The novel RoomMate by Chad Olshavsky recently appeared as a featured book on Story Warz, the live comedy podcast and stage show built around deceptive storytelling.
On the show, comedians Big Jay Oakerson and Luis J. Gomez guide the competition and the discussion. Episodes are filmed in front of live audiences at venues including The Stand Comedy Club and New York Comedy Club. Full episodes of the show are also available through the Gas Digital Network, where the podcast is distributed.
The premise appears simple at first. However, the structure quickly turns unpredictable.
Five panelists submit stories based on a shared theme. Next, the show reads the stories aloud anonymously. From there, the comedians debate who actually wrote each one.
If the story belongs to them, the goal is to convince the room it does not. Meanwhile, the other panelists attempt to identify the real author.
Panelists earn two points for correctly guessing the author. On the other hand, they earn one point when they successfully mislead the group about their own story. In the end, the comic with the most points becomes the episode’s “Story Warrior.”
During the episode, the hosts briefly reacted to the book while discussing it on air.
Big Jay Oakerson: “RoomMate—”
Luis J. Gomez: “Fucking hot.”
Big Jay Oakerson: “Fucking hot.”
Gomez followed with a few additional words about the book’s scale.
Luis J. Gomez: “It’s a huge book. Great book….. It’s a big deal, guys.”
The conversation unfolded in the middle of the show’s live discussion, placing the novel inside a room full of comedians whose craft revolves around storytelling.
Meanwhile, the novel continues to attract readers drawn to dark psychological thrillers and character driven suspense.
Because of its format, Story Warz rewards strong narrative control.
Comedians must build believable stories while manipulating the room’s perception. At the same time, other panelists challenge details and delivery.
In many ways, the structure mirrors the mechanics of thriller writing. Suspense, uncertainty, and misdirection drive both formats.
The connection carries over to RoomMate. The psychological thriller follows a deeply disturbed character named Charlet. The book unfolds through tight, present tense scenes that gradually pull readers into the character’s increasingly unstable reality.
RoomMate is a psychological thriller written by Chad Olshavsky and published by Slap Knee Media. In the novel, the story follows Charlet, a troubled film producer whose obsessive behavior and violent impulses begin to spiral out of control.
Originally, Olshavsky wrote the story as a screenplay. Later, he adapted it into a novel using short, present tense passages that place readers directly inside Charlet’s increasingly unstable perspective. As the story progresses, the narrative unfolds almost in real time while the character’s reality begins to fracture. Readers interested in learning more about the novel can find details or purchase the book on the RoomMate book page.
Episode Details
You can watch the Story Warz episode featuring RoomMate below.
For a novel like RoomMate, the parallel is clear. The psychological thriller centers on a deeply disturbed character named Charlet. The book unfolds through tight, present tense scenes that gradually pull readers into the character’s increasingly unstable reality.
