Story Nerd

By Valerie Francis, Melanie Hill, Kathleen FoxxArts Books

Story Nerd episodes

February 01, 2023 La La Land: novelists make this mistake too
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/innercircle
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au
Follow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter @valerie_francis
Follow Melanie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor
The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca.
For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit valeriefrancis.ca/checklist
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!
42 min
January 25, 2023 Groundhog Day: groundhog day groundhog day
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 Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au
Follow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter @valerie_francis
Follow Melanie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book
in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at
storynerd.ca.
For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit
valeriefrancis.ca/checklist
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!
36 min
January 18, 2023 Skyfall: m is for mother?
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 The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book
in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at
storynerd.ca.
For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit
valeriefrancis.ca/checklist
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!
58 min
January 11, 2023 Back to the Future: plot holes, schmot holes
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. The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book
in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at
storynerd.ca.
For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit
valeriefrancis.ca/checklist
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!
39 min
January 04, 2023 Storm Boy: hugh jackman v. the pelicans
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. The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book
in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at
storynerd.ca.
For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit
valeriefrancis.ca/checklist
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!
46 min
December 28, 2022 Whiplash: why the villain has a point
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? The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book
in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at
storynerd.ca.
For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit
valeriefrancis.ca/checklist
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!
51 min
December 21, 2022 Coraline: a horror story?
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? The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book
in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at
storynerd.ca.
For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit
valeriefrancis.ca/checklist
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!
36 min
December 14, 2022 Home Alone: wanna bend the rules?
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. The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book
in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at
storynerd.ca.
For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit
valeriefrancis.ca/checklist
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!
40 min
December 07, 2022 Our Best Advice: beginnings/endings + sequences
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! The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book
in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at
storynerd.ca.
For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit
valeriefrancis.ca/checklist
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!
28 min
November 30, 2022 Lost in Translation: wtaf?
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? The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book
in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at
storynerd.ca.
For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit
valeriefrancis.ca/checklist
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!
50 min

About Story Nerd

From the publisher's feed

For novelists, memoirists and screenwriters who want to write stories readers will love, and who want to work with a literary agent. Each week, editors Valerie Francis and Melanie Hill use films to…