Tag Archives: storytelling

Episode 82 – How Many Threads Connect Firearms to All Modes of Our Society – Author Chris Grall

August 20, 2024UncategorizedArmy, Chris Grall, Correct description of firearms in books, Firearms, Firearms safety, firearms training, Greg Podolski, Larry Davidson, Scott Sigler, Special forces, Special operators, storytelling, Thriller Fest, Trigger Guard, writing firearms in fictionartfulperiscope

How many threads connect firearms in all modes of our society? On today’s episode of The Artful Periscope, Larry sits down with author Chris Grall to discuss his current book Trigger Guard: A Writer’s Guide to Firearms. Grall starts off by discussing his background in firearms and weaponry in the United States Army, the National Guard, and eventually Special Forces. He got into advising when he was reading an audiobook by author Scott Sigler, eventually kindling a friendship between the two writers (Scott even wrote the forward to his book!). In addition to privately consulting, Grall has also been a frequent panelist at Thriller Fest and recounts how a staged fight with his friend and fellow writer Greg Podolski helped illustrate the of importance of doing research to make fight scenes realistic. Then Larry welcomes Chris DeCristofaro, Larry’s producer and host of the podcast The Library Pros, onto the show. DeCristofaro and Grall delve into more specifics on firearms including the spelling of caliber, the history of the AR-15, and the accidental shooting on the set of the Alec Baldwin film Rust.

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Episode 74: How Many Threads are Woven Together Where the Sum of the Parts Exceed our Expectations? Authors Terry Hayes, James Grady and I. S. Berry

April 25, 2024UncategorizedAmerican landscape, call out cruelty, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, danger when in service, difficult choices, Easter Sunday, I.S. Berry, injustice, institutional sexism, intelligence organizations, James Grady, Moving train, Opening of a book, Poetry, PTSD, Resurrection, sexism, siege of Saigon, storytelling, television industry, Terry Hayes, The Smoke in Our Eyes, writing stories, Year of the Locustartfulperiscope

How many threads are woven together where the sum of the parts exceed our expectations? On this episode, Larry welcomes three different authors.

First, Terry Hayes discusses his newest book The Year of the Locust. They discuss the influence of epic poetry and epic storytelling, the complexity of writing stories about intelligence organizations, and the effect of the film and television industry on modern writers and readers. The topic of the siege of Saigon and the importance of urgency when crafting a plot are also explored.

Next, Larry re-introduces returning guest James Grady to talk about his book The Smoke in Our Eyes. Larry and James analyze the in-media opening of the book and the importance of Easter Sunday and the theme of resurrection. Larry posits the questions of why the setting of the book on a moving train is an exploration of the American landscape, and the importance of using your voice to call out cruelty and injustice as an author.

Finally, Larry welcomes I. S. Berry into the conversation to talk about her experience serving in the Central Intelligence Agency back in 2004. Berry provides valuable insight into the challenges of working in the intelligence field, tackling difficult topics like PTSD from the difficult choices she grappled with, the constant danger she faced while being in active service, and the institutionalized sexism that secret service organizations don’t speak about.

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Episode 72 If Words are Threads in a Storyline, Where Do They Take Us – Author E.A. (Ed) Aymar, Bruce Borgos and Jeff Circle

March 29, 2024Uncategorizedauthorial voices, Barak Obama, Bruce Burgos, E.A. Aymar, Federal Special Investigator, flawed characters, Intelligence Analyst, Interrogation, interviewing, Jeff Circle, Nelson DeMille, Police office, police officer, secret lives, storytelling, strong characters, subplots, The Bitter Past, The Dossier, When She Leftartfulperiscope

If words are threads in a storyline, where do they take us? This week on The Artful Periscope, Larry conducts a double interview with E.A.(Ed) Aymar, author of When She Left, and Bruce Borgos, author of The Bitter Past. Together, the group discusses what they enjoy the most about storytelling – strong characters, interesting subplots, and settings as characters. Both Ed and Bruce discuss their love for delving into the secret lives of their characters, and the challenge writers face creating flawed characters that are still interesting to readers. Then the discussion turns towards their favorite authorial voices, including Nelson DeMille and Barack Obama.

After the break, Larry welcomes Jeff Circle, author of The Dossier, to the show. Larry and Jeff discuss Jeff’s career as a federal special investigator, police offer and an intelligence analyst for the United States military. As an interviewer, Larry asks Jeff about the art of interrogation and the unique relationship between the person asking the questions and the person answering them. Jeff discusses his experiences as a federal investigator and how it gave him the skills to become a successful interviewer, interviewing authors about their books and the writing process. Jeff also discusses his military experiences, how September 11th inspired him to take action, and his current love for the writing process and the craft of composing a novel.

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Episode 65 – How Many Threads Connect Authors and What We Can Learn – Nelson and Alex DeMille

January 6, 2024UncategorizedAlex DeMille, Blood Lines, co-authoring, Larry Davidson, losing colleagues, Nelson DeMille, storytelling, The Booth at The Sachem Public Library, writing style, Writing with a family memberartfulperiscope

How many threads connect authors and what we can learn. On this episode are two amazing authors who really need no introduction. Nelson DeMille and his son Alex DeMille join the program to talk about their latest work Blood Lines. Larry asks what it is like to co-author a book with a fellow family member and also if it was a challenge to find the starting point for the story. Nelson talks about his writing style which is a departure from most authors with a “write as you go” plan. There is also a lively discussion about how the development of the characters develops in the writing process. Nelson and Alex also discuss how they study both current events and do extensive research before formulating a story and Larry posits how losing colleagues in the field can effect writing.

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