Punch It: Writing In Star Trek

Lt. Jae never had any lines but we give her a backstoryIt's no secret that Tristan is nearly obsessed with a crewman on the starship Enterprise who has had zero lines in the franchise. Even though we don't know her story, she has captured the hearts of several fans simply because of her look. First Ensign, then Lieutenant, Jay has been in several episodes and almost all of the TNG movies. Char and Tristan tackle this Operations Officer enigma and develop her a backstory on the fly.What do you think of Lt. Jae?

What's on our nightstands and our queueSometimes you have a reading list that can just be daunting. You don't know where to start or where to skip. Char and Tristan discuss what is on their current reading/watch list. They reference classic poems, applicable novels from the 40s and 50s, as well as currently bestsellers. It's hard to navigate novels and media in this extremely oversaturated landscape. 

Gilmore Girls Season One Writing AnalysisTristan finally did it, he actually convinced Char to watch Gilmore Girls season one. After months of trying to convince her, she took the time and sat down and watched. Gilmore Girls is one of the wittiest shows out there with some of the fastest delivery. Char revved up her Netflix and watched it with a writer's eye.Amy Sherman-Palladino pitched Gilmore Girls off the top of her head to some WB execs and got a hit. She started out working on Roseanne and then developed a story about a mother and daughter who were more like best friends. But do you need a best friend when you really just need a mom?Char and Tristan discuss the show's first season and how it developed and grew from the pilot. What did you think of season one? Not enough development or character arc? Or did the fast talking cover it up?

What happened right after Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country?Char and Tristan return to the land of Star Trek after they just finished their epic three-part Star Wars movie. This is another story that's written on the fly and you guys get to witness it happen with total improv.There's a gap between Star Trek VI and Star Trek: Generations. Just like we filled the gap between Generations and First Contact, we do it again here. Does Kirk have a problem with the Enterprise-B? Were they forced into retirement or was it their idea? We cover all this and more.

Final chapter in our Star Wars movie written on-the-flyWe continue and finish our last act in our improvised Star Wars film. We started this journey imagining ourselves in the writer's room for the sequel to Star Wars 1977. Nothing else existed except the information given to us in George Lucas' first journey into that galaxy far far away. We left our heroes on a planet full of aliens they didn't understand while looking for the first Jedi temple. Darth Vader was in hot pursuit with the help of a phantom bounty hunter. Will they find the temple before Vader? Will they find the temple at all? Listen and find out.We start the episode discussing the passing of the great writer and actress, Carrie Fisher.

Continuing to write the sequel to Star Wars (1977) in a vacuumLast week we wrote the first part of our imaginary sequel to Star Wars (1977). Disregarding Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and everything else related to Star Wars except the film in 1977. We took some twists and turns and ended up in a place you would never guess. Luke is the reluctant celebrity of the Rebellion, Leia is his former lover and looking to get back into fieldwork, Han and Chewie have been long gone since the medal ceremony, and the Rebellion is having Luke and Leia look for the first Jedi temple. This week we continue our story and bring in the ever dangerous and dark Darth Vader. 

Writing the sequel to Star Wars (1977) in a vacuumThis week on Punch It, we tackle a listener suggestion. What would a Punch It written movie look like if it was a sequel to 1977's Star Wars? You might be asking yourself, "But guys, a sequel does exist and it's called 'The Empire Strikes Back.'" You would be correct in that statement and more so because there have been many sequels! Host Char is not a fan of Star Wars and only has the first movie in her memory. Tristan, a long time fan, works off of that beautiful ignorance to help her create an amazing Star Wars story that is independent of over 30 years of history and canon.Where would you have liked to have seen the franchise go after 77? Or did it go perfectly in your opinion?

Star Trek: Enterprise Episode Written On-the-FlyEnterprise doesn't get enough love in the fandom. Does it have its issues? You bet. Is it underrated? Also true. One aspect that garnered the most criticism was the lack of character development. Travis Mayweather was one of those characters where the writers just didn't know what to do with him. So your Punch It crew does what it does best and punches his character up. In this episode, Char and Tristan tackle Travis' character and gives him a more robust backstory. They also find a way to expand on the Enterprise's mission beyond the fourth season. What did you think needed to happen with Travis' character?

The Writers and Possibilities of Stranger Things on NetflixStranger Things on Netflix was THE show of the summer. If you missed it, don't worry, it's still there for you to visit the Upside Down. In this episode, your Punch It duo analyzes the writing styles of the show as well as their green talent in front of and behind the camera. We also take a look at the chapter names of season two and do our best at trying to predict how that could shape the future of this great show.What did you think of Stranger Things? Do you think the show benefitted from inexperienced writers? Would it be even better as an anthology show?

The Office: What it did right and where it went wrongWhether you love, hate, or are indifferent to the US version of The Office, you've most likely had at least seen a few episodes. This show was a ratings and advertising powerhouse for NBC when it was on the air. People are still talking about it, including your Punch It crew! We open the show and talk about our discovery of The Office and our first reactions. But we ultimately end up where we believe the writing started to falter and of course how we would punch it up.Also, don't forget to head to thenerdparty.com/punchit for this week's writing prompt. Come write with us!

Writing a Bob's Burger Episode on the FlyBob, Linda, Tina, Gene, and Louise. Characters that we've grown to love over the past 7 seasons. If you're not watching Bob's Burgers on FOX then you should be. It is a truly fantastic show that you should give a try and you will not be disappointed. We don't say that about every show we discuss but this show is different. We open the show with discussing why we love Bob's Burgers and what makes it unique amongst other adult cartoons; especially against the other cartoons on Sunday night on FOX. After that, we transition into what an episode would look like if it was written by your Punch It duo. 

House of Cards PrequelOne thing that is true about both hosts is that they unabashedly love Netflix original series "House of Cards". The acting, the cinematography, the style, and of course, the writing. Beau Willimon adapted/created a wonderful hyper-reality that we get to visit every year. The show is entering its fifth season but Willimon will not return. We discuss the possibilities as to why but also look on the bright side of how the writing has improved and how we are getting more female voices behind the camera.Our main focus of the show is an original prequel story of House of Cards, written on the fly by us.

Our favorite writers and why we love themSince we're giving you a podcast about writing, we thought it would be ideal for us to tell you some of our greatest influences. In this episode, we discuss some of our favorite writers and their writing styles. You'll hear a wide variety of people mention in the realms of fantasy, fiction, science fiction, real life stories, and even comic books.Our list is short and we would love to hear from you guys. Do you love/hate our picks? What are some of your own? Who are some of your favorite writers?

Original Star Trek story written on the flyWelcome to the first ever episode of "Punch It: Writing in Pop Culture."In this particular episode, we open up about what this show is about and why we made it. What you have to look forward to like original stories, rewrites of existing episodes, author analysis, storytime, and so much more.Our main topic is discussing what happened to Commander Riker from Star Trek: The Next Generation in-between Generations and First Contact.