Kind 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 Mike Judge! Listen to some of our old, hilarious stuff here: https://www.youtube.com/@muppyheingardt8597 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_Kohn⁠⁠⁠

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 (Rudy) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And follow us on Twitter at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn⁠⁠

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: (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_Kohn⁠⁠⁠

Today 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_Kohn⁠⁠⁠⁠

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: (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_Kohn⁠

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_Kohn⁠

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) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://muppy.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Rudy) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rnkfiction.blogspot.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And follow us on Twitter at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/NinjaMouseChu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/Rudolph_Kohn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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_Kohn⁠

This 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 mathematics, and more! Also referenced: My series on Murray Rothbard's book America's Great Depression https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0StR9W2bZ4&list=PLdRgEGhb-VVCKc-W9GVExldr1B42m_t5j Rinkworks' Movie-a-Minute http://rinkworks.com/movieaminute/ 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_Kohn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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_Kohn⁠