Storytelling Saga

Ali shares tips on writing dialogue.

Ali and returning guest, Patricia, each share their top 5 favorite animated protagonists.

Ali discusses George Bernard Shaw's famous play based on the Greek mythology of the same name, Pygmalion, recapping key plot points and touching on a few of its many adaptations.

Ali celebrates her birthday by sharing memories of birthday parties and traditions growing up.

Ali discusses the musical, The Phantom of the Opera, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on the French novel by Gaston Leroux. She reminisces about seeing the musical twice on Broadway and shares which song is her favorite from this dark, captivating, longest-running Broadway show.

Ali and returning guest, Casey, discuss the long-running series, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, created by Rob McElhenney. They discuss favorite episodes, character-defining moments and hilarious quotes, plus their thoughts on the gang's dynamic and the clever anti-sitcom mentality of the show.

Ali shares a new short story she wrote called "Guardian of the Night." She also talks a little about New Year's resolutions to close out 2019 and ring in 2020.

Ali discusses the Christmas specials of South Park , starting with the two animated short films that led to the series, The Spirit of Christmas: Jesus vs. Frosty  (1992) and  The Spirit of Christmas: Jesus vs. Santa  (1995), followed by all of the classic Christmas episodes from the show: "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" (season 1), "Merry Christmas, Charlie Manson!" (season 2), "Mr. Hankey's Chris...

Ali discusses the beloved Christmas special based on the song of the same name, Frosty the Snowman, sharing her favorite moments and why it still makes her emotional every year.

Ali discusses the short story, "The Gift of the Magi," by O. Henry, highlighting the true act of selflessness despite the irony in this well-known Christmas tale.

Ali interviews Emmy award-winning writer, lyricist and composer, David Steven Cohen, whose credits include Pee-wee's Playhouse, ALF, Arthur, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Balto and many other projects, including serving as the head writer on  Courage the Cowardly Dog. David shares how he got his start, notable moments in his career, favorite episodes and songs he's written, his experience as the execut...

Ali discusses the TV movie, Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie, written by series creator, Craig Bartlett, along with Joe Purdy, Laura Sreebny and Justin Charlebois. She recaps all her favorite moments while reliving the excitement of this long-awaited movie. Afterward, she shares another Hey Arnold! story she wrote called "Audaciously Flirting."

Ali discusses the movie that kicked off the Disney Renaissance era, The Little Mermaid. She talks about why "Part of Your World" is her all-time favorite Disney song and recaps her favorite moments from this beloved film.

Ali discusses the fantastically creepy cartoon, Courage the Cowardly Dog, created by John R. Dilworth. She reminisces about lines she and her siblings would always quote, terrifying villains that freaked her out as a kid and why Courage is the perfect protagonist for always facing his fears to protect his owners since, as he always says, "The things I do for love."

Ali discusses the important life lessons learned throughout the lives of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy—in Louisa May Alcott's timeless novel, Little Women.

Ali shares a new short story she wrote called "What's Your Spirit Animal?"

Ali discusses storytelling clichés including hackneyed phrases, stereotypical characters, love triangles, miscommunications and many other tropes.

Ali discusses the movie, Kiki's Delivery Service, written, produced and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. She reminisces about watching the movie with her siblings and gushes over how much she loves Kiki's black cat, Jiji. She also talks about the powerful message of finding what inspires you in order to regain your confidence as depicted through Kiki's journey in this coming-of-age film.

Ali discusses the amazing Nicktoon, Hey Arnold!, created by Craig Bartlett. She shares her interesting interpretation of the show's title when she was a kid, poignant moments that move her to tears, various lines that always crack her up, key scenes that stood out to her as a kid and what she feels is the all-encompassing theme of the series. She also talks about the qualities she admires most abo...

Ali discusses the movie, The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, recapping her favorite moments from this fashion-centric film.

Ali shares tips from various articles about crafting effective story endings. She also shares a super short story she wrote for a college assignment called "The End."

Ali discusses the gut-bustingly hilarious cartoon, Ed, Edd n Eddy, created by Danny Antonucci. She shares her favorite episodes, quotes and fourth wall breaking moments, plus a few behind-the-scene tidbits and her theory on what's under Double Dee's hat. She also shares her thoughts on the fitting series finale, Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show, and she shares an Ed, Edd n Eddy story she wrote ca...

Ali discusses the movie, Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus,  written by series creator, Jhonen Vasquez. She shares everything she loved about the movie in all of its ridiculous glory, from the incredible visuals to the hilarious dialogue to the surprisingly sweet moments. Afterward, she shares another Invader ZIM  story she wrote called "Sitting in a Tree."

Ali celebrates the first anniversary of Storytelling Saga by sharing behind-the-scene details of the podcast, from preparing, recording and editing to her goals for the podcast as it heads into its second year. She also shares some advice if you're thinking about starting your own podcast, and she shares an extremely short story she wrote a while back called "Rules of Rejection."

Ali and special guest, Sylvie, discuss the Netflix special, Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, written by series creator, Joe Murray, with additional writing from Mr. Lawrence, Martin Olson, Cosmo Segurson, Dan Becker and Tom Smith. They discuss first reactions to finding out Rocko's Modern Life was getting a special, favorite meta jokes and callbacks, thoughts on the overall theme and message, th...