Inspector Josh Investigates TV - Reverse-Engineer TV Shows to Write Better Stories

In this podcast I look deep into TV shows' structure, progression, and characters to reverse-engineer them so we can create better stories. We go through shows ranging from Breaking Bad to My Little Pony, because we can learn from everything!

074: Building Tension | Downton Abbey, with guest Emily Gehman!

Building tension in stories can be a lot of fun and make them really interesting! In this episode, I talk with Emily Gehman about a technique for rapidly developing tension in your stories.Emily's website: emilygehman.comEmily's podcast: http://solidstateradio.net/your-storiesEmily's Twitter: @emilygehmanjoshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

11-01
20:14

073: Monologuing Requirements | Boy Meets World

Monologues are fun, but they rarely happen IRL. How can we get our characters into positions where they can start believably monologuing?Also, a note: I'll be switching to monthly posting so I can get more balance in my schedule. I know quite a few of you are regulars- thank you for tuning in each week and I hope you continue to enjoy IJITV!joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

08-27
05:04

072: NST Method | M*A*S*H

Sometimes we want to fit as much crazy into our screentime (or page space, etc) as possible- but we still want to solve the core issue in the story at the end of it. This is a great method for doing just that!joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

08-19
04:16

071: Combining the Unrelated | Axe Cop

How do we develop zany ideas? We often brainstorm by starting from one point, but what if we combined two separate points instead?joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

08-12
05:20

070: Why Characters Care | Sabrina: The Teenage Witch

How do we develop characters who care? Here's a perspective to help you develop motives and story concepts based on motives in a clear back-and-forth fashion.joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

08-05
04:01

069: DORR Structure | Kaleido Star

Another structure for developing story concepts rapidly!joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

07-28
03:11

068: Misjudging | Erased

How do we help characters misjudge others and misjudge situations? This can help us create tension and mystery, and confusion among characters! (If we want that)joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

07-22
04:44

067: Sacrifice Requires Rules | Star vs. The Forces of Evil

How do we avoid creating sacrifices that really aren't? Let's look at rules and how they're essential to sacrifice!joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

07-10
04:49

066: Differing Opinions | Black-ish

How do we have a conversation around a topic rather than preach on it? It's pretty simple, actually: show the facts, tell the truth, through a great story!joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

07-02
04:10

065: The Power Swap | Perfect Strangers

How do characters swap positions of power, when neither of them gain more resources, knowledge, or skill?joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

06-29
03:35

064: Relationship Relativity | 30 Rock

Like it or not, we often act different ways around different people. How can we set our characters up for that? How do we get them to try pandering to multiple groups?joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

06-23
04:05

063: Murphy's Law | Star vs. The Forces of Evil

What could possibly go wrong? Let's look at Murphy's Law and ways we can brainstorm things to go horribly wrong for our innocent, unsuspecting characters...joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

06-11
05:25

062: The TOE Method | The Rain, with guest Joey Nadon!

Joey Nadon joins me to discuss the TOE method, which helps us express character traits effectively and show different sides of our characters!(Apologies for the audio quality on my mic, this will be fixed with future guests)Joey's Website: jnadonvideo.weebly.comjoshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

06-04
07:14

061: The Alienation Effect | Seinfeld, with guest Brenden Taylor!

Brenden Taylor shares about the Alienation Effect, which helps us emphasize certain aspects of our characters- in this case, for comedic effect!Brenden's Website: thebookofbrenden.comjoshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

05-28
12:42

060: Know Your Scales | Futurama

What is the range of possibilities for where your characters can go? If you don't know, it's time to learn your scales!joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

05-21
04:44

059: Cheating Time | Good Eats

This episode of Good Eats does a great job of passing time in interesting ways- in fact, in the segment we study, each way is unique!joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

05-16
03:12

058: ESCAPE Structure | My Hero Academia

This structure shows us how to get characters trapped and untrapped. And untrapped is totally a word.joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

05-07
04:49

057: The Oversalesman | The Last Man on Earth

The oversalesman is a great way to create confusion, mystery, and distrust in your groups. Oversalesmen can also be very flexible and change believably and effectively!joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

05-03
04:24

056: Sign Em' Up! | The Amazing World of Gumball

How do we get characters to do things they wouldn't normally do? Have a good friend sign them up, of course!joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

04-26
06:53

055: Writers Are Always On Teams | Siren

We are always on teams- even if we're writing "solo".joshpowlison.comjoshuapowlison@gmail.comEmail me to request investigation for a TV show or episode!Throw a few bucks my way to support the podcast

04-17
04:14

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