#299 – Finding Creative Gold: Writing Advice Inspired by Shrinking and Tires
Welcome back to the Spun Today Podcast! In this milestone 299th episode, host Tony Ortiz dives deep into the creative engines behind two unconventional, standout shows: "Shrinking" on Apple TV+ and "Tires" on Netflix. Through a writer’s lens, Tony unpacks what makes these series resonate—not just as entertainment, but as studies in authentic storytelling, sharp dialogue, and the beautiful messiness of life.
You'll get a writer's breakdown of how "Shrinking" navigates grief, healing, and messy relationships with a perfect blend of humor and raw honesty. Tony highlights takeaways on building layered characters, balancing tone, and allowing supporting roles to stand on their own. Then, it's over to "Tires," where he explores what happens when independent creators trust their voices, lean into imperfection, and deliver something refreshingly real.
This episode isn’t just about reviewing television; it’s about celebrating the creative process—polish versus voice, character growth that feels real, and why sometimes the magic is found outside the system. Whether you’re a fellow writer, a creative, or simply a fan of powerful storytelling, this episode is packed with motivational insights and actionable lessons to fuel your own projects.
Get ready to be inspired to create, embrace the rough edges, and remember that sometimes the best stories are the ones that stay a little messy. Let’s dive in!
The Spun Today Podcast is a Podcast that is anchored in Writing, but unlimited in scope. Give it a whirl.
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Links referenced in this episode
Shrinking: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15677150/?ref_=ttfc_ov_bk
Tires: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31491435/?ref_=ttfc_ov_bk
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Transcript
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Transcript 〰️
Tony Ortiz:
It feels like something that was made by people who just wanted to make something funny, not something overly engineered. And the writing takeaway for us there is that polish is overrated if it costs you your voice. And sometimes a slightly rough edge makes the work feel that much more authentic and alive. And above all else, What Tires really represents is proof of concept, not just within the story, but in how it was made. This group of creators made something on their own. They used what they had. They leaned into their voices and trusted that it would find an audience. And it did.
Tony Ortiz:
What's up, folks? What's going on? Welcome to the Spun Today Podcast, the only podcast that is anchored in writing but unlimited in scope. I'm your host, Tony Ortiz, and I appreciate you listening. This is episode 299. That feels insane even saying it. I can't believe we're almost at the 300th episode. It has been a hell of a ride. In this 299th episode, I am giving you my writer's breakdown of two great shows: Shrinking, which is an Apple original available on Apple TV. I'm going to stick specifically to season 1, and the second show is Tires.
Tony Ortiz:
A Netflix original available on Netflix. Now, before we get into all that good stuff, I wanted to tell you guys about an exciting update to my free weekly newsletter. Most emails are noise. This isn't one of them. When you sign up for the free Spun Today newsletter at SpunToday.com/subscribe, every Monday at noon, I send you 5 things that are worth your attention. A photo, a quote, a word, and a couple of things to watch or listen to. Plus, now when you join absolutely for free by dropping in your email address at SpuntToday.com/subscribe, you'll receive a free guide that I curated and put together. 50 quotes that will change the way you think about creativity.
Tony Ortiz:
Now, I love quotes, which is why it's a segment of my newsletter. And I believe that a good quote can change your perspective in seconds. And I carefully curated this specific list of 50 quotes from years of the back catalog of the Spun Today newsletter. And it's broken down into 7 different parts consisting of 50 of the best quotes that I've come across that I've collected over the years, and I'm giving it away to you absolutely for free. All you need to do is go to SpuntToday.com/subscribe, drop in your email address, make sure you confirm your email by clicking that you confirm that you want to subscribe to the list in the initial email that you receive, which might, by the way, go to your spam folder. So once you drop in your email address at SpuntToday.com/subscribe, Check your inbox for an email from me. If you don't see it in your inbox, check your spam folder, confirm that you want to subscribe, and then you'll immediately get the free guide titled again, 50 Quotes That Will Change the Way You Think About Creativity, a curated collection in 7 parts. You'll get that in your inbox right after you confirm your absolutely free subscription.
Tony Ortiz:
I'll never spam you. You'll only get one email from me every Monday at noon, which will help you start your Monday off with a 3-minute creative reset. Here is a little bit more of what else you can expect from the Spun Today newsletter, and then we'll jump right into the episode. The Spun Today newsletter is available to each and every one of my listeners absolutely for free. All you have to do is go to SpunToday.com/subscribe and drop in your email address. What I'm going to do is brighten up everybody's least favorite day of the week by delivering 5 curated things within my weekly newsletter every Monday at noon. You're going to receive a photo of the week, a recommended podcast of the week. I listen to tons of podcasts from an array of varied interests.
Tony Ortiz:
I cherry-pick the very best ones so that you can check them out. I also share a video of the week. which can be anything from a tasty recipe to a dope rap battle to an enlightening TED Talk. I also share a quote of the week. And finally, for my fellow wordsmiths out there, a word of the week so that you can step up your vocab. Again, this curated list is yours absolutely free by going to SpuntToday.com/subscribe and dropping in your email address. And you can unsubscribe at any time. Again, go to Spuntoday.com/subscribe, drop in your email address, and you'll get the very next one.
Tony Ortiz:
Shrinking Season 1. Shrinking is one of those shows that feels deceptively light. It's funny, it's sharp, it feels like almost like a hangout comedy at times, but underneath that, it's dealing with grief, trauma, abandonment, illness, death, all the heavy stuff. It actually gave me Loudermilk vibes, which was another great show that I broke down a few years back. If I remember correctly, my wife and I stumbled upon during the pandemic, but it had that same idea of a fucked up person in a position of authority, someone who's supposed to be helping others but is barely holding it together themselves. And somehow that dynamic becomes mutually beneficial. And that's really the engine behind the show. And before we get into it all, like we like to do here on the Spot Today podcast, because if we don't, who will? I want to shout out the writers.
Tony Ortiz:
Shrinking was created and written by Jason Segel, who is also the main protagonist. Brett Goldstein also has an important role in the show. From an acting perspective, and Bill Lawrence. Additional writing credits to Sophie Selig, Sasha Garen, Zach Bornstein, Neil Goldman, Rashna Fruchbaum, Brian Galavan, Bill Poseley, Annie Mabane, Ashley Nicole Black, CJ Hoke, Wally Barham, Kyra Brown, and Emily Wilson. Shout out, shout out to each and every one of the writers that put this amazing series so far together. Now let's dive a little bit deeper. Let's speak about the broken healer, if you will. At the center, you have Jimmy, who's the main protagonist, played by Jason Segel.
Tony Ortiz:
He's a therapist. His wife died. And he's raising a teenage daughter and he's not handling it well at all. His home life is completely in shambles. His daughter, although living in the same house, may as well be estranged. He's drinking, he's popping pills, he's escaping into random women and like hiring prostitutes, just like overall numbing and avoidance. All the classic coping mechanisms. But at the same time, he's having a breakthrough professionally.
Tony Ortiz:
He starts treating patients with this radical honesty and implementing unorthodox methods which later get dubbed Jimmying. And he begins crossing lines that you're probably not supposed to cross as a therapist. But somehow it works. And a good writing takeaway for us there is that flawed authority figures are compelling because they close the gap between helper and human. When the person guiding others is just as lost, it creates this tension, this relatability and unpredictability all at once, which is a great way to keep viewers and readers engaged. Now let's speak about mutual healing and messy boundaries. Jimmy's relationship with Sean, played by Luke Tenney, which is one of his patients, is probably the best example of this Jimmy approach. Sean starts off as someone he doesn't even really want to deal with.
Tony Ortiz:
It's a referral from a colleague of his that he's ready just to go through the motions and brush off and get to the rest of his life. He's a war vet with anger management issues, PTSD, He himself doesn't want to be there in therapy, but it's court mandated because he's gotten into a few bar fights. And then Jimmy helps him channel anger through MMA training. Then you fast forward a bit and it's helping Shawn, but not completely because he gets into another fight, winds up going to jail, and Jimmy goes to bail him out, highlighting again the messy boundaries. Then Jimmy makes a decision of letting him live in his house. Probably the ultimate blurring of boundaries there, right? And to be fair, he lets him live in the pool house until he gets on his feet and finds a place to stay because his parents wind up kicking him out because he got in trouble again. But either way, at that point, we're way past professional boundaries, right? But that relationship between them two becomes real, becomes more human, more reciprocal. And a good writing takeaway for us there is that Some of the most interesting relationships in storytelling are the ones that shouldn't work on paper.
Tony Ortiz:
So if you think that it could reveal something deeper about them, let your characters cross lines, whether they be ethically, emotionally, or otherwise. Now, let's speak about grief within the context of the show. One of the most powerful moments comes from Jimmy's daughter, Alice, played by Lukita Maxwell. She gets to a point where she calls him out and basically tells him— I'm going to paraphrase here— you've been acting like this only happened to you. And by this, she's referring to the death of her mother, his wife. So she says, you've been acting like this only happened to you, but it happened to us, and I've been dealing with it alone. And that's such a real dynamic and a central tension of the show. They tragically lost the mom/wife whose character name was Tia, played by Lilian Bowden, which we get to see in only flashback scenes.
Tony Ortiz:
They lose her unexpectedly and tragically in a drunk driving accident, and it's an important highlight of the fact that grief can make people self-centered without them even realizing it. And a good writing takeaway for us there is that conflict doesn't always come from opposing goals. Sometimes it comes from misaligned emotional perspectives. Two people living in the same house can be hurting from the same exact event and still feel completely alone. And that's pretty powerful narrative right there. We also find out later in the show that the last time he spoke to his wife, they were fighting. And that unresolved moment and moments leading up to the day she died is clearly haunting him. But instead of dealing with it, he bottles it up.
Tony Ortiz:
He self-medicates. He distracts himself by, you know, again, with women or this new unorthodox deep dive into the lives of his patients that he's doing, which on one hand is helpful for them, but on the other hand detrimental for him because he's not dealing with his shit. And it went as far as him even ghosting his best friend for a year after his wife passed because his friend was, quote unquote, too positive. And his best friend, by the way, is— the character name is Brian and is played by Michael Urie. Who is definitely one of the characters that steals the show. But that's such an important nuance detail that shows us more of where he's at mentally and emotionally. He didn't want help. He wanted permission to be miserable.
Tony Ortiz:
And a good takeaway for my fellow writers and creatives out there is that characters don't just avoid pain. They can also avoid the wrong kind of help. And that's a powerful layer to add in when you can. Let the support being offered by other characters feel intrusive if it doesn't align with where the character is emotionally. Now, let's switch gears a little bit and speak a little bit about the comedy throughout the show and the vehicle of comedy in your narrative as a delivery system. And the show feels really punched up It feels like stand-up comics had a hand in writing it, which based on the credited writers, I don't believe that's the case. At least no names that I happen to recognize from the comedy scene, but I could be wrong. And I also don't know how or who or how those writers' rooms work, right? Like if the credited writers have like breakout groups with maybe people that they work with on the side or something like that.
Tony Ortiz:
But it does feel very punched up, very comedic. A lot of the dialogue is very passive-aggressive, which I love. Like the quick hits, the tone, and even serious moments are laced with humor. And that's what makes all the heavier themes that this show attempts to wrestle with so digestible. And a good writing takeaway for us here is that humor isn't just relief, it's contrast. The sharper the comedy, the deeper the drama can land. Tone balancing is a tool. I'm going to say that one again because that one definitely got me.
Tony Ortiz:
Tone balancing is a tool. It's not an accident. And I'd be remiss if I didn't speak about all the supporting characters in this show, which actually matter. First and foremost, Harrison Ford is in the show. He plays Paul. He's the lead therapist whose practice it is that Jimmy works at, who is the mentor figure in the series, and who's also dealing with Parkinson's. And that juxtaposition that comes with such a professionally accomplished person that is not ready to step away from what he's dedicated his life to, but that life and this health condition is forcing him to start pumping the brakes on. Then we have Jessica Williams, who plays Gabby, which is the other therapist that's part of Paul's practice, and she's a coworker.
Tony Ortiz:
She was also the best friend of Tia, which is the wife and mom that was killed in the drunk driving accident. She's also Alice's godmother, and she just brings like a lot of warmth and levity and honesty and style to the show. She dresses so fucking cool. I don't know if to credit her or the wardrobe folks or both. And that's coming from a completely straight heterosexual male, by the way. But it's like I want her character to come to life and want to be my friend. That's how dope of a character she is. And then we have Krista Miller, who plays Liz, and Ted McGinley, who plays Derek, Liz's husband, which are Jimmy and Alice's very intrusive neighbors that are like part of the family and actually helped to raise Alice in the immediate aftermath of Tia dying.
Tony Ortiz:
And, you know, Jimmy just being a mess. And they're not just background supporting characters. Like Paul's character arc so far, for example, is him coming to terms with Parkinson's or coming to terms with having Parkinson's, rather, opening up more to his daughter, who's a bit estranged as a function of him always prioritizing career over family. And him dealing with his own struggles of emotional selfishness and how enclosed he is and how compartmentalized his life is. So his character is really layered, and we see that even in something like him choosing to attend his grandson's play, like a regular school play, over a lifetime achievement award that he was supposed to be the recipient of. And that's an example of, of his character's growth through actions that are taken. And a good writing takeaway for us there is that supporting characters shouldn't just orbit the main protagonist. They should have their own gravity.
Tony Ortiz:
You should always try to give them independent arcs that still thematically tie into the main story. And this is a big one that I'm actually focusing on while I work through book 2 of my Fractal series. Now, let's speak a little bit about messy relationships that make the show feel more real. And this show definitely leans into a lot of messiness. Paul and Gabby, for example, wind up hooking up. Sorry, not Paul and Gabby. That'd be gross, actually. Jimmy and Gabby.
Tony Ortiz:
Initially, they both dub it as a drunken mistake. You know, they're coworkers, they're close friends outside of work, like part of the same friend group. Then they wind up doing it again and just reframing it as like quote unquote safe sex because of the fact that they're so comfortable with each other. But then Gabby starts catching actual feelings. Jimmy's not really there emotionally. That causes a bit of a rift within their relationship. Then we have Brian, which again is Jimmy's best friend, who's navigating his same-sex marriage, where actually at this point in the show he has his partner and he wants to propose, but he's been hesitating to do so because he's struggling with being raised by a very conservative father who reluctantly accepted his lifestyle and life choices. And we see a lot of this type of thing, and none of these relationships are completely clean.
Tony Ortiz:
None of them are ideal or pristine, but they do feel absolutely human. Even at Brian's wedding, for example, when it actually does happen, which could have been purely comedic, it becomes something meaningful when Jimmy helps bridge the gap with his father, who winds up being Brian's best man in the end. And a good writing takeaway for us there is that clean and predictable relationships are just that— predictable. Messy relationships, they become more memorable. So let your characters contradict their own values. That's often where that resonant authenticity lives. And something I want to point out in closing about the show is that Across the season, this first season, everyone is trying. Like, Jimmy is trying to be a better father and failing very often.
Tony Ortiz:
He's also pursuing this professional breakthrough that he's been having. Paul is trying to open up emotionally, you know, break down some of his self-imposed walls and let more people in. Sean is attempting to build something for himself with a food truck that he becomes passionate about. Liz and Derek are investing in that growth of Sean's and his dream and his vision while also dealing with issues within their relationship and trying to make that better. Gabby continues to show up as a friend and as an emotional anchor, but seemingly for everyone else and not for herself, and begins to realize that And Brian attempts to be less self-involved and starts to attempt to begin to be more selfless. Alice continues to try to just be a normal teenager and feel okay, that it is okay to want to feel normal again. And none of these characters transform overnight. They stumble into the bits and pieces of progress that they do make.
Tony Ortiz:
And I thought that a good writing takeaway for us is that character growth should feel uneven. Two steps forward, one step back. That friction is what makes the actual change believable when it does happen. And it's often the way that we change in real life, or IRL as my kids would say. And I thought that what Shrinking does really well is blur the line between professional and personal. It blurs the line between helper and a broken person and really blurs the line between comedy and pain. And it doesn't try to resolve those tensions. It lives inside of them.
Tony Ortiz:
And as writers, that's a really powerful reminder. Either. You don't always need to clean everything up. Sometimes the most honest stories are the ones that stay a little bit messy. Check out Shrinking Season 1 streaming now on Apple TV+. Tires is a series available on Netflix, and one of the coolest things about Tires isn't even the show itself. It's how it came to exist. You've got guys like Shane Gillis, John McKeever, and Steve Gerben creating something on their own about like 5 or 6 years ago, I think maybe even 7 or 8 years ago at this point, with the intention of putting it out themselves.
Tony Ortiz:
Their initial plan was to create the, you know, a few episodes of the show idea that they had and just selling it online to their fans. Shane Gillis, for those who don't know, is one of the biggest headlining comics today, famously or infamously, depending on how you want to look at it. But definitely, I would say serendipitously at this point, if I want to keep trying to rhyme my words. Uh, he got SNL and then was fired publicly before he even started because they uncovered some old podcast clip where he, I think, like impersonated like a Chinese delivery guy with like an Asian accent or something like that. And it was during like the height of the cancel culture bullshit of, you know, retroactively holding someone to rules or cultural norms that didn't exist at the time. But whatever. Then he wound up going on Rogan shortly after that. You know, having other like comic friends within the same circle, blew up from there, has become bigger than he would have ever been on SNL, and then has been back since to host SNL in a sort of a full circle moment there.
Tony Ortiz:
But he, along with Jon McIver and Steve Gerben, wind up creating the show to again sell, sell to their fans online. They make 6 episodes. And then Netflix actually steps in and buys it and not only releases the 6 episodes but gives them a full second season. And that alone is a creative lesson right there. This wasn't built for the system, it was built outside of it, and then the system came to them. So a great writing takeaway for us here off the bat is Don't wait for permission to create. Some of the most compelling work gets made independently first, and then it finds a platform. And first and foremost, as we like to do here on the Spontanate Podcast, because if we don't do it here, who will, is shout out the writers of the show.
Tony Ortiz:
Tires was created and written by Steve Gerben, Shane Gillis, and John McKeever. Additional staff writers include Joe DeRosa, a comic, very funny comic, Michael J. Gleason, Amy McLeish Milligan, Bobby Telatovich, and Chris O'Connor. Shout out, shout out to each and every one of the writers that put this really funny show together. Now let's dive a little bit deeper and let's speak about the authentic feel of the show, which is something that stands out right away. Through different interviews and podcasts, I learned that the show was shot in Westchester in an actual tire shop owned by Steve Gerben's father. Steve Gerben is the, the actor who plays Will, who also again co-created and wrote the show. So his father owns an actual tire shop and that's where they filmed the show.
Tony Ortiz:
And you can feel that. It doesn't feel like a set. It doesn't feel fake. It feels lived in. It's like slightly grimy in the way that mechanic shops should feel and do feel. And that realness definitely shines through and it shows us, which is a good writing takeaway, that authenticity isn't just in dialogue alone. It's in the setting as well. And when your environment is real, it does half the storytelling for you.
Tony Ortiz:
So in your own storytelling, try to lean into spaces that you know. Now, the DNA of the show is workplace comedy. That's what the show is at its core, and it lives in that same lane of like The Office or Ted Lasso, for example. But what made it stand out most to me is that the humor is center stage. It never takes a backseat. The pacing is really tight. And the jokes just keep coming. Even when there are storylines like of the expansion that Will wants to do with the tire shops, the ownership where Will's father is contemplating retirement and selling the shops, or whether it's Shane's character played by Shane Gillis contemplating taking on more responsibility, the humor stays front and center.
Tony Ortiz:
And I think that if you're writing comedy, it's in important to protect that tone. The plot and storylines should support the humor and not overshadow it. And the core storylines of the show are actually pretty good and pretty grounded. Will, like I mentioned before, he wants to expand his father's business. His father has, I think, 3 or 4 tire shops. Will wants to expand them even more. His dad, on the other hand, wants to maintain the status quo and start focusing on retirement, potentially selling the shops. One of the storylines there is Will trying to secure a loan to do just that, which causes a tension between him and his father.
Tony Ortiz:
Then you have Shane's character that doesn't want to grow or take on more responsibility. And there's also a question of who's next in line if Will's father does sell or does retire. Does Will, the son, the heir to the throne, take over the shops? Or does Dave, played by Stavi as we know him within podcast world, but for the uninitiated, Stavros Halkis, hilarious comedian. He's like the second hand of Will's father, who has been the, like, the second in line manager for many years of the tire shops, but works out of a different store. So there's that dynamic between those two and nothing is overly complex, but it works because the stakes of the show are clear and relatable. And as a writing takeaway, I think we can take from that that you don't need high concept stakes, clear human conflicts like ambition versus comfort, growth versus stagnation, are more than enough to drive a story. I definitely wanted to highlight the banter between Shane and Will. It's one of the best parts of the show, like the chemistry between those two.
Tony Ortiz:
And if, like, I've seen them on, for example, they've been on Flagrant together where they were promoting the show and like the chemistry between them definitely carries on through there. Or offset, if you will. So it seems very real. And you have Will's character, which is like ambitious and wide-eyed and trying to grow, and he's like a wound-up tight type of person. And then you juxtapose that with Shane's character, who's very comfortable in his own skin. He's resistant to personal growth at work and in personal relationships, as we see later in the series. He's naturally funny. And he doesn't try too hard at anything.
Tony Ortiz:
And that contrast feels a lot between the two. And a writing takeaway for us there is that great dialogue comes from opposing energies. A cool thought experiment or writing prompt of sorts would be to pair two characters with fundamentally different worldviews and just let them collide to see what happens. Because I definitely see that working within the context of tires in Will and Shane's relationship. Now, focusing in a bit on Shane's character, his arc is— his character arc, from what I can tell, is really subtle but important. He's the guy who— he has all the potential. Everybody sees it, but he doesn't quite believe it himself. He's hesitant to step up.
Tony Ortiz:
He doesn't want the pressure. He doesn't want the responsibility. But the story is clearly pushing him towards becoming the manager of the store that everyone there knows that he can be. And a good writing takeaway for us is that a reluctant protagonist is powerful, especially in comedy. And come to think of it, not just in comedy. Obviously, this show is a comedy, but I'm thinking in the context of like a drama or a sci-fi that reluctant protagonist dynamic can work anywhere. And the reason why is that the growth feels much more satisfying when the character resists it. So like when they actually achieve the growth, it's definitely that much more satisfying.
Tony Ortiz:
Now, the dynamic between Stavi and Will, or Dave and Will rather, is essentially a power struggle. It's like, who's really next in line? You've got the loyal longtime manager in Dave, and then the son with a vision in Will. And neither one is outright the villain or the hero, right? It's just two competing claims to authority, two competing valid positions for the same eventual role. And a great writing takeaway for us there is that conflict doesn't need to be black and white. It doesn't need to be a bad guy and a good guy. You could just simply have two people with competing perspectives, both valid, and that can create an even more interesting tension. And circling back to the comedy in the show, you can feel Shane Gillis's comedic sensibilities all over the show. I'm a Shane Gillis fan.
Tony Ortiz:
I've listened to tons of hours of podcasts. I've seen him live. I've watched his comedy specials, comedy sets, so on and so forth. So I think I have a good grasp of his comedic sensibilities and they definitely do shine through. And the show doesn't feel overpolished. It doesn't feel filtered. And you, you see that even in a lot of the casting choices like Andrew Schultz, who has a smaller recurring role as a greasy car sale— car salesman. From next door to the tire shop.
Tony Ortiz:
Jon Lovitz is in an episode or two. He plays like this really needy, cheap customer. Vince Vaughn has a cameo role where he meets them at a tire convention. Big Jay Oakerson, another, another really funny comic, plays like this filthy radio DJ. Ron White, well, I've actually never seen his comedy. I know he's like very well regarded and respected within that, the comedy space. I've listened to a bunch of podcasts with him. He plays, uh, this washed-up race car driving alcoholic character.
Tony Ortiz:
H. Foley, who I love from, uh, the Are You Garbage podcast, he plays this like vindictive dick competitor from a different tire shop. Matt McCusker, who's, uh, Shane's, uh, podcasting partner from their podcast and a comic as well. I've seen his comedy special, also available on Netflix, by the way, which, by the way, I, for the longest time, I was confusing Matt McCusker with the co-creator/writer of the show, John McKeever, who's also the director of the show, just because of the last name, McKeever, McCusker. Very confusing. But he pops up here and there as like this bicycle cop, and none of these cameos, they feel random. Well, maybe like the Vince Vaughn one did a little bit, but that one— Vince Vaughn is just the man. He's just an absolute pro.
Tony Ortiz:
So it was more like, oh shit, Vince Vaughn. Like, it was more unexpected, but definitely not random feeling. They feel aligned with the show's tone. And the good writing takeaway for us there is that when working in comedy— and take this with a grain of salt as it's coming from someone who has never written comedy ever. But I think you shouldn't write toward specific voices. Let the performers bring their natural energy into the world and into the role that you created for them instead of forcing them into a generic box. You know what I mean? Like, let the makers of funny make funny. Obviously create like the framework and generic throughlines of where you want narrative arcs and character arcs to go, but let them play and swim within that, within those boundaries.
Tony Ortiz:
And to me, that seems to be at least what's happening with this show. And I think there's something to be said about just tone over perfection because there's something like slightly raw about the show. And I don't know if that just comes from its origin as something that they put together themselves independently. but I definitely see it as a strength. It feels like something that was made by people who just wanted to make something funny, not something overly engineered. And the writing takeaway for us there is that polish is overrated if it costs you your voice. And sometimes a slightly rough edge makes the work feel that much more authentic and alive. And above all else, what Tires really represents is proof of concept, not just within the story, but in how it was made.
Tony Ortiz:
This group of creators made something on their own. They used what they had. They leaned into their voices and trusted that it would find an audience. And it did. And for writers, that's the takeaway right there. You don't need the perfect setup. You need a clear voice, real characters, and the willingness to just make the thing. Check out Tires, seasons 1 and 2, streaming now on Netflix.
Tony Ortiz:
And that, folks, was episode 299 of the Spun Today podcast. Thank each and every one of you for taking the time to listen. Hit me up on Instagram @spuntoday, Twitter/X @spuntoday. Let me know what you thought of this episode. Are you watching either show? Which one's your favorite? Which writing takeaways did you appreciate most? @SponsoredA on everything, or just hit me up on or in the comment section of this episode at sponsoreda.com/podcasts/299. Don't forget to subscribe to my completely free newsletter at sponsoreda.com/subscribe. And instantly get your free gift when you subscribe, which is 50 Quotes That Will Change the Way You Think About Creativity, a curated collection in 7 parts. Just go to SpunToday.com, drop in your email address, make sure you confirm your email address.
Tony Ortiz:
So check your spam folder in case the confirmation request goes there. And once you do that, you'll receive your free gift and be enrolled in my absolutely free Spun Today newsletter. Which will help you start your Monday with a 3-minute creative reset. That website again is SpuntToday.com/subscribe. Please stick around for a few ways that you can help support this show if you so choose, and I'll check you guys out next time. Peace. What's up, folks? Tony here. I hope you're enjoying the Spunt Today podcast as much as I enjoy producing it for you.
Tony Ortiz:
Here are a few ways you can help support the show. You can support the Spunt Today podcast financially by going to spuntoday.com/support. There you will find a couple different ways that you can do just that, some of which will actually not even cost you a dime, such as using my Amazon affiliate link. When you go to spuntoday.com/support, you'll see my affiliate link to Amazon. Click on it and it will take you to Amazon's website where you can do your shopping like normal. This will not cost you anything extra, but Amazon will pay me for driving traffic to their website. If you'd like to support the podcast more directly, you can do so by becoming a patron at Spuntoday.com/support. You'll also find my Patreon link.
Tony Ortiz:
This is where creators such as myself can be paid directly by patrons like you. You can either make a one-time donation or schedule recurring donations if you so choose. There are also different tiers of support, and depending on which you decide to go with, you'll also receive some perks in return, such as early access to content, free digital copies of my books, free bookmarks, etc. That is again by supporting via my Patreon link available at sponsored.com/support. Similar to Patreon, at that same location, you'll also find my Ko-fi link as well as my Buy Me a Coffee link. They work very similar to Patreon and are different ways that you can help support the show financially. And last but certainly not least, you have the good old-fashioned PayPal donation button. Any which way that you choose to support is greatly appreciated.
Tony Ortiz:
It all helps me do more of what I love, which is writing and podcasting. Again, go to Spuntoday.com/support. You can also support the Spuntoday Podcast by rating and reviewing the show wherever it is that you're listening to this episode. I'd really appreciate it because it really does help. Also, follow me on all socials, @SpunToday on X, formerly known as Twitter, @SpunToday on Instagram, and @SpunToday on YouTube, where you'll not only find the full-length episodes of the podcast, but also chopped up clips and additional content. And of course, you can follow the Facebook page at facebook.com/spuntoday. Another way you can help support the Spun Today podcast and also upgrade that stale wardrobe of yours is by going to sponsoreday.com/support and clicking on the banner for Stitch Fix. Once you do, you'll enjoy a $25 discount to your first purchase.
Tony Ortiz:
And the way Stitch Fix works is pretty cool. I use it and I've never been disappointed. You'll set up a profile, you'll put in all the sizes for your clothes, as well as all the different brands and types of clothes that you like to wear. It's really simple and intuitive to set up. They'll show you pictures and pretty much give you a thumbs up or thumbs down option on if you would wear something or not. And you get to select all the brands that you already are used to wearing. With this information, their thousands of passionate trendsetting stylists will curate a Stitch Fix box for you. They'll send you 5 items that you get to preview before they mail it to you, and you'll get to select based on the image if you like it or not.
Tony Ortiz:
If not, they'll replace it with something else. And if so, they'll mail it to you absolutely for free. You can try everything on and you have a few days to send everything back or keep the stuff that you want to keep. Then you can use that $25 credit that I mentioned towards your purchase of those items. Again, to freshen up your wardrobe and also support the Sponsor Today podcast, go to sponsoredtoday.com/support and click on my affiliate link banner for Stitch Fix and enjoy your $25 credit. Do you want to start your own podcast? Have a great show idea that you want to get out into the masses but don't know quite how to get it from your head out into the world? Well, here's how. Use the podcast host Libsyn. That's who I use to bring the Spun Today podcast to you, and now you can use them the same way.
Tony Ortiz:
Using the promo code spun, S-P-U-N, you can open up your Libsyn account today and get 2 months of free podcast hosting. Hosting. Here's how it works. Once you record your show, you upload it to your Libsyn account where you can fill in your episode notes, upload your podcast art, and schedule when you want your episodes to release. Once you do that, Libsyn will take care of the rest. They'll distribute your show to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all the other podcatchers that you choose instantaneously and seamlessly. Again, go to lipsyn.com and use the promo code spun, S-P-U-N, to get 2 months free, or use the affiliate link that's in the episode notes. Again, that's lipsyn.com, promo code spun.
Tony Ortiz:
Take that great podcast idea from out of your head and put it out into the world. And as always, folks, substitute the mysticism with hard work and start taking steps in the general direction your dreams. Thanks for listening. I love you, Aiden. I love you, Daddy. I love you, Grayson. I love you, Daddy.