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PODCAST

Story Nerd

Melanie Hill, Valerie Francis

For novelists, memoirists and screenwriters who want to write stories their readers will love. Each week literary editors, Valerie Francis and Melanie Hill, use films to explain how to craft a story that hooks the reader on page one and holds their attention all the way to the end. The goal is simple: to learn from writers who have come before us...what worked well and what didn"t work so well. If you"re a writer who loves to write, this podcast is for you! "The only thing that matters, and that

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All Episodes

00:36:44

When Harry Met Sally: quasi antiplot huh?

Story Nerd ·

2023/04/26

Seriously, what the heck is a quasi antiplot story? It sounds pretty fringe; like some crazy, obscure little bit of story theory that writers will never, ever, need to know. Sure, story theorists can fill their boots with it but if 99% of audiences expect an archplot story, why should we bother with quasi antiplot (whatever that is)? Well, it turns out that it can be the secret sauce for story innovation. Nora Ephron knew that and used it to write one of the most successful romcoms of all time. It

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00:45:43

Star Wars Ep7: the face plant

Story Nerd ·

2023/04/19

As we saw in the Aliens episode, resonance is a powerful tool for anyone developing a series. But what happens when resonance is used ineffectively? In this episode, Melanie takes us on a deep dive into the Star Wars universe and explains why The Force Awakens did a face plant. (Because she's a superfan, she also provides details on the inner workings of lightsabres, so if you've ever wondered why Kyloren's looks so bizarre, here's your answer.) In terms of structure, Valerie has discovered two

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00:40:13

Wayne's World: party on, story nerds!

Story Nerd ·

2023/04/12

Well this is one wild ride of an episode! Wayne's World is an antiplot story that offers up plenty of writing lessons that surprised the heck out of Valerie and Melanie. It gave them the giggles too (be sure to listen all the way to the end). So sit back and enjoy this episode with Wayne, Garth, Valerie and Melanie. Party on, story nerds!For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle:

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00:36:35

Aliens: writing a series

Story Nerd ·

2023/04/05

If you're writing a series (no matter what the genre), this is one episode you won't want to miss. How did James Cameron use Resonance to create a sequel that viewers love? And, how does understanding a character's arc help writers keep a story fresh from film to film, or book to book? Valerie and Melanie discuss all this and more!For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircleTo

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00:44:07

Nashville: writing multiple POVs

Story Nerd ·

2023/03/29

Hold on to your hats! Robert Altman's 1975 classic, Nashville, has 24 main characters and more storylines that you can count. If you're writing a story with two or more POVs and/or storylines, you can't afford to skip this episode! Mind blown. 🤯For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircleTo learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.auFollow

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00:41:22

The Shape of Water: kooky and clever

Story Nerd ·

2023/03/22

Melanie loves this film but it gives Valerie the creeps. They'll never see eye-to-eye on this one, but thanks to story theory, their subjective opinions don't get in the way of appreciating what this story has to offer. Guillermo del Toro has innovated the heck out of a courtship love story in a way that is nothing short of masterful. If you're looking for ways to innovate your story, regardless of the genre, this is the episode for you!For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than

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00:42:32

The Accidental Tourist: oh, so this is miniplot!

Story Nerd ·

2023/03/15

It's easy to think that a Miniplot story is simply one where the protagonist has a strong internal arc. But that's only part of it. There's much, much more to it than that. So if your novel features a main character who changes over the course of the story, you definitely want to give this episode a listen!For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircleTo learn to read like a

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00:38:52

Lego Batman: holy product placement, batman

Story Nerd ·

2023/03/08

The marketing people at Lego are geniuses. In 2014 they released The Lego Movie, launching a lucrative movie franchise and driving sales of their product through the roof. The storytelling isn't fancy, but it sure is solid. In this week's episode Valerie and Melanie look at Lego Batman (2017) and how the company uses resonance and storytelling fundamentals to create movies viewers love.For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to

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00:37:35

Men in Black: invasion lit is a thing?

Story Nerd ·

2023/03/01

Season 5 kicks off with Men in Black. Valerie is studying plot structure, and Melanie is studying resonance. Now, admittedly, plot structure doesn't sound very sexy but it's one of the first decisions a writer must make. If you haven't chosen a structure for your novel, how will you know if what you've written is working? Resonance is the ability to evoke or suggest images, emotions, and memories, and all successful writers use it to draw on their readers' experiences. So, how are you putting it to

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00:12:00

Story 101: Read Like a Writer

Story Nerd ·

2023/02/26

We've all heard this advice from A-List authors...if we want to be better writers we have to read more. What they don't tell us is that reading like a writer is an entirely different activity than reading like a reader. In this episode, Melanie explains her approach to reading actively, deeply, widely and consistently.For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircleTo learn to

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00:21:54

Best Advice: middles + subtext

Story Nerd ·

2023/02/22

That's a wrap for Season 4! In this episode, Valerie and Melanie pull out their a-ha moments from the past ten shows, and they give you their best advice about crafting the middles of stories (Act 2) and subtext.For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircleTo learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.auFollow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter

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00:30:35

The Devil Wears Prada: simply solid storytelling

Story Nerd ·

2023/02/15

Sometimes, studying a story that you love can be a bit scary. What if it turns out that the story is rubbish, and what you really like is the soundtrack, or the actor, or the costumes? Well, you can cast those worries aside this week because The Devil Wears Prada is solid. In terms of structure, it isn't fancy. It doesn't waver from the Hero's Journey/Archplot form, and that's okay. In fact it's more than okay because it teaches us what can happen when we focus on the fundamentals.Learn more about

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00:09:00

Story 101 : start your story right

Story Nerd ·

2023/02/14

How are you starting your story, and is your global inciting incident fulfilling its two most important functions? In this episode, Valerie fills you in on the key points you need to know about the Inciting Incident at the global story level and the scene level. Learn more about Valerie's upcoming webinar at www.hookyourreader.comFor access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircleTo

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00:40:24

Four Weddings and a Funeral: saggy middles?

Story Nerd ·

2023/02/08

Want to keep the middle of your story from sagging? In this episode, Valerie reveals the one thing writers need to understand about the second act and its function in a story. While Valerie and Melanie agree on the genre for this movie, they disagree about whether the film works as a whole. What do you think?Learn more about Valerie's upcoming webinar at www.hookyourreader.comFor access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's

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00:02:52

Announcing Story 101!

Story Nerd ·

2023/02/05

Thanks to you, our fellow story nerds, this little passion project of ours is growing by leaps and bounds. We're already in 76 countries and are nearing 1,000 downloads per week. And we're still in our first year! To express our gratitude, we're introducing new bonus episodes called Story 101. They'll be your quick reference guide to story theory for those times you need a little refresher. We've got your back!Learn more about Valerie's upcoming webinar at www.hookyourreader.comFor access to writing

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00:41:45

La La Land: novelists make this mistake too

Story Nerd ·

2023/02/01

What on earth can novelists learn from a musical? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot. Cinematically, this is a beautiful film, there's oodles of subtext, and yes, the music is lovely. The story itself? Well, it's kinda thin. And this is the problem many novelists have ... we spend too much time on the polish and not enough time on the substance.For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training, subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircleTo

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00:35:14

Groundhog Day: groundhog day groundhog day

Story Nerd ·

2023/01/25

Valerie and Melanie are both happily surprised (relieved?) to discover that there's much more to this movie than meets the eye. How did Harold Remis hold his audience's attention when the same day, and many of the same activities, repeat over and over and over again? It's quite a neat trick and is yet one more example of why understanding storytelling fundamentals is so important. For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training, subscribe to Valerie's Inner

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00:57:51

Skyfall: m is for mother?

Story Nerd ·

2023/01/18

In this episode, Melanie's study of subtext has revealed something odd (and slightly uncomfortable). It seems that, according to Skyfall at least, M stands for mother. But why should Judi Dench's M be a maternal figure for James Bond? Valerie's study of Act 2 uncovers a striking similarity to last week's film: Back to the Future. What on earth could these movies have in common? To learn more about Valerie and Melanie, visit their websites: www.valeriefrancis.ca www.melaniehill.com.au For

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00:38:48

Back to the Future: plot holes, schmot holes

Story Nerd ·

2023/01/11

Back to the Future has plot holes. There, we said it. Does it matter? Nope. We've watched this film dozens (hundreds?) of times and only saw the holes when we analyzed it for this episode. Folks, it doesn't get any better than that. This is a great example of the three-act structure and the hero's journey, so if you need an excuse to rewatch this 1985 classic, here it is! You're welcome. For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing

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00:45:34

Storm Boy: hugh jackman v. the pelicans

Story Nerd ·

2023/01/04

The Australian film, Storm Boy, uses a very complex story structure. It's nonlinear, with a framing story and flashbacks...definitely not for the faint of heart. So, if you're using even one of these techniques in your novel or screenplay, this episode is for you. Oh, and what does all this have to do with Hugh Jackman (because he's not in the film)? You'll have to tune in to find out.For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing

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