Two people across the ocean talk worldbuilding and storytelling! "The possibilities are truly infinite within the worlds built by one's imagination. Two very easily distracted people ponder on the impact and art form of worldbuilding in every medium of creativity, from TV to tabletop games. From New York to the Netherlands, every week we a new topic to the transatlantic table, and afterwards round out the episode with an improvised worldbuilding prompt." The Hosts: - Merle https://merlefindh ...
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#80 - Fan Prompts! Crab Villains & Good Zombies, Actually
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Welcome to the season finale! We celebrate the close to season 7 (finally) with four fan prompts submitted by you! Join us as we improvise the lives of failed underwater scientists, magic hat dimensions, space refugees and the perks of zombification. All this and more, tune in!
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#79 - Big World, Small Heroes! Improvised Worldbuilding Challenge
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We're back with a big story! The whole episode is a prompt, with the goal to build a world for heroes to explore. We choose the tiniest of adventurers to make our world seem ever larger, and we improv a scene with what we've built! Join us on a haphazard adventure on this episode of Your Rivers Are Wrong.…
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You've waited your whole life for this moment, the pinnacle of justice served...but who am I, to deliver judgment? Today we talk revenge stories! Why they work, why the aftermath is so important, and what it means for characters who journey down that road. Prompt: Describe the morning after revenge.
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#77 - Monsters, Why? & The Maw of the Pond
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Monsters! You know 'em, you love 'em, but why? Today we breakdown the purpose of monsters in literature, how to give meaning to form, and what makes some monsters so memorable. Prompt: Create a monster that lives in a randomly-generated setting.
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#76 - Can Story Exist Without Worldbuilding? & The Watchful Room
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Can worldbuilding and storytelling exist without each other? We dive into examples of each on its own, how they stand alone, and when they demand the presence of the other. A fun dive into truly breaking down the definition of story. Prompt: Describe a scene that involves no people.
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#75 - Fan Prompts! Black Holes & Happy Cultists
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We're cruising through our first Fan Prompts of 2024! Join us as we take on your story ideas from Youtube and Twitter.
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#74 - Power, Structure, & The Loudest Voice
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Today! We reflect on a quote from the Grishaverse author Leigh Bardugo, and the establishing of powers in worldbuilding. How do you demonstrate setting through power dynamics, or utilize mystique to get your players invested? A complicated talk on the essence of storytelling that was very fun to dive into. Prompt: "Create a prologue that explains t…
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#73 - Solo Journaling TTRPGs, & A Mundane Gal's Diary
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Is a TTRPG really a TTRPG if you play by yourself? Today we discuss the increasingly popular solo journaling genre! A niche within a niche of tabletop games, we break down the boons and banes of a story improvised entirely on your own, and name a couple of our personal recommendations. Prompt: A journal entry of a mundane girl in a magical world.…
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What is it good for? Well if anything, it makes for lasting stories. Why do people write about war, and why do we connect to such tragedies? Today we're examining the literary weight that conflict brings, and the aftermath that inevitably follows. Stick around for one of our favorite prompts ever! Prompt: A slo-mo moment in an intense conflict.…
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You've got your players, your characters, your side-table snacks, everything's primed and ready to begin your awesome adventure. But how do you make sure it goes off without a hitch? We kick off Season 7 with our tips on a successful "Session One" for any tabletop campaign. Prompt: Now again, but notes-less!…
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#70 - Fan Prompts! The Monsters Next Door!
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Happy Halloween! We close out Season 6 with a fan-powered prompts episode, tackling the many monsters you all have concocted. Have a wonderful holiday and rest of the year, we will see you again in 2024!
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#69 - Worldbuilding from Past to Present! ft. An Altogether Different River
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#68 - Vessels, Vehicles, & The 30-Year Wish
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What is the purpose of a vehicle in a story, or lack thereof? We discuss the surprising gravity of mobility, its link to authority and autonomy, and how to best make use of one in your own writings. We're close to the end, so stick around! Prompt: A genie's plan to escape its lamp.
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Hello, fellow humans! Today we talk robots - how to define them, the potential of their character arcs, and why they are keystone entities in every setting they exist in. This episode gets more and more chaotic as time passes, so stay til the end! Prompt: The first day of a robot's new job!
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#66 - Breadcrumbs, & The Culprit All Along!
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Gasp! A old janitor was the mastermind the whole time! Who could've guessed? Well, you did, probably, if you followed the breadcrumbs! Today we discuss the highlights and challenges of setting up meaningful clues, and what it takes to establish a meaningful mystery in an improvised setting. Prompt: The villain is revealed!…
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#65 - Fan Prompts! Weather Babies and Slenderwolves
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Back at it again with fan prompts, written by you! A handful of wacky ones as we do our best to not make all the prompts sky-themed. Join us for this episode of Your Rivers Are Wrong!
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#64 - Wordless Characters, & Now He Speaks
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Hello all, this is the sleepy after-vacation episode~ Both of us were super exhausted and decided to talk a little less today, and sticking to the theme, we're discussing silent, mute, and wordless characters! Are there any benefits to a character never speaking, and how do they communicate otherwise? Join us for another laidback episode of Your Ri…
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#63 - LIVE! Travel, & Two Samurai Train Riders
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Reporting in from the Netherlands! Dante and Merle meet in-person for the second time ever to talk worldbuilding and storytelling face-to-face. Speaking of travel! Is the journey as important as the destination? How does the accessibility of travel affect the story's pace, and how is travel a measuring stick of power? All this and more in a very sp…
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This is the episode we got wildly off-topic! A conversation about movement in media branches off to all sorts of motion in media, soliloquys about subtitles, and the art of implied movement. If you like ramblings tangents, you'll love this episode. Prompt: Make up a story based on a guy famous for his one move!…
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#61 - Game Masters, & The Perfect Accounting TTRPG
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We're back at it! The dynamic duo is reunited for the formal kickoff of Season 6! We talk shop about the art of game mastering, the importance of collaboration, the challenges of improvisation, and how to tie it all together. Prompt: Pitch me your best campaign idea, using these three randomly generated words!…
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The first episode of season 6 kicks off with a special guest! We're joined by Cassi Mothwin, esteemed TTRPG author and designer of several award-winning games, and resident expert on the motifs of folk horror. Check out her published work on her website! cassimothwin.com Both Merle and I will be back to formally start the new season next week, so s…
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We're back! As the summer cools down, we've got a couple of announcements for you. Our first episode drops August 15th, featuring an interview with TTRPG designer Cassi Mothwin! Episodes will be released weekly every Tuesday following. We've already got a handful of episodes recorded, including a special LIVE episode recorded in Europe! We meet in-…
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#60 - Fan Prompts! Sword-Wielding Dinos & Dead Oceans!
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It's the end of Season 5! Join us in celebrating the start to summer with one-sentence worldbuilding prompts written by you and improvised by us. The prompts just get crazier and crazier, so stick around until the end!
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#59 - Let's Make a Flying City! (and film a chase scene)
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Sometimes we leave the bloopers in. Chaos ensues on this episode of worldbuilding and storytelling, as we collaborate to create a flying city! Where, how, and why does it fly, and what worlds are explored as it journeys across the horizon? Enjoy our full meltdown on this almost-end to season 5 of Your Rivers Are Wrong! Prompt: Make a chase scene in…
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#58 - Coming of Age, & The Scribe's Last Story
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Adulting! We're all doing it...right? What does it mean to "come of age" in stories and in life? Join us on this very special episode where we talk about growing up in both life and literature, and why that process is different for every person. Prompt: Make a coming-of-age story for the oldest character.…
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The internet is full of nightmarish D&D games, terrible DMs and horror story situations. How can you make sure your games are a good fit for your time, energy and storytelling? Well, join us at the transatlantic table to talk about Session Zero, a game-before-the-game that effectively irons out or brings to light problems before you have to experie…
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#56 - Comedy, Tragedy, and Teddy the Jokester
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Polar opposites, or two sides of the same coin? Books, movies, plays and even actors often choose to prioritize one or the other, but must they exist separately? Or rather, *can* they ever be separated? We talk about personal writing challenges, the mediums within which both are best conveyed, and close on a heartwarming tale of a tragic comedian. …
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#55 - Fan Prompts! Heavy Rain and Heroic Sandwiches
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Every five episodes we tap into fan prompts! One-sentence worldbuilding foundations that blossom into beautiful (sometimes), chaotic (always) stories and setting, written by you!
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#54 - Cliches, and The Most Generic Space Fantasy
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Stop me if you've heard this before - cliches and stereotypes are often frowned on in modern media, but once upon a time every popular idea was seen in full for the first time. There's a reason cliches work, and we break down when you should use cliches in your own stories, and how the mastery of the storyteller comes into play. Prompt: Describe th…
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#53 - Foils, and the Two Villains, Maybe?
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What's a foil? Originating from a proper metal that refracts light through a gemstone, it's taken on its own meaning in literature. We break down what foils are, how they've been utilized, and how to properly play as a foil when the situation calls for it. The prompt that follows is a strange sort of meltdown you'll have to listen to to understand,…
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#52 - Sudden Change, & The Star Who Found Himself
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In stories, we speak of change as the driving force of a story. But what if it happens all at once? A drastic shift, a physical transformation, a world-altering moment, or simply a change of clothes - a lot can happen in the blink of an eye. How do stories utilize sudden change to bring color to a plot, and how do their characters respond? Find out…
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#51 - Lasting Impact, & What The Adventurers Left Behind
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We're back! Today we talk about what it means to leave behind an impact! From past to present change, how do we create a world that characters can interface with, and how do we add gravity to their changes? Join us as we kick off Season 5 of Your Rivers Are Wrong! Prompt: The adventurers have come and gone. List three things that have changed about…
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Check us out here, or on any other streaming platform, or on Youtube and (sometimes) Twitter!
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This is the end of Season 4! We tie it all up with another episode of fan-submitted prompts, provided by you! Thanks so much for listening, we'll be back in April :D
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A huge topic for our penultimate episode of Season 4 - we talk giants! Who they are, what they stand for, and how they impact your stories just by existing - a quintessential "monster" personified. Join us as we fee-fi-fumble through another topic and make for ourselves the hero nobody ever expects. Enjoy!…
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#48 - Building Upwards, and Villains on the Roof!
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Warning: Light Snowpiercer spoilers! All sorts of worldbuilding in this episode, as we tackle the challenges of verticality! How does skyward structure change the landscape of a setting, the dynamics of a community, and the development of hierarchy? And stick around for life tips and unhinged prompt work towards the end, on this episode of Your Riv…
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We like sports and we don't care who knows! An unlikely topic for two worldbuilding nerds, but a welcome one. What stories do sports lend themselves towards, and why are they so popular? What is it about sports that naturally builds storylines, and brings out the best in each of the characters involved? We break it down here on Your Rivers Are Wron…
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The world conspires against us as fire and construction threaten our audio quality, but nonetheless! Another episode drops where Merle introduces the concept of geniuses and prodigies, and the role they play in their respective stories. What does it mean to be highly regarded, and how does one handle the burden of expectations? Prompt: Describe the…
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#45 - Fan Prompts! Cheese Wizards and Vanishing Dragons
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It's that time again! Bringing back the channel's favorite episode, we improvise the prompts you send in! Stick around as we build worlds and stories out of one-sentence ideas, provided by you. Enjoy!
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Please listen to this episode, if only for the wild prompt at the end! Today we break down chase scenes, the rise and fall of tension, and how often having less details can amplify a scene. We talk TTRPG debacles, Nicholas Cage, and how drama is poignantly found in the second to moments. Enjoy! Prompt: Paint a chase scene collaboratively.…
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Warning: This episode contain spoilers for a movie from 1987. If you would rather not hear about us rant about our newly found love of Inigo Montoya, please listen to a different episode. :P Join us as we discuss in our sleep-deprived delirium what it means to be invested in a character, how to consciously move a character forward, and why sometime…
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Today we learn how to utilize all five senses to tell a fully immersive story, and highlight what makes media like Arcane so satisfying from an artistic perspective. Roles are swapped today as we keep trying out new things for the new year! Prompt: Describe a monster that cannot be perceived by the five senses.…
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#41 - Introductions, and The Disappointing Hero
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We're back! You're back! Welcome back to season 4 of Your Rivers Are Wrong. With a new format and some holiday cheer, we kick off the new season talking about introductions! They're messy, awkward, and never done quite right, and that's what we love about them. Thankfully, in the worldbuilding and storytelling realm, practice makes perfect. Join us…
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#40 - Season 3 Finale! Absences & Shared Histories
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Sometimes the most important details are the ones unspoken. In our final episode for 2022, we break down the absence of information, and emotions evoked from the mystery of the unknown. We follow it up with a discussion on how shared histories can add incredible depth to two characters well before they ever interact. An introspective episode to top…
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The penultimate episode of Season 3 sends us on some strongly worded rants about our love-hate opinions on love dynamics and writing fiction. Watch as we fill in the blanks on our own origin stories! Prompt: Write a love triangle where Character A is also Character C!
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Hey, that looks familiar...it's another episode of Your Rivers Are Wrong! We talk time loops - why constraining your setting to a time rather than a place leads to some intense introspection. We follow it up with witches! The cauldron-twirling trope of a villain that has gotten more love in recent years. Hope you enjoy! Prompt: Describe a protagoni…
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Spooky season continues! We start off this episode talking about montage sequences, from the triumphant trainings of Rocky to the twists and turns of the intro to Up. What makes them both practical and engaging? Werewolves make their debut as a late Halloween topic, and we break down to nuances of duality. Join us on this episode of Your Rivers Are…
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#36 - Oops, All Prompts! Lights, Lies, and Giant Whales
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Merle and Dante tackle prompts, all submitted by you! Enjoy the chaos that unfolds as we improv entire worlds from your suggestions.
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#35 - HALLOWEEN Special! Vampires & Uncanny Valleys
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It's spoooooky season! We break down our favorite terrifying topics, from the laundry list of essential vampire characteristics, to the terror of something almost human, but not quite. Join us on this haunting holiday on another episode of Your Rivers are Wrong! Prompt: Build a city or settlement with humans being the minority population.…
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#34 - No Man's Lands & Young Adult Novels
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An unlikely pairing of topics! In our longest episode in a while, we first discuss the odd perks of a barren landscape - how emptiness allows for introspective storytelling, impossible heists, and intense arguments. We branch off into a breakdown of the young adult novel sphere - the impact of an international audience, and the importance of its in…
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