Stuart says you’ve got to plot your stories. Cullen isn’t so sure! Maybe you can just fly by the seat of your pants? We lay out our arguments in the (timeless?) Pants vs Plot debate. Also featured: Joseph Cambell was a moron; is Save the Cat worthless?; the creativity of David Lynch; and examples of stirring scenes from Dune Part II and The Fellowship of the Ring.

00:00 The Plotter vs. Pantser Debate

02:15 The Plotter Opening Statement: The Importance of Plotting in Speculative Fiction

05:29 The Pantser Opening Statement: The Joy of Discovery in Writing

10:56 The Utility of Knowing Your Story's Themes

14:59 The Simplicity at the Heart of Complex Stories

20:40 Navigating Plot Structures

28:41 Exploring the Themes of 'The Lord of the Rings'

40:29 Exploring David Lynch's Creative Process

45:30 Dune: Themes of Power and Revenge

52:27 Stuart's Pathos, Ethos, and Logos Toolkit

57:16 Closing statements: The Balance of Plotting and Discovery in Writing

Stuart’s Examples:

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien Interpreted by Peter Jackson, screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Stephen Sinclair

DUNE by Frank Herbert Interpreted by Dennis Villanueva, Screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Dennis Villanueva, Eric Roth.

Referenced in this conversation:

The Hero With A Thousand Faces, Joseph Cambell

Seven Basic Plots, by Christopher Booker

Save the Cat, by ​​Blake Snyder

The Writer’s Journey, Christopher Vogler

The Heroine's Journey: Woman's Quest for Wholeness by Maureen Murdock

Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes

Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screenwriting

Date Record: Oct 14, 2025

Date Publish: Oct 15, 2025

Music by Cullen McHael

Edited by Cullen McHael

Produced by Cullen McHael

Hosts: Stuart J. Tanner, Cullen McHael

Follow us!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InkingNeon

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories/id1838329557

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Cullen McHael: https://cullenmchael.com

Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XW3G4WG/ https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-of-Story/dp/B08JL6GJBR/

Stuart J. Tanner and Cullen McHael trade examples of compelling antagonists in speculative fiction from Sci-Fi to Fantasy, deconstruct the role of the antagonist, and offer advice from hard-earned lessons about how and when to consider your antagonist in your writing process. Cullen lists nine kinds of antagonist, which one are you?

0:00 Intro

5:28 The Role of the Antagonist

8:40 Antagonist Example: The Joker in the Dark Knight

15:41 The Antagonist Letdown

24:32 9 Kinds of Antagonist: Which One Are You?

30:46 The Complexity of Antagonists

33:01 The Bully: from Nurse Ratchet to Big Brother

41:23 Antagonists Beyond Ideologies

48:26 Cullen's Final Comments: Lowering the Bar and Escaping Inflated Expectations

53:04 Stuart Final Comments: Joys of Speculative Fiction

Questions of the Day

1. When do you decide on an antagonist?

2. Great Antagonists—what makes them great?

3. 1. The Joker from The Dark Knight

   2. Roy Batty in Bladerunner

   3. Sauron in The Lord of the Rings

   4. Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

   5. Johan from Monster

4. Failed Antagonists—why?

5. Types of antagonist?

6. 1. Fallen hero

   2. Competitor hero

   3. Evil mask

   4. Bully

   5. Corrupt priest

   6. Unstoppable force

   7. Grand shadow

   8. Wild beast

   9. Hostile environment

7. How might you fit an antagonist into the narrative, especially at the first third of the book?

8. How does your choice of antagonist shape your narrative?

9. How do we set out to decide what kind of antagonist to use in a given story?

Follow us!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InkingNeon

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories/id1838329557

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qSplbBX4oYmd2pYoSAzOF

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PodBean: https://inkingneon.podbean.com/

Cullen McHael: https://cullenmchael.com

Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XW3G4WG/ https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-of-Story/dp/B08JL6GJBR/

Music by Cullen McHael

Edited by Cullen McHael

Produced by Cullen McHael

Hosts: Stuart J. Tanner, Cullen McHael

Stuart J. Tanner and Cullen McHael share hard-earned lessons about getting your fight scenes right.0:00 Intro1:34 What are Fight Scenes For?10:00 The Fun Element11:00 Problem Solving14:39 Scaffolding, Worldbuilding, and Playing With Rules24:22 The Great Challenge: Clarity28:25 Examples of Compelling Fight Scenes32:52 4 Things a Fight Scene Can Do34:56 Establishing Stakes: Costs, Risks, and Invincibility40:17 Reading: Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan45:10 Analysis of Altered Carbon's Effectiveness and Choices55:18 Final ThoughtsEdited by Cullen McHaelProduced by Cullen McHaelHosts: Stuart J. Tanner, Cullen McHaelQuestions of the Day:1. Why are fight scenes important in speculative fiction?2. Examples of compelling fight scenes?3. What makes a fight scene compelling?4. Why have fight scenes?5. Where do authors sometimes go wrong with fight scenes?Book RecommendationsAltered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

On this first episode of Inking Neon, journalist, author, and teacher Stuart J. Tanner is sent to Baghdad at the height of the Iraq occupation and discovers that and other strange worlds. We discuss what makes for compelling characters, the process of investigation in writing, and read from Stuart's book Devas: Book 1 of the Absolute series, in which a serial murder case spirals out of control when a detective discovers an alien civilization.

0:00 Intro
7:21 The Ultimate Challenge
10:15 Visitors in a Strange Land
19:04 Examples of Compelling Characters
29:30 The Case of the Tabula Rasa Character
35:34 How to Keep Your Characters from Knowing What You Know
43:00 How Do Good Author’s Make Bad Characters?
52:41 Reading: Devas, a Sci-Fi Novel

Buy Devas, by Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XWSCFP9