Creator's Playbook

What if you could have the perfect day? Nothing went wrong, all you did was right, and in the end you come out on top in everyway. What kind of effort would be required to do that? It would take a culmination of all effort or very special circumstances. Or, maybe you could just relive the same day over and over again until it was just right. Timeloops are a story phenomenon that find themselves getting told again and again. Join Robbie and Sarah as they explore the inspiration behind timeloop stories.

Cold and dark days have come to The Creators Playbook here in episode "Soul Bleeding" where Robbie and Michael delve into the backdrop of dystopian societies. You, Great Author, have a choice before you in how your characters are going to live through an oppressive regime! Will they be triumphant and conquer in majesty? Or will your society crush them? Join us as we delve into this wonderfully awful business of making our characters' lives terrible as we create a dystopia, and place our characters in it to live, thrive, or die.After-show-notes and further reading:John Joseph Adams: https://www.tor.com/2011/04/15/dystopian-round-table-the-appeal-of-dystopian-fiction/Freedom Economic Education Matrix: How Can You POSSIBLY Not Be Red-Pilled By Now?? https://youtu.be/7QZQ8FlTbb4

It's that time of the year. A time to go out and surprise others with gifts, treats, and service. It's a time of scrolling through online sellers and walking through isles trying to find the perfect thing. Sometimes all you need is just a little magic to make it all happen. Today join Robbie and Steven as they create a Magical Shop filled with wonder and mystery.Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast086Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/After-show notes - The Shop Keeper:The shop keeper can be a friend or aid to the hero of the story. They play a sort of mentor or guide for the hero, leaving hints to encourage them on their path. When making this particular type of character, a good dose of mystery goes a long way.Recognizable patterns with this character:Brief appearances with the hero.Cryptic guidance, unclear to the hero and ourselves until the end of the story.Appears when they're most needed.

“Wishes.  It's amazing how much of our lives are full of Wish routines.  Wishing on the first star in the sky or a shooting star.  Wishing on birthday candles.  Stories are also full of wishes as well.  What we wish for shows what we value, and in stories wishing can be a window into a characters soul.  Wishes can also serve as both a great blessing, but also trials and tests.  Remember, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast085Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

If you were to look behind the curtain of the production of Creator's Playbook, there are several stages that would be very obvious. Research, writing, episode preparation, recording and scheduling, down to the editing, effects, and music selection. But one thing a lot of our listeners might not know is that we actually take the art of warming up before a recording very seriously.As much research goes into our show, there is still a very real sense of improv. Because of that, we need to be in the state of mind to allow for that creative exchange to occur! With the holidays coming up, we wanted to record a shorter episode today and show the process we use to get our creative juices flowing! Here are several of the warm up games we've designed to get us in the creative mind-set:"Key-Prompts" - One player give a key word or phrase, the other must develop a story around this concept using the key word as inspiration. That player then gives a key word to another player, who must use the inspiration to develop another part of the story. The only rule is that each player is adding to the same world or story, until a basic story comes together."Break and Tell" - A key word or phrase is given to start the prompt. The first player must begin telling a story until they trip over their own words or pause. The next player must immediately continue telling the story from where the last player left off. The story is traded back and forth if there are only two players, or in a direction if there are more."Pass Backs" - A player gives a basic phrase as a prompt. Player two takes the prompt and develops the idea a little further, typically adding a twist or a concept. Player one then begins to describe a scene from a would-be story that illustrates the prompt as a fleshed out idea. This scene it stand alone, and the next play is a new scene for a new would-be story."Not My McGuffin" - A player gives the name to an unknown item. Player two takes the name and describes what the item is, how it is used, and why it is essential to the plot of the story the item appears in. Try these games out and let us know what we think by tagging Creator's Playbook on social media!Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast084Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

Every tale with a Ghost is a tale of history. The ghost is something left over from the past, a linger memory, and the haunted location is the canvas for its story. It's a Ghost Hunters job to uncover these mysteries, find the vapory clues, and reveal the ghost. These stories are exciting and spooky, and today we're going to tell our own tale.Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast083Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

Space invites the mind to all kinds of ideas and stories. Exploring it has been the staple of thousands of science fiction stories across all medium, causing to wonder what worlds, people, creatures, and things float around the distance specks of light that sprinkle across the sky every night. Join Robbie, Sarah, and Michael as we explore our very own piece of space and turn it into a story.Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast082Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

There come moments when we hear our own, calm voice reassure us that what we are doing is where we are meant to be. Sometimes it is hard to hear that with such clarity when the world is filled with the chaos of the going-ons of life, but we can still hear it when we take those gentle moments to listen.What exactly is the concept of a life's work, and how do we find our purpose in what we do? These are questions I have been asking myself as of late. How do I know that the work I am creating leaves behind a legacy that I am proud of, and one that makes a difference for those who may need it.Explore all of this and more on today's episode of Creator's Playbook.Today also marks the beginning of NaNoWriMo. To learn more about the National Novel Writer's Month, please visit: https://nanowrimo.org/Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast081Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

It is Halloween! So obviously we are going to talk about Zombies. But the real question we want to ask is why do people like scary stories in the first place? Is there an actual benefit to getting scared? And most importantly, how do stories of the undead fit into all of this? Join Michael and Robbie as we delve into horror and zombies with a time travel twist.Episode References:"Why Do So Many People Like Horror Movies? Six Reasons We Love Being Scared"https://www.health.com/mind-body/why-people-like-horror-movies

Plants, they seem harmless, right?  Bouquets for Valentines and weddings.  Daisies to brighten someone’s day.  Fields of wildflowers to spark any lighthearted soul.  But plants in stories?  Oh, they be sinister.  Seymour fed a plant human flesh and blood in Little Shop of Horrors.  The villainess Poison Ivy uses plants to thwart her vigilante foes.  The Whomping Willow protected a young werewolf from his classmates, and later destroyed a Ford Anglia.  Plants can create many opportunities for plot points, plot devices, and characters in stories and art.  Follow Sarah and Robbie as they explore plants in fiction as they create a plant monster, perfect for the upcoming All Hallows’ Eve.Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast079Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

Encounters of the third kind, but with a sinister twist. Alien invasions inspire all sorts of uncomfortable and frightful feelings. How does one fight against an enemy much more advanced than themselves? Why are they coming for our homeworld? Have we gone too far with our social media feeds and it's their way of showing us? The mystery is palpable. Join Robbie and Steven as they explore, dissect, and create their own story on alien invasions.Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast077Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

As the seasons turn to fall, watching the colors fade from the trees and the wildlife turn to hibernation causes the human experience to reflect on the frailty of life and the cycles of death. As we enter the month of October we enter our spooky season here on Creator's Playbook, and what better way to start us off than launching into the subject of unfinished business among the ghosts of the dead! Paranormal activity around the dead had been spoken about all around the world. The concept that the soul of the body is eternal, and can sometimes linger and torment, as opposed to finding rest. Why do the ghosts of the dead stay behind, and why are stories of unfinished business so much run to talk about? Join us as we explore the mysteries of unfinished business on todays episode of Creator's Playbook. Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast077Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

We’ve grown up hearing about Fairies, popularized by a certain Tinker Bell who is small and sassy.  Fairies have largely been commercialized, gracing children’s books, postcards, figurines, and shows.  But who are the Fairies?  They take many forms throughout the Celtic lands of Ireland, Scotland, The Isle of Man, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany.  There are legends and stories, beliefs, that are shared and different.  Tales that haunt and tales that warn.  Join Steven and Sarah as they talk about all things fairies, creating a story, and getting caught up with the lore and mystery about these secret fiends.  The book referenced in the podcast is “The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries” by W.Y. Evans-Wentz, who traveled the Celtic lands in the early 1900’s gathering testimonies and first hand accounts.Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast076Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

Fiction has done some pretty wild things with super weapons. They've become the center conflict in many stories from comic books to epic sci-fi, but how does one make an interesting and terrifying super weapon? Join Robbie and Steven as they explore the methods necessary to do just that.Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast075Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

Have you ever had that moment when you realized that you weren't as sure of where you were than you thought? The landmarks are gone, the familiar faces missing, and your direction seems lost forever. What do you do in times like those? Better yet, what do your characters do?How do stories about getting help a character grow? In todays episode we explore why stories include "getting lost" elements, and how you can best use these tropes in your own stories.Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast074Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

Who doesn’t love a good Earth annihilation story?  An asteroid spiraling towards Earth!  I mean, it sure caught the dinosaurs by surprise.  But is that all asteroids are good for?  There’s a treasure trove hiding away in space rocks.  Fortunes and resources that would have made the cunning Long John Silver crazy with wanting desire.  What possibilities lay in the asteroid belt and beyond?  Join Sarah and Michael as they explore the power of asteroids and what they mean for the future of the human race in life and fiction.Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast073Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

Coming up on the release of Shang Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, we wanted to explore the exciting world of Martial Arts and creating a martial arts. Martial Arts is an ancient form of story telling that has touched the hearts of millions and inspired millions more to overcome personal weakness in favor of greater strengths.Join Robbie and Steven as they create their martial arts and use it to tell the story.References: -------------------------------------------------------------List of Fictional Martial Arts:https://annex.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_fictional_martial_artsMartial Arts Studies Podcast:On Motivations, with Dr Martin Meyer, University of Vechtahttps://open.spotify.com/episode/5LWN7oeouzCJ3v21ukHDG8Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_arts-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Questions:The Weakness and StrengthTake the character and mark their weaknessTake the strengths necessary to overcome those weaknessesBased off of the weaknesses and strength, create a style using these elements:The plain of attack: Low, middle, highAppendage of Choice: Arm, elbows, knees, head, etc...Speed: Slow, fast, or variesReach/Range: Kicks tend to give more reach than punchesEnvironment: Designed for low-gravity, under water, when sleepy, etc...With all these steps in consideration, create a name.Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast072Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

As creators, we have the opportunity to tell stories of all kinds, shapes, and sizes. It could be a dark, terrifying detective mystery, or it could be an epic adventure across the galaxies. But what happens when your story takes place in a world within the world you're telling? A virtually created world using the modern technologies of the setting. Today join Robbie, Michael, and Steven as they explore the elements that make up Virtual Realities.Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast071Website: http://www.creatorsplaybook.com/

Good guys on the run. Heroes worn down by the constant threat to their own safety. Identities that need protecting. A secret place is a home to the unsafe and daring. Most super heroes have them, and many stories are filled with them. Join Robbie and Steven as they spin up their own version and explore the secrets behind their very own base.

Every good character is made great through the choices they make, but do we really know their character? Join Michael and Sarah as we create a Moral Dilemma to place our character in a situation that is at odds with their values and themselves and see what decisions they've made through a dilemma of deathly consequences that could spell disaster for the people of two planets. Twitter: @CreatorsPBPodFacebook: Creator's PlaybookEpisode Hashtag: #cppodcast069Website: Creator's Playbook