Alternate Universe City

Showy Episode: Nancy Drew and the Halloween Love Spell

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 12:00:51 GMT

We're not going to lie to you. In this final "Showy" episode of the season, we don't so much go "off the rails" as we abandon the entire concept of rails, and roads. (Where we're going, we don't NEED roads.) Against all odds, Rey and V temporarily swap brains and Rey maps out logistics while V brings the angst and emotions. Ew! (Update: V's Capricorn card has been temporarily suspended as a result.) But that's okay, because this episode is about exacerbating conflict, shaking up your ships, and adding a little extra chaos to the fray; as always, we at AU City like to lead by example and FAFO to the end of AU Nancy Drew Season 4.

TL;DR: Sorry, we're not sorry. Because above all, storytelling should be fun, and Halloween means never having to say you're sorry you made out with someone in a Scooby Doo costume. Here endeth the lesson.

CWs: angst, hot dogs, relationship conflict, creepy music, jell-o, admissions of true love, extremely uncomfortable social situations, light cursing, also literal curses, and eventual happy ever afters through much difficulty.

Music for AU City, including our exclusive theme and AUC's creeptastic rendition of the (now public domain) classic "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" (but 1000% more haunted) written, performed, and produced by "Jake Sparrow" and V Park of Rogue Sparrow Productions.

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Fictional Parents and the Origin of Issues

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 12:00:10 GMT

Daddy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry. Uncle? ...Okay, now you've made it weird.

In this "Telly" episode, Rey and V discuss how imaginary parental units (whether present or absentee) impact a character's development, from their decision-making style, to how they respond to traumatic events, and so forth. Using our favorite fictional parents (and a handful of "other" parent-like figures, including but not limited to: father figures, Chosen One Mentors, adopted parents, and grandparents) as good, bad, and plot-neutral examples, we explore the chicken/egg phenomenon of parenting characters through their many fictional adventures. If you squint really hard, listening to this episode maybe kind of counts as therapy? (We are not qualified to say for sure.)

BONUS: A glitter-cannon-style info dump of galaxy brain proportions with a FUN NEW TOOL to help storytellers put their scenes in order either before, during, or after writing them. (Or all of the above, should you choose to fully embrace the chaos.) Spoiler alert: this episode gets particularly messy, in multiple ways.

CWs for mentions of the following topics: character trauma, trickle down trauma aka generational trauma, projection, Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nancy Drew (naturally), Stranger Things, Supernatural, the enduring hotness of Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci Supremacy, and many, many "daddy issues."

Random Episode References:

Where to stream whatever show you're trying to find lately? https://www.justwatch.com
In case you haven't heard... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_complex
"'Gilmore Girls' turns 20: What I learned re-watching the beloved series as an adult" (op-ed by Kelly Lawler in USA Today) - https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/10/05/gilmore-girls-20th-anniversary-what-learned-re-watching/3593257001/
Have you SEEN Melissa McCall? https://teen-wolf-pack.fandom.com/wiki/Melissa_McCall

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The Pure FAFO Show

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 12:00:30 GMT

In this "Showy" (and a little bit telly, if we're honest) episode, Rey and V collude in real time (AU time?) to show how pacing of major plot events and character milestones can be broken down and organized in a more neurodivergent-friendly fashion than the traditional "start to finish" plotting process.

Using theoretical future episodes and examples from our existing AU Nancy Drew Season 4, we'll show you how to workshop a Big Picture Plot with many moving parts, in a way that prioritizes your agendas, story mission, and goals--especially if these are things you're sharing with another creator.

Follow along and use your own IPs for practice, as we FAFO our way to the AU City Season One (and also maybe our AU Nancy Drew Season 4 sample story's) finish line!

Homework / References (fun exercises to try, books to check out, etc.)

The Nutshell Technique by Jill Chamberlain - https://www.jillchamberlain.com/the-nutshell-technique
ND Series Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Drew_(2019_TV_series)
ND Series Fandom.com Wiki - https://nancydrew.fandom.com/wiki/Nancy_Drew_Wiki
MasterClass: How to Master Narrative Pacing https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-master-narrative-pacing
David Lynch MasterClass (Rey Mentioned) - https://www.masterclass.com/classes/david-lynch-teaches-creativity-and-film
Rock Your Plot by Cathy Yardley - https://www.rockyourwriting.com/portfolio/rock-your-plot-system/
TV Tropes Database - https://tvtropes.org/
Coursera.org Writing Classes - https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=writing

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State of the AUnion

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 12:00:37 GMT

In today's "Telly" episode, Rey and V (#ReyVee) discuss The Road So Far and what we've learned (collectively) from our FAFO journey. What's next for this intrepid ship? How will we FA to FO next? Tune in to learn along, and stick around for the friendship, the puns, and the gleefully unbridled monsterf**kery! Welcome to the #RayVeeVerse. Let's get weird.

CWs & Ds: SPOILERS for IRL Nancy Drew season 3 finale, mentions of mucus, fanfic solicitation, potential ulterior motives, myriad West Coast "likes", FAFO filler episodes, VAGUE SPOILERS for how AU Nancy Drew might end in a chaos gremlin world, we go off the rails so you don't have to, etc. Please feel free to email your thoughts, concerns, or professions of eternal adoration to aucitypod@gmail.com, as always!

References & HomeFAFO Fodder:

The Nutshell Technique by Jill Chamberlain - https://www.jillchamberlain.com/the-nutshell-technique
Writing through the Soggy, Infuriating, Anxiety-Inducing Middle by Heather Webb - https://writerunboxed.com/2017/03/23/writing-through-the-soggy-infuriating-anxiety-inducing-middle
5 WAYS TO "BREAK STORY" FOR YOUR MOVIE OR TV SHOW IDEA by Ken Miyamoto - https://screencraft.org/blog/5-ways-to-break-story-for-your-movie-or-tv-show-idea/

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Showy Episode: Hushing of the Lambs

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 12:00:20 GMT

Formal apologies, ghost strippers, and crossover fanfics help Rey and V explore what truly haunts characters--and their creators.

In today's "Showy" episode, we show you how to FAFO with friends and frenemies from other IPs to test your characters' strengths, weaknesses, and (most importantly) their ability to collaborate with other characters to solve problems, on and off the page.

CWs: descriptions of gore/fictional crime scenes, Xander Harris being toxic, mutual pining, angst as usual, Cordelia Chase Supremacy, spells and curses, etc.

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Help You Help Yourself

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 12:00:16 GMT

In this "Telly" episode, Rey and V discuss accessibility in storytelling--specifically, for storytellers learning how to science the art and replicate their craft across multiple projects--in addition to brainstorming reptilian memes and figuring out what in the blue-raspberry-flavored hell Rey is drinking today.

References:

VARK Learning Styles: https://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/
Waterfall Project Management: https://www.workfront.com/project-management/methodologies/waterfall
Agile project management: https://www.agilealliance.org/agile101/
Scrivener story planning: https://prowritingaid.com/art/1555/using-scrivener-s-novel-outlining-tools.aspx
Scapple: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple/overview
Murder board example: follow us on Twitter or Tumblr @AUCityPodcast.

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Showy Episode: Silence is Golden, Confidence a Game

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 12:00:41 GMT

Today's "Showy" episode is also our first Challenge Episode! Wherein we, the neurodivergent tramps and thieves of AU City, challenge ourselves and our listeners to write on command and come up with a scene in under a week that tests our perceived storytelling weaknesses instead of simply sticking to our strengths. In true antihero fashion, Rey and V complain a lot and then ultimately sacrifice themselves upon the Altar of FA/FO. (Also, Rey reveals a writing #LifeHack: when in doubt, give the character a dog.) Enjoy!

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FAFO with Friends: The AU City Agenda

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 12:00:14 GMT

In this (slightly longer than usual) "Telly" episode, Rey and V reenact a Big Picture "Breaking Story" collaboration session for AU Nancy Drew Season 4. This is our best attempt at describing the ruckus, aka telling y'all how shows can be incepted in a collaborative way, despite having many moving parts--characters, settings, themes, devices, artifacts, etc.--to ideally keep track of at all times. Come along for the vibe, stay for the puns!

Content tags: discussions of characters with implied eating disorders, generational trauma, major spoilers for Non-AU Nancy Drew Seasons 1-3, so maybe skip this one and come back if you haven't watched the inspo show and still plan do do so. Ye be forewarned!

References:

Save the Cat Writes for TV by Jamie Nash
Rock Your Plot by Cathy Yardley
Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

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Showy Episode: Carnivals, Cakes, and Cards

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 12:00:23 GMT

In this "Showy" episode written by Rey, we utilize our Platanchor Ship and the complicated #feelings of POV Characters Ace and Bess to show how to balance thoughts vs. emotions and plot vs. vibes in prose format. Content tags include: portrayals of characters with past/current trauma, food insecurity, eating disorders, poverty rep, taxidermy, spiders, and being personally victimized by psychics who know too much.

Episode references and devices include: Rey's shoutout to neurodivergent-friendly writing tools like Omm Writer (https://ommwriter.com) and Zen Writer (https://zenwriter.app) as well as their usual Scrivener (https://scrivener.app) recommendation.

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The Cannibal in the Canon

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 20:00:44 GMT

In AU City's 2nd "Telly" episode, Rey's lizard brain takes the wheel and talks prose tactics for the next episode/chapter of our AU Nancy Drew season; veering wildly but on-topically into hyper-fixations, novelizations, and IPs with HFBR (or: High Fanfic Bait Ratios.) Content tags include: passing references to cannibalism, root vegetables, implied eating disorders of fictional characters, and situational arachnophobia. #SizeMatters #OnionsCannotConsent #SayYesToTheBess

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Showy Episode: The Ringmaster's Curse

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 12:00:05 GMT

In the inaugural "Showy" episode of AU City, V writes and awkwardly performs a preview of a spec episode for Nancy Drew's upcoming 4th season, as Rey reacts with emphatic gestures--thanks to a sore throat. (FYI: "Spec Episode" is TV writing jargon for an unsolicited and unpaid script written using an existing show's premise and characters, often used to audition for writing jobs and/or beef up a screenwriter's portfolio of samples.) Follow along for many fun FAFO tips on balancing visual descriptions and dialogue, building tension with your ships, and badly impersonating actors with a variety of tricky accents!

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Nancy Drew and The Secret of FAFO

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 00:19:04 GMT

In the pilot "Telly" episode of AU City, Rey and V discuss the not-so-secret history of Nancy Drew (intrepid girl sleuth, early 1900s group storytelling project, and--now in 2022--horror-hued CW-esque TV show) and kick off the running themes of our first season, which is all about using established worlds to FA and FO with your art.

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