We're not going to lie to you. In this final "Showy" episode of the season, we don't so much go "off the rails" as we abandon the entire concept of rails, and roads. (Where we're going, we don't NEED roads.) Against all odds, Rey and V temporarily swap brains and Rey maps out logistics while V brings the angst and emotions. Ew! (Update: V's Capricorn card has been temporarily suspended as a result.) But that's okay, because this episode is about exacerbating conflict, shaking up your ships, and adding a little extra chaos to the fray; as always, we at AU City like to lead by example and FAFO to the end of AU Nancy Drew Season 4.

TL;DR: Sorry, we're not sorry. Because above all, storytelling should be fun, and Halloween means never having to say you're sorry you made out with someone in a Scooby Doo costume. Here endeth the lesson.

CWs: angst, hot dogs, relationship conflict, creepy music, jell-o, admissions of true love, extremely uncomfortable social situations, light cursing, also literal curses, and eventual happy ever afters through much difficulty.

Music for AU City, including our exclusive theme and AUC's creeptastic rendition of the (now public domain) classic "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" (but 1000% more haunted) written, performed, and produced by "Jake Sparrow" and V Park of Rogue Sparrow Productions.

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Daddy? Sorry. Mommy? Sorry. Uncle? ...Okay, now you've made it weird.

In this "Telly" episode, Rey and V discuss how imaginary parental units (whether present or absentee) impact a character's development, from their decision-making style, to how they respond to traumatic events, and so forth. Using our favorite fictional parents (and a handful of "other" parent-like figures, including but not limited to: father figures, Chosen One Mentors, adopted parents, and grandparents) as good, bad, and plot-neutral examples, we explore the chicken/egg phenomenon of parenting characters through their many fictional adventures. If you squint really hard, listening to this episode maybe kind of counts as therapy? (We are not qualified to say for sure.)

BONUS: A glitter-cannon-style info dump of galaxy brain proportions with a FUN NEW TOOL to help storytellers put their scenes in order either before, during, or after writing them. (Or all of the above, should you choose to fully embrace the chaos.) Spoiler alert: this episode gets particularly messy, in multiple ways.

CWs for mentions of the following topics: character trauma, trickle down trauma aka generational trauma, projection, Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nancy Drew (naturally), Stranger Things, Supernatural, the enduring hotness of Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci Supremacy, and many, many "daddy issues."

Random Episode References:

• Where to stream whatever show you're trying to find lately? https://www.justwatch.com
• In case you haven't heard... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_complex
• "'Gilmore Girls' turns 20: What I learned re-watching the beloved series as an adult" (op-ed by Kelly Lawler in USA Today) - https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/10/05/gilmore-girls-20th-anniversary-what-learned-re-watching/3593257001/
• Have you SEEN Melissa McCall? https://teen-wolf-pack.fandom.com/wiki/Melissa_McCall

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In this "Showy" (and a little bit telly, if we're honest) episode, Rey and V collude in real time (AU time?) to show how pacing of major plot events and character milestones can be broken down and organized in a more neurodivergent-friendly fashion than the traditional "start to finish" plotting process.

Using theoretical future episodes and examples from our existing AU Nancy Drew Season 4, we'll show you how to workshop a Big Picture Plot with many moving parts, in a way that prioritizes your agendas, story mission, and goals--especially if these are things you're sharing with another creator.

Follow along and use your own IPs for practice, as we FAFO our way to the AU City Season One (and also maybe our AU Nancy Drew Season 4 sample story's) finish line!

Homework / References (fun exercises to try, books to check out, etc.)

• The Nutshell Technique by Jill Chamberlain - https://www.jillchamberlain.com/the-nutshell-technique
• ND Series Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Drew_(2019_TV_series)
• ND Series Fandom.com Wiki - https://nancydrew.fandom.com/wiki/Nancy_Drew_Wiki
• MasterClass: How to Master Narrative Pacing https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-master-narrative-pacing
• David Lynch MasterClass (Rey Mentioned) - https://www.masterclass.com/classes/david-lynch-teaches-creativity-and-film
• Rock Your Plot by Cathy Yardley - https://www.rockyourwriting.com/portfolio/rock-your-plot-system/
• TV Tropes Database - https://tvtropes.org/
• Coursera.org Writing Classes - https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=writing

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