Just Another Word Podcast

N is for Nebulous

In this episode, we step into the mist to find the shapes that refuse to be defined. 
In this episode, we discuss:
The Precision of Vagueness: Why being intentionally nebulous can turn a biological problem into a psychological terror, and how leaving a monster's "edges blurry" keeps the reader in a state of unease.
The Clouded Mind: Using nebulous goals and moral grey areas to create layered characters and atmospheric tension that forces your reader to slow down and squint at the truth. 
Is your character’s goal a solid, sharp objective, or is it still a shifting cloud waiting to condense into a purpose?
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M is for Mellifluous

In this episode, we listen for the sound of honey in the air. We explore the "mellifluous" quality of the human voice—from Paul McCartney to the sophisticated villain—and why the most dangerous words are often the ones that are easiest to hear.
In this episode, we discuss:
The Seduction of the Smooth: Why a mellifluous voice is the ultimate mask for sirens and swindlers.
Prose as Music: How to use "liquid consonants" like m, l, r, and s to create a continuous breath in your writing, ensuring your reader slides through your descriptions rather than stumbling over them.
Are you using honeyed words to soften your reader's suspicion, or are you looking for the squeaky hinges in your dialogue to add a drop of flow?
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L is for Liminal

In this episode, we stand in the doorway, caught between where we’ve been and where we are going. 
In this episode, we discuss:
The Uncanny "Vibe": How storytellers can use physical settings like vacant offices or night-time playgrounds to signal that the rules of reality are thinning.
The Narrative "Middle": Why the Second Act of a story is essentially a liminal state, and how to use "Threshold Guardians" to heighten the tension of a character's internal change.
Are you rushing your characters through the doorway, or are you letting them linger in the "in-between" where the real transformation happens?
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K is for Kismet

In this episode, we look at the invisible hand that guides a protagonist and the delicate balance between a lucky break and a broken story.
In this episode, we discuss:
The Portion of Fate: Exploring why your character’s story exists specifically because they survived the improbable.
The Ta'veren Principle: Lessons from Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time on how to establish "fated" luck early so your readers accept the impossible rather than calling it "plot armor."
Managing the Resource: Why kismet is a limited currency—easy to use for getting characters into trouble, but expensive to use for getting them out.
How are you managing your protagonist's "portion" of luck to ensure their survival feels like destiny rather than a convenience?
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J is for Joy

In this episode, we explore why, for a storyteller, joy is not the opposite of sadness, but a resilient state of being that can survive even the darkest chapters of a story.
In this episode, we discuss:
The Reaction vs. The State of Being: Distinguishing between the surface-level flicker of happiness and the deep, abiding resonance of joy that is rooted in purpose rather than circumstance.
The Paradox of Sad Joy: Why joy is often most visible when juxtaposed against grief, and how it represents the presence of meaning within suffering rather than the absence of it.
The Emotional Anchor: How to use the hunt for joy as a character arc, moving a fragile protagonist from external reliance to internal conviction.
Is your protagonist chasing the fleeting peak of happiness, or are they discovering an earned joy that remains even after they've lost everything?
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I is for Incandescent

In this episode, we explore a light that doesn't just burn, but glows from within. We look at why F. Scott Fitzgerald chose the word "incandescent" to describe Daisy Buchanan and how this specific type of brightness differs from the volatile hunger of a flame.
In this episode, we discuss:
The Power of the Doublet: How storytellers can use similar words like "fiery" and "incandescent" to distinguish between volatile anger and unwavering resolve, providing a map for the reader.
The Internal Pressure: Using incandescence to describe characters functioning at their highest frequency just a step away from a breaking point.
Is your character a wildfire that might burn out, or a star radiating a steady, white-hot intensity?
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H is for Heretic

In this episode, we step into the fire of conviction and explore the danger of the "wrong" truth. We look at the "heretic"—not as a villain, but as the person who looks at the unquestionable and asks "Why?"
In this episode, we discuss:
The Roots of Choice: Tracing the Greek origin hairetikos to understand how being "able to choose" became a dangerous act of subversion.
The Heretic vs. the Zealot: Why the collision between these two extremes creates the ultimate narrative friction, and how they are often two sides of the same coin.
The Power of the Choice: Using the heretic archetype to force your audience to question their own assumptions and showing the moment a character chooses their own eyes over the safety of the crowd.
What "sacred" wall or tradition is your protagonist finally willing to pull down?
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G is for Garrulous

In this episode, we turn up the volume on the person who simply cannot find the "off" switch. We explore the "garrulous" soul and why, for a storyteller, this chatter is often a mask for something much deeper.
In this episode, we discuss:
The Chatter of the Crow: Tracing the word back to the Latin garrire and its ancient connection to the incessant, noisy calling of birds.
The Texture of Triviality: Why garrulousness feels like a clock that ticks without telling the time, often serving as a desperate reach for connection or a way to avoid the weight of silence.
The Art of the Bore: How to use rambling characters for comic relief or weaponized distraction without falling into the "writer's trap" of making your own prose pointlessly wordy.
When does the chatter in your story need to flow to reveal a character's flaws, and when is it time to cut through the noise to find the melody?
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F is for fugitive

In this episode, we step into the shadows to explore the "fugitive"—a word that carries the weight of high-speed chases and the quiet, desperate need to escape oneself. We discuss why calling someone a fugitive is more than a legal status; it is a description of a soul in motion.
In this episode, we discuss:
The Fugitive Adjective: How to use the word to describe elusive scents, vanishing thoughts, and details that actively try to escape our grasp.
The Storyteller’s Perspective: Why choosing "fugitive" over "traveler" infuses your prose with urgency, whether you are writing an external escape from the law or an internal escape from the past.
What is chasing your characters, and what happens when they finally run out of road?
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E is for Ephemeral

In this episode, we explore the beauty of impermanence and the nature of the world around us. We look at how embracing the fleeting moments in our narratives can increase emotional impact and remind the reader of life's fragility.
 
In this episode, we discuss:
 
The Art of the Sand Mandala: Lessons from Tibetan monks on precision, meditation, and the power of letting go of what we create.
 
What "ephemeral" moment in your story is so bright that it leaves a lasting memory long after it has vanished?
 
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