Shows
Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideWhere the Thistledowns Blow, Ep 9 - “Demonic Tudors”In which Alphie courageously defeats a river drake, an old treasure regains, and earns the undying friendship of a well-heeled name.
2024-12-041h 11Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideWhere the Thistledowns Blow, Ep 8 - “Cessie’s No Good & In Fact Quite Horrible Day”Where Cessie makes a new friend, learns how to fall with grace, and the finer details of what not, with goblins, to trade.
2024-11-041h 19Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuidePossible Worlds Exercise: feat. Zelda and Star WarsDave and I and decided for this ep to go with two of our favorite questions:What kinds of worlds, stories and characters emerge when power, wisdom and courage hold sway?And which lend themselves best to a particular medium or form of play?As for the Thistledowns, you’ll hear more from them in the next.We hope you enjoy.J
2024-10-141h 03Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideHBT Crew on Playing Thistledowns - Alphie’s Solo RunHey all, been a month of moves, audio issues ( we’re still ironing out some ) and medical stuff, so Andrew and I decided to take a day off from Alphie’s solo run to talk about our experiences so far running Thistledowns, and our hopes for the story and game once everyone’s back from vacations.We hope you enjoy.-J
2024-09-281h 15Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideWhere the Thistledowns Blow, Ep 7 - “A Perilous Journey”Hey all, illness and a move have made it hard to keep to our usual pace over the summer, so we’ll return to the regular schedule in September. Thanks for staying with us.
- J
Alphie takes the first step on his solo adventure, makes some newfound friends, and learns what a little knowledge applied can do when he’s put on the line.
2024-08-211h 12Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideWhere the Thistledowns Blow, Ep 6 - A Man Called “Pops”Fionn learns the world is old, Bo and a raccoon talk; and they both discover that there’s more to Fionn’s dad than cabbages, folk tales, and just being “Pops”
2024-06-171h 05Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideWhen the Thistledowns Blow, Ep 5 - “The Hawthorne Tree”Fionn, Alphie and Bo discover the source of their magic in the woods deep and old; but what it asks for and Alphie’s promised it are not with fairness bestowed
2024-06-031h 10Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideWhere the Thistledowns Blow, Ep 4: “Leave-takings”After a brief stint in the wine cellar, the Thistledowns escape in a most unexpected way. Though what takes their place or would for just a little more magic trade…? They’re only beginning to name.
2024-04-161h 14Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideWhere the Thistledowns Blow, Ep 3: “Flour Power”Cessie, Fionn and Bo learn a few lessons about breaking into important homes, magic when trifled, and when, with their elders, to be (dis)respectful.
2024-03-2558 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideWhere the Thistledowns Blow, Ep 2: “Thresholds”Dave joins the folk of the village with his character Bo, and shares his requests for the game as a whole—one of them quite presciently, it turns out, as things would blow. Or for at least one thistledown, as they stand at a threshold.
2024-03-0454 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideWhere the Thistledowns Blow, Ep 1: “Tinker, Baker, Alchemist?”Anni, Andrew and I figure out the bare essentials of who we’re going to be ( in game ), our favorite implements ( hint: one involves baking ), and and just how much mischief we can create in a town that’s—for the most—everyday.
We hope you enjoy.
-J
2024-02-191h 00Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideOur Favorite Tropes: Video Games ( Retro )Hey all,
Show’s in somewhat of a transitional space as I head into my fourth year of long Covid. Between that, preparing the initial reader packet for Book 1, and a full overhaul of the website and socials, we’ve needed a place where we can be more casual.
So I’m going to call this a soft start to Season 4. Which we’ll begin with a look back at some of our favorite narrative tropes, this time from video games ( retro ). Then we’ll dive into a playtest on the next episode.
We hope you enjoy,
J
2024-01-2449 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“To Vainglorious Ends ( and Fancy Hats )”Tonight, our ‘Glorious March’ thread comes to an end. So join Ken and I as we explore the mad psyches of possible foes ( and friends ).
And see what happens when the past quite literally comes back to haunt you—and perhaps monologue at—while wearing a funny hat.
2024-01-0844 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Insidious Undead ( + Surprise Crustaceans )”Ken and I continue to build on our “Glorious March” thread, with a deep dive into old but inhabited ruins, unlikely friends, and regional conflicts.
Oh, and crab monsters, too ( because we have to stay on brand ).
2023-12-0457 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideLegends & LoreTonight, Dave and I talk about:
• how to explore a world through the lens of particular objects within it that were pivotal
• how roleplaying games — tabletop, video, card-based etc — are storytelling engines that both tell a tale and create one out of your experience with them
• and when to disclose what kinds of stories a system could tell from the ones that you, as a Creator, hope that yours players will.
We hope you enjoy.
2023-11-1256 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Good Books of Cervantes.AI” ( pt 2 )This week, Nic and I return to the question of what defines ‘soul’, creativity, and whether A.I.—or even moments of artifice in our everyday lives—can arrive at those.
2023-10-231h 43Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Good Books of Cervantes.AI” ( pt.1 )How human notions of awareness and intelligence are built on observable truths and the stories we put them to.
With your host & storytelling guide, Jarod Cerf
and guest, Nic Lori
2023-10-091h 18Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideFrom Fading Myths to Life in a Small Town ( pt 2 )Today, Andrew and I delve into some of the unique characters in an old and dark fantasy world and how they adapt to life in a small town.
2023-09-1850 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideFrom Fading Myths to Life in a Small Town ( pt 1 )Hi all,
We’re still in migration, so please bear with as both the show and some of the hosts move to new homes.
For today’s episode, Andrew and I decided to take an old setting and give it a new shape: one where big themes and myths would need to fit into a much smaller space.
2023-09-0249 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“On the Glorious March of Duke Gaspard Hightower”, ( Pt 2 )Hey all,
I was so busy preparing the first few chapters of the book for review that I forgot to put this week’s episode up.
Today, we’re returning to the ‘Glorious March’ thread, with further tales of what could or might happen, should your prestigious clan’s most ancient regalia be already possessed.
And how, through establishing some of the “big” beats, you can find all of the smaller ones in between—such as fancy hats, guillotines, and skeleton cryptkeepers with bespoke tastes in board games.
We hope you enjoy,
J
2023-07-3056 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“On the Glorious March of Duke Gaspard Hightower” ( Pt 1 )Hi all,
We’ll return with the third and final “Belle of Theta 9” ep soon ( Dave’s currently in the middle of a move ).
In the meantime, Ken and I will be working on an new story thread: one full, as Phillip Hole, the Singing Gravedigger often said, of love, adventure and (un)death.
We hope you enjoy,
J
2023-07-1453 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Belle of Theta 9”, V2.0 ( pt 2 )Hey all,
We’ll be migrating to a new recording service soon, so please bear with us through these last few eps on Zoom.
As for the convo, we take a deep dive into all of the potential weirdness that ensues when one great catastrophe leads to ‘a few’.
We hope you enjoy.
2023-06-101h 04Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Belle of Theta 9”, v2.0 ( pt 1 )Hey all,
We had some fidelity issues with Zoom on this one, so the cleanup was longer than usual ( and there are likely a few immutable quirks left ).
That said, Ken and I had a good deal of fun with the second round of our pacing exercise: when, with “the great disaster!”, a tale begins.
We hope you enjoy.
J
2023-05-1949 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Belle of Theta 9”, v1.0Today, we return to our intrepid space tourists in fantasyland as we ask: how much you should show, say, or tell ( of this provincial life ) before the one moment when ‘everything changes’?
2023-04-221h 16Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideThe Narrative Weight of Small Things, Part 2Hey all, the second half of our foray into the tales found in small places is out tonight. So join Dave and I as we discover who transgresses and why, and how even the same rituals, phrases or rites can—with differing intents—a new thing convey.
2023-04-0150 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideThe Narrative Weight of Small Things, Part 1Hey all,
Long Covid is a beast sometimes, and this month marks the third year. Still recording when we can though. Even when the schedule goes a little weird.
For today’s ep, Dave and I talk about remakes, remasters, and how in storytelling, even the smallest things, moments or actions can carry a tremendous weight.
We hope you enjoy,
J
2023-03-1856 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideHBT Livestream: “Space Butler & the Draculas” ( B-Side )Hey all,
Here’s the second half of our wild tour through sci-fi tropes in a fantasy land, now with space tourists, ‘wampires?’, and the new people ( or places ) they’d rule.
We hope you enjoy,
J
2023-02-1846 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideHBT Livestream: “Moon Wizard v. Spaceship” (A-Side)Hey all,
With the new trailer to Renfield making the rounds, it seemed like a good time to share one of our vampier streams. This one starts innocently enough, as we ponder the eternal question of “moon wizard v. spaceship 🚀, and then what…?”
But never fear: we will have plenty of space butlers and fancy, fanged aliens in the second half later this month.
We hope you enjoy,
-J
Oh, and this one was somewhat of a salvage job, so there might be the occasional quirk or odd noise.
2023-02-0448 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Mayflies at Sunset”Hey all,
We went on an unexpected hiatus last month into this one ( sometimes long Covid forces you to rest ). On a partial schedule at the moment but things should hopefully settle down by Feb.
As for today’s episode: sometimes Dave and I like to start with the simple to find the ‘complex’—what will give life to your world, story and characters once they’re outside of your head.
Just a quick note—this conversation was originally featured on Odder Worlds some years ago on older equipment, so the audio quality is a little rough.
-J
2023-01-141h 00Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“A Heart of Glass”, with Matt SelznickFor the second half of my interview with Matt, we talk about how to give what you create enough time, space, and memory so that it can exist ( and persist ) outside of you without consuming your life.
2022-11-1155 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Village of No Tears”, with Matt SelznickHey all,
We just lost a close family member—it was quite sudden—a couple weeks ago, so things are still somewhat out of sorts here.
Today’s episode is part of an interview I did last year for Matt Selznick’s show, Sonitotum. He’s been kind enough to let us share it here while we take some time off to recover and find some peace of mind again.
-J
2022-10-301h 19Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Conductors”, Pt 2Hey all,
Here’s the second half of our initial concept session for The Conductors setting, where Ken and I delve into particulars such as ‘the passport’: or how the world defines you ( and your actions ) through tags, as they accrue.
-J
2022-10-1553 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Conductors”, Pt 1Hey all,
Join Ken and I as we try a little bit of alchemic synthesis with truths of world, story and character from a few different places—to see both what should and should not persist.
As for whether or not you’ll see more of Conductors and their world later…
Well, we’re still at work on a few more ingredients.
-J
2022-10-0157 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Our Stars Are Numbered”, with David HermanJoin Dave as I we delve into post-apocalyptic tales, how to tell them and why. And what happens when you attempt to live out the final days in the vast and unfathomable terrain that is your newly awakened crew’s ‘user guide’.
Oh, and the novel I mentioned partway through about a collapsing ark ship is Marissa Levien’s “The World Gives Way”.
2022-08-201h 16Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideHBT Livestream: “The Bearest Necessities of Life”, Pt 2Hey all,
Here’s the second half of our short narrative livestream, using Honey Heist. Will our intrepid team of felonious ursines discover, survive, or even escape with their prize? Find out tonight.
-J
2022-08-0656 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideHBT Livestream: “The Bearest Necessities of Life”, Pt 1Hey all,
Since we’re exploring short narrative fiction and forms over the summer, we decided to share one of our earliest live attempts. This time, with Grant Howitt’s Honey Heist and some of our fans.
J
2022-07-231h 09Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideTruths of World, Story & Character through One Sheet Game Design (Pt 2)Hey all,
For the second half of our conversation on finding your tale through one sheet game design, we delve into what kinds of stories we hope each set of truths will provide.
- J
2022-07-0254 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideTruths of World, Story & Character through One Sheet Game Design (Pt 1)Dave, Andrew and I talk about using one sheet game design as a creative exercise, how to play with the truths that make for a good story, and (when they’re live) fail successfully.
2022-06-181h 03Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Little One Sheet of Wonders”, with Grant HowittJoin Dave, Grant (from Rowan Rook & Decard) and I as we talk about one sheet games, the art of the possible, and the joy of creating new worlds, stories and characters for the first time.
2022-05-221h 16Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideThe Possible Worlds Exercise, Part 2: ElesionHey all,
Here’s the second half of our Possible Worlds session with Ken and Dex on what empires do when the world seems to end, how fiat alone cannot the sky’s falling prevent, and why you start from the little truths (like spiders) to find what gives shape, intent and life to rest.
2022-05-071h 16Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideThe Possible Worlds Exercise, Part 1: EmpyreumHey all,
Today’s ep is our first full attempt at the new Possible Worlds exercise, where you take a few truths of the world, story, and characters that you write, a particular premise, and ask yourself “what it…?” to see what /else/ might.
Which should give you plenty of ideas to can play with, discard, or hold up as a mirror to your own work—without any fear of change to its original state. Unless you feel inspired by, or it sheds some new light.
So join us today for the first half a romp through faith, empire, economics, haberdashe...
2022-04-211h 23Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Stars My Destination” & Other Places We May GoHey all,
It’s our 50th episode! Join us as we celebrate, occasionally reflect (sometimes ruminate) on what’s been, and talk about where seasons 3 and onward will go.
And be sure to welcome Dave from Odder Worlds and Geekly Oddcast as an official co-host!
2022-03-251h 21Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideHow to Write When You Haven’t Been…Hey all,
This episode was originally meant to air last year. But like so many things during that time, it slipped away and into the far off reaches of mind until the moment, I suppose, was more ‘right’.
We’ve talked before about how both fear and expectations can interfere with what you’ll write—no matter the genre and in media of all kinds. Today though, I wanted to share some of what my own journey through that has been like: from “not at all” to “I’m still going to try.”
And what better place to begin than the moment when what...
2022-03-051h 09Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideHBT Livestream: “A Mote in the Mad King’s Eye”, Pt 2Hey all,
We’re back today with the second half of our livestream, “A Mote in the Mad King’s Eye.” And yes, that is a nod to both the Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle work as well as the parable from which they derived.
When we left the last time, it was on the note that a vizier (and perhaps wizard) gave to the king his most mad designs. And from there did the world break, for others to right. Though of course, and as always, things oft go awry.
So join us today as we bring this little ‘what if…’...
2022-02-1244 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideHBT Livestream: “A Mote in the Mad King’s Eye”, Pt 1Hey all,
Today, we’re sharing part of a livestream episode we did for our Patrons back in 2020, when we were tasked with creating a world in which other tales could be made. Using only the premise: “who built the ruins that now lie in waste?”
You’ll hear my co-host, Dave, lay out the concept for the world. And then our panel will have a chance to make it grow from the simple and mundane into the new, the unique /and/ the strange.
So join us as we look back to a different Stone or Bronze Age, the folks who’d cr...
2022-01-2856 min
Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"A Visitor Idea", with Odder Worlds and BeeHey all,
For the holidays, we thought it would be fun to share a conversation that Dave and I had awhile back with one of the students from my writing class, Bee.
When we initially recorded the episode for Dave’s show, Odder Worlds, Bee had just begun to define the setting in which her story takes place. So we invited her to share a few of the most essential truths about her world, former princess Emery, and the nefarious villain Tarric, who is visited by an idea most unusual and strange.
That said...
2022-01-121h 11
Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"Apocryphal Texts & Tails Without End" with Ken H.Hey all,
Today’s episode is part of a conversation I had with my friend, radio expert, and archaeological buff, Ken. You may recognize him from our earlier world-building eps. 2 & 8, “Rambling Man” and “The Unforgiving Tree”, where we first delved into some of the more unusual places in the world of Here Be Tygers.
Since then, I’ve discovered some peculiar (and perhaps, particular) threads about faith and the gods and things that occurred in the “way back, when…”. That I needed to chase to to their unraveling ends. Before, even to me, they could make some kind of sense. So rather than leave all...
2021-12-081h 15Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"When the Dreamer Doth Not Lie", with David Herman & Nic LoriHey all,
My apologies for the delay on this week. I’ve been severely ill since last Thursday, and am still finding it difficult to breathe, much less speak. Today’s episode comes from a world-building series on "how to create a space in which you can create", without fear of what might change or persist, that we ran for our patrons earlier this year.
You’ll probably recognize the first two voices you hear as the neuroscientist, Nic Lori, and my co-host, Dave Herman. They did such a wonderful job of explaining the premise on which everything else proceeds, namely...
2021-11-1554 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Lesson 0: Critical v. Creative State of Mind” with Dave HermanToday’s ep is a bit of a preface for our future miniseries on the ‘Seven Great Rules to Writing Stories that Sell’. These are things I found myself teaching all the time, so I thought it would be helpful for Dave and I to talk about prep for them. And how you can shift from a critical (‘what is…?’) to a more creative (‘what if…?’) state of mind when you’d like. We’ll also share some of the more pernicious tales we tell ourselves about why we ‘can’t try’ and what you can do to prove otherwise.
We hope you enjoy
-J
2021-10-281h 10Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"The Stories We Tell Ourselves" with Kate Wallinga, Part 2Hey all,
We’re sharing the rest of our conversation with Kate from “Ignorance was Bliss” today. At first, we’d thought about having it all in one ep, but there was enough of significance, impact, and quality to warrant a different time for the rest.
Above all, “The Stories We Tell Ourselves” is a reflection on the ones that we choose and the ones that we let: how much of our life is decided by them is something we get to decide. And to rewrite. Revise. So I invite you, as you listen to both of the tales shared today—on memor...
2021-10-1459 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"The Stories We Tell Ourselves" with Kate Wallinga, Part 1Hey all,
For our second convo in the lead up to the “Seven Great Rules” miniseries, we invited Kate Wallinga, a former forensic psychologist, crisis clinician and host of “Ignorance was Bliss.” In our earlier talks with Kate, the notion of how we make sense of our world in order to “get by” came up quite a few times.
So we decided to record a few episodes on the stories we tell ourselves: about the folks that we know, the ones that we don’t, and our own everyday life. And how, if we can let go of the boundaries we used to know...
2021-09-3058 min
Ignorance Was Bliss356 -- Sad, Funny, Beautiful and Weird -- with Jarod CerfTo round out the recent trend of authors and writers, I talk with someone who is both an author and a writing coach. We get deeply philosophical and highly cerebral...Guest: Jarod Cerf, Here Be Tygers and Odder Worlds podcasts------------------------Promo: ReRun RetrospectDisclaimer: Eric BerryMusic: Jake Pierle -- https://jakepierle.bandcamp.com/------------------------Facebook group: The Asylum -- https://bit.ly/iwbasylumDiscord server: Ignorance Was Bliss Satellite Campus -- https://bit.ly/iwbdiscordMerch: https://bit.ly/iwbpodcastmerchPatreon: https...
2021-09-251h 17Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"Needs, Wants, Desires & the Truths that We Live By", with Jesse HarlessHey all,
We’re continuing our lead up to the miniseries on the ‘Seven Great Rules’ that I teach to both creatives and entrepreneurs alike, so that they tales they tell will be true, sincere and come fully to life. With that I mind, I invited facilitator, addiction coach, and author of “If Not You, Then Who?”, Jesse Harless, to the show.
As both an addiction survivor and tireless entrepreneur, he speaks to not only the tales that we tell of our own lives, but also the ones that—as individuals or a society—we decide to live by.
So join us today as...
2021-09-1652 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"Why Legacy Matters for those who Create", with Matt SelznickWe’re returning this week with our current guest, Matt S., for the second half our conversation on what it means to be a storyteller and why “legacy” —what you provide and where that helps them to arrive—matters for those who create. You’ll also hear us speak quite a bit about your tribe, or ‘those who provide’. These are the folks who are with you for life. Who will go with you on that journey again and again in exchange for those essential currencies of money, information and time.
Why? Because you’ve helped them to reach towards or achieve a better...
2021-09-0251 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"What it Means to *be* a Storyteller" with Matt SelznickHey all,
I had to take somewhat of an unexpected break last month. As you may know, my father had been quite ill. And on the 8th of last month, we received word that he had passed away. It is still difficult for me, fully, to articulate what these past few weeks have been like. But I did promise myself that I’d return to the show. That I’d continue to write and to be your guide. So here we are today.
The conversation you’re about to hear is a preface to the miniseries that we’ll launch soon, on t...
2021-08-1855 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"How to Know if What You Create Has 'Worth'", with Stephen HermanHey all,
Today’s episode is somewhat of a companion piece to the previous one, so if you haven’t listened to that yet, I suggest you give it a go. For those who have, we’ll be continuing our chat with philosopher and medical ethicist, Stephen Herman, about the worlds we perceive, the different lives they allow us to lead, and why we imagine in order to define truths or close to them, reach.
So join us today as we talk about magical lands, Faust, analogies, and how we shape things into beginnings, middles and ends so that we can bett...
2021-06-0940 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"...of All Possible Worlds", with Stephen HermanIn his book, The Origins of Creativity, biologist E.O. Wilson argues for a new way forward: one that embraces both the sciences and the arts (the possible with the conceivable) as a means to achieve a better life in this, and potentially other worlds. So with that vision in mind, I decided to invite my friend, philosopher and medical ethicist, Stephen Herman onto the show.
With the hope, or perhaps intent, that a few smaller discussions--on the search for shared meaning, how language and art ‘represent’, and what the journey to find universal or narrative ‘truths’ is like--can give us some se...
2021-05-241h 06Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"What Stories Are & Where They Help Us Arrive", with Steven Leavitt, Pt 2Hey all,
This is the second half of my conversation with music and audio producer and coach, Steven Leavitt, for his show The Language of Creativity. In the last episode, we talked about the stories we create and how we so often attach ourselves to them and why, in our work, play and everyday life.
So for today, we’ll continue from that note into not only the tale that I write, but how I learn from that journey and what it entailed both the how and for whom I provide.
I hope you enjoy
-J
2021-04-3054 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"What Stories Are & Where They Help Us Arrive", with Steven Leavitt, Pt 1Hey all,
For today’s ep (and the next), we’re going to change things up a little by sharing a conversation I had with my friend Steven Leavitt on his show, The Language of Creativity.
Steven and I both work with a number of creatives in our everyday life. So we wanted to dispel a few myths about what that can be like, from where and how ‘art’ is derived, to the ways that our stories emerge—fiction or not—from the truths we define. And like many tales, we go on a bit of a yarn at first—though it all comes...
2021-04-1251 min
The Language of Creativity PodcastWe All Tell Stories – Jarod Cerf (Writer/Brand Strategist) Ep.16We all create narratives defining who we are, yet so many of us forget that we all have the power to craft and hone these narratives to define ourselves, our worlds, and the legacy we leave behind.
Jarod Cerf lives by his adage that everyone is a storyteller. A consummate storyteller himself, Cerf has long recognized the power of storytelling and crafting narratives not only in the artistic sphere but for major marketing firms, within college classrooms, in major media outlets, for himself, and his clients. “I have had so many titles: teacher, journalist, PR, marketing, etc. An...
2021-03-311h 48Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"Unraveling Ends," Why We Love or Despise ThemWe often talk on the show about how and when things begin, so I thought it would be useful today to discuss where they end: when all the truths of your tale lead to a certain place, when all the work that you do helps folks to arrive where they’d like to—in their work, in their life, in their play—and in a better state.
But what makes an ending ‘good’, makes it right, makes you and your market, audience or tribe feel like you’ve arrived, that ‘this, here, is fine’ at the end of the journey that together you’ll t...
2021-03-251h 02Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"The Economies of Self, Consciousness & Time" with neuroscientist Nicolas LoriHey all,
This was a somewhat surreal episode for me to return to after we recorded it in what seems such a long time ago (back in 2016). I usually save these for later in the season, but Covid as of late has been cruel to my family and my dad’s back in the hospital with leukemia, so...it’s put me in bit of a reflective state, I suppose.
I mentioned before, in season one, that I’d have my longtime friend, the neuroscientist Nicolas Lori, on at some point in the show. This is this first—and just a part—of ou...
2021-02-281h 29
Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide"The World(s) that We Make", with Lisa Trott, Head of Marketing and Community at MultiverseJoining today: storyteller, game developer and Head of Marketing and Community at Multiverse, Lisa Trott
Hey all,
A fan of the show introduced us to Multiverse, an online video game platform, a few months ago. Since then, we’ve worked with the development team on a number of episodes; which reflects our shared interest, I think, on how stories are told, the means to create, and why worth follows from the lives that we help people make.
So join us today as we talk with Lisa Trott, the Head of Marketing and Community at Multiverse, about interactive games, why folks become a...
2021-02-151h 16Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideHere Be Tygers, Season 2 TrailerHey all,
We’ll be back soon with an incredible season full of new guests (plus those that you’ve met before), fantastic tales, and some dedicated time to questions, ideas and insights on how to use storytelling in your work, play, and everyday life.
Oh, and don’t forget to follow us at our new home on @csuiteradio.
-J
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2021-02-0102 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“A Lark with Some of Fans...”Hey all,
This episode was mostly a lark with a few fans of our shows, who wanted a little reprieve from this year and the ways that it sometimes goes.
So we decided to watch some movies, games and television shows that were great (and others less so) while we were waiting for new audio gear...
And to share a little bit of the levity for which both our end-of-the-year episodes and sibling shows, The Geekly Oddcast and Odder Worlds, are known.
We hope you enjoy,
- J
Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/herebetygers)
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2020-12-3149 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Friendship is (Insert Adjective)...?”, an HBT Workshop with Dave HermanHey all,
As we wind the year down, we wanted to give you a taste of what some our future episodes will be like.
Starting in Season 2, we’ll provide you with three different kinds of conversation on how you can use storytelling to teach, entertain and guide the folks in your work, play and everyday life.
During our Interview or Teach episodes, we’ll talk to Creative Entrepreneurs about how to reach out to your market, audience and tribe, connect what you make to what they want out of life, and the trust, impact and legacy that provides.
For the Pe...
2020-12-2358 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideThe Four Essential Beats of Narrative, Part 2Hey all,
This is the second half of our conversation on the ‘four essential beats of narrative’: namely, the sad, funny, beautiful and weird. They’re not the only beats that matter, of course. But they often give, direction, flow or a shape to the moments that hold us captive or impact us the greatest.
And though we may start with a fairly deep exploration of one of our favorite storytellers, Hayao Miyazaki, the foundational tropes, motifs and narrative elements he plays with—the loss of innocence or exuberant certainty, and the maturity gained in the presence of challenges we must face—a...
2020-11-3053 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideThe Four Essential Beats of Narrative, Part 1Hey all,
What you’re about to hear is the first half of a much longer conversation on the four essential beats of narrative and how storytellers have used them both now and in the past to compel, inspire, repulse or attract.
As you listen, I invite you to think of your favorite stories—fiction or not—and why they’ve had such an impact. Then consider the most powerful moments you’re reminded of, and how you were moved from the first beat to the last.
Oh and this was recorded during my recovery from cervical spine surgery. So if you hear a...
2020-11-1143 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“How to Write for an Unusual Life(form)“, with Stephen and Dave HermanJoining today: two of the three Brothers Herman, engineer Dave and medical ethicist & philosopher Steven, with all of their knowledge combined
Xenobiology. Astrobiology. And all of the fictional kinds. The worlds we imagine, define, are teeming to full with strange and unusual life: beings who either don’t follow the rules that we know—or out of necessity create new order in their time.
But how do you make them seem real, do you ground our encounters with them in the world(s) that you write? How do you know what they think, hear, feel, would convey of their own deep, inef...
2020-10-151h 14
The LiveFitNow PodcastEp 27 Jarod Cerf Storytelling and RecoveryHost Vicki Brown chats with Jarod Cerf, a storyteller, writer, coach, podcaster and individual with his own story to tell. Creativity, self care, yoga, freeing himself from moments of despair using methods he has learnt throughout his life. A wonderful conversation to get you thinking. https://herebetygers.com/https://medium.com/@jarodcerfhttps://twitter.com/jcertherealistThe LiveFitNow Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/thelivefitnowpodcast/https://www.facebook.com/thelivefitnowpodcast/https://twitter.com/thelivefitnowp1www.livefitnowonline.com/podcasthello@livefitnow.co.uk
2020-09-241h 19Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Friends of all Stripes”: Animals in Folklore, Myth and our Lives, with Julie SaillantJoining today: intuitive healer, animal whisperer / human guide, and host of Motivational Addict, Julie Saillant
Although animals feature prominently is many of the stories we tell—as fully detailed characters with their own folklore and lives, as other peoples or tribes within the world(s) where we dwell, and even sometimes as a proxy for ourselves—we often find it hard, ‘in real life’, to know what they’re thinking as well.
But every so often we can hear, gain a sense, for what goes on the mind of the creatures who give us a hoof, gentle claw or long thoughtful...
2020-09-211h 09Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideDazed & Confused (But Unafraid)Joining today: engineer, pop culture critic, and host of Odder Worlds, Dave Herman
Why do we stop? Cease to continue with the things that we love, that we create? That keep us up in the morning, at odd hours, throughout our everyday?
Confusion. Inertia. Fear of what’s still to come—or yet may. If you want to create, as a hobby, profession, form of personal expression or as the eminent biologist E.O. Wilson might say, to live in a not-as-of-yet fully inhabited space—then you’ll know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed by the things that you make. Or...
2020-08-3151 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Where the Beats Have No Name, Pt 2“ with David HermanIn the first half my conversation with Dave, we talked about the four elements of narrative pacing: the premise, your beats, what the audience ‘sees’ and where those should lead.
Today we’ll take a deeper look into the heart of things, or rather, ‘the heart of the scene’: that moment from which all of your beats will drive to or flow. This ‘heart’, as we’ll show, usually taps into what a character cherishes, wants or desires above all else (even in a slight way), reveals some truth of the world, or brings some nuance or insight on either to light.
It’s al...
2020-07-311h 24Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Where the Beats Have No Name, Pt 1“ with David HermanJoining today: humorist, game maker and the host of Odder Worlds, David Herman
There’s a moment in every story’s life where it will go a different way than the one you had in mind. When that’s done well, it can lead to a great or even wondrous surprise.
But sometimes the premise, the beats, and the end destination just don’t align: what you expect doesn’t lead anywhere, the moments that should have been are not there, or you don’t know how—at this place—you’ve arrived.
What do you do when the tale that you’re trying t...
2020-07-151h 07Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Grace”, with Alive Inside’s Michael Rosatto-BennettJoining today: filmmaker, documentarian, and Executive producer of Alive Inside, Michael Rosatto-Bennett
I’ve held on to this interview for awhile. I had plenty of reasons: it was old, it was too noisy, it was live; I wasn’t sure of where it would go—none of them ‘right’.
But that’s the funny thing about grace. It doesn’t come when you’d like, just in the moments between; when you listen, you wait, you hold something too small on its own to survive.
Our guest today has a few stories about forgiveness and change, transformation and sacrifice. And those moments betwe...
2020-06-171h 20Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“In a Series of Kindnesses...” with IHMC’s Mark Daniel & William HowellJoining today: William Howell, Senior Creative and Multimedia Producer for the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, and Mark Daniel, a research associate at IHMC and their exoskeleton pilot
Earlier this year, I had a chance to meet with two remarkable people: IHMC’s Mark Daniel and Billy Howell. They’d just finished speaking at the Podfest Expo in Orlando, where they presented a machine—a part of the team’s collaborative research—that could help a man to his feet, that could give to his legs, to his knees that ability to, again, work.
Having watched my own father struggle with such...
2020-05-161h 06Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“I Sing the Body Eclectic!”, with Eric NevinsJoining today: practicing evangelical, Masters of Divinity in spiritual formation, and the host of Halfway There, Eric Nevins
The words around ‘faith’—that belief in numinous, the eternal, the ethereal, the strange—are often fraught with our own experience of how others would frame it. There are dogmas and proofs, liturgies, claims; but the journey we take is a personal one—sometimes with great struggle or of uncertain length.
For Eric Nevins, a practicing evangelical, Masters of Divinity in spiritual formation, and the host of Halfway There—a show about ordinary Christians who sometimes feel lost or ‘on their way’—that journey began...
2020-04-231h 11Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Choosing Life, That You May Live” with Deanna WonJoining today: former Air Force colonel, Health Coach and stage-four ovarian cancer survivor, Deanna Won
How do you choose—do you define—who you are and what to do when you have only a month left to ‘your time’? When the doctors describe to you symptoms, procedures and what your few weeks in hospice will be like?
For Deanna Won, a former military colonel, scientist and trained fighter, that decision to want, to survive, to take back her autonomy, chase her dreams, regain her life started with one simple moment:
“This cancer is not me, but it is mine.”
Oh, and this wasn’t...
2020-03-2855 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideOn Narrative ‘Arks’, the Weird & the Wild, with Julia PerchJoining today: Julia Perch, a Russian-American psychiatrist, illustrator and writer of the upcoming novel, Umbra
Julia and I first met in an online writing group, where she confessed that she was struggling with some friends and family who felt that her story was either a work of witchcraft or inspired by the devil.
As a tremendous believer in the power of dreams, imagination, and what lives on in the emptiest places of our minds, this hurt her deeply. But still, she was inspired to write; to share the new and weird spaces that her characters occupied.
So join us tonight f...
2020-03-101h 00Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Mad Flight, Part 2”As promised, we return this month with the second half (and finale!) to our adventures in Microscope: a storytelling game about all the ‘big things’ that happen and the smaller scenes between.
So join us tonight as our mad flight resumes with multiple clones, flavors of ice cream, androids, and the consumption of our would-be saviors.
- J
Show Notes
• “The Girl from Ipanema”, orig. by Antônio Carlos Jobim & Vinicius de Moraes; performed by NOVA
• Rules for playing Microscope with your crew, family or team
• How to make your own Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake
• “Memo to Human Resources”, by They Might Be Giants
• How t...
2020-02-292h 08Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“The Mad Flight, Part 1”Occasionally, Dave, Pablo, sometimes Stephen, and I get up to shenanigans.
This is one of those times.
Microscope is a game of what’s true and not right about the world. And what follows from that, as a tale—as a narrative—that we define.
Or at least it should be, in practice, in theory. Until we tried. With apologies to candy, teeth, Star Wars/Trek, Battlestar Galactica, androids and anything else that I forgot tonight.
Here’s the first half of what happens when we make a soon-to-be-real tale of migration come to life.
We hope you enjoy,
(...and stay subscribe...
2019-12-311h 42Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideKobold BlueJoining today: entertainer, co-host of The Geekly Oddcast, and host of Odder Worlds, David Herman
What if an advent was something left behind by the gods, as proof that your gift had been recognized? Or currencies an acknowledgement of the relationship between those of great need and those with great power or verve? If what you were worth was measured not by success but the work?
We’ve spoken before about what makes an ‘earth’. But the things that make that work—currencies, faith, presence, the ‘rules’ of the world—deserve their own light. So join us tonight as we talk about buildin...
2019-11-051h 40
The Leadership Guide with Cody DakotaThe Creative Process in Business and Life, The Role and Dangers of Being a Teacher, and the Art of Writing - Interview with Jarod CerfOn today's episode, Cody Dakota has an interview with Jarod Cerf who is the founder of Here Be Tygers, Podcast Host running a Podcast Network, and is a storyteller helping others bring their stories to life!
In this episode, Cody Dakota and Jarod Cerf discuss:
- The Creative Process in Business and Life
- The Role and Dangers of Being a Teacher
- The Art of Writing
- And How it All Ties To Leadership
Find out more about Jarod's work here:
Free Gift:
Website: https://he...
2019-10-141h 43Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideTyger Tyger, Burning Bright!Hey all,
Sometimes life is weird. And sometimes it goes strange. And sometimes you just have to sift through them both to see what new and unusual things you can make.
Fortunately, we’re at a point now where I can describe that shape:
Long story short, Here Be Tygers is growing again. We’ll still be on Patreon, but you’ll see and hear both some new and a few more familiar faces.
That’s right. Starting today, you can find Here Be Tygers, Myopia: Defend Your Childhood, and The Geekly Oddcast/Odder Worlds all in one place.
This means that—wit...
2019-10-121h 40Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Who Will Lead Us Next?”, with Eddie TurnerJoining today: Eddie Turner, a professional coach, host of Keep Leading, and author of 140 Simple Messages To Guide Emerging Leaders
Back in 2016, before Here Be Tygers was ever a name to this show, I started Jam Sessions as a sort of informal chat with folks about who they are, what they do and where they wanted to go.
Eddie was gracious enough to be our first guest and to this day I remain grateful to him for helping me onto a path where I could do the work that I love with people I know.
So here’s one last look...
2019-08-3059 min
Julie SaillantEpisode #18 - Jarod Cerf from Here Be Tygers-Storyteller, Content Strategist and CoachToday I had the pleasure of speaking with Jarod Cerf from Here Be Tygers. Jarod has been writing since he was 2 years old. He is a professional journalist content strategist, coach, and writer. He loves to tell stories and is a master storyteller. One of his greatest gifts is his ability to coach others to breathe life into their stories. Here Be Tygers is a book, podcast series, and personal & professional coaching site. He is an amazing person with a creative mind.
In this episode you will learn:
What it takes to bring your story to lif...
2019-08-261h 24Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideThe Life We Live Behind Glass, with Lilibet SnellingsJoining today: author Lilibet Snellings, author of BOX GIRL: My Part-Time Job as an Art Installation (from Soft Skull Press) and the funniest person you know with MS
The first thing I remember from my initial call to Lilibet was her talent for setting the dramatic to a well-lit narrative; one where all the places and players are carefully examined, illustrated, and given vibrancy by their all-too-human quips (we also share an addiction to bulleted lists and numbered collections, handwritten notes and a continued affection for the late cinema sage, Syd Field).
The second, was her immediate—and sincere—reply when I...
2019-08-0152 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideThe Different Worlds that We Live In & Imagine, with Andre RodriguezJoining today: digital modeler for Blue Sky Studios, teacher and panelist on Diverse Toons, Andre Rodriguez
It’s easy to imagine a story: the decisions, mistakes, and sacrifices that can drive someone. And so much harder to survive, forgive, outlast the ‘character’ we can become in another person’s life.
But what happens when the world we live in decides that for us? When we try to escape the lines, the tales that other people would define us by? How do we, as Andre would say, ‘find our square’—that one specific place where who we are resides? And when do we fight back?
A...
2019-06-241h 09
The Nice Guys on Business932 Jarod Cerf: Define Your Business Through StorytellingHow well do you know your story and how well can you communicate with your market via those stories? People love stories and Jarod Cerf is an expert at storytelling. Interweave marketing and PR into the mix and you have a great method of communicating, developing business and sharing your business with your market. Want to work with Jarod? Develop and grow your business with his podcast, book and business coaching program at www.HereBeTygers.com! Connect with Jarod Cerf: Instagram: @jcertherealist Twitter: @jcertherealist Nice Sponsors: Check out the REME app for a new creative approach to health & wellness: iOS...
2019-06-2225 min
Buzzsprout ConversationsJarod Cerf // Here Be TygersSend us a textOn today's episode of Podcasting in Real Life, I get to sit down with Jarod Cerf, host of "Here Be Tygers."Want to be featured on a future episode of Podcasting in Real Life? Click here to submit your application.Check out Jared's podcast and subscribe anywhere you listen to podcasts.Looking to start your podcast or upgrade your podcast host? Sign up for free at Buzzsprout.comSubscribe to Buzzsprout Conversations on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.
2019-04-1050 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideThe Wizards Who Gave Us Power, with Eric BrachJoining today: journalist and co-author of Conquering the Electron: the Geniuses, Visionaries, Egomaniacs, and Scoundrels who Built our Electronic Age, Eric Brach
Most of the crew is off and away for the holidays, so I thought it might be a fun treat to revisit one of my earliest episodes from a previous show.
Back then, I was focused almost entirely on authors and their work. So I created In Character to reflect how the people who write our favorite stories often have unusual tales of their own.
Eric was an awesome first guest to have on the show: full of...
2018-12-2847 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“In the Matter of...” with Dave GeigerJoining today: author, essay writer, and advocate for mental health and criminal justice reform, Dave Geiger
Not every life goes according to ‘the plan’: be it God’s, some shadowy conspirator’s, or our own expectations at the time. We like to think in those moments—when we’re asked to change, to ‘do what’s right’, and revise our plans—that what we see and feel and act upon is irrefutable, or at the least, something we can rely on.
But what happens, and how do we define ourselves, when our own mind can no longer tell us what’s real—or just a shadow...
2018-10-2454 minHere Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideThe Unforgiving TreeJoining today: longtime friend and fan of sci-fi, horror and Picard, Ken Hurt.
Sometimes, the world of Here Be Tygers is a kind, forgiving place. And sometimes, it’s an evening or night away from the fires that ‘those who dream too much’ cannot escape. On today’s episode, Ken and I talk about what it’s like to give a part of your world it’s own sense of time and space—before the story or your main characters arrive there. From places fantastic to the more mundane aspects of daily life, we’ll take a look at what remains, play wit...
2018-09-051h 23Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideInterview with a Webcomic Writer, Brad GuigarJoining today: creator of Phables, Greystone Inn, and Evil Inc, writer of The Webcomics Handbook, and host of ComicLab, Brad Guigar
Brad and I met at a Patreon live event earlier this year and within the first five minutes I knew we had to invite him. He’s full of stories and advice; just the kind of people we like. And he’s had quite the interesting career: from newspaper apprentice and early webcomic writer (think Geocities, Angelfire) to successful creator, mentor, advisor and Eisner Award nominee.
So join us as we talk about the pressures of time and change, what y...
2018-07-301h 05Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideWhere to Begin, Part 2And we’re back! Hope you all enjoyed the break while we set things up at our new home.
Last time, Dave and I talked about a few of our favorite tales and how they pull the reader in right from the beginning. So now we’ll share a few of our own, mostly from actual play or in-real-time storytelling games: the kind where the players can decide their own fate, the characters take on a strange life, and failures, mistakes, and the unexpected, shared delight can lead to a surprising change.
What will you do when the ‘golden opportunity’ that you’...
2018-06-221h 03Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideWhere to Begin, Part 1Joining today: frequent guest and Odder Worlds host, David Herman of TheBrothersHerman.
Though it may seem odd, the starting point of any tale we devise is often the hardest to find. Sometimes it helps to see what other bodies of work have done well (or not) and why. And sometimes we wander off into the wilds of the stuff we like before we talk about the tools, ideas and techniques we’ve tried.
- J
Like what you hear and want to see more of what I write? Leave a review or show your support on Patreon.
You can find the sh...
2018-04-181h 08Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideBe Kind to Your Squamous, Toothed & Undulate FriendsJoining today: short story and horror writer, Matt Quinn, and author of The Thing in The Woods.
What happens when you allow a writer to take revenge on his fictional hometown? We talk with Matt about the Southern aesthetic, his love for monsters and splatter effects, and the many celebrities he would cast.
I had a rather severe bout of bronchitis when we recorded this, so please forgive any unusual sounds that might be present.
- J
Like what you hear and want to see more of what I write? Leave a review or show your support on Patreon.
(Noah’s Stark...
2018-03-161h 15Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“Hello, World!”/The Circle GameJoining today: Two-thirds of The Brothers Herman and Geekly Oddcast hosts, Stephen and Dave
What can I say? We sang a lot of Joni Mitchell and Jefferson Airplane when I was a child (I believe White Rabbit was my favorite). And yes, that is a title shout to some antisocial programming language. Sadly, the time lapse of our terrestrial efforts perished on that same day; though one artist’s rendering of the attempt yet remains.
Which leaves us with an interesting question: did those who dream too much fold some (or most) of the world away?
- J
(Noah’s Stark) w...
2018-02-281h 28Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling GuideRambling ManJoining today: Sci-fi, horror, and wrestling fan, and also my friend of over two decades, Ken H.
“Confusion,” as my screenwriting professor, Syd Field, used to say, “is the first step toward clarity.” Well that and, “the act of writing is like that of surfing: first, you have to catch the wave...” After which, he paused and let us contemplate.
”And then?” We asked. To which he paused again, then stared at us, and laughed.
“I was hoping one of you could fill in the rest.”
Sometimes it’s easy to be lost within the details of what happens. And it takes another voice to...
2018-02-211h 19Here Be Tygers: Your Storytelling Guide“I Hit a Rock!”Joining today: my longtime friends and two-thirds of our gaming group, David Herman (of The Geekly Oddcast and @BrothersHerman) and Pablo DiFerrari
We were rather punchy when we started this (12am) and supremely so by the end (at 2am). Nevertheless, we prevailed and had ourselves a grand old time by a coffee table with the ends of my world, a giant rock, and the sorts of folk of who would survive them.
Oh, and there might be spoilers.
I hope you enjoy.
- J
(Noah's Stark) written & performed by Krackatoa
www.krackatoa.com
Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/herebe...
2018-02-171h 11