How do you get what you want, using just your words? Aristotle set out to answer exactly that question over two thousand years ago with a treatise on rhetoric. Camille A. Langston describes the fundamentals of deliberative rhetoric and shares some tips for appealing to an audience’s ethos, logos, and pathos in your next speech. 

What makes a good horror story? Hideous monsters and fountains of blood might seem like a good place to start, but as horror author H.P. Lovecraft wrote, “The oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” Writers harness that fear not by revealing horrors, but by leaving the audience hanging in a state of suspense. Victoria Smith gives some tips for adding suspense to your writing 

Did you ever notice how many jokes start with “Did you ever notice?” And what’s the deal with “What’s the deal?” There’s a lot of funny to be found simply by noticing the ordinary, everyday things you don’t ordinarily notice every day. Emmy Award-winning comedy writer Cheri Steinkellner offers a few tips and tricks for finding the funny in your writing. 

In this video, Christopher Keelty critiques Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat” screenplay formula, arguing it homogenizes Hollywood films. He dissects the 15‑beat structure Snyder promotes—like making protagonists “likable” early—but warns it can stifle originality, urging writers to balance structure with creative freedom 

Dan Harmon’s Story Circle is an 8-step narrative framework that simplifies storytelling by focusing on character transformation. It guides stories through a cycle: comfort, need, unfamiliar situation, adaptation, getting what’s wanted, paying a price, returning, and change. This structure ensures emotional resonance, clarity, and audience engagement, making stories universally relatable and compelling. 

Nancy Duarte reveals why some presentations captivate while others fail. She shares a model for creating transformative talks, emphasizing storytelling, structure, and emotional connection. By analyzing speeches from Martin Luther King Jr. and Steve Jobs, she shows how great presenters move audiences by balancing current reality with a vision of what's possible. 

This is an example of the use of pathos (emotion) to tell a story, in this case an animated comedy narrative mixing the character of snoopy with the mythical version of the red baron

This animated story focuses on logos (facts) to expand on the narrative. It is meant to paint an informative recreation of actual events. 

The last story take the elements of the red baron but focuses on ethos, the reputation behind the name. The add implies ideas about exitement and romance, in an attempt to embude those qualities to their product.

Why is J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy so compelling?  How about The Matrix or Harry Potter? What makes these disparate worlds come alive are clear, consistent rules for how people, societies -- and even the laws of physics -- function in these fictional universes. Author Kate Messner offers a few tricks for you, too, to create a world worth exploring in your own words. 

How do you build a world from the ground up? What are the different methods people use? What is Worldbuilder's Disease and why is it bad? In this episode of the Way of Worldbuilding, we discuss these questions and others on the road to starting our own worldbuilding project 

This video delves into hard vs. soft worldbuilding, using Studio Ghibli as a prime example. Hard worldbuilding means crafting every detail explicitly, while soft worldbuilding provides just enough context for audiences to infer the rest. By trusting viewers to fill in gaps, creators foster richer, more resonant worlds. 

Sherlock Hound, an early work by Hayao Miyazaki, highlights the importance of good storytelling through its charming characters, imaginative visuals, and emotionally resonant tone. Though lighthearted, this forgotten gem shows how effective storytelling can captivate audiences, even in simple formats, and lays the groundwork for the narrative depth seen in Miyazaki’s later masterpieces 

Jurassic Park stands out as a distinct example of adventure storytelling. It combines thrilling action with groundbreaking science fiction, centering on the awe and terror of resurrected dinosaurs and balances intense suspense and fast-paced sequences, with moments of wonder and discovery.  Additionally, Jurassic Park weaves ethical questions about science and control into the narrative, giving depth beyond typical adventure fare.

The video essay "Show. Don't Tell. Kubrick's Visual Storytelling in '2001: A Space Odyssey'" by Daniel Netzel explores how Stanley Kubrick uses cinematic techniques—such as imagery and sound—to convey complex ideas without relying heavily on dialogue. It highlights Kubrick’s mastery of visual storytelling to immerse viewers in the film’s themes.

Cowboy Bebop combines so many elements so effortlessly that it feels like something completely unique. It effortlessly fuses sci-fi, western, noir, jazz, and even comedy into a seamless whole, creating a unique world that feels fresh yet familiar. Unlike many shows, it balances episodic adventures with deep, character-driven arcs, exploring themes of loneliness, redemption, and existentialism.

Architect Dami Lee delves into the architectural and urban planning elements of cyberpunk narratives, revealing how they reflect and critique real-world societal structures. She examines how cyberpunk cities often depict environments that prioritize corporate interests over human needs, leading to urban spaces that feel alienating and oppressive. 

Blade Runner explores humanity, identity, and morality by questioning how memories shape selfhood, real or imagined. Set in a dystopian future dominated by technology and corporate power, it highlights existential loneliness and environmental decline, urging reflection on ethical innovation and the need for empathy amid rapid technological change.