In the first ever Storybeater Christmas episode, Anthony and Andrew discuss sentimentality, Hallmark, the best and second best Christmas stories, Santa Claus world-building, how Christmas stories ate pagan stories, the true meaning of Christmas, and the meaning that writers can bring to "Christmas".

They also talk about what they've written in 2019, and in the "What We're Reading" section they discuss The Mandalorian and Knvies Out!

To mark the release of a new Charlie's Angels movie, Anthony and Andrew put together their own squads of women who kick-ass, drawing from all of movies, TV, video games and literature!

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

Fantasy zombies. Fast zombies. Colonial zombies. Consumerist zombies. Brainless zombies. Vengeful zombies. Zombies as us. Zombies as them. For the annual Storybeater Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew discuss the changing meaning and significance of zombies in fiction, from White Zombie to The Walking Dead and beyond.

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

Anthony and Andrew discuss the detective archetype in fiction, from Sherlock Holmes to Jessica Fletcher. What are the tropes, what are the types, and what do detectives really represent? 

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

Two bald men discuss two bald men as Wheeler and Falcone break down the tropes, cliches, triumphs and failings of Hobbs & Shaw, the latest installment in the beloved Fast & Furious franchise. Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!

Anthony and Andrew count down their personal top five Disney villains and unpack what makes Disney's villains so effective and iconic. Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!

On this month's episode, Anthony and Andrew offer a post-mortem look at one of the biggest TV shows of all time, Game of Thrones. The ending let a lot of people down, but where did the show go wrong? Can a story that sets out to subvert storytelling conventions ever deliver a truly satisfying ending? 

Anthony and Andrew discusss the storytelling successes and failures of Avengers: Endgame and the entire MCU narrative project. 

To mark the fifth anniversary of Storybeater, Anthony and Andrew look back over the past five years and answer some questions about the podcast and about writing, including dream projects, writing processes, and memories of some of their favourite episodes!

Anthony and Andrew talk about the latest installment in the MCU series, and the first with a female solo lead, Captain Marvel. The structure, the villainy, the comedy, the politics; it's time to break it all down! 

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

Anthony and Andrew discuss the ten nominees for best original screenplay and best adapted screenplay at the 91st Academy Awards in the fifth annual Storybeater Oscars special, including:

The Favourite
First Reformed
Roma
Green Book
Vice
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Can You Ever Forgive Me
BlackkKlansman
If Beale Street Could Talk
and A Star Is Born.

Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!

On the occasion of Batman's 80th anniversary, Anthony and Andrew look at how the character has evolved over the decades, and at his contributions to the archetype of the vigilante in fiction. 

Why do we keep revisiting Batman's origin story? What makes Gotham unique? Why is Batman's core supporting cast so huge? What are the essential Batman tropes? Where do vigilantes fit in to our moral view of the world? And how do writers approach the tension between "campy Batman" and "macho Batman"?

Anthony and Andrew break it all down, plus they reveal what they're writing and what they're reading!