Matt Dinniman’s breakout best seller is certainly popular, but is it good? We explore 7 reasons for its runaway success and try to extract some lessons to apply to our own writing. Jump on the ride and let us know what you think we missed!
The book itself: https://mattdinniman.com/books/dungeon-crawler-carl/
00:00 Introduction to Lit RPG and Its Appeal
04:38 Reason #1: The Vibe of Carl
11:15 Reason #2: Unhinged Chaos
17:38 Reason #3: Keeping Up with the Kardashians
21:25 The Two Kinds of Humor
23:18 Reason 4: Viscera
28:57 Absorb For +1 to Humor. Don’t Sell Your Day Job.
37:52 Reason #5: They Call Them “Novels”
45:33 Short Readings
49:23 Reason #6: Can You Go Wrong With a Talking Cat? (Yes)
56:57 Reason 7: The Payoff Paradox
01:00:48 Summary and Final Thoughts
Date Record: Mar 28, 2026
Date Publish: Apr 4, 2026
Edited by Cullen McHael
Produced by Cullen McHael
Hosts: Stuart J. Tanner, Cullen McHael
Follow us!
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InkingNeon
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories/id1838329557
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qSplbBX4oYmd2pYoSAzOF
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c7826f91-085a-4509-9c69-d90fef1bdb5b/inking-neon-light-up-your-stories
iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-inking-neon-light-up-your-294206954
PodBean: https://inkingneon.podbean.com/
Cullen McHael: https://cullenmchael.com
Stuart J. Tanner: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08XW3G4WG/ https://www.amazon.com.au/Art-of-Story/dp/B08JL6GJBR/