If you're writing a character-driven story, or a story where society is the antagonist, or a story with broad societal issues, add Greenbook to your list of films to study. I know all about the controversy surrounding this film but our analysis this week is, as always, on the storytelling craft. And from a craft perspective, this movie does a whole lot of things right. - V.

Get The Fundamentals of Storytelling today! Go to storynerd.ca/courses and use coupon code CANADA50, now through July 7, for 50% off. 

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.

First of all I have to let you know that it’s a miracle that no podcasters were harmed during the making of this episode.

Bloody hell! What have I done? The cringe factor in this movie is off the charts - it’s worse than getting “sand up your clacker” (if you’ve watched this movie, you’ll get the reference). However, the opening scene does provide a reasonable example of progressive complications in action. Not surprisingly, Valerie’s study of the Core Event is hampered by, um, by, everything. -M

Get The Fundamentals of Storytelling today! Go to storynerd.ca/courses and use coupon code CANADA50, now through July 7, for 50% off. 

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.

It's a brand new season and that means two brand new story theory principles to discuss! This time around, I'm studying the core event (aka a story's climax) and Melanie is studying progressive complications. The writers of THE BANK OF DAVE definitely poured some sugar on this genuinely sweet, feel-good movie. It's rock solid. As an added bonus, it also features Def Leppard (seriously!). Let me know if you literally stand up and dance at the end of this movie. I did! -V.

Get The Fundamentals of Storytelling today! Go to storynerd.ca/courses and use coupon code CANADA50, now through July 7, for 50% off. 

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.

In this special bonus episode, I interview Brian Proctor, a bestselling author in the field of personal development. This might seem like an odd fit for the show until you realize that it's not our talent or ability that holds us back as writers, it's our mindset. In this interview we discuss  how to conquer procrastination, the truth about manifesting, and the mindset Brian used to become a bestselling author with his very first book. -V.

Get The Fundamentals of Storytelling today! Go to storynerd.ca/courses and use coupon code CANADA50, now through July 7, for 50% off. 

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.

While Melanie and I continue to beaver away in the background, we thought we'd pull PRETTY WOMAN from the archives for you. This movie is a fan favourite and here's the thing, it gets all the storytelling fundamentals exactly right. We can't wait to share our new project with you. Stay tuned for more! - V.

Get The Fundamentals of Storytelling today! Go to storynerd.ca/courses and use coupon code CANADA50, now through July 7, for 50% off. 

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.

While Melanie and I cook up something extra special for you, we're highlighting some past episodes that you might have missed. THE DRY is an Outback Noir that we studied back in season 9. We talk about the environment as an antagonist, character archetypes, and a whole lot more. Check it out! - V.

Get The Fundamentals of Storytelling today! Go to storynerd.ca/courses and use coupon code CANADA50, now through July 7, for 50% off. 

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.

Behind the scenes, Melanie and I are cooking up something very special for you! While we work on that, for the next few weeks we'll be replaying some of our best episodes for you. This week it's WHIPLASH. This is one of my all-time favourites because it's an excellent example of every story principle (seriously). Enjoy! -V.

Get The Fundamentals of Storytelling today! Go to storynerd.ca/courses and use coupon code CANADA50, now through July 7, for 50% off. 

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.

What makes the Paddington franchise so popular with audiences? That's exactly what Melanie and I set out to discover as we take a deep dive into the first film in the trilogy in this brand new What Went Right episode. We look past the CGI and get straight to the heart of the story. -V.

Get The Fundamentals of Storytelling today! Go to storynerd.ca/courses and use coupon code CANADA50, now through July 7, for 50% off. 

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.

It's our second "what went wrong" episode and this time we're taking a deep dive into the 2011 film, GREEN LANTERN. Even Ryan Reynolds says this one is a dud, so where did the storytelling go wrong? Tune in to find out! -V.

Get The Fundamentals of Storytelling today! Go to storynerd.ca/courses and use coupon code CANADA50, now through July 7, for 50% off. 

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.

That's a wrap on Season 13! Over the past eight episodes Melanie took a deep dive into one of the most important concepts in storytelling: tension. In this episode, she reviews the concepts of high and low tension, and highlights the principles you can use to create tension in your story. Meanwhile, I spent the season studying The 4 Story Questions. This is really important stuff. Trust me on this...if you can't answer these questions clearly and succinctly, your story might be in big trouble. -V.

Get The Fundamentals of Storytelling today! Go to storynerd.ca/courses and use coupon code CANADA50, now through July 7, for 50% off. 

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.