I am listening to the podcast 372 Pages We’ll Never Get Back. In episode 31-33 they discuss The Forensic Certified Public Accountant and the Cremated 64-SQUARES Financial Statements.

372 Pages We’ll Never Get Back

Real or fanfic

The spreadsheet !

Summary of important advice

Consistency, continuity.

• This team works on big cases, like a poker player.
• Talking about the chess museum in the present tense.
• Referring to things that haven’t been mentioned.

Be exciting. Have stakes.

• 2/3 through the book, new characters are still introduced, the plot isn’t moving.
• Solving the crime is just a small detail.

Flow. Chekhov’s gun.

• The criminal is a completely new person.
• Facts that are hard to understand, until you read the next chapter.

Realism. Being human.

• This huge house exploded. The death toll of 0 is waved away.
• They employ millions?
• People play checkers at the chess museum. Really?
• Marrying a person within 24 hours of meeting.
• Being able to feed your family is satisfying.
• Connection from names and skills to nickname.
• The team keeps breaking the law, like hacking FBI.
• Everybody’s happy. And top of their fields.
• Is that how courtship and proposal works?
• Huge prison sentences for doing nothing wrong.

Variety.

• I, Titus Uno, yadayada. 4 times in 1 sentence.
• Whole paragraphs are repeated.

Details: not too many, not too few.

• Explaining a conference call.
• She passed the first time. Is that good?

POV. Tone.

• … believe it or not…
• It looks like a hearing aid. “What did you say?”
• Titus Uno talks directly to the reader.
• “That makes me sick.” Titus?

Use words and phrases correctly.

• Blown to rubbish.
• Is that what cat burglar means?
• Being nice, sentence, what?
• Typos.
• Mixed metaphors. Top dog, totem pole.
• That’s not what pun means.
• 2 different fonts in the chapter headings.

Being funny

• Joking on your own joke, that isn’t funny. Author gives character silly name. Other character comments on this. (Mr. Woodcock.)
• When the name is too funny, like “Spider” Webb. On the nose.

Ep. 31, ch. 1-6

Don’t do this

• Repetition. I, Titus Uno, yadayada. 4 times in 1 sentence.
• Words. Blown to rubbish.
• Words. Is that what cat burglar means?
• Realism. This huge house exploded. The death toll of 0 is waved away.
• Words. Being nice, sentence, what?
• Realism. They employ millions?
• Typos.
• Details. Explaining a conference call.
• Continuity. This team works on big cases, like a poker player.
• POV. … believe it or not…
• POV. It looks like a hearing aid. “What did you say?”
• Continuity. Talking about the chess museum in the present tense.
• Realism. People play checkers at the chess museum. Really?
• Realism. Marrying a person within 24 hours of meeting.
• Realism. Being able to feed your family is satisfying.

Running gags

• Settle down.

Oops.

• Mike didn’t read chapter 6.

Real or fanfic, 51:34

• Mike guessing
• Real ✔️ Fanfic ✔️ Fanfic ❎ Fanfic ✔️ Real ❎

A moving duck. Actually a good expression.

Ep. 32, ch. 7-14

Don’t do this

• Excitement. 2/3 through the book, new characters are still introduced, the plot isn’t moving.
• Words. Mixed metaphors. Top dog, totem pole.
• Not funny. Joking on your own joke, that isn’t funny. Author gives character silly name. Other character comments on this. (Mr. Woodcock.)
• Not funny. When the name is too funny, like “Spider” Webb. On the nose.
• Realism. Connection from names and skills to nickname.
• Realism. The team keeps breaking the law, like hacking FBI.
• Variety. Whole paragraphs are repeated.
• Realism. Everybody’s happy. And top of their fields.
• Words. That’s not what pun means.
• POV. Titus Uno talks directly to the reader.
• Details. She passed the first time. Is that good?

Running gags

• Settle down.
• Who is the sheriff of 64-SQUARES?
• He believes…
• Ogden.

Oops.

• Mixing up choosing Titus Uno and choosing who calls TU.

Real or fanfic, 01:01:35

• Mike guessing
• Fanfic ✔️ Real ❎ Fanfic ❎ Fanfic ✔️ Fanfic ✔️
• (The last one was spoiled.)

There’s an org chart online. Made by patreons.

Ep. 33, ch. 15-end

Don’t do this

• Words. 2 different fonts in the chapter headings.
• Excitement. Solving the crime is just a small detail.
• Flow. The criminal is a completely new person.
• Continuity. Referring to things that haven’t been mentioned.
• Flow. Facts that are hard to understand, until you read the next chapter.
• Realism. Is that how courtship and proposal works?
• Realism. Huge prison sentences for doing nothing wrong.
• POV. “That makes me sick.” Titus?

Running gags

• Settle down.

Rankings, favorite on top

1. Eye of Argon
2. The Forensic…
3. Tekwar
4. Cline