Episode 84: "The Eclipse Coin" ~ Storytelling Warm Ups
Hosts: My bros Steven and Robbie
This podcast has a different feel. Here Robbie and Steven are going to show what we do to warm up for an episode by doing different prompts and coming up with ideas. The stories are more free flowing. Prompts are something I always struggle with. Ruminating in my ideas and thoughts is my go to natural thought process. But there are times, after recording an episode, it seemed the ideas explored during the warm up prompts were stronger and more interesting than the actual episode.
It's fun doing these warm ups. Challenging, spontaneous, you'll surprise yourself with what you discover. These are also fun to do around the dinner table or on car trips.
Creator's Playbook is a story creativity podcast found on Spotify and other podcast locations.
"If you were to look behind the curtain of the production of Creator's Playbook, there are several stages that would be very obvious. Research, writing, episode preparation, recording and scheduling, down to the editing, effects, and music selection. But one thing a lot of our listeners might not know is that we actually take the art of warming up before a recording very seriously.As much research goes into our show, there is still a very real sense of improv. Because of that, we need to be in the state of mind to allow for that creative exchange to occur!
"With the holidays coming up, we wanted to record a shorter episode today and show the process we use to get our creative juices flowing! Here are several of the warm up games we've designed to get us in the creative mind-set:"Key-Prompts" - One player give a key word or phrase, the other must develop a story around this concept using the key word as inspiration. That player then gives a key word to another player, who must use the inspiration to develop another part of the story. The only rule is that each player is adding to the same world or story, until a basic story comes together."Break and Tell" - A key word or phrase is given to start the prompt. The first player must begin telling a story until they trip over their own words or pause. The next player must immediately continue telling the story from where the last player left off. The story is traded back and forth if there are only two players, or in a direction if there are more."Pass Backs" - A player gives a basic phrase as a prompt. Player two takes the prompt and develops the idea a little further, typically adding a twist or a concept. Player one then begins to describe a scene from a would-be story that illustrates the prompt as a fleshed out idea. This scene it stand alone, and the next play is a new scene for a new would-be story."Not My McGuffin" - A player gives the name to an unknown item. Player two takes the name and describes what the item is, how it is used, and why it is essential to the plot of the story the item appears in. Try these games out and let us know what we think by tagging Creator's Playbook on social media!"
Have a great week!
Sarah
Happy Thanksgiving!
It's just after 9 am, and the food cooking marathon is about to start. In less than 20 minutes iFit is streaming their Turkey Trot 5k, which, if you participate live with a subscription, you can get a free race medal. Tempting. I'm actually not going to do it, though. I've never done a Turkey Trot. Didn't it start to help people feel better about eating a lot on Thanksgiving? Don't know. Nah, I need to get cleaning done and such.
Some of the fam is coming over, and we're playing board games. That's kinda my new thing that I'm getting into right now, board games. It's such a crazy world. Board games are exploding. So many coming and going and the cult of the new. I was super tempted a week ago to back a kickstarter, but talked myself out of it. But it's not just kickstarters, there's all these Euro games, and independent games. Do you want a puzzly game? Worker placement? Deck builder? A little of everything? It's an expensive hobby, and the more you dig, the more review/playthrough videos you watch, the bigger the wish list gets. You will be poor for life if there isn't restraint. Eh.... no comment.
But for Black Friday there are all these game deals going on. I impulsed bought Azul last night on Amazon, regretted it, and tried to cancel. They must have hired a lot of people, because within a couple hours that thing was ready for shipping. Pandemic and Ticket to Ride are also crazy good priced right now.
Streaming services are also having all these deals. A month or so back my parents and I decided to give up satellite television. It is so strange! In terms of streaming I subscribe to a service that allows me to watch live British/French/Irish television, and I've got Wondrium (formerly Great Courses Plus) and Curiosity Stream. Those last two I need to watch more of. Ireland's TG4 and Japan's NHK World are free apps. But I've been eyeing maybe getting Discovery + and or Hulu. Discovery's deal isn't fantastic. But Hulu has a $1 a month for a year deal. That's super tempting. It's with ads, but that's not a big deal. (P.S. The Great British Bake Off just finished this last week. This season was amazing. So, so good.)
I'm into genealogy and ancestry stuff. For the longest time I've wondered and wanted Mayflower ancestors, but with that said, anything beyond about six generations I get dubious about. They become Hypothetical ancestors, unless the research and documentation is tight, or DNA proof. Between now and the 1600's there's so much room for mistakes and secrets. Following the Stufflebeam line back, for instance, isn't hard, simply because the name change is firmly rooted to a common ancestor. I'm related to all Stufflebeam's. Other surnames, the common ones, have issues.
With that said, I've been playing around with Relative Finder through Family Search. According to the service and the research of others, I'm possibly descended from a few Mayflower travelers: George Soule, Degory Priest, Francis Cooke, and Richard Warren. They all signed the Mayflower Compact, including Soule who was an indentured servant. I've been looking through the family lines leading back to these men, and some seem more sure than others, but not sure enough to try to get a membership into the Mayflower Society, or whatever it's called. They're sticklers for tight research. That would take a crazy amount of time, and I have other pressing research to perform.
It would be cool if I was descended at least from one of these men. For now they are hypothetical, until proven otherwise. But who knows, maybe? Regardless I picked up one of those magazine book things at the checkout line a few days ago: Mayflower, Birth of America by American Collector. It's really cool, and the articles look interesting. So I'll be reading it bit by bit.
I need to get to Thanksgiving prep stuff before the fam starts trickling in. The live iFit race is happening, hopefully it's going well. I'm just looking forward and thankful that this will be a nice holiday.
P.S. According to Relative Finder Benjamin Franklin is my 4th cousin 10 times removed. That's cool! Hope it's true! :D Our common ancestor was born in 1515.... so... yeah.
Goodness, so the Ghostbusters movie review didn't go up yesterday because I got caught up watching movies. After seeing the film last Friday I realized it had been so long since I've seen Ghostbusters (1984) that I had to see it before writing the review, but instead of streaming the movie I bought the 2 movie DVD set for $6, normally $15, and now back up to $10. Ghostbusters 1 & 2 for only $6, and now I've got a physical copy.
Meanwhile, as I waited for the order to arrive, I started writing the review yesterday, but struggled. Why? Because I had just gotten back from finally seeing the new James Bond movie. Don't want to give anything away, but it's kind of a bummer. So that depressed me a little.
Oh, and last Sunday I finally watched Dune before it left HBO Max. Visually amazing. The film is imaginative. But dang the whole thing felt like one giant exposition leading to a cliffhanger. Good movie, but I don't like movies that lead to a cliffhanger with no idea if there will be more. Granted it has been announced that there will be a sequel, but I'll believe it when I see it. Remember Alita Battle Angel? Still waiting for word that part 2 will happen. I just don't like major cliffhangers.
Anywho, got the Ghostbusters DVD's today, and I was going to only watch the first movie, but this evening suddenly turned into an at home double feature. Dang those movies are fun. And so 80's.
Changing topics, I remember a thing going around saying how Gen Z mock Millennials for wearing skinny jeans. I just searched the internet today about skinny jeans and this popped up: "The year 2021 said goodbye to a lot of unlikable things, including skinny jeans. ... Either way, teens on TikTok and recent designer denim offerings agree: skinny jeans are out. In their place, a variety of overwhelmingly looser fitting and retro-inspired styles are taking over."
Well, I went to Target to buy a pair of jeans because I was in need, just a simple bootcut, and what did I find? Skinny jeans everywhere! Seriously, every row. Every color. Stacks of them. I had to dig and miraculously found some bootcut jeans in only a few sizes, a handfuls worth, one of which was my size. But seriously, what's up with all those skinny jeans? :\ I just feel so lucky to find a bootcut in my size, and on sale for $25. That was nice.
It's almost midnight. I do want to see Ghostbusters Afterlife again, now that my memory has been refreshed by the first two movies.
And tomorrow I'm recording a Creator's Playbook podcast episode with my brother Steven. So prepping for that. It will go up next week.
Hope you're doing great,
Sarah
Wow I wrote a whole lot more than I was planning. That James Bond movie... *sigh*
Episode 83: "The Feeding Forest" ~ Ghost Hunters
Hosts: My bros Steven and Robbie
"Every tale with a Ghost is a tale of history. The ghost is something left over from the past, a linger memory, and the haunted location is the canvas for its story. It's a Ghost Hunters job to uncover these mysteries, find the vapory clues, and reveal the ghost. These stories are exciting and spooky, and today we're going to tell our own tale."
Ghosts, them creepy things. Heh, I don't like them much, really. No one should be surprised. And I told Robbie I didn't want to be in this episode because I didn't want to get scared!! True story. It doesn't take much. But this episode is fun as always. And just in time for the new Ghostbusters movie, which was purely by accident. I saw it this morning, texted the fam it was good, and Robbie was like, "Woohoo! I thought that came out next week."
Creators Playbook is a creativity podcast where my sibs and I talk about stories, fact/fiction, and then explores the creative process by developing a story in the spot. It's found wherever you like to listen to podcasts. (The links above will take you to Spotify).
Hope you're having a great weekend! And that it's not tooooo scary.
Sarah
P.S. I'll be getting the Ghostbusters Afterlife review out on Monday.
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only
because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis. A profound Christian writer from Nania with its pure symbolism to The Screwtape Letters to Mere Christianity. To this day his wisdom and faith is still quoted. It's crazy to believe that Lewis was once an atheist. But he was.
C.S. Lewis lost his belief in God due to experiences in his youth. Keeping his lack of faith to himself, Lewis simply went through the motions. Religious rights and passages performed, silence within, all the while his hypocritical actions eating at him little by little. As he grew his lack of faith was challenged. Lewis also dabbled in the occult and what he witnessed as warning scared him away after the exploration.
In CS Lewis: The Most Reluctant Convert we learn about Lewis's faith struggle. See him grow and challenged. See him eventually accept wholeheartedly.
This movie is based both on the one-man-show by the same name and "Surprised by Joy". The man who acted as Lewis in the play, Max McLean, reprises his role for this film. He's brilliant. The movie is part narration and part action, seamlessly going between the two. There's a trailer for the stage play if you want to see tiny clips, as it gives a window into his performance. McLean breaks the fourth wall, taking us on Lewis's journey, speaking to us his thoughts and struggles. When he stares at the camera we're pulled in. For moments I forgot he wasn't Lewis.
The movie is 1h 25m, though I don't know if that includes the documentary that's shown before the start of the film. I think it might, as the documentary felt to be at least 20 minutes (wasn't looking at the time), and the actual film felt short. Being just over an hour seems about right. I love behind the scene stuff, but as this documentary played I just wanted to see the movie. Maybe the documentary should have been shown afterwards. I just wanted more. Frankly I didn't want to movie to end.
One thing, though, I wish there were more scenes showing the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Is there a movie that shows just that? Tolkien is one of the motivators for Lewis to question his lack of faith.
C.S. Lewis is just so inspiring.
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” C.S. Lewis
The movie is still shown in limited release in a few theaters.
Episode 82: "The 100 Year Promise" ~ Space Exploration
Hosts: Myself with my brothers Robbie and Michael
"Space invites the mind to all kinds of ideas and stories. Exploring it has been the staple of thousands of science fiction stories across all medium, causing to wonder what worlds, people, creatures, and things float around the distance specks of light that sprinkle across the sky every night. Join Robbie, Sarah, and Michael as we explore our very own piece of space and turn it into a story."
This past week Michael, Robbie, and I talked about Space Exploration. Needless to say it's probably obvious now how much we love space and science. Traveling through space is a common theme is fiction, movies, and television. Many iconic shows explore this topic. Really, I think it's a call for our curiosity. The wonderment of what's beyond and unknown. Mankind has been pushing the boundaries of exploration since the beginning of time.
It's just such a fun topic.
I hope you're having a great week. And if you're craving a little creativity that you give the podcast a try.
My Grandpa passed in 2018, but before doing so he had a super loyal dog named Ginger. She was a dachshund/Chihuahua mix, golden in color. Long body with a small little face.
My Grandpa adopted her, and she was traumatized by her first owner who was abusive. For the first few years her fear was apparent at times, freezing and shaking, but as time progressed she eased and relaxed.
Ginger was a good dog, perfect for my Grandfather, but there was a problem. She was the kind of dog that was fantastic with elderly people, but not at all good with kids. My nieces and nephew were quite young, and when there were adults around Ginger minded herself. When there were no adults around she ran and barked furiously at the kids, and as the kids ran into the house their faces were full of terror. Thanks to Ginger the kids became scared of all dogs.
I don't blame Ginger for this, as all dogs are different, and we don't know her previous experiences. Honestly I was upset with her at times as I'm super protective of the kiddos. It did pose a problem, though, for when my Grandpa would pass. We couldn't keep her, but we didn't know who to give her to. The pound was out of the question, as were other places. But we were afraid to take her to an adoption place, for worry she'd get adopted by a family with kids. Ginger needed an elderly couple, but how could we go about finding a good fit for her?
A couple days after my Grandpa passed, my Dad was playing and watching her in the backyard. Then, while my Dad was looking in the other direction, Ginger ran away and squeezed through a gap in the fence. She escaped and my Dad couldn't catch her. She never tried escaping before, so it was odd.
We didn't know what happened to her. Feared the worse. But after about two weeks we got a call. Ginger ran several blocks, and as she was crossing a major road with a lot of traffic, an elderly man rescued her. For over a week he couldn't get close to Ginger to see her tag, but she finally let him read the tag for our phone number.
We did get Ginger back for a few days, but called the man back, asking if he would like to take Ginger. He lived with his sister, both single, and they already had two other dogs. It seemed like a long shot, but perfect. He gladly agreed, and his sister claimed Ginger as her own, as the other dogs were her brothers. Ginger found the perfect family with two dogs she got along well with. Playmates, which she hadn't had, but needed.
God works in mysterious ways. Prayers are answered, sometimes quietly, so quietly we may miss them, but sometimes prayers are answered so loudly they refused to be missed. Signatures from the Lord bright and bold.
I'd like to think it was my Grandpa guiding and protecting Ginger to this family, as he was super worried about her fate.
Every now and then I see Ginger out on a walk, and she's happy. Living a full life as a loyal companion.
Hope you're having a great week!!
Sarah
A couple weeks ago I decided to quit this blog. I told a couple couple. Felt quite absolute, but decided to sleep on it. Honestly, I have decided to keep writing, but the feeling to end this blog was surprising. This was the first time I've felt this way. In the past I simply took a break. So, for now, I'm going to keep this up, and at the moment not stress about writing more than three blog posts a week. No worrying about being consistent with movie reviews on Monday. Simply write what I find interesting.
Technology keeps changing. The popular in the moment never remains the same. This whole meta thing has me worried. Known about it for quite some time, along with other stuff. The more technology advances, the more I want to embrace the past. The more I romanticize simpler times. Moving to a cottage on Prince Edward Island, in the Summer and next to a beach, seems so idyllic. I love the quaint. More and more I want in person interaction.
Yesterday I got back from a cruise to Mexico. My Mom and I canceled two booked cruises--one through the panama canal, the other to Costa Maya--and then, at the last moment, booked the first sailing on the Norwegian Bliss to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas. Didn't do any excursions. Only got off the ship twice to look at souvenir shops near the port. Found some treasurers. Met really nice, incredible people. Enjoyed the ship.
Now and then I still feel phantom swaying from the ship. Walking through a cruise ship on a sea day is so crazy. It's nearly impossible to walk in a straight line. And the up and down from the ship creates a feeling of being stretched and then compressed. The sensation is kinda cool. We stayed in a balcony room, and when the ship was moving the ocean against the ship sounded like a beach surf. It was so calming.
The morning we approached Mazatlán I went onto the balcony as the ship was still moving, and there was a hill with all these homes. It was dawn, so all these roasters were crowing in a grand chorus, dogs barking along. And a few moments later a red sun peaked through clouds.
Sad to be back. But I'm thankful to have had the experience. Someday I hope to pass through the Panama Canal and see the Mayan ruins. Both are bucket list experiences. Someday. But I'm thankful for every chance to travel and see things. See and feel.
