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Behind the Cut – Calling Out of Time

August 12, 2021 by cpgronlund 1 Comment

Left side of image: Rings of a cut tree in grass. Text on the tree rings reads: "Behind the Cut. The Not About Lumberjacks Companion."

Right side of image: A glowing phone booth on a quiet city street at night. Text: "Calling Out of Time. Commentary by: Christopher Gronlund."

“Calling Out of Time” started with a tweet. Without a random thing I saw on Twitter, it’s unlikely this story would exist.

Ideas are everywhere if you’re open to them, but it’s not as easy as picking them out of the air — it helps to know which ideas are worth working through vs. those best ignored.

While there is an effort involved in writing any story, ideas aren’t so hard when you know the one simple test I talk about in this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story…

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Filed Under: Behind the Cut, Episodes Tagged With: Behind the Cut, Calling Out of Time, Fantasy, Literary, Quirky

Behind the Cut – A Deathly Mistake

July 9, 2021 by cpgronlund 1 Comment

“A Deathly Mistake” ended up becoming one of my favorite episodes of Not About Lumberjacks.

In this behind-the-scenes look, I discuss how it was a bit of a departure from other stories I’ve written for the show. I also talk about fears faced in recording “A Deathly Mistake”…and close with a request to everyone who listens.

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Behind the Cut – Christmas Miscellany 4

December 29, 2020 by cpgronlund 1 Comment

This year’s annual Christmas episode was anchored by a story based on real life. But what is “real life” when it comes to stories — even those claiming to be true? I discuss how fiction and truth have a way of coming together to create even greater truths in the process of their mingling.

Also, I chat a bit about 2021 plans for Not About Lumberjacks…

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Filed Under: Behind the Cut, Episodes Tagged With: Christmas in Kansas, Christmas Miscellany, Humor, Literary, Quirky

Behind the Cut – Geocached

November 29, 2020 by cpgronlund 1 Comment

In honor of five years of Not About Lumberjacks, this behind-the-scenes look is not the usual commentary about the latest episode. If you want to know how “Geocached” came to be, here’s the quick version:

My wife and I love hiking, but we’ve never gotten into geocaching. Still, it’s never lost on me the things we likely pass on our hikes. I jotted down a simple story idea in the file where I keep thoughts about future episodes:

A hobbyist begins finding strange items in geocaches.

The story was initially going to be part of the annual Christmas episode full of micro-fiction, but when I saw there was more to the story, I decided to make it this year’s anniversary issue. (With the 2020 election still lingering almost a month later, no one needed the humorous story about an election I planned to write anyway…)

Now you know!

* * *

So, what is this episode of Behind the Cut about then?

It’s a Q&A from listeners of the show; specifically, these questions:

  • How did I come up with the name for the show?
  • How do I make and find sound effects…and know where to place them?
  • How do I plan to better promote Not About Lumberjacks in 2021?
  • What does my editing process look like?
  • How long does it take to produce an episode?
  • What fiction podcasts do I enjoy listening to…and what novels do I like reading?
  • Is it easier to do solo episodes or have guest narrators?

It was fun answering these questions — thank you to everyone who asked!

* * *

If you’ve listened from the start, thank you for five years of caring about what I write.

If you’re new to the show, check out The Quick List for summaries of all the stories on the site.

I’m not about to run out of story ideas, so as long as there’s time, I plan to write, record, and release stories for years to come…

– Christopher

* * *

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Filed Under: Behind the Cut, Episodes Tagged With: Behind the Cut, Geocached

Behind the Cut – The Cold of Summer

November 3, 2020 by cpgronlund 1 Comment

Until the last minute, I didn’t like the latest story for Not About Lumberjacks. In this behind-the-scenes look at the episode, I discuss what was wrong, how I fixed things, and what I realized along the way…

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Filed Under: Behind the Cut, Episodes Tagged With: Behind the Cut, The Cold of Summer

Behind the Cut – Pepper

July 25, 2020 by cpgronlund Leave a Comment

My good friend, Curtis Hart, requested this episode. He wanted to know why sometimes I tease an episode…only to release it much later — sometimes even releasing multiple episodes before it.

He gets his answer in this behind-the-scenes look at what goes into an episode of Not About Lumberjacks.

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Filed Under: Behind the Cut, Episodes Tagged With: Behind the Cut, Literary, Pepper, Quirky

Behind the Cut – Under the Big Top

June 10, 2020 by cpgronlund 3 Comments

In this behind-the-scenes look at “Under the Big Top,” I talk about what I like (and dislike) about mysteries — and why I tend to not write them…

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Filed Under: Behind the Cut, Episodes Tagged With: Literary, mystery, Under the Big Top

Behind the Cut – Christmas Miscellany III

January 3, 2020 by cpgronlund 1 Comment

A bit about how the annual Christmas episode came to be…and what is in store for Not About Lumberjacks in the year ahead…

* * *

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Filed Under: Behind the Cut, Episodes Tagged With: Christmas Miscellany, Humor, Literary

Behind the Cut – The Lumberjack of Williamsburg

December 15, 2019 by cpgronlund Leave a Comment

The latest episode of Not About Lumberjacks is a fictional podcast that takes a turn from typical to serious.

I talk about entrepreneurial podcasts in general, and then specifically discuss the inspiration behind Brooke’s story when her interview with the Lumberjack of Williamsburg falls apart…

Content Advisory: Poverty and Eating Disorders. And I think I say shit along the way.

Episode Transcript Soon >>

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Filed Under: Behind the Cut, Episodes Tagged With: The Lumberjack of Williamsburg

Behind the Cut – Booger

November 17, 2019 by cpgronlund Leave a Comment

I will freely admit that I indulged my inner twelve-year-old with the sound design for “Booger.”

In this look behind the story, I discuss its inspiration and…its rather vile sounds…

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Filed Under: Behind the Cut, Episodes

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