Dave 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…

Hey 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…

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.- JAlphie 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.…

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”

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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 …

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.

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 ).

Tonight, 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…

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.

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 Cerfand guest, Nic Lori

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.

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.

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” b…

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

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.

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…

Today, 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’?

Hey 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.

Hey 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…

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

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 m…

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…

For 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.

Hey 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…

Hey 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

Hey 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…

Join 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”.…

Hey 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

Hey 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

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

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.

Join 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.

Hey 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.

Hey 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…

Hey 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!

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 t…

Hey 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 the…

Hey 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 mak…

Hey 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…

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 …

Hey 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 yea…

Today’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 whe…

Hey 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 t…

Hey 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 e…

Hey 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 …