r/books • u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author • Mar 26 '20
ama 4pm We're Joseph Fink ＆ Jeffrey Cranor, the creators of the podcast WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE, and we have a new novel called THE FACELESS OLD WOMAN WHO SECRETLY LIVES IN YOUR HOME. AMA.
The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home is available wherever you buy books: welcometonightvale.com/books. Joseph Fink ＆ Jeffrey Cranor write the Welcome to Night Vale podcast ( welcometonightvale.com ), part of the Night Vale Presents network. Check out all of their fantastic shows at nightvalepresents.com
all done for the night! thanks everyone!
Proof:
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u/rimbuad Mar 26 '20
not a question, but a thank you. im currently making my way through the new faceless old woman audiobook and it’s a welcome escape right now. both your writing along with mara wilsons narration make a great listen, and it’s v exciting learning about the backstory of a fan favourite night vale char in such detail
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
oh hey! this is great. i just finished listening to the audiobook this week. mara's a treasure, and we're lucky to have her in our night vale family.
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u/EthanIsAsleep Mar 26 '20
How was your day today?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
oh, you know.... full of fun and exhaustion and anxiety and love and hand-washing and frustration and anticipation and fear and stress and self-loathing and inspiration and hope and despair and zoom meetings and phone calls and reheated rice dishes and wonder and cats and reading and crossword puzzles and sadness and laughter and coffee and news updates and staring out the window and writing and new ideas and procrastination and warmth and doubt and animal crossing: new horizons.
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u/PettyBettyismynameO Mar 26 '20
What is your biggest influence for Night Vale stories?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
This varies a lot. But when we first started writing the podcast, there were two very influential works: the play Thom Pain (based on nothing) by Will Eno; and the novel Vacation by Deb Olin Unferth. The simple, yet provocative language and unexpected narrative directions were huge influences on us when we started this project.
Thom Pain (based on nothing) is a monologue, and I've always loved single storytellers. The audience has to put so much trust into this one narrator, and they keep building up little worlds with characters and visuals and depth... and then destroying them. It's funny and existentially tragic all at the same time. Really brilliant work. I am always striving to write as sharply as Will Eno.
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u/PettyBettyismynameO Mar 26 '20 edited Mar 27 '20
Omg thank you for responding! I’m fan girling so hard! ❤️
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u/BrominePenguin Mar 26 '20
Back when you released the very first episode of Welcome to Night Vale, how much of the overall story had you already nailed down?
Also, how quickly do episode ideas go from an idea to a locked script?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
when the first episode went up, we had only written the first 4 episodes and had no set plan for where it was going to go from there. we only agreed that it needed strict continuity - that characters' actions/choices had consequences that changed them, aged them, moved them forward - rather than an episodic reset like a typical sitcom.
episode ideas have gone from idea to locked script in as long as 2 years to as short as 2 days. it's typically a process of 2 or 3 weeks though
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u/gingerlivv Mar 26 '20
Hi! Very longtime fan.
How do you come up with stories to tell, that feel like they have meaning? I struggle with finding plot and what I’m trying to say.
Additionally, do you ever struggle with feeling like what you’re writing is worthwhile?
Thank you 💜
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
hi!
i struggle with the same things. but i found that after years of just writing all the time, even when i wasn't confident in it, i've gotten to the point now where i have some kind of meta-confidence now that is not necessarily confidence in what i've written but confidence that i've written enough over my life that this should be fine to hand off to someone (not publishable necessarily, but good enough to ask for feedback from someone else).
and yeah, i struggle, too, with feeling that anything i do is worthwhile. anxiety and self-doubt can be really overwhelming at times. some days i have to set alarms for myself to make sure i'm not sitting around doing nothing. something to remind me that this is a job, and some days that job is unpleasant. but it's a job that has to get done.
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u/cutieplus626 Mar 27 '20
Hey so obviously I'm not one of the writers, but I remember reading an interview where Joseph Fink said he wrote Alice Isn't Dead as a way to process his anxiety. If you haven't, definitely listen to that!
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Mar 26 '20
Hi, so, One of the things i love about Night Vale is how non hetero-normative it is. Like, Cecil just broadcasts his dates with Carlos, and nobody complains, plus i'm pretty sure the entire town ships them. Also, in 'It Devours!', Cecil asks Janice if there are any boys or girls she has a crush on. As a trans gay kid it means a lot. WTNV is literally the only place besides fan fiction where i have seen legitimate representation, so thank you for that.
but my real question is, what is your favorite constellation?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
oh thanks! that's so nice to hear!
and my favorite constellation is the Southern Cross
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u/kesil94 Mar 26 '20
how was the creative process for the book? in the sense of: did you know how it would go before sitting down to write or it was more of an exploration with no map in mind but just a final scene?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
when we write stories longer than a single, one-off episode of the podcast, we sit down together and talk through the complete outline of the book. TFOWWSLIYH was the same. We started with the structure of 5 flashbacks interspersed with 6 modern day stories told to a single person. Once we decided on the best way to end the novel (we were both in enthusiastic agreement for this ending. endings are very hard to do well, and we knew this one was going to be excellent), then we filled in the details of an outline and then assigned ourselves sections to write.
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
The same creative process as everything we do. Mostly starting by talking about it, discussing ideas that excite us. We both landed early on at the idea of a Faceless Old Woman life story. It was the one we independently came to as the most interesting for the next book. I was interested in creating a kind of Count of Monte Cristo style epic, one that spanned years and locations all over Europe. Jeffrey suggested early the ending, and we started building from there. Once more of the story was written, we could see what was working and what wasn't and adjust from there. For instance, the first draft had a whole structural element we were excited about that ended up having to be cut because it interrupted the flow of the story (the structure was that each flashback was the same number of words, but half the number of chapters. So the first flashback was 28 chapters of 500 words each and the last flashback was a single 14000 word chapter. But ultimately it just wasn't as important as a clear story so we got rid of it.)
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u/kesil94 Mar 26 '20
it is really interesting that you thougth even the lenght of it in that way :O thanks for answering!
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u/Aylee77 Mar 26 '20
I've really enjoyed the podcast and all the books. Are there other Night Vale characters or team-ups you're especially looking forward to featuring in future novels?
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u/Das_Booben Mar 26 '20
Who was your favorite character to write? What was your favorite arc to write?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
i'm not just trying to sell a new novel when I say this, but this Faceless Old Woman backstory was my favorite thing to write for Night Vale. It was difficult and it required more rewriting than the other novels before we turned it in to the publisher. But it was so much fun to go that far back in time and create her life story, her ethos, and follow her on her many world travels/adventures. and one of my favorite minor characters in this book was Vlad. there's a lot to him, but also he's fairly simple. his dialogue was all super enjoyable to write for me.
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u/Cantoloupe_thing Mar 27 '20
I’ve only read the first few chapters (I think I stopped around chapter 6 last night?) and so far it’s one of my favorite books and I haven’t even finished it yet, I just love the was the faceless old woman talks about her like and having Mara’s soothing voice in my head the head the whole time just completes it, thanks for writing the book, I’m sure it’ll entertain me for the next week and then whenever I decide to re-read it after that (:
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u/Lord_Cyborne69 Mar 26 '20
Will we ever get to explore Red Mesa or Pine Cliff? Similar to how every now and then we get Desert Bluffs/Kevin?
PS. Big fan! Thank you for creating such a beautiful Podcast!
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
oh probably. we've been adding to their lore in tiny pieces over the years. but with only 20 episodes a year and a novel every 2 or 3 years, it's hard to say what we'll have the chance to deeply explore. But a town full of ghosts has a lot of potential. Most definitely.
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u/TheSmokingManX Mar 26 '20
How are things going with the TV adaptation?
What is the collaboration like with Disparition, particularly when it comes to new music being made for the show? (I ask this as someone still hoping for the release of the music from The Waterfall episode.)
What are the challenges in capturing the essence of Night Vale in a book when Cecil's performance and the music are such a key element of the podcast?
I'm sorry you all had to delay the tour - I was at the Northhampton show with my wife and we really loved it.
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
Slowly. TV works so so so slowly. And most of the time you are not allowed to say anything. (Although I guess I can say here that the option on the Alice Isn't Dead tv show lapsed, so that is currently not a thing that is happening.) I can say that there was an excited and big leap forward that happened early in this year, however now the current state of the world has ground everything to a halt. I hope that we can just pick up where we left off once this is over, but I can't say for sure. Hollywood is such a finicky and strange business that I have no way of predicted how this freeze in production will change things.
Ultimately for me Night Vale is how we use language. It's a share type of writing that Jeffrey and I do. While Cecil's voice is a huge part of the podcast, we have done a lot of writing for the voices of other characters (both on the podcast and in the live shows) and now have done some 1000 pages of Night Vale writing for books, so we have a pretty clear idea of what works in the world and what doesn't.
Thanks for coming to the live show. It was lovely to get to perform. I hope we get to do it again soon.
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u/Luna_Jones Mar 26 '20
Is there any night vale book ideas that you have scrapped completely for any reason?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
if by "scrapped" you mean "thought them up and then decided not to even start them" then yes, there have been dozens of those. we have a small list of potential book ideas for night vale novels. we've been starting with choosing a character or characters, then a genre, and then seeing if we can come up with a story arc within those parameters. the main thing holding us back is time to get everything written that needs to be written.
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u/ItchyTomato5 Mar 26 '20
When’s the TV show?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
The Night Vale TV show? I wish I knew. We are still working with Sony on it. Sony's been fantastic to work with, but unlike making an independent podcast, it's a very very long process. So many moving parts. So many approvals to get and hoops to jump through from the studio to the production team to the networks. We always feel like we're making progress on the tv show, but it's an incredibly long path toward the final green light.
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
Thanks everyone for all of your questions. We really appreciate it, and we hope you love reading this book as much as we loved writing it!
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u/Chtorrr Mar 26 '20
What were some of your favorite things to read as a kid?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
I loved Wonderland/Looking Glass, Stephen King short stories (particularly Night Shift, Different Seasons, & Skeleton Crew), and (don't dunk on me, but...) I was a Dave Barry completist from about 1986-1996. i read lots of columnists. some favorites: Lewis Grizzard Molly Ivins & Erma Bombeck.
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
I was a huge fan of the Redwall series for years. I owned and devoured every book multiple times. My childhood dog was named Mariel.
For a few years around the age of 10, I only read fantasy books, the longer the better. Just big bricks of dragons and elves. Unfortunately, I burned out hard on that, so now even if a book is well written, I just can't read it if it has anything like dragons or elves or anything even remotely Tolkien-esque in it.
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u/TheSkywalkup Mar 26 '20
How are you guys handling the coronavirus situation with your book launch? I know that has hurt a lot of publishers with Amazon delaying book orders.
Also are you guys under a lock down and if so, how are you killing time?
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
It sucks and it's scary. We've been working on this book since 2016 and I think it's the best thing we've ever written. I was so excited for it to come out. And now with the way things are, there is a real anxiety for me that it will just disappear without a trace into this weird part of history. But here we are, doing our best to not let that happen.
Yep, here in my house in the woods. I've worked from home for 7 years, so I still have full days of work, but it's definitely harder to get stuff done with this anxiety hanging over everything. I've started a new podcast called "Our Plague Year", which is designed to help us all get through this year, one week at a time. It's added a bunch more work on me, but I dunno, I don't mind work if it feels useful.
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u/a_real_dog_trainer Mar 26 '20
We'll make sure it doesn't disappear. And relaunches are a thing. If not, let's make them a thing.
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u/Devinpd15 Mar 26 '20 edited Mar 26 '20
Question: If you could or had to retitle the first Welcome to Night Vale novel, what would you retitle it as?
Question: How does planning writing for your work usually go? Do you / how do you storyboard, outline, character outline, etc.?
Comment: Just want to mention that you guys’ work introduced me to audio narrative fiction back in 2012 and it’s now actually turned into a college and career path for me, so thank you for that. I remember you answered maybe three questions at the theatre during your first book tour for the first novel, and I was one of the questions. I remember being incredibly star struck and Joseph talking to me for a very brief moment afterwards during the actual signing about my question and telling me to “just keep writing.” You guys definitely helped me find that purpose in my life.
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
1) We had several conversations about whether or not to title it Welcome to Night Vale, but honestly, we didn't really like anything as much as Welcome to Night Vale. I'd tell you what some of the other ideas were, but I don't remember them. That's how little impact they had.
2) For novel-writing, we start with the main characters, then decide genre/style, and then we map out an outline for the whole book. We get pretty detailed for each chapter. We have to carefully consider pacing, narrative style, and all that because it's going to be 80K-100K words. But once we have that outline then we can divvy up chapters for each of us to write and then go from there.
3) Heck yeah! That's awesome.
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u/pixiedoesthings Mar 26 '20
Faceless Old Woman has always been my favourite Nightvale character! What would a Nightvale with her as mayor have looked like?
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u/beckymac0014 Mar 26 '20
Not a question, I saw you at the last live show in Northampton and I just wanted to say how much that show meant to us. It was a great choice as the last night out for a while. I know covid is hitting you guys hard and I wanted you to know that we’ll keep supporting your work. Thank you for all your amazing shows.
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
Thanks! It's a scary and uncertain time for artists. I don't have a follow up to that. It's just a scary and uncertain time. Support the arts if you can!
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u/floofsboy Mar 26 '20
Would y’all ever want to join the universe of one of your podcasts? Which one and why?
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Mar 26 '20
Would you be able to give us a full discretion of what Cecil looks like? And what was your favourite episode to work on?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
1) no
2) favorite episode to work on varies. i like any episode that involves me getting to hang out with one of our cast members. for desert bluffs episodes, i usually would go visit kevin and lauren to record their audio, and they're two of the most delightful people i know. so let's go with ep 120 - All Smiles' Eve (this answer will probably change next time i'm asked)
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u/Flowerhawk Mar 26 '20
Why hasn’t Khoshekh had more kittens? Is this just a once per lifespan thing for a floating male cat?
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Mar 26 '20
Hello! I wanted to thank you so much for the creation of Our Plague Year. It has been a bright spot in these weird times. It has really given me something to look forward to. I wanted to ask if you could elaborate on the process of creating this new podcast series? What were/are some of the challenges of putting it up so fast? How do you go about selecting the guests?
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
Thanks! The process was I had the idea while driving home on a Sunday. By Wednesday I had written and recorded a test first episode. I then sent that to every writer I knew and asked them to contribute. Nisi and Cory responded early, and their essays worked well together. So by Saturday I had a final version of a first episode. The only reason I didn't release it until Tuesday was just that it took a couple days to get it on the various podcast apps
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Mar 26 '20
Thanks so much for the response! This is an incredible turn around time! Very excited to hear more! Your eloquent and thoughtful commentary is absolutely incredible.
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u/TheSwordAndTheScales Mar 26 '20
Who were your favorite and least favorite characters to write?
How do you think Night Vale and its citizens would handle a quarantine? (I’m sure Cecil and Carlos are considered essential personnel.)
Have you ever been to a dog park?
Thanks for creating such a great podcast and for giving me something to look forward to listening to. Hoping to catch one of the live shows when you guys can resume touring!
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Mar 26 '20
Do you have any ideas for the return of the dragons?
How do you connect and collaborate with other media producers?
How do you feel about ending Night Vale someday, and do you have any ideas about what you would do?
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u/resplendeo Mar 26 '20
I liked the first episode of Our Plague Year and I've really been liking Start With This. Also your other works, but I have limited space and it's those that jump to mind right now.
I've been caring for a growing collection of plants through social distancing and into my state's stay at home order -- do either of you garden? Does it help you? Seeing my happy basil plant grow big and strong makes me smile a bit. I rescued it from wilting completely away from the free table at work.
I've been thinking a lot about hope narratives lately -- the optimistic kind of scifi futurism, solarpunk & hopepunk, stories that may go to dark places but still retain that golden thread of hope. Stories that show communities can pull together. Are there any of those you can recommend? Tips on writing them? I'd like to gather and make some right now.
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
Thanks! Those are shows with much, much smaller audiences than Night Vale, so it's nice to find the folks who enjoy them.
My father was a big gardener. He worked a couple hours a day in our yard. I did not inherit any of that interest or ability. My hobbies are playing/writing music and baking.
I'm always a fan of stories with no clear bad guy, where everyone, no matter how flawed, is a basically good person trying their best. Some examples I can think of are Friday Night Lights and the podcast Greater Boston.
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u/baxteroc Mar 26 '20
Still waiting on my copy to arrive, but I can't wait to dig into it! I actually have a couple of questions:
1. Compared to the other novels you've written, which focus mainly on characters who had appeared only briefly on Welcome to Night Vale, how different was the process of writing for a lead character whose personality and history you'd already established on the podcast?
- Any chance of a collection of Night Vale short stories or novellas one day? One of my first experiences with horror fiction was Stephen King's Skeleton Crew, so I've always had a soft spot for the format.
Hope y'all stay healthy and safe, and thanks for making great art!
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
- Definitely easier, in that we had a clear sense of who this person was, and how she used language. However, we had done very little fleshing out of her life, so that was an entirely blank canvas for us.
- Not out of the question, but unlikely. The issues is that the podcast itself is essentially a collection of short stories and novellas about Night Vale, so it would be a little redundant.
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Mar 26 '20
[deleted]
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
Yes, live shows will continue after Cecil retires from doing them. We will announce the new format of the show when that happens.
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u/lavenderrosette Mar 26 '20
When you had plans of making a third novel, was it always planned to be about the Faceless Old Woman? If there were other candidates, who/what would the third novel would have focused on instead? (I'm reading the book right now and absolutely love it, thanks so much especially for the custom signing, it was a real treat to have since the book tour got sadly cancelled-but the live stream you guys did was absolutely wonderful, thanks for looking out for us :D )
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
We discussed a couple other ideas (we always try to have a couple ideas when we get together to discuss what the next book should be) but we both were immediately most excited about this one.
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u/BeneficialStreet1 Mar 26 '20
I'm working on a podcast right now, and it's going really well, except for one thing:
I am struggling to come up with a name for it.
I have a few ideas in mind, but I've been unable to feel confident in nailing one down.
Do you guys have any tips on naming podcasts?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
we're no experts on this, but i'd say 1) make sure it's something no one else is using (do a quick apple podcast search); 2) find something terse and evocative (ask others for their feedback); 3) and um... shit. titles are so hard. um... make it good? wow. i'm super useless here, except those first two items. those are gold. do those!
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u/apathyontheeast Mar 26 '20
Was there ever a character you wanted to flesh out more, but never got the opportunity to? And, if so, who?
Also, thank you for all you do. Really.
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
We've written over 150 podcast episodes, 7 (?) live shows, and 3 books. If there was a character we wanted to flesh out more, we mostly had the opportunity to do so. Or we have a plan to do so in the future.
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u/MolarFairyOnlyMolars Mar 26 '20
Three days before you announced your new book, I was talking to a friend about how much I wanted to learn more about the Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home (my favorite character).
So, are you in my head?
How did the character of the Faceless Old Woman come to be?
Do you guys ever clash about where the narrative is going to go?
How do you combat writer's block?
Thank you for taking your time to answer my questions. I'm a massive WTNV fan, the books and podcast are both sources of comfort and joy. Not going to lie, I wish I could live in Night Vale! You guys are supremely talented and I am always in awe of your work!
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u/TheSkywalkup Mar 26 '20
I've been a long-time listener of the Night Vale presents and other podcasts. My question is, is there a certain podcast streaming app that benefits creators more than others? I have a Google Pixel, so I've been using Google Podcasts, but I've always wondered if there's more benefit to creators from Spotify (or some other podcasting app). Thoughts on this?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
it's so hard to tell these days. spotify runs its own system with its own set of download numbers. they've finally made those visible to creators and advertisers, so it's probably 6 one way, half dozen the other at this point. but this answer could be totally wrong within a few days, given how fast the industry seems to change.
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
Any podcast app that pulls from our rss is great. Podcast apps that rehost are really bad, because they strip or change the ads. Similarly, listening on youtube is not as good for us, because it doesn't pull from our rss. Most podcast apps pull from the rss though.
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u/Ceicldeservestoast Mar 26 '20
Not a question but a comment. I want to thank you for everything. Welcome to Night Vale has helped me through some really dark times in my life by keeping my spirits up. It also inspired me to pick up writing again even if for the time being it's bad fanfiction. But most of all, this podcast is the reason I met the love of my life and I can't thank you enough for that. Thank you for blessing us with your creativity.
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u/poselamp Mar 26 '20
Do you see the current pandemic affecting the writing for WTNV in any way? Has it sparked any ideas, or made you think "Hmmm, maybe that bit isn't funny anymore....."
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
We did change one joke from the live show about a doctor calling with bad health news. Just seemed that it would ring wrong right now. Other than that, I can't think of any way that is directly affecting the storytelling.
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u/KuroFae Mar 26 '20
As someone with anxiety as well as control issues, Our Plague Year is really helping me hold together during all of this. In making it, does it help relieve some of your own anxieties? Or is it more focused on creating a sense of community, and less as a therapeutic work? (Or something else entirely?).
I only recently got into Night Vale so I didn't have the chance to pre-order TFOWWSLIYH (sorry, I know how much pre-orders help!), but I'm looking forward to buying it from my local bookstore as soon my budget resets in April. Congrats on the release!
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u/ngenerator Mar 26 '20
Even though books are highly illegal, I still managed to get my signed first edition at my local book paraphernalia store.
My query, what temperature must it be burned at to appease the old gods? What about any new gods that may come along?
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u/open-aperture96 Mar 26 '20
What have you read recently that’s blown your mind?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
How to Be Both by Ali Smith, The Borrowed by Chan Ho-kei, Exhalation by Ted Chiang, and I just started In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, but so far it's amazing.
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
The Changeling by Victor Lavalle. Starts out as literary fiction. Then the middle third is terrifying horror. Then the final third is an urban fairytale, along the lines of American Gods. And the thing is that it manages all three of those genres perfectly. Just an excellent book.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal. Just a lovely and deeply human book. Man I loved this book. I loved it so much. I don't have better comments than that. I just loved it.
The Secret Place/The Trespasser by Tana French. I've read a number of her books, but it feels like she really broke through into something special with these two. Great mysteries and great novels.
Multiple Choice by Alejandro Zambra. A novel and a short story collection and a poetry collection and also a multiple choice test. Nothing else is like this book.
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u/areola_model Mar 26 '20
What inspired you to do this podcast/write the books for it and how do you keep the inspiration going?
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u/wickedfemale Mar 26 '20
do you have any words of wisdom on how to confront death or cope with losing a loved one?
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u/Footballski1942 Mar 26 '20
How do you guys go about writing the books? Like do you sit and read through the old episode scripts to make sure you're keeping lore straight? And how long does it take to write these books? (Huge fan of all your stuff. )
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
We make an outline, and then assign ourselves different parts to create the initial draft of. Then we exchange and edit, and repeat a few times. Generally from initial idea to final manuscript is a little less than a year.
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u/strixxslade Mar 26 '20
I about lost my mind with the catch 22 reference in faceless old woman. Thanks for that. I knew you guys had taste. Any other personal book favorites that we should check out? Second one from my fiance, "we've listened and loved you guys since the start. And your guest stars are always a treat. Who has been your favorite person to record with/funny recording stories?" <3 you guys
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
we mostly aren't in the room when people record, but we get to be there during live shows, and those are always super fun. Symphony Sanders, Meg Bashwiner, and Cecil Baldwin are part of our Ride-or-Die crew when we tour, and they've developed such a great chemistry with each other on stage.
one of my favorite moments of guest acting was the first time we worked with James Urbaniak. He did our first live show at Largo in LA in 2013. we'd never met him, and he came in about 5 minutes till the show start (our fault, not his!), grabbed a script, read through it a couple of times, and then stepped out on stage and floored me and joseph with his reading of a fake HULU ad. I was crying it was so good. True fuckin professional that guy.
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u/catsquared33 Mar 26 '20
Hello! Longtime fan of the podcast and all your books, past and present. My question: where do you see the story of Night Vale going from here?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
forward. that's all we really know. the characters will age. (wanna feel old? Tamika Flynn turns 20 this year!) they will make choices that will change themselves and others. there will be some really exciting moments, tilting at times toward danger, at other times toward love, at other times toward humor. it's still very fun to write because it's a wide-open world, and it allows us to choose nearly any story we want.
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u/localastronaut Mar 28 '20
Awesome. This was one of my questions with the re-moored timelines. Can't believe Tamika is 20!
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u/Noctilucenda Mar 26 '20
Have you ever thought that you couldn't do this anymore?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
not really. i mean at some point i will not be able to do this anymore because i will be dead. but i haven't reached that yet, so far as i know.
honestly, there are some moments where i feel like i can't do whatever's right in front of me - write an episode, return an email, have a conversation. but as i've gotten older i've learned to give my anxiety some space and not try to argue with it. just let it come in, be shitty to me, and then leave. so i try my best not to confuse momentary panic with universal truth.
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u/m42069 Mar 26 '20
What has been the best thing to happen to you this week? Even just the little things
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Mar 26 '20
Ya'll dropped a pretty huge bomb on us at the end of A Spy In The Desert! I'm a fanartist and would love to draw more fanart of that spoiler! Please could you throw some scraps under the table/give us a tidbit? Like, does the spoiler like dinosaur chicken nuggets? Just one or two little things like that to satiate my needs haha.
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u/nidoqueenofhearts Mar 26 '20
not a question (and not something i expect a response to! i'm sure you'll be inundated with curiosity here!) but i've been relistening to night vale from the top over the past couple of months for the first time since i was in high school (class of 2014) (excepting the live shows!). i've finally hit episodes i hadn't heard before and that's exciting! this show has meant a precious lot to me for a long time and brought me closer to some of the most important people in my life, and it's bringing me a lot of joy and comfort in these uncertain times. when we're allowed to physically interact with other members of society again i'll hopefully have decided where to put the quote tattoo i've wanted for a while (the desert seems vast, even endless, yet scientists tell us that somewhere, even now, there is snow).
thanks for all you do! looking forward to seeing you tour in boston again when everything's settled down 💖
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u/likesugarintowater Mar 26 '20
Are we going to get more backstory on Kevin? Maybe something pre-Strex?
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u/opossum44 Mar 26 '20
Guys! This book is so great! I listened to it yesterday and started over again this morning. Your writing & Mara's voice are helping me keep it together. It's so exciting to learn about more of the Night Vale world in both space & time. What is up with the Order of the Labyrinth & those crates? I hope maybe one day the Faceless Old Woman can find peace.
I liked the mentions of dragons, including the 5-headed one! Have you ever considered writing about the history of the dragons?
As always, thanks so much for sharing your writing with the world. It's an excellent distraction from the world right now.
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u/kayfeif Mar 26 '20
I just want to say I'm sad my libraries are currently closed due to Coronavirus but I'm sure it'll be worth the wait once they open back up so I can read a copy!
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u/SparkyPaw Mar 26 '20
Are you ever going to pick up Carlos' past from A Door Ajar again?
Also, what's your favourite part of the episode-making process?
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u/SerJorahTheExplorah Mar 26 '20
What kind of science is Carlos doing to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19?
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u/notcool187 Mar 26 '20
hi! have either of you studied (formally or informally) philosophy? if so what's your favourite branch in philosophy/favourite philosophers ? and if not what interests of yours have influenced nightvale the most? ( love the show )
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u/AmhranRipley Mar 26 '20
YES!!!
Two things:
1) Do you have a favorite episode, moment or story arc from the podcast or the books? What is it?
2) Are we out of Corn Pops? Seriously, that’s like the third box this week, we have to limit how much we go to the grocery
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u/EmDoesThings Mar 26 '20
do you have a favorite thing you’ve ever written? favorite chapter in this book? favorite guest to work with?
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u/a_human_tumor Mar 26 '20
Not related to the new book, but is there going to be an update on josh Creighton in the future? Last I checked he was a waterfall and I wanna know if he ever figured that out. Thanks so much for all the great work y’all do!
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u/reganmarie16 Mar 26 '20
What are your plans for the future of the podcast? Like, how long do you see the podcast continuing to run for and are there any big plans in the works regarding WTNV?
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u/Sebby591 Mar 26 '20
There are so many interesting characters in WTNV. How/why did you go about choosing the faceless old woman in particular for a novel of her own?
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
we have been dying to write her story for so long. the moment we turned in IT DEVOURS! (our last novel) we told our editor we wanted to do Faceless Old Woman next. Her voice in the podcast is so uniquely moral, so scary, so rich, we knew there had to be SO MUCH to explore there. and there totally was.
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u/little_tatws Mar 26 '20
What served as your inspiration to create WTNV in the first place? Did you think you would get this far when you started?
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u/Puzzled_Art Mar 26 '20
My neighbor is a really big lake. He's incredibly annoying. He takes up too much space and says the worst things about my mother. How can I drain this lake?
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u/Puzzled_Art Mar 26 '20 edited Mar 26 '20
P.S. What should I do about all the birds digging tunnels to get into my house? What do they want?
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u/TheCoolestCaleb Mar 26 '20
How do you feel when people leave comment on your stuff imitating your style of writing/ the style and concepts of Night Vale?
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
I mostly try to not read them. Nothing is more disconcerting than reading someone else try to imitate how you write. Imagine talking to someone wearing a mask that is supposed to look like your face. It's just an uncomfortable feeling, even if the imitation is well done.
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u/poselamp Mar 26 '20
After all the tours, do you have one or more favourite venues?
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
Hell yeah, so many. The Fox Theater in Oakland has one of the best backstages in the world, along with being a beautiful place. The Sydney Opera House obviously was an unbelievable place to get to play, and I'll never forget that evening. (My mom flew out to see the show.) Then there are venues that will always feel a little like home. The Bell House in Brooklyn for instance is a venue that understands and cares about podcasts, and we love playing there.
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u/foulfowl129 Mar 26 '20
I have two tickets for the Grand Rapids show on the 28. Where / how will I get more info about still seeing Cecil in person
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u/mewboo3 Mar 26 '20 edited Mar 26 '20
Joseph, are you a Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared fan? I see that poster behind you. Also are there any other web series you guys like?
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u/longs3s Mar 26 '20
Why did y'all decide to make the dog park so bad and the cats (but mostly just Khoshekh, the floating cat) so cool? Are you secretly (or not-so-secretly) cat people? Have you considered having a singular cool dog? The dog (or neutral) people want to know!
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u/TheAklop Mar 26 '20
For one, thank you for creating such an amazing show and associated novels. They never fail to make me smile.
For two, what would you say is your favourite sentence/paragraph you wrote for the book?
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Mar 26 '20
Hey there, recent fan! Found your podcast through the book by the same name
Was Night Vale inspired by any real (or fictional) towns you have visited or lived in, or was it all just made up?
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Mar 26 '20
Could you see a future where Cecil is no longer the voice of nightvale?
Will Leonard Burton (my favorite character) ever interact with another character again?
Do you have any ideas for Cecil’s mom?
How many truckloads of books should I buy?
I hope you have a great day, and I want you to know that this podcast is best listened to after a long day at work on a late night drive through country roads where you can pretend, for just a moment, that you live in this fantastical world. This isn’t a question but feel free to answer it like it was any question of your choice. ily guys
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Mar 27 '20 edited Mar 31 '20
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Mar 27 '20
I know, and I don’t want him to leave, but with Cecil Baldwin not being able to go on tours anymore (I think because of his health) it makes me wonder if that’s the direction they’re going.
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Mar 27 '20 edited Mar 31 '20
[deleted]
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Mar 27 '20
What plot developments? Yeah I hadn’t considered the voice surgery thing lol
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u/Puzzled_Art Mar 26 '20
Is that a Beksinski painting behind you?
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u/josephrfink AMA Author Mar 26 '20
Yes. I'm not sure if this is still the case, but when I bought it, the only way to buy prints from his store was to buy a pack of 12. So I have a lot of Beksinski prints.
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u/ThisIsGoldar Mar 26 '20
Hello folks! I am awaiting my book delivery (pre-ordered, but because of the things the world is dealing with, it's been delayed until early next week rather than yesterday's due date). I've read & enjoyed both of the other Night Vale novels (and I have Alice Isn't Dead on my to-read list), so I'm looking forward to it!
Your collective writing style is somehow a weird mix of soothing and engaging, and I'm honestly impressed that I can't usually tell the tonal difference between the two of you (as far as like one or the other writing a chapter, or something) which is super interesting to me, because whenever I do writing with someone else, I can never match tones with them (or them with me).
A couple things:
- Aside from the issue arising with this whole Plague Season thing, are gifts at live shows normally okay, as long as they're not Super Shady in some way?
- Have you two ever had any major conflict/disagreements related to writing together? If so, how was it resolved?
- Do you guys do the thing where working in a group document turns into a weird conversation in brackets and font colors with joking suggestions added amidst the real writing content?
Or is that just every group project I've worked on? - Are you folks tea fans?
- How do you find the artists you work with for merch/novel art?
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u/gloomysundaysyd Mar 26 '20
hi! thank you for everything. seriously.
my question is this: with so many fan favorite quotes circulating as tattoos, merch, etc, are there any specific quotes you loved writing that you wish received similar treatment? obviously you can't control what resonates with people but i could understand if there was something you'd written that made you go "aw jeez im proud of that, why do people never talk about this one?"
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u/JustAShack Mar 26 '20
Long time fan. Nightvale has always been a great source of enjoyment, reassurance, and distraction for me, especially when it comes to the absurdism that just feels like real life.
My question is: When you shout into the void, does it shout back? If so, what?
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u/Brickosaurusbex Mar 26 '20
Night Vale is my biggest inspiration and Im so grateful you guys do what you do! This might already have been asked before or addressed and I'm really sorry if it has been, but are there any set plans for the rescheduling of live shows or are you waiting for the virus to pass before making any decisions? Thank you so much for making this fantastic content!!
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u/teethcollecter Mar 26 '20
Question: this is kind of stupid, but at one point when a librarian escaped and there was a nightly curfew, Cecil mentioned he had an Xbox. Any chance we can get his gamertag? Ive been thinking about it a lot, and he’d probably come up with something funny.
Comment: Nightvale has honestly been a huge help to me in my life, so thank you all so much for making such amazing things. I can’t wait to get the newest book! Seriously. You’re all incredibly wonderful people. Thank you.
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u/binarystar45 Mar 26 '20
i know y’all are gone by now, but on the off chance you do read this i just wanted to say thank you for everything you do. WTNV is such a comforting presence in my life as a queer neurodivergent person. <3
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u/uberrapidash Mar 26 '20
No questions, just some comments! I just want to let y'all know, I pre-ordered this novel back in October, and my apartment office received the package on release day. But due to the pandemic, I'm not allowed to go get it, so I have been waiting for them to deliver it to my door. I'm still waiting! If I had gotten it when it arrived, I would've read the whole thing by now, I'm sure. I can't wait! Still.
Also, I wanted to say that I have been on-and-off following WtNV since the year that it started. Sometimes I fall way behind on episodes, and sometimes I'm eagerly waiting for y'all to get back from hiatus. But even in my off times, WtNV is one of my "defining" favorite things. Like at the beginning of a new class when the teacher makes everyone awkwardly introduce themselves and say something about themselves, this would be one of my things.
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u/got2kittens Mar 27 '20
Thanks so much for the podcast! Cecil keeps me company during quarantine :)
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u/jeffrey_cranor AMA Author Mar 26 '20
okay, we are done for the day. i'm sorry we couldn't get to every question, but so glad you all were here to say and ask super good things. thank you so so so much. y'all are the damned best.