tarting with the Harry Potter theory of gamification, Angie and Elizabeth dive into the ways that attaching story—including costumes, pets, and props as well as wins and losses—to learning motivates students, much as story drives characters and readers. Growth is what excites people, not grades, and gamification builds resilience and perseverance—the kinds of heroic qualities we seek in our heroes. This leads into ties to want v. need and the important strengths and understanding them, and the ways people are designed to struggle and removing struggle removes people’s sense of self-mastery. And then, because everyone’s abuzz with the primary, they touch on politics as story, too.

Email us at questions@storymakersshow.com

Links in this Episode

Linsey Doran’s three rules of drama

Tetris

NY Times video on productivity

Tiny Habits: the small changes that change everything by BJ Fog 

Gameful Pedagogy (University of Michigan)

Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival--everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success.

The hosts:

Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com.

Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.

The inimitable, brilliant Aya de Leon joins us for an inspiring conversation about regime change, the American Dirt controversy, genre, including the elements of a heist plot, and story structure--from the hero’s journey to politics to football and rugby. But that’s not all! We talk how Black/ Latina/ mixed-race girls occupying the center of the teen girl spy drama (one of Aya’s myriad exciting projects); the heart of productivity: the JOY and FUN of writing; fires and rebuilding and capitalist individualism v the big picture; the power of the treadmill desk, and more. Memorable quotes from Aya: “202020 climateclimateclimate;” “I really love writing.” Just go listen, and enjoy!

Email us at questions@storymakersshow.com

Links in this Episode

Aya de Leon

American Dirt controversy article by Aya 

Cave Canum

DailyDoseDeal.com

Naomi Klein on Fire 

Mary De Mocker The Parents' Guide to Climate Revolution:100 Ways to Build a Fossil-Free Future, Raise Empowered Kids, and Still Get a Good Night's Sleep

Story Makers is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with accomplished writers, filmmakers and industry experts about story craft, technique, habit and survival--everything you need to know to stay inspired, connect to your creativity, find others’ wonderful stories and your own success.

The hosts:

Elizabeth Stark is a published, agented novelist and distributed filmmaker who teaches and mentors writers at BookWritingWorld.com.

Angie Powers is a distributed filmmaker and published short story writer with an MFA in creative writing and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA who teaches story structure at BookWritingWorld.com.