar and Stray, and I get the sense that he's slowly building up to a really epic narrative adventure world in the style of Pandora and Avatar. You can keep an eye on Fins latest worlds on social media via @VRCFins.

Holy Cow! It’s been a minute. Seth and I owe you an explanation for our absence. To that end, let’s appraise you of all we’ve been up to. The Worldbuilder’s Journal Kickstarter is now fully complete and delivered and reviews are coming back raving. Our Discord is in full swing and growing and now we’re...

Holy Cow! It’s been a minute. Seth and I owe you an explanation for our absence. To that end, let’s appraise you of all we’ve been up to. The Worldbuilder’s Journal Kickstarter is now fully complete and delivered and reviews are coming back raving. Our Discord is in full swing and growing and now we’re...

"No other success can compensate for failure in the home." - David O. McKay Get Michael's BADASS book here - https://www.nobullbook.com/ Kid Trillionaire Audiobook Chrissy's Cursive Book https://www.einsteinblueprint.com/academy https://www.einsteinblueprint.com/ Join the EB Chess Club -https://www.einsteinblueprint.com/chess John's KGR Club - https://kidsgetrich.com/club  Music - "Everything in Color" by Ben Cantelon, used with permission and much gratitude.  

King of The Work and co-host of What's Left, Oliver Bateman (https://twitter.com/MoustacheClubUS) joins Emmet to talk about the illustrious career of pro-wrestling mogul Vince McMahon after he stepped down from WWE. They talk about the hustler and con man as American architects, the intimacy of kayfabe, what people get wrong about their stale "politics as pro wrestling" takes, and more! "Exit Vince McMahon, World Builder (https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/exit-vince-mcmahon-world-builder)," Oliver Bateman, The Washington Examiner. What's Left? (https://www.patreon.com/whatsleft) Oliver's website. (https://www.oliverbateman.com/) Subscribe to our Patreon to get 2 exclusive episodes a month! Closing Song: Moth-Eaten Deer Head by The Locust

Henry Ward is the co-founder and CEO of Carta. Carta helps companies and investors manage their cap tables, valuations, investments, and equity plans. Packy previously described Henry as a "Worldbuilder" - an entrepreneur who can see something non-obvious about the future, timestamp their prediction, and then execute against that prediction (sometimes for over a decade) until they end of building something really, really important. They address the accuracy of that title, the current state of the market, N-of-1 markets, and much more. Sponsor Season 2 of Not Boring Founders is sponsored by FTX US. You may know FTX because of its innovations in crypto derivatives or its ultra-rich & altruistic founder, SBF -- but what you may not know is that the FTX App is available in the US for all crypto traders...and that it's the cheapest exchange out there, with no minimum, ACH, or withdrawal fees. The company is moving fast and now offers crypto trading (Bitcoin, Eth, Sol, Doge, etc) and supports NFTs -- and is releasing new products seemingly every month. Download the FTX App today, invest $10 and get a free coin from FTX in exchange. Use this download link and enter code "notboring" when you sign up to redeem the offer. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/notboring/message

NFT Worlds is a cross platform world builder that consists of ten thousand unique worlds owned and created by players within the community. Each world offers limitless possibilities for players to enjoy while simultaneously earning the native token of the NFT Worlds ecosystem. What makes this game unique is that it runs on the software for Minecraft, which is already a successful and popular game beloved by millions of players around the world.

Episode 125 Notes and Links to Jamil Jan Kochai's Work       On Episode 125 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Jamil Jan Kochai, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early relationship with languages and reading, an early fascination with Harry Potter, his family's proud histories and storytelling legacies, Jamil's hoop skills, his book 99 Nights and Logar and its allegory and realism, its connections to contemporary Afghan history, as well as his recent “love letter to his father” in The New Yorker.       Jamil Jan Kochai is the author of 99 Nights in Logar (Viking, 2019), a finalist for the Pen/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. He was born in an Afghan refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan, but he originally hails from Logar, Afghanistan. His short stories and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Ploughshares, and The O. Henry Prize Stories 2018. Currently, he is a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University.  Jamil Jan Kochai's Website   Preorder The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories   “Jamil Jan Kochai on Résumés as Stories” from The New Yorker, May 2022   “Occupational Hazards”-Short Story-from May 2022, The New Yorker   At about 1:40, Jamil and Pete discuss NBA loyalties as fellow Sacramentans    At about 2:30, Pete shouts out some unique description from Jamil's 99 Nights in Logar   At about 4:05, Jamil gives background on his family roots in Logar, Afghanistan and Peshawar, Pakistán, as well as how amorphous borders have affected loyalties and pride    At about 7:00, Jamil describes his childhood moves and family circumstances that led to his family laying down roots in California, as well as his relationship with language     At about 9:15, Alice Norman Elementary and Mrs. Long are shouted out as huge parts of Jamil learning and loving the English language   At about 10:20, Jamil responds to Pete's questions about the roles of lore, stories, and storytellers in his life   At about 12:30, Jamil lists books and writers that captivated and inspired him from an early age, as well as ideas of escape and fantasy-entering a “new world”   At about 16:25, Pete wonders about “generations” of Afghan immigrants, Khaled Hosseini's impact on a younger Jamil, and Jamil's current view of The Kite Runner   At about 19:30, Jamil compares The Kite Runner to a seminal book in his life, One Hundred Years of Solitude   At about 21:20, Jamil discusses ideas of pressure that may come with being seen as a representative of Afghan/Afghan-American cultures At about 24:00, Pete asks Jamil about “the white gaze” and feedback and thought process that went along with not translating many words from the book   At about 29:35, Pete and Jamil fanboy about Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jamil details One Hundred Years of Solitude importance to him, in addition to listing 1984 and Native Son and other formative texts   At about 31:40, Jamil does an almost perfect job in recounting the iconic opening line of One Hundred Years of Solitude   At about 34:10-35:50, Pete and Jamil sing the praises of Jess Walter, as both a writer and baller    At about 35:50, Jamil diagnoses his own basketball game in a detailed scouting report   At about 36:50, Pete asks a followup question regarding Jamil's growth and awareness as a writer and “ ‘Eureka' moments,” including early work done in high school English classes   At about 41:40, Jamil shouts out some standout Italo Calvino work   At about 43:10, Pete speaks of pitch for a future article    At about 43:40, Pete fanboys over “The Gospel According to Mark” by Borges    At about 45:25, Jamil responds to Pete's questions about the two epigraphs for 99 Nights in Logar    At about 50:00, Jamil focuses on the Kipling epigraph in describing his objectives and challenges in writing 99 Nights in Logar    At about 51:40, Jamil traces the evolution of Budabash as a character and symbol in    At about 54:00, Jamil responds to Pete's questions about Marwand as a musafir and the book as charting an ephemeral journey         At about 56:00, Jamil explains his mindset about giving Marwand “agency,” including how his writing training prepared him for writing about agency   At about 59:40, Pete summarizes the moving story of Marwand's uncle   At about 1:00:50, Jamil provides background on the genesis and role of “The Thief,” an intriguing character from the book   At about 1:06:00, Jamil and Pete discuss the history of Afghanistan that is incorporated into the novel, including how Jamil finessed this history in a way that “benefited the story itself”   At about 1:09:05, Jamil describes the significance and real-world links to a scene from the book involving an uncovering of bones   At about 1:10:40, Pete and Jamil ruminate on praise for his writing from Jesmyn Ward   At about 1:11:10, Pete and Jamil discuss Jamil's recent publication from The New Yorker, “Occupational Hazards”   At about 1:14:50, Jamil highlights his upcoming collection of short stories and highlights local bookstores as great places to buy his books-Bookshop.org and The Indie Book Store, among others     You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.  This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form. The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 126 with Kevin Owens, a veteran of overseas professional basketball and a current teacher and basketball coach. He is an entrepreneur and founder of Overseas Famous LLC, a multimedia platform created to give athletes playing abroad a voice. These stories provide a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on with overseas sports. His 2021 book is called Overseas Famous. While he had the name first, he is now the second most popular Kevin Owens in the world.     The episode will air on June 7. 

Joining Chris for this week's podcast is Matteo Santoro, an energetic, enthusiastic, and versatile filmmaker who might just be revolutionizing the way movies are made. After graduating from art college, Matteo created opening titles and VFX for film including The Incredible Hulk, Aliens vs Predator - Requiem, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. At the same time, he created his own sci-fi IPs, including the short film Offline and the feature Higher Power. Now, Matteo is working on SIFT, an ambitious sci-fi feature film constructed through NFTs, allowing fans to own parts of the movie and even shape its direction. Matteo discusses SIFT's richly detailed world and how he built a practical robot to inhabit it. He also talks about The Sunflower Kid, a series of NFTs that aim to raise money for charity and promote world peace.