20.38: An Interview with Charlie Jane Anders

Today, our hosts dig into how stories can feel fresh without losing what readers love. They explore the idea of “same but different” across genres, sequels, and series—looking at how small shifts in structure, context, tone, or theme can create meaningful novelty. Drawing on exam ...  Show more

Our hosts take on the Hero’s Journey—where it came from, why it endures, and why it can make writers uneasy. They break it down as a tool (and not a rule), exploring how pattern recognition works in storytelling without turning structure into a formula. Along the way, they discus ...  Show more

<div>It's Episode 22 of Season 21. Ride the Sleepless Express into tales about chilling changes.

"Unanswerable Questions" written by Bryan Leavelle (Story starts around 00:04:30)
<a href="https://www.thenosleeppodcast.com/episodes/trigger-warnings/se ...  Show more

THE GREAT GAME - we had everything set for the seizing of that drive, the chastening of Irene Adler and - most importantly - a victory for Sherlock Holmes against his latest opponent. The fire would reveal all, we would be able to see deep into her person, into her desires and sc ...  Show more

THE BOY WHO WOULD BE KING - Irene, Sherlock and I finally had our chance to drop the disguises and speak, albeit in this holy place. It was clear she planned something, quite what destructive scale would unfold escaped even my imagination. We needed a plan and it was devised, ina ...  Show more

CUT TO THE CHASE - The recklessness and boldness of Sherlock's plan and commitment to his 'disguise' had Adler in our grasp. It would seem however that the penny dropped for both her and Sherlock that this was no accidental meeting. This was a game between two great minds. Part 3 ...  Show more