Our Moth StorySLAM theme was simply…Manners. Seriously, out of that whole Moth experience of discussing former in-laws on stage, having an amazing audience that responded to every beat of my story, to having my friends in the crowd cheering for me, to jumping off stage and dancing, to being with other phenomenal storytellers…the ONE thing I […] The post Episode 77 – Manners made me a Moth StorySLAM Champion in Melbourne appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

It just sounds like a probability nightmare! Look, I completely support the heart and intent of the campaign. I used to be on Tinder, I’m currently in an interracial relationship* and I loooove using emoji^. BUT I just don’t understand how Unicode can make it easy for us to trawl through 10 000+ more possibilities […] The post Episode 76 – Tinder’s Interracial Couples Emoji Campaign’s Giving Me a Headache appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

We recorded for an hour and it feels like we didn’t even scratch the surface! Last Sunday, I sat in a Melbourne studio with four creative storytellers to review Marvel’s Black Panther movie. Between the five of us, individually, we make films, write stories, write poems, take photos, create visual art, draw, record podcasts, perform […] The post Episode 75 – Unfiltered Black Panther Review by 5 Black Storytellers in Australia appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

Today’s Two Words: Be Kind. “I’ve got 99 ideas and can’t pick one”. Yep, story of my life! In this episode I share how I’m kind to myself in my (creative) life. Everything from time out, napping and going out for a burger and wine. Kindness to myself is letting myself play, try, make and […] The post Episode 74 – Be Kind to Yourself appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

Officer Jason Dixon is human after all. *Spoiler and profanity alert for this episode.* Watching the evolving character of Jason Dixon in Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri challenged how I want to write baddies for my own stories. The Martin McDonagh movie stars Sam Rockwell as Officer Dixon, Frances McDormand as Mildred Hayes and Woody Harrelson […] The post Episode 73 – Dixon Character Review – Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

Katharina Keil’s a script supervisor with 20+ years’ experience. She’s read 1000+ film and TV scripts in her career, so I nervously asked her to read one of mine. We discuss everything including characters, synopses, continuity, timing, production to life on set. Everything! We also chat about using voiceovers in scripts, which can sometimes be […] The post Episode 72 – My First Screenwriting Session with a Script Supervisor appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

A Spontaneous Poem: Co-founder Wanted Dear Self, Who’re you kidding thinking you can do it all alone? This stuff is getting bigger than you and it’s time to ask for help. In fact, why not just free flow into your phone what help you’re really looking for? Oh wow. That’s some truth. You know what, […] The post Episode 71 – Co-founder Wanted for TV Production Company appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

My screenwriting mentors are so kind to me. They’re also quick to give reality checks and sometimes say things I don’t want to hear. But I love them for that – they’re helping me tell better stories every day. (Important note: I also have my loved ones on speed dial for those moments when I […] The post Episode 70 – Which Mentors are Holding Your Hand? appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

Yay! I’m a writing + podcasts finalist in frankie magazine’s awards. Here’s my Good Stuff Awards entry…Two Words with Taku is a podcast exploring the process of writing and storytelling in five main categories: technical writing, business writing, comedy, speech writing and creative writing. I originally started it as a creative development project, to air […] The post Episode 69 – frankie, do you remember the good stuff? appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

Daina Reid is an award-winning Australian TV and Film Director. And she’s just lovely! In this interview, she shares how a Tropfest short film led her to leave acting and became a director. She talks about her recent work on SBS’s Sunshine TV drama and what she learnt working with the South-Sudanese community in Melbourne. Later […] The post Episode 68 – Daina Reid on Directing Australian TV Drama, Comedy and Sunshine appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

Today’s [confronting] two words: So What? So what if I write and I speak? Who cares? Who should care? Who do I care about? Why do I care? So what? I really believe we will only see the stories that are different on our TV screens and on our radios if we write them. And […]

My Slightly Biased Review of A Melbourne Rapper’s Secret Show. Tenda McFly is a local rapper/poet who agreed to voice a character in my radio play. He recently held a secret show to share his poetry, rhymes and reason. I couldn’t miss it and in this episode, I share what I loved about Memoirs of […] The post Episode 66 – The Sacred Joy of Producing Your Own Small (and Secret) Shows appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

Know your story, know your brand and don’t think about the money. Here’s what I’ve learnt from applying for Nova + Acast’s Podquest, So You Think You Can Pod by The Wheeler Centre, and from NOT applying for the ABC’s One Million Dollar Podcast Fund. P.s. You might also like Episode 45 from the archives – Pitch […] The post Episode 65 – 10 Lessons from Entering Podcast Competitions in Australia appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

Gary Vee inspired me to start this very podcast. So when I heard he was speaking at a business seminar in Melbourne, I made an animated video to thank him. Then I felt a bit awkward sharing it online before I saw him speak at the event. But I made it through the awkwardness! You can […] The post Episode 64 Pit Stop – Meeting Gary Vee and My Awkward Fan Girl Moments appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

What happens to Joy and Yolanda after the audition? In Chapter 1, they each decided to audition for Professor Nhingi’s youth dance program. In Chapter 2, they’re not so sure that was the best idea. JoYOLO story synopsis: Joy loves words and comes from a poor single-mum family. Yolanda loves dance and comes from a middle-class […] The post Episode 63 – JoYOLO Radio Story Chapter 2 (Full) appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

Manners: this episode and these greeting cards contain profanity. Okay, so your friend’s mum has died? Your loved one has cancer? Oh and anxiety is keeping your bestie up all night? Melbourne graphic designer Lindsey Mineff from Hard Copy Cartel has cards for those horrible moments in life when you’re not sure what to say. […] The post Episode 62 – Appropriately Inappropriate Greeting Cards for Situations that Suck appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

Do you watch The Weekly and Hard Quiz? This is the second part of my chat with writer Gerard McCullough. He is one of Australia’s most in-demand TV comedy writers and editors. His credits span sketch, variety, current affairs, quiz, sport, and award ceremony formats.* In this episode we discuss everything from developing comedy characters […] The post Episode 60.2 – Gerard McCulloch on Screenwriting, Satire and The Weekly with Charlie Pickering appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

Lawd have mercy – Gerard McCulloch is finally on my podcast! He is one of Australia’s most in-demand TV comedy writers and editors. His credits span sketch, variety, current affairs, quiz, sport, and award ceremony formats.* In this first episode we discuss how his career in comedy started and his work on iconic Aussie sketch comedy […] The post Episode 60.1 – Gerard McCulloch on Writing Stand-up Comedy, Sketches and Skits appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

OMG Merrilee McCoy is magic! She’s the local producer of The Moth Melbourne StorySLAM events and in this episode we discuss all things storytelling. No filter! We cover what makes a good story to being vulnerable on stage to not relying on crap PowerPoint slides. And more. Oh and of course we discuss how she […] The post Episode 59 – Behind The Moth Melbourne with Local Producer Merrilee McCoy appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.

What IS spoken word? I interview Melbourne rapper/poets Tenda McFly and ZiiMusic about their writing and creative processes. We discuss everything from vulnerability, to narcissism to belief in self. Then we briefly debate if being a good writer is a divine gift or something anyone can learn. I really enjoyed chatting to these guys and […] The post Episode 58 – Rap, Rhyme & Reason with Tenda McFly & ZiiMusic appeared first on Taku Mbudzi.