Back to basics

As a writing team, River and I have a love-hate relationship with technology. Or perhaps it's more appropriate to say that technology has a love-hate relationship with us. Using Google Docs to share scripts and comments is pretty integral to our process, and certainly being able to look up an obscure fact about one of the Slavic gods in the middle of a writing meeting has allowed us to track down some very cool things about the story we're writing.

Of course, on the other hand...well. Let's just say that sometimes we can get hung up in the details and lose sight of the bigger picture. Like, y'know, the plot. So during a long car trip a few weeks ago, we decided that what we really needed was to put the plot down on paper without all the pretty flourishes (like the witty one-liners that we seem to excel at), so we could really see the gaps and what needed to be filled in. By mutual agreement, we vowed to leave the laptops out of this meeting, and to work with Post-It flip chart paper and markers instead, hoping to eventually end up with the whole story up on River's wall.

This conversation led me to a couple of observations:

1. It is probably rather telling that we hadn't done this already. That's not to say that we hadn't talked about the plot before, but the story has drifted quite a bit from our original discussions (mostly in good ways, I think) and we hadn't really updated our mutual expectations accordingly.
   
2. It says something about us that we were really excited by the idea of using the giant post-it notes and markers. I don't think this says anything particularly good about us, mind you, but it does say something.

So this meeting happened on Sunday afternoon, and armed only with giant our wits, giant paper and snacks, we accomplished quite a lot in 3 1/2 hours. In the next day or two, I'll post some photographic evidence. I have to say, my focus on this project is picking back up after a lot of happy distractions over the summer, and I'm feeling quite excited to get back to it!

Thunder and Cattle-Rustling

A few nights ago, Jason and I got together for our first writing meeting following our summer hiatus. Our break wasn't necessarily planned, but with Jason getting all married and stuff, it seemed like holding off on script-writing for a couple of months was a good idea. It felt great to get back in the swing of things... reacquainting ourselves with our characters while eating homemade pizza, doing a read-through for timing and remembering just how much we're going to have to practice before we record this sucker... I really enjoyed myself. It was enough to make me remember why I'm doing this in the first place - creative projects of any kind bring meaning to my life - and I've been blessed with several opportunities lately.

Enough of all that. It's time to talk about Slavic gods.

(Why yes, making smooth and relevant transitions is one of my primary talents. Thanks for noticing.)

We realized about halfway into the writing process that we needed to widen our scope a bit, and create more of an origin story for Alex, Uncle Fedyenka, Aunt Olga, and the rest of the characters that are tied up in this mess. Since our story centers around members of a Russian family and Jason and I both dig mythology - why not throw some old Slavic gods into the mix? Without going into too much detail about the plot, it just so happens that Russian myth sets us up very nicely for a battle between two warring factions.

Depending on who you ask, the head dude in Slavic mythology is generally agreed to be Perun. He's a thunder god, not unlike the Norse god Thor. Another striking similarity between Slavic and Norse mythology is the existence of a World Tree which holds all of the realms of reality in place. (The connection isn't all that surprising, considering the Russians and the Norse have similar roots.) Perun sits at the top of the tree as the ruler of the living world - sky and earth. He's often symbolized by an eagle that watches over everything.

Perun's enemy is Veles, a trickster god who is often symbolized by a dragon or serpent. He lives at the roots of the tree, aka, the underworld, and basically lives to piss Perun off. He loves to cause trouble by stealing Perun's cattle (you know, like you do), his children, or even his wife. Perun retaliates by trying to zap him with lightning bolts and thunder. I'm making light of what the Slavs saw as a big cosmic battle between two major forces - but that's basically how it went. When Christianity came to Russia, the battle between the Devil and God fit very nicely into this pre-made package.

The Wikipedia entries for Perun and Veles are a fun read - and there are plenty of other sources out there. If you're as much of a mythology geek as I am and want to read more, let me know, and I'll pass along a reading list.

As we did our research, it became more and more evident that this was the perfect backdrop for our story. We're working on weaving in elements of the battle between Perun and Veles, as well as this idea of a World Tree that holds reality in place. There are so many different cultures that identify with a World Tree, why does there have to be just one? What if reality was held in place by a sort of cosmic orchard of World Trees? What if you could get to one through that storage closet in your basement? And what if you suddenly found yourself in charge of keeping it safe and unsullied by mortal desires? You might see where this is going.

The story is getting really fun to write - particularly as we near the end and have to tie all the loose ends together. And seriously... Slavic gods? What could be more fun than that?

Podcasts I like.

Since you're waiting for us to get ours out... and truly, you are the most dedicated fans of a non-existent creative project I have ever seen... I thought I might recommend a few other shows to tide you over.

It's no secret that I'm an NPR-junkie. I can name ten reporters off the top of my head and tell you what region and beat they cover. I'm a member of my local public radio station, WBEZ, and I have the biodegradable corn-based mug with the logo to prove it. (And two messenger bags.)

While you really can't go wrong with a public radio show, here are a few of my favorites:

Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!
This American Life
Fresh Air
To the Best of Our Knowledge
Radiolab <-- stellar. One of my all-time favorites. If you listen to nothing else on this list, listen to this show.

Other shows that I listen to on a regular basis, and can definitely recommend:

The Savage Lovecast
I think everyone who likes to have sex, wants to have sex, or is having sex needs to listen to this show. It's not for the easily offended -- it's Dan Savage, after all. But I guarantee that you'll learn something in every episode.

The Moth
Quite possibly the best show out there - in my humble opinion. The Moth is a non-profit organization dedicated to storytelling. Folks (some famous, some not-so-famous) tell true stories, live and without notes. It's awesome... you need to check it out if you haven't already. I secretly dream of being on this show someday - but mostly I just love hearing stories.

The Biography Podcast
This is a relatively new podcast I just discovered, thanks to the magic of iTunes. The host, Chris Gondek, interviews biographers about their subject and the art of writing a biography. I've quite enjoyed learning about Lord Byron, Hunter S. Thompson, and Flannery O'Connor. If anything, you'll be a hit at cocktail parties.

Escape Pod
For you science fiction geeks out there, this podcast magazine features short stories by established authors. The stories and narrarators can be hit-or-miss, but when they're on, they're on. I really appreciated them featuring each Hugo Award nominee this year. I recommend you skip back a few shows and check them out.


Yes, I actually do keep up with all of these shows. I have a long commute to-and-from work, and I take several roadtrips a year. What can I say? Plus, I'm an auditory learner. This format really works for me.

I'm sure I'm even missing a show or two. In fact, I know I am. But this is enough to get you started - and will likely keep you busy until we actually have a podcast for you to put at the top of your own "Most Recommended" lists. Soon my friends... soon.

I'm also looking for recommendations to add to my list. What about you? What are you listening to?

A brief update

Where have we been the last couple of weeks?

Preparing for a wedding. Jason's wedding, in fact. I was there. It was great. He looked fantastic, his lovely bride was absolutely radiant, the setting was gorgeous, a good time was had by all.

But now, he should really get back to work and write some scripts. Don't you think?

Reader Question Wednesday #3!

Happy Reader Question Wednesday! We had four questions this week... all from the same person... but that's okay. That's nearly 35% of our readership. (Okay, not really. But I'm really bad at math and prone to hyperbole.)

Anyhow - thanks for the questions! I've set my Pandora radio to a "music to blog to" station, so let's get right down to it. Answers will come in the order the questions were received:


1) What DOES Jason want for his upcoming birthday, now that you mention it?

Jason is a little busy right now, as he is getting married in a little over two weeks - and has been extremely busy pulling together all of the last minute details. However, I made a few not-so-subtle threats that I would make up a birthday list for him that included expanding his Precious Moments collection - aka, horrifying figurines of sad-eyed children. And no one wants that.

(Did you know that there's actually a Precious Moments chapel? And it's in Missouri... where Jason happens to be from. Connection? You decide.)

Unfortunately for me, my threats worked. Here's his actual birthday list:

"Jason's greatest desire, of course, is for world peace and understanding, so if you can hook that up, that would be great. As an alternative, funny t-shirts from www.thinkgeek.com are always welcome."


2) What's the timeframe on the podcast? When can I expect to hear an episode, in other words? I'm droolin' here!

Well, wipe yourself off. That's unseemly. And may I remind you that patience is a virtue?

I would love to say that you would be able to download an episode by Labor Day... but I've always been one for unrealistic dreams. (Ergo, I'm writing scripts for an audio drama podcast.) But if we manage to pick up the pace again after Jason and his lovely bride are married and sufficiently recovered from their wedding... I would hazard a guess that we will have the first episode sometime this winter. Watch the blog for a casting call sometime in the near future if you'd like to audition to be a part of it!

3) So what sort of music would Alex listen to? How about Viper? What's on their most-frequently-played list?

I've been racking my brain all day to come up with something to answer this question, and I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't been able to pin Alex down. I'm hoping Jason has some ideas - and that he might post them.

Viper, though... assuming you could even find his apartment, and then crack his encrypted files to get to his music collection - would probably have the following playlist:

• When he's hacking a government agency or financial institution, I think he plays electronica á la VNV Nation or something that makes him feel powerful.
• I think he has a special playlist for "the ladies" that includes Barry White, among others. He hasn't played anything off this list in at least two years.
  
• But I really think what he loves to listen to when no one else is around... maybe not even Alex... is anything off of Dr. Demento's playlist. If you go back far enough in the archives, there's even a song called "If You're a Viper" ... coincidence?
  

(Actually, yes. Totally a coincidence... but cool, no?)

4) What's Alex's sign anyway?

I'm thinking Taurus. Alex is a little slow to act at the outset of our story ... but once he sets his mind to his task, he displays an inordinate amount of perserverance.


Thanks for the questions! As always, feel free to ask us questions or make comments at any time.

Questions, anyone?

It has come to my attention that we have a handful of new readers here at podcast-blog-central. Either they're just telling me this to be nice - or to placate me - or to stop me from talking about the podcast already -- or they actually are reading.

So... in honor of our new readers, and because I'm in the mood for it, I'd like to announce that Wednesday, July 15, will be the next installment of Reader Question Wednesday.

Ask us anything... about the scripts, the storylines, the characters, the blog, what Jason wants for his upcoming birthday, my favorite color, how to conjugate a particular Russian verb... whatever. We'll answer it. Please send us your questions in a comment or via email. We'll answer them in one fell swoop next Wednesday, much like we did in this post.

Or I will, since Jason didn't really agree to this. But hey, that's how I roll, baby.

Cream or sugar?

I was scrolling back through the characters that we've introduced you to thus far, and I think we've hit just about all the major ones... or at least the ones that will have the most impact on the plot. However, I think we have committed a gross miscarriage of justice by not introducing the most important character in the entire series. Before Viper, before Olga, before even our hero Alex... there exists a towering personality. This character is archetypal in sweep - pulls the entire plot together, and delivers the story to its exciting and inevitable conclusion...




I speak, of course, of the Waitress.

Waitresses, actually.

Okay, I might be exaggerating a teeny bit. The Waitress, while often pivotal in that she provides an opportunity for Alex to give or receive information, is not the most important character in the show. But she and her many incarnations sure show up a lot.

What can I say? Alex likes to eat. We have already established that he likes Reubens. And he is on the road an awful lot throughout the entire series. He's going to end up at diners, bars, and coffee shops across the country. I am often on the road for work -- and while I should be better about packing food in advance for a roadtrip, I rarely do. And I end up at diners, bars, and coffee shops across the country. Alex has to leave town in a bit of a hurry, and even though Viper is a good friend... I doubt that he packed him a cooler full of lunch meats and Doritos.

Jason and I often joke that if Alex is at a diner, bar, or coffee shop at one point in the episode, it's probably one that I wrote. This is not always true of my scripts, to be fair. But there is some truth to it.

Could it be that at the time of this post, I am doing the voices for all of the Waitresses that Alex meets as he travels across the country... many of which allow me to speak in my own accent? Maaaaybe. This is not to say that if the right person walks through the door when we begin our audition process that is perfect for the Waitress in Minneapolis, we wouldn't give it to her.... or him for that matter.

But for now, I get to ask how you like your coffee.

How do you like your coffee, anyhow?