Writing the Wrong Way with Jonathan Ball, PhD

Jonathan welcomes comic co-creators Lyndon Radchenka and Zach Schuster to talk about their upcoming Hero-Man , and their recent trip to France to promote the book at an international comics festival. You can pre-order Hero-Man now: https://a.co/d/geG2Bs0 For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathan...

Jonathan welcomes in his podcast producer Dan to talk about his "Meathouse" screenwriting project and about how to stay motivated and keep writing in the face of adversity. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jonathan welcomes Doni, the creative force behind The Aperios World Project , to talk about Afrofuturism and its depiction in the modern media landscape. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jonathan talks about the viral video Too Many Cooks, and its multilayered look at the distortion of our reality. Watch Too Many Cooks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrGrOK8oZG8 For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jonathan discusses William Shakespeare's Sonnet 130, which he considers an experimental poem from the most well-known writer in western civilization. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jonathan dives into the classic H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau and compares it's animals vs. human conflict to the philosophies of Dr. Slavoj Zizek. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jonathan continues his breakdown of Shirley Jackson's 1959 gothic horror novel The Haunting of Hill House. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jonathan discusses Shirley Jackson's 1959 gothic horror novel The Haunting of Hill House. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jonathan discusses a specific scene from David Lynch's Lost Highway (1997), which he says is one of the most perfect scenes ever created in film. Watch the scene here first: https://youtu.be/gzoe2_Hlz7Y?si=bAZWa8ofxJ_MFWvr For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfictio...

Jonathan discusses one of the best writers the genre of science fiction has ever seen, Ursula K. Le Guin, beloved the world over for her sci-fi-centred  Hainish universe , and Earthsea   fantasy  series.  Specifically, Jonathan talks about Le Guin's 1973 short work of philosophical fiction, "The  Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. " You can read the short story here: https://shsdavisape...

Jonathan breaks down the 1999 Star Trek spoof Galaxy Quest, directed by Dean Parisot and written by  David Howard and Robert Gordon . It's a clever take on what was at that point a tired franchise. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠⁠⁠

Jonathan breaks down Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010), how it externalizes an internal conflict, and works so well structurally. Truly a masterpiece of Hitchcockian proportions. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠⁠⁠

Jonathan discusses the 2019 Academy Award-winning Parasite , directed by Bong Joon-ho, who co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won. A dark comedy from South Korea that does everything right as far as screenwriting goes, and many other things as well. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stra...

Jonathan talks about the 2008 hit comedy Pineapple Express, written by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg. For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠⁠

Jonathan talks about Dan O'Bannon's Guide to Screenplay Structure, a book on screenwriting from the writer of Alien, Total Recall, and Lifeforce. Pick up Dan O'Bannon's book here: https://www.amazon.ca/Dan-OBannons-Guide-Screenplay-Structure/dp/B00F6IZHHC For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https:...

Jonathan discusses his thoughts on the 2015 horror film The Witch , written and directed by Robert Eggers. Watch The Witch (2015): https://youtu.be/iQXmlf3Sefg?si=cbW0wG4hplEtRfAm For more of Jonathan's work: ⁠https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/⁠ ⁠https://www.strangerfiction.ca/⁠

Jonathan welcomes frequent writing collaborators GMB Chomichuk and Chadwick Ginther on the show to talk about their upcoming project Shared World, which launches Nov. 29, 2023: https://www.facebook.com/events/1011277780184918/?ti=ls For more of Jonathan's work: https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/ https://www.strangerfiction.ca/

Jonathan analyzes the 2011 Adam Sandler film Jack and Jill, in which Sandler plays two characters, a twin brother and sister: https://youtu.be/YyK_CTdrFyw?si=d_ELeIVWjhKcaWT_ According to Jonathan, it's actually a well-constructed character journey hidden inside a hot mess of a film. For more of Jonathan's work: https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/...

Jonathan continues to answer questions from a former student about how to become the professional writer they want to be. For more of Jonathan's work: https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/ https://www.strangerfiction.ca/

Jonathan answers a student's questions about writing, how to make good writing decisions, and how to be a more consistent, collaborative writer. For more of Jonathan's work: https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/ https://www.strangerfiction.ca/

Jonathan answers a listener question about how to begin the writing process, and from that answers the larger question of “How do I become a REAL writer?” or how to create consistently good written content on a regular basis. For more of Jonathan's work: https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/ https://www.strangerfiction.ca/

Jonathan gives a keynote address to students at the University of Calgary about creating The Eye Collector , and how he wrote it the wrong way. For more of Jonathan's work: https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/ https://www.strangerfiction.ca/

Jonathan welcomes back WTWW producer Dan Vadeboncoeur to talk about developing his Meathouse film concept into a full-fledged screenplay. Hear the Super Pulp Science episode that birthed the Meathouse: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ceXzWIFGyjwZqxyk9q48T?si=4ab388b351244414 For more of Jonathan's work: https://twitter.com/jonathanballcom https://www.instagram.com/jonathanballcom/ https://ww...

Jonathan welcomes in podcast producer Dan Vadeboncoeur, who is venturing into screenwriting territory with his horror film project Meathouse. Jonathan takes Dan through his 10 rules for beginning screenwriters to start him on his way. Hear the Super Pulp Science episode that birthed the Meathouse: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ceXzWIFGyjwZqxyk9q48T?si=4ab388b351244414 For more of Jonathan'...

Jonathan welcomes Canadian Novelist Suzette Mayr, winner of the Giller Prize for her novel The Sleeping Car Porter , published by Coach House Books. Mayr talks about growing up in a haunted house, how it influenced her writing, and much more. You can find Mayr’s work in this anthology of horror short stories: https://www.littleghostsbooks.com/product/what-draws-us-near/1045 For more of Jonathan&#3...