Author Brent Miller joins the podcast to talk about the perceptions of tropes, the slippery slope into cliches, and whether or not it's actually possible to write a trope-less story.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

It's the blurring of fact and fiction as author Garrett K. Jones joins the podcast to talk about Gonzo Fiction, known for its unique narrative style as seen in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and American Psycho.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Author Lauren Teffeau joins Vickie Lan to discuss non-theistic mythical archetypes in fiction, including Carl Jung's 12 brand archetypes and the way archetypes can be used to form the foundation of societal values and laws.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Author J.D. Estrada joins the podcast to talk about authenticity in writing and the ways authors can tap into personal experiences to inform an otherwise unfamiliar scenario.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Main cover photo by J.D. Fitzgerald.

Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com or Canva. 

Horror Author John James Minster returns to the podcast to talk about paranormal places located around the northeast region of the United States, as well as the Christian belief system of demons, ghosts, and spirits that fuels the local lore.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Neal Holtschulte cycles back to the podcast to talk with Vickie Lan about time loops! From "Groundhogs Day" to "The Flash", how can time loops be used to propel character growth, and what can writers do to avoid falling in a plot spiral?

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Are antiheroes just villains with too much credit? Damien Alameda, host of The_First Pages on YouTube, joins Vickie Lan to debate the characteristics and motives of the antihero and where they fall on the spectrum of good and evil.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

What could possibly be worse than death? Storytellers will tell you! Author Matthew C. Brown returns to the podcast to talk about all the various ways authors can torture their characters.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotifyand YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcastare their own.

In honor of Halloween, guest Michael Crawford and Vickie Lan sit down to watch and unpack the tropes found in the classic 2000 horror movie American Psycho, including 80s yuppie culture, the unreliable narrator, psychopath characteristics, and the purposeful ambiguity of its characters and settings. Rewatch with us! "American Psycho" is currently available on Netflix. Rated R.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Main cover photo by J.D. Fitzgerald.

Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com or Canva. 

Angela Alvarez joins Vickie Lan to talk about Latinx representation in speculative fiction and the powerful story opportunities that come from writing through an authentic lens.

Note: "LatinX" in the context of this episode is used to to inclusively refer to all genders within the community.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotifyand YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcastare their own.

Crispin Jeffrey-Franco, owner of Stacks Book Club, joins Vickie Lan on the podcast to talk about tropes from a bookseller's perspective. Learn which tropes are tired and which tropes are on the rise, what booksellers look for when curating their list, and how indie authors can build relationships with their local bookstores.

Note: Stacks Book Club will be hosting in-store novel writing events in November of their own design, unaffiliated with the NaNoWriMo organization.

The video version of this episode can be found on Spotify and YouTube.

Speculative Sandbox is for entertainment purposes only. This is a volunteer-run program. Opinions expressed by individuals on the podcast are their own.

Main cover art illustrated by Sofia Hansson

Individual episode covers feature royalty-free photography from Pexels.com or Canva.