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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

00:50:25

Whiplash: why the villain has a point

Story Nerd ·

2022/12/28

There are plenty of great reasons to study this film and chief among them is that it's a terrific example of why the antagonist in a story must have a point; a very good point that is hard to refute. What does your villain believe and can your reader agree, at least in part, with the argument?For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to

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00:35:54

Coraline: a horror story?

Story Nerd ·

2022/12/21

Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller and his novel, Coraline, has been a favourite with young readers for two decades. The film version is a dazzling display of creativity from the stop-motion animation to the A-List voice talent, but does it eclipse or enhance Gaiman's original concept? What can novelists learn from the filmmakers' approach to adapting prose for the screen?For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and

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00:39:49

Home Alone: wanna bend the rules?

Story Nerd ·

2022/12/14

We're kicking off a brand new season with a holiday classic. Home Alone might feature a 10-year-old in the starring role, but the writing in this film is anything but child's play. If you're the kind of writer who likes to bend the rules, this is the episode for you. For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner

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00:27:08

Our Best Advice: beginnings/endings + sequences

Story Nerd ·

2022/12/07

To wrap up Season 3, we're doing a rundown of everything we've learned in the past ten episodes about the beginnings and endings of stories (and how they work as a unit), and sequences. Be sure to bookmark this episode so you can return to it whenever you need a quick refresher!For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner

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00:49:09

Lost in Translation: wtaf?

Story Nerd ·

2022/11/30

This is one strange movie. While we can understand it from an intellectual level, and we can deconstruct it (and yes, it won lots of awards), Lost in Translation didn't evoke any emotion from us (except maybe, annoyance). That's a big, big problem. Why is that the case? Where did this film go wrong, and how can we avoid making the same mistakes?For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70

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00:38:14

Toy Story: soooooo good, but why?

Story Nerd ·

2022/11/23

There are a handful of stories that theorists use as great examples of the craft, and Toy Story is one of them. (Chinatown is another, but sheesh, enough already!) Yes, the animation was groundbreaking for its day but that's not what makes this film special. All the fancy tech in the world (or even the best actors in the world) can't save a film from a script that doesn't work. If you're writing a buddy story, a story with two protagonists, or want to better understand character development, this

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00:43:33

The Water Horse: keep subplots at bay

Story Nerd ·

2022/11/16

It's not uncommon for a subplot, or secondary character, to take over a story - especially when a writer is still learning the ropes. So, how do you keep a subplot in check and what do you do if it starts taking over? In this week's episode, Valerie and Melanie discuss just that. For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner

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00:47:40

Guardians of the Galaxy: great script or great music?

Story Nerd ·

2022/11/09

When fans talk about this movie, they usually mention the music. But an amazing soundtrack can't save a story that doesn't work. More importantly, for our purposes, music is outside the purview of the writer. So the question remains. Is the writing of this film solid, or does it rely on hits from yesteryear to gloss over its weaknesses? Tune in to find out.For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and

en

00:32:48

Good Will Hunting: miniplots and subplots

Story Nerd ·

2022/11/02

This week, Melanie and Valerie fell into a discussion about whether Good Will Hunting is a miniplot story, or an archplot story with a couple of subplots. What's the difference? Why does it matter? And how can not knowing put your work-in-progress at risk? Tune in to find out.For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner

en

00:49:37

The Blair Witch Project: power of the imagination

Story Nerd ·

2022/10/26

Filmmakers have special effects, costuming, casting and music to help them tell their stories. As novelists, we've got 26 characters, a handful of punctuation, and our readers' imaginations. That's it. So how can we put our readers' imaginations to work for us? Tune in to this week's episode to find out. Happy Hallowe'en!For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for

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00:45:46

Sliding Doors: innovation or gimmick?

Story Nerd ·

2022/10/19

If you're writing a story with multiple protagonists, or multiple storylines, this episode is for you. This is a tricky kind of story structure to pull off, and there are a few different ways it can work, but does Sliding Doors pull it off? Is this an innovative way to approach story, or is it just a gimmick. Tune in to find out! Oh, and yes, there are cell phones in this movie - Gerry has one. When you listen to the episode you'll know why that's important.For information about Valerie's upcoming

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00:26:43

Sense and Sensibility: ship your work

Story Nerd ·

2022/10/12

Well, this was an interesting experience. Mercury was retrograde and it led to all kinds of technical issues and re-recording. In the end, to improve the audio, Melanie had a towel over her head. It's natural to want our work to be perfect before we send it out into the world, but sometimes we've got to just go with it. So, if you're hesitating to submit your work, take a listen to this week's episode, and then, ship your work. We did.For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars,

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00:34:28

The Bourne Identity: build tension, raise stakes

Story Nerd ·

2022/10/05

Whatever kind of story you're writing, if you want a reader to stick with you all the way to the end, you've got to build tension! Believe it or not, The Bourne Identity is a terrific example to study - even for a love story or coming of age story. For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner

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00:32:53

Tootsie: finally, sequences!

Story Nerd ·

2022/09/28

Valerie and Melanie are kicking off a brand new season of the Story Nerd podcast with a high level look at both sequences, and the beginnings and endings of stories. If you want to learn how the first act of a story telegraphs the last, or how to break your manuscript down into easily-manageable sequences, be sure to tune in.For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all

en

00:32:10

Our Best Advice: hero's gift + antagonism

Story Nerd ·

2022/09/21

To wind up the season, Valerie and Melanie summarize what they've learned about the hero's gift expressed and forces of antagonism, and they offer their best advice about how you can get these storytelling principles working in your own novel. This is an episode you'll want to bookmark!For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner

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00:34:12

Wild: stories need conflict

Story Nerd ·

2022/09/14

It's hard to know quite where this film went off the rails, but certainly, one of the main problems is that there isn't any real conflict or tension. Just as tension begins to form, it fizzles, and so too does the viewer's interest. Why did this happen and how can you avoid it in your story?For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's

en

00:52:52

A Few Good Men: this is how you handle exposition

Story Nerd ·

2022/09/07

If you've ever been told to "show, don't tell" then you'll want to listen to this episode because the truth is that exposition (i.e., "tell") is an effective storytelling tool. This film is a brilliant example of forces of antagonism, the hero's gift expressed, and just about every other storytelling principle you can think of — including exposition. For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than

en

00:45:02

Booksmart: an unfortunate train wreck

Story Nerd ·

2022/08/31

Well, the good news is that as writers we often learn more from the stories that don't work, than from the stories that do work. Booksmart is a great example of what not to do. Are you making any of the same mistakes as these screenwriters?For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars 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/innercircle To

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00:46:38

Death on the Nile: the moustache mystery

Story Nerd ·

2022/08/24

This might be one of Agatha Christie's best known mysteries, but does it work for a modern audience? This week, Valerie and Melanie analyze Sir Kenneth Branagh's version of Christie's classic tale, and discuss just how far into a story the inciting incident can be. And don't miss Melanie's super sleuth skills in action as she uncovers a major plot hole that has to do with Poirot's famous moustache.For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to

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00:50:54

Promising Young Woman: when society is the villain

Story Nerd ·

2022/08/17

The writing in this film is nothing short of masterful. Among the many reasons to study it is the way it develops Society as a force of antagonism. The heroine isn't just battling men, she's up against women, societal attitudes, and institutions too.For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner

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