1303 – Content Multiplex Recap
A memory of a moment whisks you off to Dreamland as Scooter goes behind the scenes of Multiplex.
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Episode 1303 – Content Multiplex Recap
[START OF RECORDING]
SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls…how come I’ve never said, Boyd…instead of boys and girls, said Boyd…like, changed it to bored and…I don't know, I guess I answered my own question there. Bored and…well, I mean, I could do it like that. That’d be pretty Sleep With Me. Welcome to Sleep With…boys and girls, it’s time for the pod…how does the show start again? I’m totally at a loss here. I should have never…I mean, friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for the podcaster who can't even start his own podcast. I don't know, this has got to be right around the twelfth calendar year I’ve been recording shows. When I’m recording this intro, we’ll be well into our twelfth calendar…or thirteenth calendar year, maybe, even.
Wait; I don't know if thirteen…anyway, I have no idea. I don't even know about dates. What am I gonna do, some ‘rithmatic next? Or as you say in the UK, maths, none of which I’m really good at. But you know what I am good at and what I’m so grateful to have…be somewhat skilled, is going off topic, being friendly, welcoming you, and sending some kindness across the deep, dark night. If you’re having trouble falling asleep, if you’re having trouble staying asleep, if you’re having a tough day, whatever it is, that’s what makes me happy to do this. If you’re new, welcome. The show is very different. It does take some getting used to, but basically it’s like a dull, strange friend who’s a little bit silly talking to you to keep you company and distract you, and ideally you just kinda bare…you slowly…my voice slowly fades into the background and you fall asleep.
But see how it goes. I’m really glad you’re here. So, the next thing coming up is our support — that’s what keeps the podcast coming out — then there’s a long, meandering intro meant to ease you into bedtime, and then it’ll be our bedtime story. Tonight it’ll be our look back at our series, Multiplex. Yeah, so, this is late in the…I’m trying to think of the release schedule. But yeah, so, you’re…you may even be in autumn, late autumn, when you’re hearing this. So, yeah, I’m really glad you’re here and I work really hard, and if you’re new, give the show a few tries. See how it goes. Thanks for coming by. Those of you that support the show, thanks for doing that. Those of you that support the sponsors, thanks for doing that, 'cause we get to be here for you and everybody else because of that. Here’s a couple messages about that. Thanks.
INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake, whether those are thoughts, things you’re thinking about, thoughts from the past, thoughts about the past, the present, the future…I’ve had…I have many past thoughts make appearances, though. I mean, mostly have…that would be interesting if I had thoughts from the future.
I kinda can predict my thoughts about the future 'cause I’m thinking about the future seventy, eighty, ninety percent of the time. So, in the future I’ll be…you know, I’ll be thinking about the future. I could almost guarantee…I could…there you go; I just predicted the future, my future. I mean, ideally, no, I’ll be so grounded…I don't know, I think even if I’m grounded, then I’m more just noticing that I’m thinking about the future. Let’s be realistic and say, oh, I’m thinking about the future. That’s when I’m at my most healthy, you know, instead of not realizing I’m thinking about the future and pacing around doing stuff to think.
So, it could be thoughts about the future, it could be past thoughts or thoughts about the past, the present, it could be thoughts about my thoughts, it could be feelings, anything coming up for you emotionally related to those thoughts or that are just mysteriously there right at the surface or below the surface or both, it could be physical sensations, it could be changes in time, temperature, routine, work schedule, it could be travel, you could be…have guests or going through something…whatever it is that’s keeping you awake.
The reason I kinda run through some of that stuff is to let you know you’re not alone in the deep, dark night, that not only is my voice here to keep you company, but that there’s other people out there…not only that I can relate to how you feel, but there’s other people listening right now with you that are rooting for you, really, and this isn't a joke. I hear from listeners all the time. I guess it wouldn’t be a joke, right? But, I don't know, I just have a big internal critic who wants to brush everything off, so…he said, that’s a joke. But it’s like, no, there’s people I hear from all the time that this part of the show is meaningful for them. It is mildly participatory because…the thing is if you’re new or you’re struggling right now and you’re full of that deep, dark night doubt that I have, and maybe you share it, you’re like, no, no one gets it, man.
This is…I say, yeah, no, I feel…I’ve felt that way, too. I’m not trying to dismiss your ‘no one gets it’. But here’s a thing I know because I’ve been doing this a long time; there is someone else listening somewhere in the world who can really get how you feel. Maybe they’ve been through something very similar, maybe they can just relate, and they’re listening right along here, and they are rooting for you. They’re kinda sitting in bed hoping this podcast can keep you company and take your mind off of stuff or at least make you feel connected to them. I’ve been saying this a lot over the past year or two, but…not only that; they’re like, man, I really hope this podcast can help you out like it helped me, because I didn’t know there was something out there like this.
It is different than most stuff, different than what I expected, but this is what I was looking for, and I know it’s not for everybody, but I hope it helps you like it helps me and that one day you get the same experience, 'cause it is meaningful to just passively listen to a podcast but know you’re a part of something, know that you can feel good about someone else out there and that the stuff you’ve struggled with has meaning for other people, because you can relate to them and you could say, yeah, I know how that is really tough. A lot of people might be dismissive of it, but I know what that feels like. I’ve felt something or been through something very similar. The reason I point that out is that’s why I make the show, those listeners I hear from.
It gives the show meaning and it’s important because I spend most of my day dismissing that kind of stuff internally and probably externally, too. It’s kinda weird that even in the deep, dark night when everything else is…all the non-positive stuff is heightened, it’s tough to find some positivity…some heightened awareness of this nice stuff. So, if you could one day think about that, that there’s someone listening somewhere in the world — maybe it’s your favorite part of the world; I don't know. Maybe it’s close; maybe it’s far away — who’s rooting for you because they get it. This isn't…I’ve been doing this over eleven years, so, it’s true.
I don't know, it’s a rare thing to get to be a part of, especially 'cause my internal makeup spends so much time believing that the world is the opposite of that, and that’s part of the reason I have trouble getting to sleep, you know? That’s important for me to point out; even though it brings it all to the surface, it’s something that brings us all together. It’s not just about me and being silly and being…meanders. That’s the good…that’s…this is what sits under the show and brings us together, and it’s not that complicated, either. You could just be a warm presence for somebody else. You know what you’ve been through. You know how it is for you, and now you know someone else out there is in…is either rooting for you or maybe they need you to root for them. So, no pressure, either.
You could…that’s the great thing about the show; there’s enough people listening, you could procrastinate about it for a few years. Then a few years from now, you’ll be like, yeah, now I’m rooting for that person, and that’s cool because then you’ll be right…it’ll be right on schedule, right when we need you there. The other thing if you’re new or you’re a regular listener having a tough time is that you deserve a good night's sleep. You deserve a bedtime where you could get the rest you need, where you’re not tossing and turning or dreading going to bed, or like a lot of us, come Saturday afternoon, you’re starting to think about Sunday night, and you got that feeling in the pit of your stomach or whatever.
You deserve a bedtime you don’t have to dread, that you could feel neutral about or look forward to, and that’s what we try to create here. I’m here to be your friend in the deep, dark night. I send my voice across it. I use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents, which means my voice is not traditionally soothing, and it doesn't make a lot of sense. This podcast can feel, for a lot of new people, like it’s never going anywhere, it never gets started. It’s a podcast you just kind of listen to, a podcast you can listen to but you don’t need to listen to, a podcast that’s kinda barely entertaining, and all that takes some getting used to, especially if you’ve tried other sleep stuff. You may be skeptical, doubtful, or frustrated.
You found the show and you were hoping…or you had a expectation; well, this is probably gonna be something ethereal, and then quickly you realize, I don't even know…I have no…I can picture something ethereal like a painting, but I don't know the definition of it. Like, may contain translucence, but that has nothing to do with the definition, right? That’s my qualification for making a podcast; don’t know the definition of ‘ethereal’, but I can use it in a sentence and I can imagine something ethereal, but in an undefined way, but probably has something…probably some purples and some lavenders and some translucence. Somewhere out there, somebody’s like, oh man. So, what else do you need to know? A podcast you don’t listen to…this is a sleep podcast.
Back when I started the show, 2013, this idea of an adult sleep podcast wasn’t really a thing. But even now that it is a thing and it’s been a thing for a long time and now there’s this huge diversity of styles of sleep podcasts, a lot of people get to the show and they’re like, what is going on here? Because I’m not really here to put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep. There’s no pressure to fall asleep with the show. There’s a reason the episodes are over an hour, that there’s over 600 episodes right in this feed you’re listening to it in so you can pick and choose what works for you, and you don’t have to think about falling asleep.
I’m here to keep you company and distract you whether you need a break during the day, whether you can't sleep at all, whether you listen all night long, or you’re just going through something temporarily and you need a little help. I’m here to be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your neigh-bore, your bore-bestie, your bore-bor, your Borbie, your bore-bruh, your best bore-friend f’eva, and to…yeah, just to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff, just like I was on-call providing a service for you. So, yeah, what else do you…? The podcast doesn't put you to sleep, you don’t listen to it, very…you’ll probably be skeptical or doubtful, it takes a few tries to get used to, most people don’t like the show at all on their first two or three tries.
Just in case you’re still with us and you know you don’t like me but you’re kinda still listening anyway…or you’ve tried two or three times; you’re like, yeah, I don't think this is gonna work out…sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou. I think No Thanks will take you there, too. That has other sleep podcasts and sleepy audio on there, so you could find something that might help you fall asleep. You still deserve a good night's sleep. Most people don’t like me, so it’s…I don't take it personal, and you don’t have to let me know of my shortcomings. Many people, probably hundreds of thousands of people, have let me know. So, it’s like, we’re good, and that’s why…I think it’s probably…that website’s been up four or five years. Because I said, wait a second, I’ll just make it easier for you.
You’ll find another sleep podcast and you’ll get the sleep you need, hopefully. So, there’s that. The structure of the show also throws people off, and I’ll just ease you into the structure or, if you’re a regular listener, remind you of the structure, 'cause the show’s structured based on the experience of making the podcast, based on listener feedback, of what’s most likely to help ease you into bedtime and fall asleep, but you can adjust how you listen, as well. So, this one version of the podcast, this Sleep With Me, the sponsor-supported, free version, most people listen to this version linearly, but there’s tons of other smaller pockets of listener communities, all-night listeners, story-only listeners, all-intro listeners, just listening…compilation listeners.
But for most people, this is where you get started and, for a lot of people, how they keep listening. So, just see how it goes at first, but I’ll explain to you why we structure it and how you can change it around so you have some peace of mind, so I meet you where you are, 'cause this isn't…even though I’m sending this podcast across the deep, dark night, it is for you as a service. So, let’s see if we can get this service to work for you, right? Give it a few tries and then adjust from there. But the show and all the shows we make, for the most part, start off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so you feel seen and welcomed in. You say, okay, I could give that show a try.
Then there’s support so paying for the show is optional — if you prefer something without ads, you can get that on Sleep With Me+ — then there’s a long, meandering intro separate from the support, and it’s about fifteen to twenty minutes long, and yeah, it’s meandering. It’s goes on and on and on, where I try to explain what the podcast is. The thing about the intro is it kind of is where we get to spend some time together, you never know what I’m gonna talk about, but if you’re a regular listener, you know I’m gonna try to follow a similar structure every time. But for those parts of you, the thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, whatever’s keeping you awake, they…okay, this is familiar, but it’s different every time.
He could just make a basic intro and it’s the same every time, but that would be predictable and it wouldn't help me fall asleep. But also, the intro serves this other purpose, which is to ease you into bedtime, and 2024 and 2025 is kind of about this…I’m trying to put more videos and stuff out of like, wind down and bedtime. So, the intro is part of that. There are people falling asleep during the intro, but most people are getting ready for bed, in bed getting comfortable, or doing some sort of chill, wind-down activity. The intro kinda just creates a buffer, even if you’re just chilling in bed getting comfortable, to ease you into bedtime, right, to be a buffer between the day, the evening, the getting in bed and winding down, and then the bedtime story that’ll put you to sleep. So, that’s what the intro does.
If you prefer something without intros, Bedtime Stories from Sleep With Me is available in every podcast app. Then there’s support again so the show can come out on a regular basis, and then there’s a bedtime story. Tonight it’ll be a look back at the making of Multiplex, the series we did this year, and then…yeah, that’s it. That’s the structure of the show. That’s why I make the show. I work really hard. A team of people work hard because we love making the show and seeing how it impacts people positively who feel lonely in the deep, dark night, who other people don’t understand, or people who find other sleep podcasts through our show. It’s cool. So, I’m really glad you’re here. I work really hard. So do a team of people, and we really want to help you fall asleep. Thanks again for coming by, and here’s a couple ways we’re able to do it for you for free twice a week.
Alright everybody, this is Scoots here, and this is our look back at Multiplex, the making of it, and to be honest, I’m not exactly sure how this episode is going to go. So, I may be…this may become more of a personal essay. Also, I’m not sure…I think this episode’s gonna come out between…before Thanksgiving in the late…in the autumn season of the podcast. I’m recording this now in late August. So, I’ll probably meander into some life stuff, too, but I’ll do it the best I can 'cause particularly at this moment, I make the podcast and I’m living my life at the same time. Some of this may have come out in one or two other episodes.
So, yeah, in the best way…if you’re hearing this and you remember tomorrow or whatever, I appreciate the support and I’m doing everything I need to take…I have a lot of good self-care practices and stuff like that. Or, not even self-care. So, let’s see…but yeah, let’s talk about Multiplex, because…well, one, this is the longest I’ve gone where…of recording a recap episode that I can remember. It’s been at least…it was about thirty days ago that I recorded the finale of Multiplex. So, I recorded that at the very end of July, and I haven't listened to the finale of Multiplex. I think the last episode of Multiplex I listened to was Secrets of My Success, the sign-store one, and I believe there’s three episodes after that, including one that’s a recap episode.
Another thing that’s different…and it just happens to be the way things…is I haven't don’t any writing for the new series and I’m not exactly sure…I’m gonna need to start in the next week or two to stay on schedule, I think, but…I don't know, I have the concept of the next thing we’re gonna do, but now I’m like…I’m just wonder…I don't know, talk about the creative parts of that. But let’s talk about Multiplex. It was one of the longest series we’ve done in a long time. We gave it a lot of air to breathe, and it probably will be a model moving forward of what we do in 2025. We’ll be…start the year off with a new series or a repeat series but with it being kind of open to saying, hey, is this something that’s gonna be…?
To have some freedom, I think, that it could be a eight-episode season or it could be a sixteen or seventeen-episode season and last most of the year. One of the things is that we’ve kind of changed — I don't know if it’ll change again — kind of our rhythm of our releases, where now we do…we used to do a three-rhythm release; now we do kind of a four-rhythm release, and that goes all the way back to once the podcast…I don't know, when the podcast hit its first stride. The three-rhythm release I’ll just explain, 'cause it was based on the days of the week. ‘Cause once upon a time…I don't know…because I spend most of my waking…well, so, way back when, the podcast came out three times a week. That was an experiment. It was never actually sustainable.
I was like, oh, could this ever be sustainable for the long term? But it wasn’t. But the podcast episodes came out Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and then as I tried to keep up with that schedule, I realized the only way to do it is to alter the styles of episodes because they each take a different kind of prep work. But that also worked out because it was like, then it meant every episode was a different style episode, but then those episodes would come back around. What do I mean by that? Back when the podcast came out three times a week, we had Sunday episodes, which were TV-recap-style episodes, which we still do currently now with Dreaming of Newhart. Then we had Tuesday-style episodes, which were random.
They could be about anything. We called them Trending Tuesday episodes. Just, some were based on trends on the internet. I was using those as a randomization list, but other ones would just be about anything. We still do that. Then Thursdays would be written episodes, like a series like Multiplex, and we still do those three kinda things, every episode changing. The only difference is now we’ve added in the crossover, which we did with Alba Salix. We don’t have the funding to keep doing that when I’m recording this beyond what we’re committed to doing with Alba Salix, so I’m not sure what’ll happen in 2025 with our crossover episodes, but right now it’s like, we’ve been alternating between four styles instead of three styles, and even within those, moving those around a little bit.
So, we’ll see what happens with that next year, but that’s pretty cool to have that rhythm. Which would mean in a perfect month, if the show was fully funded, we would do two of each style in a eight-week month, which again meets two needs; one, a lot of listeners prefer…ah, I don't like that…anything people love, also people loathe. So, whether it’s the written episodes or the TV-recap episodes, those have a equal number of people…most people are in the middle, but on the ends, there’s people…oh, I only listen to TV-recap episodes, and then there’s people that are like, I’ll never listen to TV-recap episodes. But the fact that we keep the variety coming keeps everyone…gives everybody the peace of mind. Hey, this podcast is here for me.
But it’s also the fact that now, especially with the four styles, they each take a different type of work. Again, it’s hard for a lot of people to believe the amount of work that goes into making the show, but there’s different types of work that go into making the show, too, and they’re all interdependent and each one makes everything else better. It’s kind of like the muscles in the body. Some muscles, when…I don't know anything about muscles in the body, but I know that they work in opposition to each other to work or something like that, right? Like, you got one that does that and then you walk forward, and then one where you walk forward again or whatever. I don't know how to explain it. So, it’s not a good metaphor, but it is. What do I mean?
So, we’re writing the Multiplex episodes every single week, working on writing. Or, in September I’ll start writing whatever the next series is. That writing makes me better at writing all the other episodes or the style of the other episodes or the structure of the other episodes. Then, the styles of the other episodes inform my writing. But it’s also…there’s only one…there’s only so much reservoir of that one for writing, and time. It’s like, you couldn’t write every episode that came out, and we don’t have the budget to pay for writing for other stuff. So, it’s like, okay, that’s one reservoir, right? Then there’s TV-recap episodes which are based on…now, the newer…the Newhart ones are kind of based on watching the shows, taking notes, and doing a little bit different kind of writing and playing around. Then there’s the Tuesday episodes.
Those could be random. They could…but they’re informed by the work that goes into the other two styles of episodes. They’re interconnected or interdependent. Then the audio-fiction ones…I’m reading someone else’s writing, right? So, I’m getting…it’s a totally different spot…skill spot where I’m trying to inhabit somebody else’s character. I don't know, there’s a freedom in that of not having to do the writing. Obviously I’m doing some rewriting to keep it sleepy or going on tangents when they’re offered, but being able to interpret someone else’s writing is a different kind of work, and it’s actually freeing because it’s a different kind of work. So, it’s like, that reservoir is fresher when I’m going to that reservoir.
That’s kinda the thing, is like, keeping the show sustainable is keeping all those reservoirs, using the water from each one, and then going to the other reservoir while the other ones fill back up. That’s kinda how we stumbled upon that way, way back when. What was my point? Oh, so, back to Multiplex. So, I don't know what I was trying to explain, but…so, Multiplex is…oh, so, we’ll…next year we’ll see what happens, but having the freedom to not have a specific number of episodes is partially…just 'cause we’re not able to put out as many episodes as we used to, but also, I don't know, we just have a little bit more freedom in the schedule, I think, and flexibility versus when we used to…I used to try to get two series out a year plus a holiday series.
That was pretty hard to achieve, and then it also meant sometimes the series didn’t have room to breathe, which Multiplex did. I think also before that, we did…wait a second, where…what do we do…? Did we do…Journey Into the World of Friends, I guess, right? So, yeah, that also kinda had some room to breathe. So, it kind of informed us of like, well, let’s see if it’s gonna be a twelve-episode season. That’s what we were initially plotted out for or I was curious about, but then it was clear; no, this isn't twelve episodes. Okay, now let’s go into where did this series come from.
Well, let me spoil one thing…is like, I feel like this is…the series was in this genre of mall nostalgia or mall glamor for…glam…there’s a four-letter word for it, but it’s mall…glamorizing malls and a forlornnness, and that only exists in the…'cause I’ve been to a couple malls while I was writing this series, and you can't…I don't know, was it Thomas Hardy who said you can't go home again or whatever? You can't go home to your malls. It is not nostalgia, but the malls in Multiplex…obviously Multiplex is different. But you’ve seen…this is…especially 'cause people…kids of the eighties or even early nineties are making…people have a fond, nostalgic look for malls. Also, then it’s like, it is…when it’s someone else’s nostalgia, then it becomes someone else’s fictional world to have it inhabited, right?
For someone like my generation, it would have been like Grease. The malls for this current generation is like the fifties for me, where it’s like, well, I’ve never been to a place with a Sockhop or Poodle Skirts or whatever. So, it’s…I don't know. I don't know if I’m making sense, but…and I think that’s a good thing, but it also means that you can't go…I don't have a forlorn desire to go to malls, I guess. It’s not the same. It’s just better in fiction with a bit of…the nostalgia is false. The falseness of nostalgia…keep it to fiction, I guess. I don't know if I’m making sense. But I think that’s what led me to do this series, was that same draw of like, oh, there’s this…there must be some magic in that old shopping mall we roamed. I say, yeah, it’s…there’s some fictional magic there.
So, that was…so, I’m trying…I’m struggling with where this whole story came from, 'cause I thought it was two places, but right now I’m only seeing the mall stuff. But it was this idea that I had, a vague idea of like, what if there was this Multiplex in a shopping mall where something magical or the transverse plane happened, and characters could leave the movies, and then people were at…kids were at the mall trying to deal with that? I guess that’s the simplest thing, that this mall, the Multiplex, comes alive or whatever. Something like that. I don't know, that idea kept appealing to me maybe in different ways, but I was like, I don't know. Then at some point, I think in preparation for this but I’m not positive, I started reading…at first I read Frankie, Mary Shelley’s Frankie, over a year ago, I’m pretty sure.
Before that, a couple years ago, I had read The Count, the story of the Count, which is like a diary. So, it had been a little while since I read the story of the Count, and then I read Frankie. Then I also read a book about the mommy. Not…it was called…I don't know, it was one of the books before the movie came out, and I read about the person at the opera. I did not read the book about the person who couldn't be seen just 'cause I didn’t have time, but I did watch their movie. So…but it was like, okay, what if these are the characters that are coming out? A lot of these things are in the public domain. I don't know, I was just like, okay, this could be interesting, too. So, I guess I kinda had this vague idea and I was like, okay, what would this be like? I was like, huh, okay.
Then, I’m not sure what developed first or second, but it was…started thinking about these characters and then I started thinking about this…the mini-golf course and then, okay, that’s the way…like, okay, what’s the situation? Who are the main characters? This is just very similar to why…what’s some sort of conflict or internal thing that’s going on? Then I…so, some…'cause I guess always with Sleep With Me, it’s like, these are ideas I’m striving for, and the not getting to where I strive to is one of the things that keeps it sleepy. But I think striving towards a goal that can't be reached is what makes the stories…gives the stories legs. ‘Cause if not, it would just be point…if there wasn’t something beneath the pointless meanders, I don't think the show would work, I guess. I don't know. So, it’s like, what am I curious about?
Then it was like, okay, well, why would…? At first it doesn't seem like a good idea to go into a shopping mall that’s been closed, you know? So, why would these kids do it? Okay, then the separate idea…yeah, that I think was separate from the Multiplex, was this idea of like, hey, what if there’s…why…what if there’s stories about characters that became…? This one I fell short on, but this was a thematic thing when I was thinking about the characters or thinking about characters in general even outside of Multiplex, is what kind of heroic journey can you go on to learn to be a people among people successfully and happily, right, to just not have to live a life…as someone that spends a lot of fantasizing inside and outside of making a podcast, what would it be like to be like, oh, I don't need that fantasy; I’m happy with this life that I have, this grounded life?
I don't know, that was just another idea I was curious about, and the idea, I don't know, somehow got mixed in with the soup, I guess, I don't think as successfully as I would have liked to. But when I look at the time I have to write and explore ideas successfully enough, to put people to sleep…but I mean, yeah, if it was not a sleep podcast, those themes would have been…like, those would…themes would have been — before you write a episode — more broken out. Maybe I used to do that and maybe I’ll return to it, is taking a day or two to break out concepts. Oh, what is this one aspect of being a people among people, or just…'cause even that’s kind of very nuanced, right? What’s it mean to be a regular person? That’s…holy cow, you know? What do you even mean?
But it’s like, what would be the…how could you go on a heroic adventure to get this quality that most people would say is basic or simple even though it’s not, right? I don't know, those are interesting layers to even try to dip your toe in, but those are also layers that do take…to really get into it, it takes a lot of knowledge. I don't know, it takes more work, at least for me, even if it’s just…in the past when I’ve kind of gone at it from a thematic thing, it’s usually like you try to really look at that thematic thing, and then it falls away. It’s like, you take a day or two…or, it’d be great to do it longer. What am I saying? How am I…? I’m not explaining this clearly even for a sleep podcast.
Okay, let’s say that one of the concepts…this wasn’t one, but I mean, maybe it was on a subconscious level; what is…what are the qualities that can be embodied by this concept that we’re talking about? Is like…it is within the Saint Francis prayer type thing. If you’re not familiar with it, one idea would be if…this is just a conceptual idea; not in the prayer, I don't think. But it’s like, hey, if you’re feeling lonely, make someone…find someone who’s lonely and make them feel welcome, right? The way to get…deal with your loneliness isn't to focus on your loneliness or changing it. It’s to say, oh, is there someone else out there lonely that I can make feel welcome? Some of that goes…learned from trying to stay sober, I guess, but…and I’m not even that good at it.
But that would be a quality embodied by these characters as adults. So, it’s like, what kind of adventure in an episode or two would…that would be a heroic adventure would someone go on to learn…to make someone feel welcome? To break that out and really spend some time with it…and then you…in the past when I was approaching…when I approached a story like that…and then it’s something that I almost forget about. Like, I spend a couple days writing about it and bringing up questions or whatever, and then it just kinda falls away. It falls into the story, in some sense. But now, the cool thing was, going along with this, is that so, then you have these archetypal figures, right?
This is one of the things that did work, is like, so, you have these archetypal figures that…there’s movies and novels that are based on their thing, and then we have to sleepify it and change it to make it work with Sleep With Me. But when I read the book, one of the books about the mommy, and then saw the movie…the book was much more interesting, right, but it was also about kind of…and that was the first character we did that she…well, now I’m so far away…forgetting. But all those characters in a different way is like…so, she wanted to meet her needs, right, in the story, and was doing all these things in this fictional story. Well, actually, the fictional story takes place actually…I don't know, there’s layers to the story, right?
But she’s trying to do…they’re discovering her old existence or whatever, and…hey, what happened? Why did she get stuck hanging out in this room? Oh, well, they decided that…'cause she was trying to get this need met and they were in opposition to it. So, it’s like, okay…and then those movies and the books, too, for the most part, they never…they’re the main characters, right? But they don’t…they’re not the main character, right, because they don’t get the good stuff at the end. Almost none of those movies end with them happy, right? Like the mommy being like, oh boy, this is great now. So, that kinda offered this twofold thing.
One, okay, this is what they’re gonna need help with, but two, they kinda stand…their journey in the movie isn't moving in opposition to where these characters are going eventually outside of the story as adults, where the story is being told from. Their heroic journey led them in the opposite direction. They’re kinda inverse things, because most of the time it was selfish needs, or the characters like the mommy or Franny particularly, was acting out because of the way…in the movie Franny was…no, and the book…that Franny was treated right. So, I don't know, when those kind of things mix, those are what gives Sleep With Me stories legs, right? It’s like, okay, let’s really inquire into this.
At the same time, when you have these kind of interesting things, it also comes with some dissatisfaction, which I think makes it sleepy. But it’s like, hey, we can't quite fulfill all these promises and premises either because of…it’s supposed to be sleepy and we only have two weeks to write a episode. So, I guess that also makes it interesting. So, then it was kinda like finding a rhythm with the mommy first, of like, okay, we need a couple episodes to get into the story. We gotta get them. What’s the concept? Who are the characters? Now we meet Boyd. Boyd kinda offers…hey, this is why we should go in there. Hey, is this a good idea? Definitely not. Oh, now we’re kinda stuck in here anyway. Let’s make the most of it.
Then there was the part with the mall which was kind of the idea that, oh, there’s something happening there and there’s gonna be people in the mall that also need help, the workers. I guess that was a necessity. Maybe it was…I don't know. I think it adds an extra layer for meandering. The story maybe could have been simpler, but at the same time, we had to ease our way in and the characters had to ease their way in. Otherwise they would have got outta there, right? The fact that the mall is in good shape and stuff would have never made any sense. In some sense, in another world, this could have been a perfectly episodically-only series.
I don't think it could be told that way 'cause there’s so much to set it up, but if it was…and I mean, that’s why it’s kinda set up for another season at least, because it’s like, okay, episodically…each episode or two episodes or three episodes than what it took. But a movie starts, they meet the character, they also meet…there’s also some sort of store or store worker involved, and all the pieces are there to solve all the issues, and if it was really ambitious, also meet these underlying…teaching these underlying skills to these main characters or giving them something or helping them find something or learn something that then would then create this…move them on their own heroic journey or whatever.
I don't know. So, that’s not episodic, I guess, in that sense. But the episodic part is like, okay, you have this character who needs help and you have the mall worker who needs help. Are those…how do those intersect? Then I guess you’d say, well, do you need both? If you’re making a podcast after you did the series, you’d ask these questions, I guess. Convenient. So, those were kinda some of the ingredients, I guess. I’m really happy with the characters and I think that the theme really made me feel connected to the characters. Boyd less so.
I think Boyd is an incredibly interesting character, but because Boyd came in…or Boyd was unrelated to the main three characters…Boyd was just a side character and didn’t have this interesting element to it of like, how are these three high-performing, high-functioning high-school seniors or graduates that have…and in a non-tropey way, they literally have their path set out for them, and it’s a path they want to be on not just because of external things but even internally, that it’s the clearest paths to what we would — as the culture here in the US — determine, oh, that’s a model of success, and not even in…I’m not saying it ironically, either.
Say, wow, that person would be super successful and happy, and, oh, these people are on what seems to be that path, which is hard to achieve and whatever, and they’re each on their own version of that path. Something…this particular adventure that we’re gonna go on is gonna lead them to reevaluate that path and say, maybe that’s not for me. Those are characters I just really want to get to know and spend time with as…I don't know, not as…I don't think I could be friends with them. They’d be too cool, and even cooler when they say, yeah, I realize I’m gonna go to Harvard and I’m gonna do great there and I’m gonna make the most of going to Harvard. Then when I graduate from Harvard, while I’m there, I will figure out what’s next, but I know what’s next will build upon that.
So, none of this is said in judgement of that path, right? It’s actually…it’s not glamor…you know what I mean? It’s like…looking at this path in a way…in a neutral way even though it has all these values attached to it or societal values, and it seems valuable. It’s obviously like, if someone’s gonna go there and become a researcher and solve some great issue, it even has real-world impact. I don't know, the fact that someone…it’s like, no, I can achieve that or I could achieve this, and this great adventure I went on showed me…well, I don't…maybe someone else will achieve that. I don't…my values have changed and shifted. I don't know, I guess it’s playing with this idea…especially of young adults, of like, the world is your oyster.
Being able to play with that idea and…I don't know why that excites me so much and interests me. Like, who are these three? Well, one, it’s like…I don't know, I find it fascinating. Then being able to build out Wyatt, because Wyatt’s the main character…of like, okay, what are the other…why is Wyatt recording this? All those things are kind of additional layers to get to play around with, right? That’s kinda how…but it’s something you could spend years being like, okay, well, what is Wyatt’s shop? What is Santos doing now? Where do they live? What are their hobbies? But the fact that…I don't know, there’s just something about that that really interested me but more attracted me, I guess. I guess that’s what I’m saying, to want to be around these characters and foster them or whatever.
Because it was like, wow, this is a really attractive quality. You’re absolutely capable of…I’m not, so it’s like, you’re absolutely capable of not just…of making the most of your opportunities and striving for something that you…that other people value, but something about it you also value. You’re all striving in different ways and you have aptitude and ability, but then you also have this awareness that at some point…that you don’t have to do it, either. I don't know, there’s an attractiveness to that in characters. I mean, not in a romance…but it’s like, hey, this is interesting. I want to spend…I want to get to know you more and I want to put you in these situations and see what happens or, particularly again with Wyatt, be like, what…you’re not perfect, either, so let’s get to the bottom of this. I know you’re not perfect.
I can see something happening below the surface there, but you’re also not a trope. You’re not just someone that’s like, oh, I’m supposed to be in the Halls of Ivy because it’s been foisted on me. It’s like, no. To be honest, I think it was a opportunity with Wyatt, with Wyatt’s…whatever you want to call it, imperfections, to be like…to connect with someone on a deep level of character…of like, yes, and this is also baffling. Like, yes, I have…I’ve been making these choices and I don't even understand it, and it’s not because of some tropey reason that I’m supposed to succeed and now I’m just acting out or of something specific. It’s beyond my understanding why I’m acting…or why I’ve acted this way, but it’s…I kinda understand it but not totally.
I don't know, that also…it came…and that just…that’s the kind of thing that came out of spending the time with the character. It’s like, who are you, man? ‘Cause I know you’re not perfect, either, but I don't want you to just be simplistic. Though the other characters then also did get simplified, right, particularly Boyd. Okay, so, we got the characters, then they were encountering the things, and I want to point out one other thing that’s very subtle that hit a huge influence on the series and is…and why I’m reading the book Franny on Sleep With Me+, is there was this moment in the book — and again, this is only my memory of the moment — that I was unfamiliar with 'cause I had never read the book.
I don't know if it’s in the film, but it was very powerful and it’s where Franny…and it kinda came up in the story, but Franny…and this is just my memory of the book which, again, I have dyslexia and my…whatever, my brain obviously works a little bit different, but that…so, there was a cabin that Franny found of a family living in the woods, right? Franny lived nearby just observing them, and they were a loving family. The father was dealing with loss of sight and they were doing their best to get by. Franny kinda fell…started to develop this love for them, and not only that, but a desire to be a part of it. I’m not exactly sure what happened first in the story anymore because it gets mixed up with what…my writing. But it’s like, first either Franny tried and they rejected Franny or Franny did stuff for them.
This is kinda how I remember it, at least, so I’ll just go with that. Franny was like, well, I’ll do things to help them, then they’ll appreciate me and they’ll accept me, 'cause Franny already knew that Franny was not acceptable to most people. But then what Franny finds out unfortunately is that it doesn't work that way, and then Franny kind of gets a steamy top. That’s a simplistic version. But just that emotional yarn of Franny watching this family, then helping them, and then the desire for closeness, right, and the desire for acceptance and then the fantasy…maybe this will be different this time. Maybe these people are different. Again, this is fiction, so it’s not the real world. So, it doesn't have any…it has nuance, but it’s also…it’s not nuance, right? It’s like, no, no, no, sorry; even…we can't accept you, Franny.
It’s not gonna work out. That’s just because…so that the rest of the book can take place, right? It is a commentary on other stuff, but it’s like…I don't know, there was…that scene, even though I’m not remembering…there’s such an emotional power to that scene for me, the idea of putting yourself in any of the characters’ shoes, right? Like Franny, 'cause I was picturing Franny living in this broken-down thing nearby and then just watching them and then wondering and seeing everything and then leaving wood for them, leaving water for them. It’s beautiful but it’s also like, you kinda sense that it’s not gonna work out great and you feel for Franny, then you kinda feel for…why can't these people be better? Don’t they get it?
But also like, oh, wait a second…so, I don't know, that there’s an inevitability, right, and then that it’s just a story. It’s like, okay, if it’s just a story…but it’s like, I don't know, that…when I think about the heart of the whole Multiplex…that’s the heart of the whole Multiplex, is how do we change that, right? These kids get…and how does that change them moving forward? So, it’s like, that was the opportunity, was…so, the same thing; even though we did the mommy first, it was like that…how do we change this for them? Then they get to go back to their world. Now, I had to add on…I don't know, the Crispy Commander stuff…again, I don't plan out…I’m not able to plot out the whole series.
So, it was like, there had to be other levels of antagonism to kinda pull the story strings along, and some of those I was trying to figure out. So, I don't even know…but it was like, okay, if they just go back into the movie…I was like, something else has to change, that there’s something else that pays off later. But so, I don't know, that idea for all those characters, that it’s like, what is that emotional thing that happened or what is the flaw or the confusion or how did they react…? In some sense, though, Franny was kind of like, well, man, maybe…this is just projection and fiction, but maybe you were…if you didn’t need them, were you…this is not about the story, again. This is my reimagining. Hey, are you sure you weren't helping those people to manipulate them?
What would happen if you weren't manipulating them and you were just doing it to help them but you didn’t need them, either? Yeah, you wanted to be close to them but you didn’t need to be close to them, but you were doing…I guess it goes to that kinda same thing, like, oh…that same idea of the lessons…so, maybe it was baked into the concept that the kids need to learn…oh, well, yeah, if you’re being nice to somebody 'cause you want something, that’s different than being nice for them because you want to be nice to them, versus being nice to them and knowing deep on some other level ‘this is what will bring me joy and happiness, is doing this for these other people whether they accept me or not.’ I don't know, that was kinda one of the poles the story turned on, maybe?
So, then figuring that out for the Count and then being able to play around with that, also trying to figure out…the Count had to be a part of it, but it was like, holy cow, how do you take a character like the Count and then make it make sense in a sleep podcast like the mommy, at least? I could just say ‘the mommy’ and it’s like, yeah, you’re wrapped in nice socks and toilet paper or whatever. Then ‘Franny’ just sounds nice, you know? Well, one other thing I wanted to talk about — I guess closing — is the…and this is where I got to do it through the characters, was when I saw The Person Who Couldn't Be Seen. So, I did not have time to read that book, so I watched the movie and I had never…I had seen the one that came out recently. That was great, and…but I hadn't seen this movie.
I was taken aback by this movie just like the characters were. So, it was great for me to be able to parse that through the characters, because just like the characters in the story, when I watched the movie The Person Who Couldn't Be Seen, I was in dismay of like, yeah, this person is so poor…their…they have the worst attitude I’ve ever seen in a movie. I don't know, they were just a J to the E to the R to the K. Not…and it was like, holy cow. So, being able to take my initial reaction, which was like, I didn’t know…what’s this person’s problem? If you watch the movie, it’s pretty…I mean, the movie’s good, but…and there was also hilarious parts, and…but it’s like, holy cow, I wouldn't want to help them, either. ‘Cause Franny had…every other story, right, had this endearing moment, maybe.
The Count has a longing for closeness. The mommy…I don't know. The mommy was…what did the mommy want? I can't even remember anymore, to be honest. I don't know, the mommy, I think, had so much ambition…oh yeah, wanting to get…teach everybody a lesson. Then Franny wanted to be accepted or not want to be…seen in a different way. But then the person who couldn't be seen, it was like, you’re just…you just have the worst attitude I’ve ever seen and you happened to figure out how to disappear. But I don't even know if…are those two things even related? And, I guess as a model for the kids, just because you’re achieving this great scientific achievement doesn't change the fact of your poor behavior and treatment of other people.
I don't know, you gotta see the movie to just be like, what’s up with this dude? He goes into this inn and then he…talk about…even from the jump, he’s not pleasant to be around and won't take ‘no’ for an answer and is rude. So, it’s just funny watching these teens…thinking about these teens watching the movie and being like, who does this guy think he is? We’re not gonna help him. Or, do we want to help him? That was a unexpected thing that came up in the story, I guess, where it was like, oh, what do I do about this now? ‘Cause there’s no way around this one. It’s like, in the end, it’s like, well, maybe…yeah, I’m not surprised. Then, yeah, how do we sleepify it by kinda making it about bicycles and stuff like that? So, I don't know, that was another thing.
I don't know, I think that’s probably…I don't know what we’re gonna do next. I have a concept, but then I’m like…a little bit like, huh, is this…? I don't know. So, we’ll see what happens. I guess I didn’t have to dig deep into the personal essay style of stuff 'cause it just got interesting getting curious about, huh, why did I make that choice, why did I make that choice? Then, yeah, then the episode just kinda slowly played out. I guess the Crispy Commander and the…that kinda stuff was a little bit half-baked, I guess I’d say, because, again, if I had the luxury of planning the story out over a year or something, maybe it’d be plotted out a little bit more. But some of that was written as we were writing it. It’s like, okay, there is something happening behind the scenes.
There is something greater at work here, but I didn’t start the story knowing what that is or…and then even the Crispy Commander…though that did kinda work out. Yeah, so, I don't know, I’m just glad I get to tell these stories and put you to sleep, and I appreciate everybody that listens, and particularly during this…2024 has been a challenging year for the podcast and my person…and like, so, it’s…I appreciate everybody that supports the show or sends their kindness or just listens and enjoys the podcast or sleeps to it, so, thank you so much.
[END OF RECORDING]
(Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes)
-
Multiplex
Ether
https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/einstein/light/a-new-view-of-light
https://www.howwegettonext.com/the-aether/
Mall Nostalgia
https://www.wsj.com/articles/shopping-mall-nostalgia-auction-420a44f9
https://spoonbridge.medium.com/dead-malls-nostalgia-in-the-ruins-b19a685ef415
Nostalgia
https://www.psychetal.com/post/nostalgia-what-are-its-benefits-and-drawbacks
https://www.matthewjhall.net/articles/the-power-and-pitfalls-of-nostalgia
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a38137325/nostalgia-pros-cons/
Impact of Ivy League Education
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristenmoon/2024/04/22/does-an-ivy-league-degree-matter/
DOWN TO BUSINESS
How come I’ve never said bored and…something?
Well that completely threw me off
I don’t know anything about dates
A dull, strange friend
Wow, you might be in late autumn when you hear this
Deep Dark Night United
n/a
PLUGS
Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPHones; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline
SPONSORS
Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Lumen; Uncommon Goods
INTRO
Thoughts about the past, present and future
Thoughts about the past vs thoughts from the past
In the future, I’ll almost certainly be thinking about the future
Mildly Participatory
Full of the Deep Dark Night Doubt
I promise someone else in the world can really get how you feel
It is meaningful to passively listen to a podcast and know you’re a part of something
It can be tough to find heightened awareness about the nice stuff
It’s not just about me and being silly
Being a warm presence for someone else
Kind of Barely Entertaining
I can picture something ethereal but I couldn’t define it
May Contain Translucence
Purples, Lavenders, and Translucence
sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
Most people don’t like me, so I really don’t take it personally
Probably hundreds of thousands of people have told me they don’t like it
Let’s see if we can get this service to work for you
A buffer between the day and the night
Thanks for coming by
STORY
Our look back at Multiplex
I’m not sure how this is gonna go
This might be more personal essay
Meandering into some life stuff
I recorded the finale about 30 days ago and haven’t listened to it again
I haven’t started writing for the new series either
This might be a model for how we do series moving forward
Changing the rhythm of releases from 3 to 4
The Three Rhythm Release
This started back when we released 3 episodes a week
And now we’ve added to do crossovers to the rhythm
But we don’t have the funding to continue doing that until next year
In a perfectly funded month, we could do 2 of each style in a month
Anything people love, other people loathe
Each one makes everything better
It’s like muscles in the body, I think?
Writing Multiplex every week
That writing makes my writing for the other episodes better
They all feed into each other
Even recapping the other audio fiction allows me to learn from their writing
Interpreting someone else’s writing is its own work
But it changes up the rhythm of how many series we can do in a year
Let me spoil one thing
In the genre of Mall Nostalgia
Glamorizing Malls and Forlornness
You can’t go home to your malls
Malls are to this generation as the 50s was to me
It’s not bad, but you just can’t go back
The Falseness of Nostalgia
Keep it in fiction
I’m struggling with where this story came from
First, I read Frankie by Mary S
And I’d read the Story of the Count last year, too
And I read a book about The Mommy
I didn’t read the book about the person who couldn’t be seen
So those characters were in my mind
Then I started thinking about the minigolf course
Trying to understand motivations
What kind of heroic journey can you go on to become a person among people
Contentment with a grounded life
You start with the thematic thing and then let it go, ideally
The St. Francis approach to loneliness
A quality embodied by these characters
What kind of journey engenders this lesson?
And it’s cool because then you have these archetypal figures
But then I’m trying to think about the needs of these archetypal characters
It’s tough too because they’re the main characters but they don’t get what they want
Inverse heroic journeys
Complex things can also create narrative dissatisfaction, which is sleepy in its own way
And we only have 2 weeks to write!
We had to ease our way into this story
This could be more serially modular
Helping a character and a mall worker
Then Boyd came in
Boyd didn’t have the same interesting aspect as these other characters did?
Reevaluating a path that has been laid out for them
They’re pretty cool to reevaluate it at all
Looking at a path in a neutral way
Imagining these characters now is also interesting to me
I wanted to foster this quality in them that I don’t see within myself
Examining Wyatt’s imperfections
Even he doesn’t know why he’s acting out, which is interesting to me
Boyd had to get pretty simplified to make space for Wyatt’s complexity
A memory of a moment in Frankie
Frannie found a cabin and observed this family in the woods
And she loved them and wanted to be a part of the family
Frannie wanted to do things to help them to become appreciated
But unfortunately it doesn’t work that way and Frannie gets a steamy top
The Desire for Closeness
Really empathizing with any of these archetypal characters is powerful
That’s the heart of Multiplex
I had to add layers of antagonism to pull the story along
Hence, the Crispy Commander
Helping people to help, not to manipulate them
Wanting to be close, not needing to be close
Being nice to be nice
I was taken aback by the movie of The Person Who Couldn’t Be Seen
This person has such a bad attitude
Really incorporating my response into the story
That was an unexpected turn for the story
I started off writing still with many questions
I’m glad I get to tell these stories
Thanks for listening, especially in 2024
SWM+ THANKS
n/a
SUMMARY:
Episode: 1303
Title: Content Multiplex Recap
Deep Dark Night United: n/a
Plugs: Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPHones; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline
Sponsors: Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; Lumen; Uncommon Goods
SWM+ Thanks: n/a
Notable Language:
- Maths
- Mildly Participatory
- Deep Dark Night Doubt
- Kind of Barely Entertaining
- Ethereal
- May Contain Translucence
- The Three Rhythm Release
- Mall Nostalgia
- The Falseness of Nostalgia
- The Desire for Closeness
- J-E-R-K
Notable Culture:
- Multiplex
- Frankenstein
- The Mummy
- Dracula
- The Invisible Man
- The Phantom of the Opera
Notable Talking Points:
- Thoughts about the past, present and future
- Thoughts about the past vs thoughts from the past
- In the future, I’ll almost certainly be thinking about the future
- Mildly Participatory
- Full of the Deep Dark Night Doubt
- I promise someone else in the world can really get how you feel
- It is meaningful to passively listen to a podcast and know you’re a part of something
- It can be tough to find heightened awareness about the nice stuff
- It’s not just about me and being silly
- Being a warm presence for someone else
- Kind of Barely Entertaining
- I can picture something ethereal but I couldn’t define it
- May Contain Translucence
- Purples, Lavenders, and Translucence
- sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
- Most people don’t like me, so I really don’t take it personally
- Probably hundreds of thousands of people have told me they don’t like it
- Let’s see if we can get this service to work for you
- A buffer between the day and the night
- Thanks for coming by
- Our look back at Multiplex
- I’m not sure how this is gonna go
- This might be more personal essay
- Meandering into some life stuff
- I recorded the finale about 30 days ago and haven’t listened to it again
- I haven’t started writing for the new series either
- This might be a model for how we do series moving forward
- Changing the rhythm of releases from 3 to 4
- The Three Rhythm Release
- This started back when we released 3 episodes a week
- And now we’ve added to do crossovers to the rhythm
- But we don’t have the funding to continue doing that until next year
- In a perfectly funded month, we could do 2 of each style in a month
- Anything people love, other people loathe
- Each one makes everything better
- It’s like muscles in the body, I think?
- Writing Multiplex every week
- That writing makes my writing for the other episodes better
- They all feed into each other
- Even recapping the other audio fiction allows me to learn from their writing
- Interpreting someone else’s writing is its own work
- But it changes up the rhythm of how many series we can do in a year
- Let me spoil one thing
- In the genre of Mall Nostalgia
- Glamorizing Malls and Forlornness
- You can’t go home to your malls
- Malls are to this generation as the 50s was to me
- It’s not bad, but you just can’t go back
- The Falseness of Nostalgia
- Keep it in fiction
- I’m struggling with where this story came from
- First, I read Frankie by Mary S
- And I’d read the Story of the Count last year, too
- And I read a book about The Mommy
- I didn’t read the book about the person who couldn’t be seen
- So those characters were in my mind
- Then I started thinking about the minigolf course
- Trying to understand motivations
- What kind of heroic journey can you go on to become a person among people
- Contentment with a grounded life
- You start with the thematic thing and then let it go, ideally
- The St. Francis approach to loneliness
- A quality embodied by these characters
- What kind of journey engenders this lesson?
- And it’s cool because then you have these archetypal figures
- But then I’m trying to think about the needs of these archetypal characters
- It’s tough too because they’re the main characters but they don’t get what they want
- Inverse heroic journeys
- Complex things can also create narrative dissatisfaction, which is sleepy in its own way
- And we only have 2 weeks to write!
- We had to ease our way into this story
- This could be more serially modular
- Helping a character and a mall worker
- Then Boyd came in
- Boyd didn’t have the same interesting aspect as these other characters did?
- Reevaluating a path that has been laid out for them
- They’re pretty cool to reevaluate it at all
- Looking at a path in a neutral way
- Imagining these characters now is also interesting to me
- I wanted to foster this quality in them that I don’t see within myself
- Examining Wyatt’s imperfections
- Even he doesn’t know why he’s acting out, which is interesting to me
- Boyd had to get pretty simplified to make space for Wyatt’s complexity
- A memory of a moment in Frankie
- Frannie found a cabin and observed this family in the woods
- And she loved them and wanted to be a part of the family
- Frannie wanted to do things to help them to become appreciated
- But unfortunately it doesn’t work that way and Frannie gets a steamy top
- The Desire for Closeness
- Really empathizing with any of these archetypal characters is powerful
- That’s the heart of Multiplex
- I had to add layers of antagonism to pull the story along
- Hence, the Crispy Commander
- Helping people to help, not to manipulate them
- Wanting to be close, not needing to be close
- Being nice to be nice
- I was taken aback by the movie of The Person Who Couldn’t Be Seen
- This person has such a bad attitude
- Really incorporating my response into the story
- That was an unexpected turn for the story
- I started off writing still with many questions
- I’m glad I get to tell these stories
- Thanks for listening, especially in 2024
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