Bards and Balladeers Podcast

How big should a story be? We explore the scope of storytelling and how it changes between character-focused dramas, plot-driven adventures, and everything in between. When character drama is the primary driver, can a plot become too big or too small for the characters at its center? From the intimate conflicts of Downton Abbey to the world-changing stakes of The Lord of the Rings , we discuss how...

Maintenance can feel like it gets in the way of a story, whether it’s recovering from injuries, repairing vehicles, gathering food, maintaining a ship, or simply taking care of yourself. But these everyday necessities can also make worlds feel real, create consequences, and introduce new obstacles and opportunities. We explore how storytellers can turn maintenance from a distraction into an advant...

Character agency can shape how we experience an entire story. Some characters are driven by their own choices and motivations, while others seem to have the story constantly happening to them. We explore the strengths and difficulties of both approaches, examples of when they work or fall flat, and characters who balance taking control with being swept up by forces beyond their control. Bards and...

We sit down with the trio of creatives behind Outer Giant Studios to talk about building their worlds, working as a creative team, and bringing their independent, human-made stories to life. We dive into Hyper Object, their sci-fi fantasy series with crystal magic, as well as their upcoming novel Keeper, where reality-bending powers, alien worlds, and old enemies collide. Check out more of their w...

In stories involving magic, there are countless ways characters access and use it. Some simply think or point, while others use wands, staffs, chants, gestures, or prayer. We explore where these different methods might come from, what purpose they serve, and the pros, cons, and challenges they create for characters, worldbuilding, and the story itself. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsandballad...

We’ve talked about the Hero’s Journey, traveling in stories, vehicles, weapons, and even maps. But what makes for a good QUEST? We explore the elements that make a quest feel real and satisfying, how obstacles and deadlines build suspense and urgency, what raises the stakes along the way, and how the most frustrating delays can lead to the most satisfying payoffs. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - ba...

Character backgrounds and how they influence motivations and thus the story. How do we go about writing backgrounds for characters, and how do different backgrounds affect motivations? We've spoken before about motivation, but there are many, many sorts of things in characters' pasts that give them each their own flavor. Sometimes these things form a central focus for a character's beh...

We recommend stories all the time, but what actually makes a recommendation good? We explore how our tastes, relationships, and favorite story elements shape what we recommend, why we trust certain people to know what we will enjoy, and how even our best intentions can lead to recommendations that get it so, so wrong. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsandballadeerspodcast.com Discord - https://d...

Children see the world differently, and that perspective can make them some of the most compelling characters in a story. We explore how to write child characters who feel authentic, relatable, and capable of growth, the ways they mirror elderly characters through dependence and perspective, and how to avoid turning them into stereotypes or miniature adults. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsand...

"Show, don't tell" is one of the most common pieces of writing advice, but every storyteller relies on exposition at some point. We explore when exposition strengthens a story and when it becomes a crutch. Why some audiences enjoy it more than others and how to find the right balance between showing, telling, and keeping the story moving. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsandballad...

We have talked about character motivations, but what are the different kinds of characters themselves? From heroes and protectors to outlaws, drifters, idealists, and every archetype in between, we explore why these familiar roles appear across storytelling, what makes them endure, and how to move beyond stereotypes to create characters who feel fresh, authentic, and memorable. Bards and Balladeer...

Exploring the open-ended nature of worldbuilding. Need a tavern? A planet? A forest? An artifact? How do you decide what to create in depth, what to revisit later, and what works best as a one-time set piece? How do we decide what to flesh out, what to come back to, and what to make into a short-term set piece? Which bits of worlds do come back to and see dealt with again, and which ones that we&#...

It's time to revisit tropes, this time through the lens of genre. From fantasy quests and locked-room mysteries to haunted houses, starships, love triangles, and historical epics, we explore the recurring plots and conventions that define the stories we love. Why do these tropes appear again and again? Do genres create tropes, or do tropes create genres? And when does following the formula str...

We always hear that talking about the weather is boring, yet everyone does it. Why? Because weather shapes daily life, influences decisions, and affects every character whether they acknowledge it or not. We explore how weather can establish mood, create conflict, reinforce worldbuilding, and make stories feel more immersive and believable. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsandballadeerspodcast....

What drives a character to make the choices they do? We explore how motivations, priorities, and self-perception shape a character's actions, and why who they believe they are often differs from how others see them. From this broader perspective, we lay the foundation for understanding heroes, villains, antiheroes, mentors, tricksters, leaders, loners, and every role in between. Bards and Ball...

What is a myth, and what sets it apart from other kinds of stories? We explore why myths have endured across generations, how people respond to them, and what makes them so compelling even today. From creating new myths for fictional worlds to drawing from ancient traditions, we examine how mythology shapes storytelling and why its imagery continues to appear throughout books, films, games, and ot...

Sometimes a story begins with a single step into the unknown. Whether through a wardrobe, a portal, a dream, a wormhole, or a fracture in time, we are fascinated by the experience of encountering realities beyond our own. We explore how stories frame these moments of discovery, how characters process the impossible, and how writers can capture the wonder, fear, and transformation that come from se...

Why do we care about ignorant, simple, slow, delusional, or even genuinely foolish characters? Because they are part of reality, and stories lose something when every character is clever, educated, and always right. We explore the differences between ignorance, simplicity, slowness, delusion, and stupidity, how each shapes a character's perspective, and why "ignorance is bliss" can b...

They say it is all about the journey, but what makes the journey matter? We explore how traveling from place to place can drive plot, reveal cultures and histories, challenge characters, and slowly uncover the world itself. Along the way, the road changes the people walking it, shaping who they become just as much as the destination ever could. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsandballadeerspodc...

A timeless story is not something you can force from the beginning. It emerges when every major pillar of storytelling works together in harmony. We explore what gives stories lasting power, why certain worlds and characters stay with us for years, and what makes the stories we love into the stories we carry with us forever? Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsandballadeerspodcast.com Discord - ht...

The organizations that keep worlds running in the background, where it be governments, unions, criminal syndicates, corporations, and unseen systems of control. None are inherently good or bad, but they shape the conflict and structure of a story’s world. We explore how these groups add depth to worldbuilding and drive the larger plot forward. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsandballadeerspodca...

Resistance what moves dramatic tension. Characters resist control, temptation, emotion, duty, and even themselves, all in ways that reveal who they truly are. We explore the kinds of resistance audiences connect with, the kinds that frustrate them, and how resistance can shape conflict, character growth, and the direction of a story. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsandballadeerspodcast.com Dis...

We are all young once, and then we grow old, but how do we understand and use aged characters before we reach that stage ourselves? Often cast as mentors, they bring experience, but we explore how to portray them with accuracy, avoid stereotypes, and give them depth beyond a single role. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsandballadeerspodcast.com Discord - https://discord.gg/QVQWczk4Fh C.E. Linar...

We are drawn to mystery, but why? We explore how intrigue, hidden truths, and what lies behind the curtain pull audiences in, and why unanswered questions demand resolution. Then we break down how to tell those stories effectively without losing tension or payoff. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsandballadeerspodcast.com Discord - https://discord.gg/QVQWczk4Fh C.E. Linares (Cait) - linktr.ee/ce...

What is it like to write within someone else’s established intellectual property? We explore the risks of straying too far from the source material, and how, when handled well, new voices can expand a world while still honoring what made it work. Bards and Balladeers Podcast - bardsandballadeerspodcast.com Discord - https://discord.gg/QVQWczk4Fh C.E. Linares (Cait) - linktr.ee/celinares Ozgur K Sa...