Jeff Kirby • Storyteller
Creating a fun and unpredictable fantasy adventure with the Cool Story Guys podcast
Launched in 2021 with my friend and writing partner Ethan Moses, the Cool Story Guys podcast was a collaborative writing project where major plot points were determined by RPG-style dice rolls. Episodes alternated between traditional podcasts with humorous discussions about the writing process and audiobook-style performances of the story. Before every chapter, we each rolled a 20-sided die, and the corresponding plots point from our Fate Index were included in that chapter. Once a specific outcome was used, it was replaced in the Fate Index with a listener submission, letting those who were enjoying the story interact and have a part in shaping the way it unfolded.
This podcast was a particularly fun endeavor, as it utilized a variety of skills I picked up throughout my creative career. In addition to writing an ongoing story with new chapters released biweekly, there was also the audio production element of recording and editing each podcast, and I scored each audiobook chapter with original music and unique theme songs. The completed books are available to download on the website, which required regular updates and fresh graphic design flourishes with every new batch of episodes. It was a real labor of love, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turnied out.