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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

00:31:03

August Osage County: simply masterful

Story Nerd ·

2024/08/21

This movie is a masterclass on characters, character development, cast design and the relationships between characters. It honestly doesn't get any better than this. So no matter what kind of story you're writing, grab your notepad and dive in! -V.For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle.To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads

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00:39:35

Lego Batman: ROTFL

Story Nerd ·

2024/08/14

Melanie chose Lego Batman from the vault because, in addition to being a really well-written story, it made her laugh. And that, imo, is the mark of superior writing. This episode originally aired in Season 5 when Melanie was studying resonance. If you're curious about what that is, and how it can truly enhance your storytelling, be sure to give this episode a listen. - V. 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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00:50:47

The Godfather: Valerie gets excited

Story Nerd ·

2024/08/07

Melanie and I are taking a short mid-winter/mid-summer break, so while we recharge our batteries we're reposting some of our favourite episodes starting this week with THE GODFATHER. Wow, there just aren't too many movies with this level of storytelling craft in them. I had a whole lot to say about this classic film and I know that no matter which genre you're writing in, there's something in this episode to help you. Enjoy! - V.For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours

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00:24:26

Nocturnal Animals: pretty, but no story

Story Nerd ·

2024/07/31

We visit the joys of multiplot stories this week. Valerie discovers (again) the issues with multiplot stories in movies, and I investigate how the different timelines impact the narrative drive. We both learnt what happens to a story when conflict triangles and curiosity and concern are absent - a cautionary tale for writers. -M“A character can’t un-know something or completely ignore something that is right in front of them.” Melanie Hill. RELATED STORY NERD EPISODESNashville Season 5, Episode 5As

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00:29:01

The Help: put this on your list

Story Nerd ·

2024/07/24

If you're writing a story with multiple protagonists/POVs, or if you're tackling a big social issue in your story, then you'll want to study The Help. As it happens, it's also a cracking example of Conflict Triangles and Narrative Drive - and that's what Melanie and I talk about in this week's episode. - V."The bigger the scope of the issue, the smaller the scope of your story." Valerie FrancisFor access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free),

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00:36:53

A Simple Favor: seriously, an evil twin?

Story Nerd ·

2024/07/17

This week one of mystery writing’s deadly sins makes a guest appearance. Valerie and I discuss if the appearance is welcome or not. A Simple Favour has good examples of how Narrative Drive works - great for my topic. However, it wasn’t so good for Valerie’s study of Conflict Triangles, so we see how superficial a story can be when the conflict isn’t complex. -M."After studying this movie, I understand that multiple narrative drive devices can be used simultaneously." Melanie HillRelated Story Nerd

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00:33:47

Belfast: active v passive protagonist

Story Nerd ·

2024/07/14

In BELFAST, Kenneth Branagh does something that most, if not all, new writers do. In a movie, it's kind of hard to spot because filmmakers have access to tools (like costume design, cinematography, and a musical score) that obscure it. In a novel, it's obvious —stark even — because all we have is black text on a white page. It's laid bare for all readers to see, and readers don't like it. Here it is ... in BELFAST the protagonist is passive. He's observing the action but not part of the action (and

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00:31:10

What Lies Beneath: play the "let me guess" game

Story Nerd ·

2024/07/03

Sometimes we learn more from our mistakes than our successes - that’s my story and I’m sticking to it this week! Narrative drive is an important storytelling principle to learn and this week’s movie is an example of poor story structure resulting in terrible narrative drive. A mystery writer should have control of the information. Valerie’s study of conflict triangles was more fruitful than my area of study this week. The conflict triangle is present and clear to see. -M"Narrative drive is all about

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00:26:59

Doubt: a "quiet story" masterpiece

Story Nerd ·

2024/06/26

It's a brand new season and that means Melanie and I are studying two new topics: narrative drive and conflict triangles. Conflict and page-turners are usually associated with action stories, thrillers and the like. But DOUBT is a quiet, character-driven film that is so expertly crafted it grabs the viewer's attention immediately and holds it right to the bitter end. Seriously, there's so much for novelists in here. -V."The main conflict in a story is between the protagonist and the antagonist,

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00:30:23

Our Best Advice: female characters + setups and payoffs

Story Nerd ·

2024/06/19

We've reached the end of another season and so we're wrapping up our best advice and a-ha moments just for you. Tune in to hear what we have to say about writing female characters and using female archetypes. We also share why it's crucial for you to use the first half of your story to set up everything that happens in the second half. (Hint: it all about brain science!) - V."One of our most hardwired expectations is that anything that reads like the beginning of a new pattern, that is a setup,

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00:41:04

Hanna - women aren't small men

Story Nerd ·

2024/06/12

I have been looking forward to this episode since the start of the season. I specifically selected Hanna so we could study fight scenes and weapons handling with female characters - Hanna doesn’t disappoint. I consider aspects of female fight scenes and firing pistols. Valerie wasn’t so lucky this week. Hanna is light on story because the action scenes take up a lot of space. However she did find a strong example of another story telling principle…join us to find out what it was. - M."Not

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00:33:30

Where'd You Go, Bernadette: deus ex machina

Story Nerd ·

2024/06/05

Quite often, stories that don't work have more to teach us than the stories that do. Maybe Maria Semple's novel (upon which this film is based), is simply one that's challenging to adapt to the screen. Whatever the case, this move has missed the mark on some basic storytelling principles (it has too many backstory info dumps, a Deus Ex Machina, and weak narrative drive). If you want to understand the impact these things have on a story, and on the reader/viewer, this episode is for you! - V."If

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00:11:36

The Genius of Novellas

Story Nerd ·

2024/05/31

Novellas are the ace up your writerly sleeve! They enable you to practice all of the principles of storytelling in a shorter, more manageable form. That's going to make you a much better novelist because your story will be focused and you won't get lost in your manuscript. And oh, the best part? Novellas are on the rise. - V.*Script note: In the episode, I mention that Jenna Bush recommended two novellas in her March 2024 bookclub. That is incorrect. She recommended one — THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET

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00:44:13

Crazy Rich Asians: when the antagonist is more...

Story Nerd ·

2024/05/29

Crazy Rich Asians pitches two female leads against each other - sounds excellent right? Not so fast… This should set up an epic battle of wills as one fights against traditions she doesn’t understand while the other fights to retain order and tradition. This week, I find out what happens when the protagonist doesn’t plausibly match, then surpass, the antagonist. Valerie discusses how superficial innovation doesn’t hide questionable male characters or Asian stereotypes. "When I watched Rachel and

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00:36:39

Yentil: the heroine's journey

Story Nerd ·

2024/05/22

This movie was way ahead of its time. It's a brilliant example of the heroine's journey and Melanie walks us through all 10 phases as outlined in Maureen Murdock's THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY: A WOMAN'S QUEST FOR WHOLENESS. Thanks to its excellent use of setups and payoffs, it also has an ending that is both surprising and inevitable."One of our most hardwired expectations is that anything that reads like the beginning of a new pattern, that is a setup, will, in fact, be a setup with a corresponding

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00:35:38

Red Joan: meeting reader expectations

Story Nerd ·

2024/05/15

The marketing for this film highlights Judi Dench, but she's barely in it at all. As fans of hers, Melanie and I were disappointed. The movie is ok but it wasn't what we expected and that soured our experience of the story. Melanie still did a study of female archetypes and I still studied setups and payoffs, but the real lesson this week is what happens when a story doesn't meet audience (or reader) expectations. -V."Female characters don't have to be based on female archetypes, and vice versa for

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00:38:20

Dirty Dancing: the heroine's journey

Story Nerd ·

2024/05/08

Does the nickname "baby" bother us? Why yes, yes it does. But we've got to admit, Dirty Dancing is an excellent example of the heroine's journey, as well as female archetypes and how women are presented in stories. It also happens to be, structurally, an excellent film. It's not a complex story, but it's well-told. -V."In the first half of your story, you're planting seeds that will bear fruit in the second half of your story." - Valerie FrancisRelated Story Nerd EpisodesBeginnings and Endings

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00:35:36

Zero Dark Thirty: women in war zones

Story Nerd ·

2024/05/01

War stories are often the domain of ‘dick lit’ male protagonists, but is this a true representation of history and does the experience of women in war differ? In this episode, I reference historical female warriors and examines how the experiences of Maya, the protagonist in Zero Dark Thirty, compares with her wartime service. Valerie explores what happens when the scope of a story is too wide, and the impact scope has on setups and payoffs. -M"What is interesting to me, is how women are portrayed

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00:44:17

Moonstruck: writing female characters

Story Nerd ·

2024/04/24

We're kicking off a brand new season with two new story concepts. Melanie will be studying female characters and how women are presented in modern stories (her work in this episode is reeeeally interesting!), and I'll be investigating something I learned from Steven Pressfield, which is that we shouldn't introduce anything new after Act 2."Setups and payoffs are questions asked and answered." Valerie FrancisRelated Story Nerd Episodes:Lady Bird (Season 8, Episode 9)REGISTER FOR THE 2024 SPRING

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00:48:04

What do agents do?

Story Nerd ·

2024/04/20

This bonus episode was prompted by a chat I saw on Threads. It started with the question, what excites you most about having an agent? Offline, Melanie and I began to literary agents and what they do. We decided to hit record and share what we know with you. Enjoy! - V.REGISTER FOR THE 2024 SPRING WEBINAR SERIESFor access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle.To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's

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