Not About Lumberjacks

Be mighty, and keep your axes sharp!

Behind the Cut – Episode 12: Purvis

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Dungeons and Dragons dice - Behind the Cut – Episode 12: PurvisIf you listened to “Purvis,” it’s probably clear that I spent a lot of time when I was younger playing Dungeons and Dragons and being picked on.

If you’ve not listened to “Purvis,” I suggest you listen to the story first because there are some big spoilers in this behind-the-scenes look at the story.

But this is not wholly about what it was to be bullied — it’s also a celebration of a game that saved my life and made me the person I am today.

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Purvis

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Dungeons and Dragons dice - "Purvis"In 1984, a Dungeon Master struggles with keeping the few friendships he has together, all while dealing with a vicious bully. When Dungeons and Dragons is your only reprieve from the cruelties of life, the game becomes much more than recreation: it becomes a place of salvation.

Content Advisory: This story is rough. It contains swearing, alcoholism, child abuse, teasing, bullying, obsession, depression, misogyny, violence (classroom fighting and a brutal fight at the end), and the death of the protagonist.

It is also my favorite ending of anything I’ve ever written.

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Credits:

Music: Ergo Phizmiz and Chad Crouch

Story and Narration: Christopher Gronlund

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Behind the Cut – Episode 11: Shadow Dancers

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Shadows - Behind the Cut – Episode 11: Shadow DancersAs far as I can remember, “Shadow Dancers” was the first story I wrote around the time I was 20 and decided to make writing a serious pursuit.

I talk about those early days of writing and how this is one of the few stories my father read before he died. He wasn’t keen on the idea of my giving up studying biology to write, but this story changed his mind.

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Fly Me To The Moon

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Full Moon - Fly Men To The Moon: Written and Narrated by Christopher GronlundA homeless man who talks with birds is convinced he can talk with his dead wife on the moon…if only he can fix a broken radio he found in a dumpster.

Content Advisory: Swearing, mention of alcohol use, depression, dementia, death of a spouse, suicide involving a grotesque brain penetration.

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Credits:

Music: Ergo Phizmiz and Chad Crouch

Story and Narration: Christopher Gronlund

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Behind the Cut – Episode 9: Standstill

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Pocket watch - Behind the Cut – Episode 9: Standstill“Standstill” is one of those stories that turned into something more than I expected. People seem to really like this story, and I must say I like it enough that I want to do more with it in the future.

I’ve bumped into that problem with all the new stories I’ve written for Not About Lumberjacks.

(It’s not a bad problem to have…)

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Standstill

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A pocket watch. Standstill, written by Christopher Gronlund and narrated by Cynthia Griffith and Christopher GronlundWhen she was 18 — for her high school graduation — Maddy was given a pocket watch by her grandfather…along with the warning that it does more than just tell time.

Eighteen years later, she uses the button on the watch her grandfather told her to use with caution. What happens after clicking the button changes the lives of Maddy and her husband, Aaron.

A heartfelt tale about time and love…and the effect the two things have on us all…

Content Advisory: Swearing, sudden onset of cancer, death of a spouse, self doubt.

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Credits:

Music: Ergo Phizmiz and Christopher Costanza

Story and Narration: Cynthia Griffith and  Christopher Gronlund

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Ideas Into Stories: Creating a Fiction Podcast

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Audio Mixer: "Ideas Into Stories - Creating a Fiction Podcast"On June 7, 2016, I gave a talk to the Podcast Dallas Meetup about podcasting fiction.

If you come here for the stories and this doesn’t sound like your kind of thing, I understand. But if you’ve wondered what all goes into creating an episode of Not About Lumberjacks, this is a little peek behind the curtain.

I’m making the talk available as an audio file for those on the go, but if you’d like to hear the talk while also looking at the accompanying slides, here it is:

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Behind the Cut – Episode 8: The Weight of the World

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Globes - Behind the Cut – Episode 8: The Weight of the WorldSometimes the weight of everyday life catches up with you and, instead of posting the story you intended to post, you end up sharing something older.

Some thoughts about twists in stories, the rush of everyday life, and how sometimes the best defense against it all is simplicity.

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