<description>&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;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!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="paragraph" style= "margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span lang="UZ-CYR" style="mso-ansi-language: UZ-CYR;" xml:lang="UZ-CYR"&gt;The Spun Today Podcast is a Podcast that is anchored in Writing, but unlimited in scope.  Give it a whirl.  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span class="eop"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="paragraph" style= "margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: 'Segoe UI',sans-serif;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="paragraph" style= "margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"&gt;&lt;span class= "normaltextrun"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;Twitter:&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/spuntoday" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "normaltextrun"&gt;https://twitter.com/spuntoday&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="eop"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="paragraph" style= "margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"&gt;&lt;span class= "normaltextrun"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;Instagram:&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/spuntoday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span class= "normaltextrun"&gt;https://www.instagram.com/spuntoday/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="eop"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 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mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt; Shrinking: &lt;a href= "https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15677150/?ref_=ttfc_ov_bk"&gt;https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15677150/?ref_=ttfc_ov_bk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt; Tires: &lt;a href= "https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31491435/?ref_=ttfc_ov_bk"&gt;https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31491435/?ref_=ttfc_ov_bk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; 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color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt; Check out all the Spun Today Merch, and other ways to help support this show!&lt;/span&gt; &lt;a href= "https://www.spuntoday.com/support"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; background: white;"&gt; https://www.spuntoday.com/support&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "text-align: center; line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;" align="center"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt; Check out my Books&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; background: #FCFCFC;"&gt; &lt;span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://amzn.to/3H2srIl"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: #222222; letter-spacing: .15pt;"&gt; Make Way for You – Tips for getting out of your own way&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; background: #FCFCFC;"&gt; &lt;span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://amzn.to/4bJSncF"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; letter-spacing: .15pt;"&gt; ÁBRЕТЕ CAMINO: CONSEJOS PARA DEJAR DE SER TU PROPIO OBSTÁCULO (Spanish Edition)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; background: #FCFCFC;"&gt; &lt;span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://amzn.to/3J3mRrG"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: #222222; letter-spacing: .15pt;"&gt; FRACTAL – A Time Travel Tale&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; background: #FCFCFC;"&gt; &lt;span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://amzn.to/456Aw8D"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; letter-spacing: .15pt;"&gt; Melted Cold – A Collection of Short Stories&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; background: #FCFCFC;"&gt; &lt;span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"&gt;&lt;a href= "http://www.spuntoday.com/books/"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: #222222; letter-spacing: .15pt;"&gt; http://www.spuntoday.com/books/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style= "font-family: 'Calibri Light',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; color: #222222; letter-spacing: .15pt;"&gt; (e-Book, Paperback and Hardcover are now available)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "line-height: 15.1pt; margin: 5.0pt 0in 5.0pt 0in;"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #0d0d0d; background: white;"&gt; Fill out my Spun Today Questionnaire if you're passionate about your craft.&lt;span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt; I'll share your insight and motivation on the Podcast:&lt;/span&gt; &lt;a href= "http://www.spuntoday.com/questionnaire/"&gt;&lt;span style= "mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; background: white;"&gt; http://www.spuntoday.com/questionnaire/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; 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Spun Today with Tony Ortiz

Tony Ortiz

#299 – Finding Creative Gold: Writing Advice Inspired by Shrinking and Tires

MAR 26, 202644 MIN
Spun Today with Tony Ortiz

#299 – Finding Creative Gold: Writing Advice Inspired by Shrinking and Tires

MAR 26, 202644 MIN

Description

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. Twitter: https://twitter.com/spuntoday Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spuntoday/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spuntoday Website: http://www.spuntoday.com/home Newsletter: http://www.spuntoday.com/subscribe 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 Get your Podcast Started Today! https://signup.libsyn.com/?promo_code=SPUN (Use Promo code SPUN and get up to 2-months of free service!) Check out all the Spun Today Merch, and other ways to help support this show! https://www.spuntoday.com/support Check out my Books Make Way for You – Tips for getting out of your own way ÁBRЕТЕ CAMINO: CONSEJOS PARA DEJAR DE SER TU PROPIO OBSTÁCULO (Spanish Edition) FRACTAL – A Time Travel Tale Melted Cold – A Collection of Short Stories http://www.spuntoday.com/books/ (e-Book, Paperback and Hardcover are now available) Fill out my Spun Today Questionnaire if you're passionate about your craft. I'll share your insight and motivation on the Podcast: http://www.spuntoday.com/questionnaire/ Shop on Amazon using this link, to support the Podcast: https://amzn.to/4km592l Shop on iTunes using this link, to support the Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewTop?genreId=38&id=27820&popId=42&uo=10 Shop at the Spun Today store for Mugs, Notebooks, T-Shirts and more: https://spuntoday-shop.fourthwall.com/ Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Outro Background Music: https://www.bensound.com Spun Today Logo by: https://www.naveendhanalak.com/ Sound effects are credited to: http://www.freesfx.co.uk Listen on: ApplePodcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts | YouTube | Website