In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, “Instead of Dreaming,” I talk about the real-life influences on the story, memories, healing, and how soothing the night can be. As always, this commentary contains spoilers from the latest episode , so you might want to listen to that first. Transcript >> (Coming Soon) * * * Things mentioned in this episode: Ben Tanzer’s After Hours: Scorsese, Grief and the Grammar of Cinema . Ben Tanzer’s website . Ben Tanzer’s Thi...
Jul 13, 2025•14 min•Ep. 58
A high school English teacher comes to conclusions about life after recovering from a hit-and-run accident. Content Advisory: “Enemy Wanted” deals with difficulty sleeping, a blurred sense of reality, crime, cartoonish violence, illness, a death, and wishing for an early end to life. That makes it sound dismal, but I assure you…it’s a blast of a story. Also, it’s one with no swearing. Still, were it a movie, it would be rated PG (or maybe PG-13 for mature themes), so be aware. Also, because ther...
Jun 20, 2025•52 min•Ep. 58
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, “Enemy Wanted,” I talk about the first writing I was ever paid to do, collaboration, and how I’m lucky to have support from creative friends I’ve known for decades. As always, this commentary contains spoilers from the latest episode , so you might want to listen to that first. Transcript >>...
Mar 09, 2025•13 min•Ep. 57
Ferdinand Pérez gets more than he bargained for when he answers a flyer ad taped to a telephone pole looking for an enemy. Content Advisory: “Enemy Wanted” deals with difficulty sleeping, a blurred sense of reality, crime, cartoonish violence, illness, a death, and wishing for an early end to life. That makes it sound dismal, but I assure you…it’s a blast of a story. Also, it’s one with no swearing. Still, were it a movie, it would be rated PG (or maybe PG-13 for mature themes), so be aware. Als...
Feb 22, 2025•49 min•Ep. 57
Four years ago, I did a Q&A for the Behind the Cut episode for “Geocached.” No idea why I’ve not done another, but with this being the long time between episodes (after back-to-back stories last November and December), it seemed like a good time to do another. I asked members of the Not About Lumberjacks Patreon for questions — as well as some questions from social media. These were the results: Are there any limitations that frustrate you about stories you would like to tell? Whether it’s y...
Feb 09, 2025•35 min
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks collection of stories, “Christmas Miscellany 8,” I talk about writing coincidences that make it seem like writers copy from other writers or current events… As always, this commentary contains spoilers from the latest episode , so you might want to listen to that first. Transcript >>...
Dec 21, 2024•11 min•Ep. 56
Ho Ho Ho! It’s that time once again…time for the annual Not About Lumberjacks Christmas episode. If you’re new, here, eight years ago I gathered up all my shorter short stories (like stocking stuffers) and released them for the holidays. Since then, the effort has grown, but no matter how random the tales are, the last one is always a Christmas story of some sort. This year’s stories: “Crispas Echo” – We travel back to 1985 for a tale of summer school friendship and…Taco Bell! “A Very Strange Da...
Dec 08, 2024•54 min•Ep. 56
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, “The Legend of Mighty Missy Stewart,” I talk about my love of tall tales and…dislike about asking for things… As always, this commentary contains spoilers from the latest story , so you might want to listen to that first. Transcript >>...
Nov 26, 2024•10 min•Ep. 55
Join Mighty Missy Stewart and her badger buddy, Tamarack, as they come of age in a time of expanding frontiers and rugged lumberjacks! Content Advisory: Were “The Legend of Mighty Missy Stewart” a movie, it would be rated PG. There’s some good-natured teasing and a non-descriptive death. What might put it into the PG realm instead of General Audiences is the mention of some woodland monsters. But this one’s a really light-hearted and fun tale. * * * Audio stories are best with the perfect narrat...
Nov 11, 2024•32 min•Ep. 55
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, “Overwinter,” I talk about why I wrote a very quiet story for introverts. As always, this commentary contains spoilers from the latest story , so you might want to listen to that first. Links to things mentioned in this commentary: Alexandra de Steiguer video: “Winter’s Watch” FollowMyLeap Julia Lundman Erin McBride A Trail of Heart’s Blood Wherever We Go Craft in the Real World Transcript >>...
Sep 08, 2024•12 min•Ep. 54
In this celebration of solitude, Daniel’s life is changed forever after spending 5 months alone on an island 13 miles off the Maine coast. Content Advisory: “Overwinter” deals with a job change, longing, solitude vs. loneliness, and does contain a couple words you’ve probably heard on TV or at work this week. There are also […]
Aug 24, 2024•1 hr 2 min
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, “Mudlarking,” I talk about a recent urge to keep telling more “serious” stories…and why I chose to write something a bit more adventurous [even ridiculous] instead. As always, this commentary contains spoilers from the latest story, so you might want to listen to that […]
Jun 23, 2024•11 min•Ep. 53
When Eva Barrett decides to give mudlarking on the Thames River foreshore a go, she finds something very strange during low tide. Content Advisory: “Mudlarking” is pretty tame. There’s some violence in the form of fighting, and even then: it’s not brutal “people-are-dying fighting” — more like light action movie fighting. And when it comes […]
Jun 07, 2024•Ep. 53
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, “It’s Never Too Late,” I talk about the mechanics of time-travel stories and how “fixing” the past may not be as great an idea as it may seem. As always, this commentary contains spoilers from the latest story, so you might want to listen […]
Apr 01, 2024•13 min•Ep. 52
When Stanley Gladstone takes his time machine for a test run, he gets more than he bargained for when it breaks down, leaving him stranded in 1983. Content Advisory: “It’s Never Too Late” deals with regret, death (including a decayed body), personal loss, and the sound of someone vomiting. Also, if you’re driving, be aware […]
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 52
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, I talk about why I do an annual Christmas episode [even though I’m a life-long atheist] and the importance of committing to a bit. * * * Also, don’t forget that I’m doing a Not About Lumberjacks t-shirt giveaway in honor of November’s 50th […]
Dec 17, 2023•11 min•Ep. 51
This year’s Christmas episode consists of three stories — one of them a Christmas tale. Content Advisory: “The World Beneath Her Brush” and “The King of French Fries” barely merit content advisories. At most, they are about personal struggle in the hope of having a better life. “Suburban Home” deals with pettiness, arguing, the effects […]
Dec 10, 2023•59 min•Ep. 51
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, I talk about what it was like to write my first story in second-person point of view. * * * Also, don’t forget that I’m doing a Not About Lumberjacks t-shirt giveaway in honor of November’s 50th full story episode. All you have to […]
Nov 22, 2023•10 min•Ep. 50
You are a lumberjack alone on the side of a mountain with whomever—or whatever—killed your fellow loggers. (Yep! This one’s in second person…) Content Advisory: “Old Growth” deals with death, gore, anguish, being lost in a forest, being alone in the dark, and…creatures. But hey, at least there’s no swearing! There’s really only one rather […]
Nov 09, 2023•33 min
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, I talk about little Easter Eggs in the story…as well as the time-honored tradition of writers sneaking references into their tales. Listen, and you’ll hear a few inside things about past Not About Lumberjacks stories as well. Episode Transcript >>
Oct 07, 2023•13 min•Ep. 49
The residents of Lakeview Estates Mobile Home Community battle the city and developers in an attempt to save their homes from demolition to make way for a golf course. Content Advisory: “Lakeview Estates” deals with loss of homes, corruption, mention of drug and alcohol addiction (including teen marijuana use), death, arson, violence, incarceration, and infidelity. […]
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 49
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, I talk about the things I wanted to be when I grew up (before deciding the become a writer). I share stories about writing rejection, the friend who convinced me to begin recording and releasing fiction, and how a different friend’s prediction about “The […]
Jul 29, 2023•16 min•Ep. 48
When Warren Quinn trades his existing workaday muse for a more literary muse, he gets much more than he bargained for. Content Advisory: “Firing the Muse” deals with stresses and job loss around creative work. There’s casual alcohol consumption and smoking—and a very brief allusion to combat PTSD. Unless you consider “dammit” swearing, this is […]
Jul 16, 2023•36 min•Ep. 48
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, I talk about the audiences I imagine when I write — and how the struggle to live a life true to oneself is not a new concept. Episode Transcript >>
Jun 03, 2023•14 min•Ep. 47
Zander Pierson’s dissatisfaction with living the life others expected from him leads to a stone in a Swedish forest that also called to Einvaldr Brúnn at a turning point in his life in the early 860s. Content Advisory: “The Song of the Stone” deals with lack of job and life satisfaction, pressure to marry and […]
May 23, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 47
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, I talk about how I’m normally not the biggest fan of worldbuilding in fiction, but recognize when it’s necessary. (And not just because “Rockbiters” required some up-front worldbuilding!) Episode Transcript >>
Mar 19, 2023•13 min•Ep. 46
Find out what happens when the Forgefire brothers, while mining in an asteroid belt called The Delve, discover something that changes the lives of an entire solar system. (Yep, it’s Dwarves in Space!!!) Content Advisory: “Rockbiters” deals with loss of life, brief mention of enslavement, and war. Some may find the battle scenes loud and […]
Mar 09, 2023•58 min•Ep. 46
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, I talk about new years and my motivations to acknowledge several specific dates in each calendar year. Episode Transcript >>
Dec 31, 2022•16 min•Ep. 45
This year’s Christmas episode consists of four stories wrapped inside a bigger story. Content Advisory: “When Anders Came Home for Christmas” deals with family drama, cartoon violence, crude humor, monsters, loss of loved ones, and alcohol consumption. Unless you consider “asshole” swearing, this is the third story in a row without rougher language. I’m sure […]
Dec 22, 2022•42 min•Ep. 45
In this behind-the-scenes look at the latest Not About Lumberjacks story, I talk about why almost half of all tales, here, feature violence to some degree… Episode Transcript >>
Dec 10, 2022•11 min•Ep. 44
