Shows
The Wordy Pair PodcastWhat Indie Writers Can Learn from the VShojo IMPLOSIONWe get around to it eventually, but this week's episode tries to connect the recent collapse of the VTuber agency VShojo with the perspective of writers wondering whether they should seek out a traditional publisher or stay indie.40:37 Segue Attempt 146:37 Segue Attempt 249:32 Segue Attempt Goes to Hollywood54:37 Getting Closer...1:03:55 There We GoCheck out our fiction at:(Justin)https://muppy.substack.com(Rudy)https://rnkfiction.blogspot.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@RudolphKohnAnd follow us on Twitter at:2025-07-261h 32
The Wordy Pair PodcastVampire Hunter D: Conclusion of the North Sea!We're back for a look at the eighth novel in the Vampire Hunter D saga: The Mysterious Journey to the North Sea, Part 2!This one is chock-full of action and bizarreness, with a plot that has so much going on that it's hard to keep it all in order!Grab a copy here:https://a.co/d/9KLLpPNCheck out our episode on the first part:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkfenFGccMMCheck out...2025-07-191h 11
The Wordy Pair PodcastRanting about Mediocrity: Murderbots v. ReplicantsThis week we're talking about the pervasive mediocrity in modern sci-fi. All Systems Red is a multi-award winning piece of reasonably good--although uncreative--science fiction from 2017 which inspired Rudy to read a book he thought it was cribbing off of: Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"What Rudy discovered terrified him.Mentioned this episode:"Will Save the Galaxy for Food" by Yahtzee Croshawhttps://a.co/d/bqW8Fek"Crabs on the Island" by Anatoly Dneprovhttps://archive.org...2025-07-121h 24
The Wordy Pair PodcastLayered, Absurd Comedy: Talkin' Bout Nichijou, episode 1!This week we're taking a look at the first episode of a very weird show. Based on the look of the show and its name, you might think it's just some slice of life sludge, but Nichijou is actually a very fun and well-written layered comedy that mixes the mundane with the insane, without the elements that often turn people off of Japanese animation.There are various ways to watch this show, but here are a couple of links:Blu-Rayhttps://a.co/d/frzumGuManga...2025-07-0556 min
The Wordy Pair PodcastThird Person Omniscient and Other Old People Tricks!This week we're taking a humorous look at the somewhat recent phenomenon of young people complaining about third person perspectives in writing.So chill with us and learn the value of some old people tricks as we talk about different perspectives, their uses, and honing writing technique in general!(Oh, and the actor we mention near the end is Julian Richings)A few other episodes we mention...Skynet Fails! Adventures with Grok (2 parts):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw-6...2025-06-2853 min
The Wordy Pair PodcastMaking Fun of Awful Sci-Fi: Solaris!We are looking at the famous (for some reason) "philosophical" science fiction novel by Stanislaw Lem this week!What does "philosophical" mean? Apparently it means that none of the characters do anything sensible and the fundamental question the book asks is so simple that it doesn't even need to be applied to aliens alone. Yikes.At one point, we refer to "Pitch Meetings," so here's a link to those if you want some good laughs about bad movies:https://www.youtube.com/@PitchMeetings2025-06-211h 00
The Wordy Pair PodcastQuestin' with the Vampire Lords! Novella ReviewThis week we're looking at Justin's novella that takes place after the events of The Good Guy. Tammy and Ursgelda are back, and they're thrown into another world where vampires are not at all the powerhouses they're used to seeing.Lots of comedy and analysis, and some fun tangents in this one!Go read Quest of the Vampire Lords:1) https://muppy.substack.com/p/quest-of-the-vampire-lords-part-12) https://muppy.substack.com/p/quest-of-the-vampire-lords-part-23) https://muppy.substack.com/p/quest-of-the-vampire-lords-part-34) https://muppy.substack.com...2025-06-141h 07
The Wordy Pair PodcastTalkin' Bout Star Trek (the original series)This week, we're springboarding off of my recent binge-watch of a good chunk of Star Trek (the original TV series). Despite some negative aspects, such as frequent repetition of some plot elements, the show does have quite a few interesting things to say.It sits halfway between the prolific pulp of the early 1900s and the split in the late 1900s that moved a good chunk of sci-fi into a more bombastic fantasy tone, and the other half into philosophical or pseudo-philosophical writing.This, and some tangents into early...2025-06-071h 14
The Wordy Pair PodcastC-c-c-Combobreaker! Weird Format Writing: Fighting Games?!This week we're springboarding off of Justin's recent trip to the Combobreaker conference to talk about a weird writing format: super short character interaction vignettes and flash fiction narratives!Fighting games are a weird animal (Primal Rage 2 included), and you'd think writing for them is meaningless or just plain silly, but we delve in and explain how even these seemingly superfluous stories require a bit of special attention!This, plus our usual share of silliness and sidetracks in this week's Wordy Pair!Also, go...2025-05-311h 09
The Wordy Pair PodcastAre you Being Sieved? Separating a Classic Sitcom from a Horrible Remake!This week we're taking a look at "Are You Being Served?" In case you haven't heard of it, it is an extremely popular British sitcom that ran from the early 1970s through the mid-1980s.It was so popular that it had a film and a theater play, as well as a spin-off series! In 2006, it was ranked 20th out of all British sitcoms, which put it behind shows like Blackadder, but--and this is for you younguns--ahead of The Office! It is hard to argue that the show didn't have some serious comedy chops.Unfortunately...2025-05-171h 30
The Wordy Pair PodcastBeautiful Animation, Bizarre Writing! Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust!After our examination of the seventh book in the series last week, we decided to take a look at the second movie which came out in 2000, 15 years after the first one!This movie combines much of the action of the third book with something that was either made up for this movie, or was part of a later book!The movie is visually stunning, but its writing leaves a lot to be desired--literally! Missing worldbuilding, cut fights... plus a strong tendency for yapping dialogue....2025-05-031h 04
The Wordy Pair PodcastMysterious D and the Journey to the North Sea!This week, we're talking about a random book from the Vampire Hunter D series: Mysterious Journey to the North Sea, Part One. It's got a bizarre fantasy/sci-fi setting with lots of backstabbing characters, mutants with crazy powers, and a ruined civilization of immortal vampires.Hideyuki Kikuchi was greatly inspired by Robert E. Howard for his Vampire Hunter D series, although Kikuchi focuses more on action than Howard did.What we get is the story of a super-powered wandering mercenary and his adventures fighting against the most bizarre, twisted...2025-04-261h 02
The Wordy Pair PodcastPursuit of the Five-Star Review! Review and Author PerspectiveThis week, we're looking at Rudy's first full-length novel, Pursuit of the Heliotrope. We'll be talking about some of his influences, the techniques he developed while he was writing the book, and the ups and downs (especially the downs) of the "first novel" experience!editor's note: Couldn't get the video version to post properly here on Spotify, so if you want to see what my title cards look like (and a nice little joke around 52:00), you'll have to head to YouTube. https://youtu.be/xAVHIxQO8qoPick up a...2025-04-191h 17
The Wordy Pair PodcastFind Time and Use It to Write! | Tips, Thoughts, and PerspectivesThis week we're trying to see if we can shed any light on making time for writing. It seems like a common complaint: "If only I had the time..."However, we've got a few ideas and strategies, as well as just a few ways to re-organize or re-focus your thoughts to either find some more time to write, make better use of what time you have, or just help you stop beating yourself up because you didn't get a lot down on paper for a day or two, and get back to writing instead.2025-04-121h 11
The Wordy Pair PodcastA Dollar Short and A Day Late! Two Weird, Silly Stories!Today we're looking at two books Justin wants to talk about.From their titles, you might guess they are related and we listed them in the wrong order!...However, you would be wrong. Bizarrely wrong.Chill with us as we go through these two strange stories!Check out our other stuff at:(Justin)https://muppy.substack.com(Rudy)https://www.youtube.com/@RudolphKohnAnd follow us on Twitter at:https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChuand2025-04-051h 14
The Wordy Pair PodcastBizarre, Fun Sci-Fi! The Rackon!Today we're talkin' 'bout Justin's first published full-size novel (which I somehow thought was his second), "The Rackon."It's a strange book with a great deal of dark humor. The "straight man" PoV character Country Kitchen has to constantly deal with the somewhat... off-putting antics of the Rackon's captain, Milk Muffin, and her tendency to land in dangerous and eldritch situations.A few links for you:The Rackon on Amazonhttps://a.co/d/8NdnfHaOur roast...2025-03-291h 18
The Wordy Pair PodcastSkynet Fails 2.0! Grok, the ObsessiveJustin continues his adventures in AI ridiculousness with more questions and images from Grok, this time looking at one of his Alien Bangs stories and managing to befuddle the AI by suggesting that a person might do multiple things with his time!We also learn that Grok, despite its odd obsessiveness and inability to follow basic commands, can still apparently see directly into his soul.Check out our other stuff at:(Justin)https://muppy.substack.com(Rudy)https://www.youtube.com/@RudolphKohnAnd follow us on T...2025-03-221h 54
The Wordy Pair PodcastSkynet Fails 1.0! Justin's Adventures with Grok!This week we're spending a little time talking about Justin's recent adventures with the Grok AI system. He's tested its abilities to do a variety of different things, and in most ways has found it... wanting.Check out our other stuff at:(Justin)https://muppy.substack.com(Rudy)https://www.youtube.com/@RudolphKohnAnd follow us on Twitter at:https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChuandhttps://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2025-03-151h 23
The Wordy Pair PodcastCow Launched -or- Attention to Detail!We're a bit all over the place in this episode, but our core issue this week is attention to detail, why it matters, and how not to overdo it.As usual, we have our full set of diversions and tangents!If you want to see the two videos about Oblivion and Skyrim compared to Avowed, they are here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhL1NZugsBkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK1wH1YHvaQCheck out our other stuff...2025-03-011h 04
The Wordy Pair PodcastJapanese Folklore Fun! -or- Uzumé: Our New Favorite DeityA frantic and funny look at some basic Japanese folk stories, with our usual smattering of asides and diversions!Check out our fiction at:(Justin)https://muppy.substack.com(Rudy)https://rnkfiction.blogspot.comAnd follow us on Twitter at:https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChuandhttps://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2025-02-221h 10
The Wordy Pair PodcastAnalog Horror, Fast Food, and First World ProblemsToday we're talking about analog horror, but before we get there we digress into fast food and the first world problem of having too many places to get it.An analog horror tasting menu for those interested:M'Rohoj https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq4k1KlDX7cContingencyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c66w6fVqOINo Through Roadhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08rj_ioKNSoMandela Cataloguehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8...2025-02-151h 02
The Wordy Pair PodcastWorks in Progress and General Techniques!We're putting off our look at analog horror for one more week as we gather more information, so today we're going to talk about our current projects and digress into general writing and editing techniques!
Rudy's Derelict Project series:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPJLWCWF
Justin's book The Good Guy:
https://a.co/d/0wehu5Z
Our Iron Fist video (mentioned):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spm9mLiKOiU
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
2025-02-081h 25
The Wordy Pair PodcastAdventures in Roundworld! -or- "Throat Shenanigans"Laryngitis is a hell of a drug, or something!
We're back and this week we're talking about the book by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart, and Jack Cohen: "The Science of Discworld!"
It combines Pratchett's knack for worldbuilding (literally) and humor with layman-friendly scientific explanations by Stewart and Cohen!
Get a copy here:
https://a.co/d/6glCvRx
By Claude Shannon's ghost, we're going to have a good time!
#podcast #pratchett #discworld #humor2025-02-011h 11
The Wordy Pair PodcastThe Derangement of the Phantom of the Opera!This week we're looking at another classic of the gothic horror era: Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux.
This one is a far cry from Stoker's Dracula, and hints at some of the stereotypical excesses of French literature, especially from this era.
Stick with us as we try to figure out the details of this classic novel!
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseC2025-01-181h 03
The Wordy Pair PodcastMassacre of Mankind! No, Not the Policy, the Book!This week we're reviewing Stephen Baxter's "Massacre of Mankind."
It's an official sequel to H.G. Wells's "War of the Worlds," but it was written around 2017!
That means a lot of really obsolete ideas and concepts had to be revived to keep things consistent, and Baxter does a good job of maintaining a voice consistent with Wells's worldbuilding!
The book has some flaws, but is overall a fun piece of "faux-period" science fiction!
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
2025-01-111h 02
The Wordy Pair PodcastPulp Sci-Fi Classics! The Lensman Series!This series was not what we thought. Justin and I first heard the name "Lensman" because there was an anime movie--and then Justin found one of E.E. "Doc" Smith's books at a used bookseller!
So, while my initial mental image was one of colorful costume-wearing superheroes (thanks anime), the actual books are very different--more like a futuristic version of The Untouchables: action-packed stories of incorruptible officers of galactic law fighting pirates and drugrunners!
However, there's also a bigger story behind that simple facade that has the users of...2025-01-041h 03
The Wordy Pair PodcastComfortable Writing Environments... and... a Weird Technical Digression?Today we're on a bit of a technical digression... Most writing is done on computers these days (obviously), so what do you need to make yourself comfortable and productive there?
We talk a bit about different operating systems! Justin is trying a bunch of different environments. Rudy, on the other hand, has a fairly straightforward setup that seems to be working for him.
The question is: What kind of writing environment will work best for you? Well, you'll hear some possible solutions and maybe something will give you an...2024-12-211h 05
The Wordy Pair PodcastSubtle, Lush Worldbuilding in Rayman!On the surface, Rayman is just another 2D platformer from the 1990s.
However, in this episode, we dig into the subtle and detailed worldbuilding that creates a lush and varied setting for the game!
The lesson here is that those little details make a difference. Telling a story with a complex plot and layered characters might still fall flat if it feels like that action is happening in a void.
Plus, we talk about some additional storytelling elements in games, including Kirby's Adventure, the...2024-12-141h 17
The Wordy Pair PodcastJudging Your Own Work: Is It Ready?In this week's episode, we take a look at judging your own writing and trying to decide when you've polished enough.
Aside from the jokes, we cover a few tests you can do to help determine whether something you're writing is not there yet, getting close, or ready for the big Publish button.
Stay tuned to the end for a special reveal of Justin's true identity.
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkficti...2024-12-071h 09
The Wordy Pair PodcastBeetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Bait and Switch!Today we're talking about the sequel to Beetlejuice, which, while retaining the name of the original, and some of the characters, did next to nothing to maintain the fun atmosphere of the original!
It's another hilarious Half-Blind Review! (Because Rudy sure as hell hasn't seen the movie--neither of them.)
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2024-11-301h 24
The Wordy Pair PodcastAttack of the Stupid Space Pizza!Justin and I talk about the lackluster book "The Object: Hard Science Fiction."
His incredulity as I describe some of the bizarre creative choices leads to a terrifying thought that I had not considered: Was the book written by AI?
Probably not, but as we analyze some of the book's issues, it would explain a lot...
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu2024-11-231h 08
The Wordy Pair PodcastAdaptations: Pros, Cons, and Tradeoffs!In this week's episode, we're looking at a variety of adaptations, talking about their good points and bad points, and it's not just as simple as being accurate!
After all, any creator might want to change up a few things in an adaptation for a perfectly good reason: to provide a surprise or two for the dedicated fans of the original material.
But, as with anything else, there are tradeoffs for this position _and_ it can lead to a spiral of inconsistency and mistakes!
...2024-11-161h 27
The Wordy Pair PodcastHot Tamales and Bad Orc Lore!Today we're talking about the crazies who see mirages of "coding" in fantasy races, only to recreate them with even more obvious "coding."
Also, tamales are delicious.
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2024-11-091h 13
The Wordy Pair PodcastImpostor Psychos!This week's episode starts with a discussion of impostor syndrome that many writers express--are they really insecure, or just fishing for sympathy?
We then go into a bit of a potpourri episode, covering stuff from Signs (the movie) to the crumbling SFWA!
Stuff mentioned in this episode:
Our amazing April Fool's episode:
https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/0lU1nxYg9Nb
My review of John A. Douglas's The Black Crown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzzSJbwf29Y
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)2024-11-0254 min
The Wordy Pair PodcastPulp Mashup, Old and New! The Sinister Shadow Faces Doc Savage!The Sinister Shadow is a strange book... the original manuscript was mostly written in the 1930s, but it remained unpublished for a long time... until around 2015, when a new author whipped it into shape!
The Shadow faces off against Doc Savage, and the action and intrigue are non-stop!
Relax with us as we go in depth on this pulp masterpiece!
Mentioned in episode:
Justin's "The Rackon"
https://a.co/d/6cDrQSy
Rudy's "What the Soul Still Fears"
ht...2024-10-261h 36
The Wordy Pair PodcastThe Fruits of a Rotten Orchard! Debunking Bad Writing "Tips!"The list itself is old, but it found its way into my feed a few weeks ago, and Justin and I decided to do an episode on it.
Wow, just... really narrow-minded and awful writing advice. Repetitive, too.
Chill with us as we take the first third or so of these "tips" apart!
Fun stuff mentioned:
RedLetterMedia's hilarious video with "Ryan's Babe" review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcK4ioF8ODc&pp=ygUZcmVkbGV0dGVybWVkaWEgcnlhbnMgYmFiZQ%3D%3D
Justin's book "The Rackon"...2024-10-191h 35
The Wordy Pair PodcastHow to Handle Falling Action and EndingsWhat starts as a discussion about readers who really dislike the denouement, eventually branches out into a talk on dos and don'ts for ending your own stories!
We cover a variety of examples from media, including how to handle works that may (or may not!) end up with sequels!
Also: Are Rudy and Justin one person? Maybe.
Mentioned in passing: Justin's book The Rackon
https://a.co/d/6cDrQSy
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com2024-10-1246 min
The Wordy Pair PodcastJabbering about Pratchett and PrintingKind of a jabber episode this week, we start out talking about bookstores, specifically Books-a-Million, then talking about new trends in printing!
Will the smartphone aspect ratio become the new shape of books?
Then, we talk about book covers, including a bunch of talk about Terry Pratchett and Paul Kidby, who did a bunch of amazing covers and artwork for Pratchett's books.
Check out some of Kidby's amazing art here:
https://www.paulkidby.com/paintings/
Then, we move on to a discussion of animation, including old-school Simpsons, Gintama, and...2024-10-051h 25
The Wordy Pair PodcastGetting Feisty with Magician: Apprentice!Today we're talking about one of my favorite fantasy author's first novel: Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist.
The early books by Feist are really great because they're actually low-magic fantasy for the most part, with a lot of cool politics (plus I really love the Kingdom's mix of honorable and dishonorable people--it's not too idealistic, but not too dark) and machinations.
Check out Justin's story Outpost Battalion Attachments, referenced during this episode:
https://muppy.substack.com/p/outpost-battalion-attachments
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com...2024-09-281h 11
The Wordy Pair PodcastAnchors Away?!Today we're starting out by covering the "advice" to not start your stories in the middle of an action scene. Some publishers give this advice, but others go 100% in the opposite direction!
We talk about possible ways to edit a story to move that initial action scene inward a bit, if you need to.
Then, we kind of evolve into a potpourri episode, covering a big variety of topics!
Check out some of our older funny stuff at:
https://www.youtube.com/@muppyheingardt8597
Check out our fiction at:
2024-09-211h 12
The Wordy Pair PodcastAlien: BlandulusToday we're talking about the new Alien movie!
Apparently it's not horrible!
Check out our old Covenant review for some hilarity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtBMC_KwNKE
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2024-09-141h 25
The Wordy Pair PodcastHacking to the Gate!Today we're talking about the character and plot developments in the popular visual novel that spawned two animated series: Steins; Gate!
There will be spoilers!
Some fun links:
Akihabara Radio Kaikan Building
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihabara_Radio_Kaikan
John Titor on Art Bell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-viB_iEm0ms
Read Justin's book The Good Guy:
https://a.co/d/8j1qcxk
Check out our fiction at:
2024-09-072h 00
The Wordy Pair PodcastTalkin' 'Bout Turnabouts!We've got a great potpourri episode for you this week! We start by talking about characters turning from bad to good and the reasoning behind this trope, and then we expand into a variety of related topics, like overly worrying about including tropes and watching as new owners destroy old properties!
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2024-08-311h 14
The Wordy Pair PodcastSomeone Failed the Turing Test!Hoooo, boy... have we got something for you today.
Imagine a blogpost that looks like a basic writing tip... Now imagine that the "tip" comes all the way at the end, and is preceded by a bunch of crazy, awful nonsense that makes you think it was written by AI.
...Bad AI. Maybe the internet really is dead.
Behold! The Uncanny Valley of Blogs!
https://medium.com/educreation/unpacking-engagement-in-reading-and-writing-through-storytelling-and-mastering-context-cues-532f3c3e4324
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)2024-08-241h 43
The Wordy Pair PodcastDon't Get Caught by These Hang-Ups!This week, we're talking a bit more about common obstacles for the writer. Everything from tracking (or not tracking) word counts to worrying too much about reader reviews is covered!
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2024-08-171h 29
The Wordy Pair PodcastThe Wordy Pair Against: Ripping Out the Living Souls from BooksThis week, we're talking about the problems that arise when "Achievement Culture" hits literature. There is a significant group of people who want writing simplified and dumbed down. They want this because it would make it easier for them to claim to have read certain "important" books.
We oppose this, in the same way we oppose turning the first few beautiful paragraphs in Lovecraft's The Beast in the Cave into "I was lost in a cave."
Lots of fun tangents this time, too, including thoughts on shrinking attention spans, the issues with multitasking, common core...2024-08-101h 23
The Wordy Pair PodcastFlipping into Magazines!This episode we're talking about magazines, both paper and electronic!
Justin picked up a couple and spent some time perusing the racks, so he's got some up-to-date data for us!
How long are the big paper magazines going to stick around? How many of them are actually profitable? We'll talk about this and more!
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2024-08-031h 05
The Wordy Pair PodcastSeparating Authors from Their WorksToday we're talking about how some people say you shouldn't read certain authors because of their opinions on some topic.
Of course, this is nonsense.
We cover several different authors and their opinions, and conclude that yes, you shouldn't let your distaste for some of their thoughts prevent you from reading their stuff.
Also, to borrow a line from some indie creators: Monetize your haters!
Check out Rudy's review of George Orwell's Road to Wigan Pier:
https://mises.org/mises-wire/review-orwells-road-wigan-pier
Check out our fiction at:
2024-07-271h 29
The Wordy Pair PodcastSlayers Adaptation Under the Microscope: Book Versus Show!This week, we're diving into the first book in the Slayers series, and discussing the positive and negative points of the animated adaptation!
What we find is that the adaptation is, in general, pretty close, but the perspective of the book limits it in some ways, while the audience of the anime limits it in others!
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2024-07-201h 03
The Wordy Pair PodcastThreefer Madness! Three Wolfe Novellas in One Book!In contrast with our coverage of Fer-de-Lance last week, this time we're covering one of Rex Stout's later Wolfe books, Trio for Blunt Instruments.
Rex Stout published about one Wolfe book per year, and most of them were full-sized novels, but a significant fraction of them were collections of two, three, or four shorter, self-contained novellas: Kill Now, Pay Later; Murder Is Corny; and Blood Will Tell.
Yes, we will be talking about the corn recipe in Murder Is Corny, as well as a little talk about another celebrated detective: Hercule Poirot.
Check...2024-07-131h 02
The Wordy Pair PodcastSaul Panzer Can Fly. The Wordy Pair Covers Rex Stout's Fer-de-Lance!The first Nero Wolfe novel by Rex Stout. The quintessential American murder mystery. Fer-de-lance (no, you aren't pronouncing it right) is a solid introduction to the characters that solved murders every year for forty years!
We're big fans of Rex Stout, especially the Nero Wolfe series, and we thought it would be fun to cover this great book!
Also, Saul Panzer is an exceptional man. He can fly.
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu2024-07-061h 26
The Wordy Pair PodcastDoctor Who and Disney Too!Who else is appalled at the slow death spiral into irrelevance of Doctor Who and Lucasfilms?
Consistency is important in writing (obviously) because it creates stakes and characters who a reader can care about long-term.
Doctor Who and Disney have chosen the path of inconsistency, leading to a loss of viewer investment.
Plus, a series of unanswered mystery boxes is no way to create a story.
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com...2024-06-292h 03
The Wordy Pair PodcastThe Hilarious Fantasy Hijinks of Slayers!We are back to moving pictures!
Okay, today we're talking about Slayers. Yes, the animated series from the 1990s. However, Slayers is pretty darn good, especially the first 10-20 episodes, which establish a solid formula for the rest of the series.
Slayers illustrates the proper mix between seriousness and comedy, the saturation point of snarky banter, and the unlimited fun of uncertain levels of violence!
Come chill with us as we talk the Slayers TV series!
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com...2024-06-222h 08
The Wordy Pair PodcastReading Is Fundalicious!In this week's episode, we get cancelled by people who skip prologues or chapters of books, but that's okay because those people are CRAZY.
But seriously, this time we're talking about getting ideas and honing your voice by reading, watching, and listening to other works!
Don't just read. Read joyfully.
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2024-06-151h 03
The Wordy Pair PodcastHowling into the Dead Internet!Today we're taking a little sideways look into the Dead Internet theory, as it pertains to writing, especially promoting your writing.
We talk about how long this has been a trend and how "internet wandering" has been replaced (mostly) by scrolling three or four big sites.
Also, we are cancelled by women, aliens, and... Hindi speakers?
Check out the PAEAN Project short story:
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-paean-project-about-3100-words.html
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com...2024-06-081h 16
The Wordy Pair PodcastMining the Mountains of Madness!It did take us a few weeks to remember, but we finally got around to our in-depth treatment of Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness."
Here are some of our fun links:
Read "At the Mountains of Madness:"
https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/mm.aspx
Listen to Horrorbabble's great audio version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTk0iROhSOc
Look at Roerich's paintings:
https://www.roerich.org/roerich-paintings-selected.php
And now, to plug our own stuff...
...2024-06-011h 30
The Wordy Pair PodcastBreathe Deep... and Redraft!We are talking about editing and redrafting in this episode--it's a vital part of the writing process that people are often willing to cut corners on.
Polish your writing and make it as amazing as it can be!
Then we somehow get off onto a tangent that has us looking up legacy English dictionaries.
And check out our new "motto": "Write stuff, dammit."
Welcome to The Wordy Pair, your source for weird and irreverent writing advice.
(Did I spell "irreverent" right?... Yes, yes I did.)
Check out...2024-05-251h 06
The Wordy Pair PodcastTalkin' 'bout Our Writing Again!Today we're talkin' 'bout a bunch of our recent works and projects!
...And getting cancelled by the Irish and Canadians.
Works mentioned:
Cracks in the Walls at the Bottom
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com/2024/03/cracks-in-walls-at-bottom.html
Alien Bangs in: Self Service
https://muppy.substack.com/p/alien-bangs-in-self-service
No Ticket
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com/2023/12/no-ticket.html
Alien Bangs and Jupiter MP in: Chopper Girl
https://muppy.substack.com/p/alien-bangs-and-jupiter-pm-in-chopper
The Ultimate Drink
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com/2024/02...2024-05-181h 12
The Wordy Pair PodcastGlancing at Grimms' Fairy Tales!Today we're glancing through a few of Grimms' Fairy Tales, with some fun commentary and thoughts about how these very basic stories nevertheless became so well-known and ingrained in our culture.
Also, we reference a great Monty Python sketch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzn0tIy3dzM
Justin's hilarious Cinderella parody is here:
https://muppy.substack.com/p/ashley
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter...2024-05-111h 41
The Wordy Pair PodcastSacred Cows, Self-Imposed Rules, and... Dead Dogs?Today we're talking about a bunch of different topics, starting from sacred cows and frequently self-imposed rules in writing, and moving in a jagged path that touches on recommendations, James Joyce, and pet magazines.
Story mentioned: Mendala
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com/2022/11/mendala-short-story-about-2200-words.html
Our funny "roast" of The Good Guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuRTlshtU2A
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/Ninj...2024-05-041h 18
The Wordy Pair PodcastIndie Publishing PointersWanna know about indie publishing?
We'll tell you everything we know. From platforms, to audiobook production, covers, titles, and marketing, we have a few good starting tips for you on each.
Plus, a fun little digression about style rules!
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2024-04-271h 29
The Wordy Pair PodcastDracula Definitely Doesn't SuckIn today's episode, we're doing a deep dive into Bram Stoker's Dracula, the classic novel of gothic horror from over 125 years ago!
It pioneered (or, at least, is a shining example of) a very interesting multi-perspective style and is a great old book!
Come with us as we explore this incredible work of classic fiction!
A link to a free PDF of the book:
https://archive.org/details/dracula00stok
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.co...2024-04-201h 19
The Wordy Pair PodcastThe Writer's ToolboxIf you're getting into writing, as with anything, there is often a temptation to go all-in on the most expensive tools, thinking that the more expensive stuff will make a huge difference in your workflow.
In this episode, we talk about the tools and software we use to write. There are ways to get cheap computers and laptops, open-source and free software is abundant, and we evaluate and discuss some of the stuff we've tried and make some recommendations.
Spend that money on your cover or advertising, not your word processor!
Check out...2024-04-131h 10
The Wordy Pair PodcastThe Audiobook QuestionIn this episode, we consider a controversial question about audiobooks: are they "reading?"
This takes us into the issue of writing and the need for precise language. If I told you someone read a book on a train, what would you visualize?
We talk about elitism in reading circles while also noting the need for language that creates the correct perception in readers.
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/Ninj...2024-04-061h 03
The Wordy Pair PodcastThe Obscure Novel Behind MacGyver?We've got something very weird for you all today: a review of a little-known novel from the early 1980s--the book that made MacGyver, by Terrence Darrow.
This Scottish author took a shot at writing a spy thriller and had his creation immortalized on TV, though not entirely to his liking...
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn2024-04-011h 32
The Wordy Pair PodcastLovin' Some Lovecraft!We're just gonna talk about how awesome H.P. Lovecraft is for a while, are you with us?
Our most Lovecraftian offerings are...
Justin's book The Rackon:
https://a.co/d/1fqknWZ
Rudy's book What the Soul Still Fears:
https://a.co/d/4611J1a
Also, check out Horrorbabble's excellent YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@HorrorBabble
Check out our other fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.co...2024-03-231h 15
The Wordy Pair PodcastAdventures in Print-on-Demand!Today we're talking about actually getting your indie book down on paper and out to people! Justin has just gotten some physical copies of his book, The Good Guy, made in both hard and soft covers.
We discuss the pros and cons of the Amazon PoD system, possible hangups, issues, and how to get the best results!
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Koh2024-03-161h 27
The Wordy Pair PodcastShow, Don't Tell in Godzilla Minus OneIt's the thrilling conclusion of the movie writing arc! In this episode, we're talking about the writing of Godzilla Minus One, a film that unexpectedly took American theaters by storm!
One of the important aspects of storytelling is to get the reader invested in the setting. One of the best ways to do this is to couch exposition in the characters and events rather than simply stating them.
Godzilla Minus One does this in spades, so hold on as we go through this movie's writing and show (pun intended) how it works!
Also...2024-03-091h 23
The Wordy Pair PodcastHorror and Action Writing in Alien and Aliens!What is this, a freakin' movie arc?
Kind of. We had a bunch of fun ideas for movies that get writing right in various ways and wanted to talk about them.
This week, we've got Alien and Aliens, two very different atmospheres, but both extremely well-written.
If you've been living in a cave, Alien is a slasher movie with some very good (albeit sparse) character work, and Aliens is much more action-oriented, with a much stronger focus on character arcs!
Both are excellent examples of different ways to create tension, advance...2024-03-022h 07
The Wordy Pair PodcastWriting Tips from Proto-Ghibli!Today, we two hopeless anime nerds are looking at what you can learn from the writing of Studio Ghibli and pre-Ghibli films.
Show, don't tell, as exemplified by Nausicaa.
Character development as exemplified in Castle of Cagliostro!
We look at examples from various films.
Also covered are: Dealing with Stakes, Story Flow and Transitions, The Deceptive Persuasiveness of Bad Ideas, and Being Good to Your Audience!
There's a lot to learn here!
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
...2024-02-241h 48
The Wordy Pair PodcastWriting Hard versus Soft Magic!Today we're focusing in on something that's gotten very trendy recently: hard magic systems. We discuss the pros and cons of both hard and soft magic systems, as well as give some pointers on how to harden a magic system you think is too soft.
Also covered: the Isekai Glut (Will we ever avoid anime related topics? No!) and a little bit on fairy tales.
We discuss two videos we made a long time ago:
Batman v. Superman is a terrible movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko8-ydecoPQ
2024-02-171h 56
The Wordy Pair PodcastTranslation and Localization! How and Why to Keep an Eye on Them!We are dealing with a plague of deliberately bad localizers and translators in the anime and manga scenes--and maybe in general! Today we're talking about translation and localization.
Both of us are moderately familiar with the Japanese language and do hobby translations, and we've been into anime and manga for a long time.
From a writing perspective, keeping an eye on your translators is a good idea, and we explain why, as well as some ideas on how to do so!
Links to things mentioned:
Our Pippi Longstocking...2024-02-101h 25
The Wordy Pair PodcastMusical Inspiration and Writing Action!In this episode, we are starting off with a discussion on using music to inspire your writing, with our usual helping of digressions!
We talk about "The Turnaround," a technique common in certain types of writing that can make your writing more exciting if you do it right.
Then, we cover our thoughts and techniques for writing action scenes, as well as some other fun stuff!
Media mentioned: Information was kept away from most of the Umineko voice actors (contains Umineko spoilers!!!!!):
http://tinyurl.com/y4csxdhc
Our works...2024-02-032h 12
The Wordy Pair PodcastThe Joy of Pippi LongstockingToday we're diving into the quintessential modern children's story series: Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren (yes, we get her name wrong somehow through the whole episode).
Pippi's stories are positive, imaginative, and chaotic--very different from earlier children's tales. We touch on Grimm's Fairy Tales and have a short digression into the Wizard of Oz books and their abundant nightmare fuel.
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaM...2024-01-271h 15
The Wordy Pair PodcastTalkin' 'Bout Our Works, Cheap Covers, and More!Kind of a potpourri episode this week.
We weren't quite ready to talk Pippi Longstocking, so we decided to talk a little about some of our works. We start out with a bit more on Justin's The Good Guy, then we cover:
Book Covers on a Budget
Origin Stories and the World Outside Your Story
Hard Science and Avoiding Perpetual Motion
...and more!
We discuss our works:
Jade Cargo https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com/2023/10/jade-cargo.html
Cash Marly https://open.substack.com/pub/muppy...2024-01-202h 17
The Wordy Pair PodcastStructures, Outlines, and Physical Media!An episode starting with two very different perspectives! Justin and Rudy have very different methods when it comes to preparing for writing a story, and they hash out their differences in this episode!
Other topics we touch upon are:
Different Kinds of Mystery Stories
The Disappearance (and Importance) of Physical Media
Avoiding Stagnation
and Justin's From-the-Hip Jump into VTubing!
Featured story is Justin's Happigo Bloodeye:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/309073
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
2024-01-131h 27
The Wordy Pair PodcastDealing with Distractions and Punching It Up!In today's episode, we talk about how to deal with distractions when you're writing. We suggest a bunch of methods to make sure you're getting stuff done!
We have a little interlude about Maurice LeBlanc and Saul Panzer, then we talk about adding layers of complexity and excitement to stories. Rudy and Justin have very different ways of doing this, so the discussion is all over the place!
We also mention a Half-Blind Review we did of Alien: Covenant, which is hilarious, and I don't feel like I'm bragging...2024-01-061h 22
The Wordy Pair PodcastLaughing through Larry Correia's Author Tier List!There are a lot of people who are still really low on the author tier list (like us) and lots of people who somehow manage to be lower. Join us as we go through Larry Correia's hilarious alphabetical list of author tiers!
Follow along at:
https://monsterhunternation.com/2014/07/24/the-official-alphabetical-list-of-author-success/
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter at:
https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu
and
https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Koh2023-12-301h 38
The Wordy Pair PodcastIntriguing Influences and a Truckload of Tangents!Episode 4 has us talking about our influences as writers, and a bunch of sidetracks along the way!
Plus! An extended ode to old works, and best of all, many of them are free!
Stuff mentioned:
Outopos
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com/2023/04/outopos-short-story-about-3100-words.html
Quest of the Vampire Lords (part 1!)
https://muppy.substack.com/p/quest-of-the-vampire-lords-part-1
Dawn of Discussion (Half-Blind Review)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko8-ydecoPQ
Check...2023-12-231h 16
The Wordy Pair PodcastPrompts and PublishingToday our two indie authors Justin and Rudy discuss the wonderful source of idea seeds that are story prompts, and the upsides and downsides of using them.
Then, we share the little bit that we know about conventional publishing, along with some tips and ideas in unconventional publishing!
We mentioned Iron Age Media for short story prompts, so here's that: https://ironage.media/
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
An...2023-12-1653 min
The Wordy Pair PodcastThemes and InspirationToday we cover the most dreaded topic of all writing: MUH THEMES! Themes are important for analysis but too many writers deliberately (and clumsily) insert way too much theme in a lot of places.
Then, we talk about inspiration and taking cues from your favorite authors! There are some who say there are really only like ten stories in all the world. We don't go along with that, so we talk about why not and discuss some stuff we've found inspiring and also some things we've read that were inspired by other works!
2023-12-101h 29
The Wordy Pair PodcastWorldbuilding and Review of The Last TheoremJustin and Rudy talk worldbuilding in the face of a Workshop that produces Games being a jerk about its extremely derivative world that is Dark and also Grim.
Then we review The Last Theorem, a book by Arthur C. Clarke and Frederik Pohl. Rudy has read it, and Justin hasn't, leading to a hilarious Half-Blind Review!
Check out our fiction at:
(Justin)
https://muppy.substack.com
(Rudy)
https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com
And follow us on Twitter...2023-12-021h 51