It's not funny!

One of the phenomena I am noticing when I tell people that Jason and I are writing scripts for a podcast is that most folks tend to assume it's a comedy. It isn't. Although we may be deluding ourselves about this -- the story is actually meant to be fairly serious.

That's not to say there aren't some funny moments. There have been several instances where we will laugh out loud as we read over each other's scripts - particularly when we get to write lines for our mutual favorite character -- Alex's best friend, Paul. (I'm sure we will each write a character sketch for him in upcoming posts since we both love him so much.) And cracking each other up is one of the best parts of the writing process for me. In fact, this whole "co-writing" process is a blast. Jason and I have a pretty compatible style both in characterization, dialogue, and plot development. And when we do write the funny stuff - we definitely have similar senses of humor.

Let's face it. People assume that we're writing a comedy because we're pretty damn hilarious. And also humble.

But no, it is not a comedy - although if our mad writing skillz fail us, then it might become one. I have to admit, I'm a little afraid of that. In the aforementioned Awful Audio Drama Podcast That Shall Not Be Named, the writers tend to take themselves much too seriously, and the story comes off as a caricature rather than the riveting adventure it advertises itself to be. I don't want that to happen to us. But I suppose actually finishing the thing should come before worrying about how it will be received. First things first, and all that.

Because we are who we are -- we are planning some super-secret bonus material after we get this series written and recorded. And yes, if all goes according to plan, it will be quite funny... for the two of us, at any rate. I'm not sure about the rest of you.

By the way - we've had a few suggestions for what to name the show - and we'd love even more. Hopefully the extra context helps. You could also ask a question about the show for a future Reader Question Wednesday. We really do love to hear from you.

No, really, what's this thing about?

As previously noted, we fail at coming up with a good tagline for this story of ours.

Actually, let's be clear. Jason fails at coming up with said tagline. River, on the other hand, just sent me this wonderful (and wonderfully cheesy) "dustjacket summary" of the plot. I am quite taken with it.

Alex Kirunov barely remembers the night his life changed. A simple act of teenage rebellion made him the heir to one of the universe's greatest secrets -- a secret he didn't even know existed until ten years after the fact. Now Alex is traveling the country, desperate to find the person who will take on the responsibility he never wanted -- to be the guardian of a source of power which, if ignored, could tear the very fabric of reality apart. Along the way, Alex must avoid shadowy enemies who want access to that power at any cost. With a little help from a haunted GPS, a computer hacker of a best friend, and a cranky-yet-mysterious great aunt, Alex must find the person that will save us all - even if we didn't know we needed saving.