Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Story Nerd
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Story Nerd episodes
- Our Best Advice: villain’s monologue + turning points
We've come to the end of another season and that means it's time for our best advice about the villain's monologue (what it is, and why it's essential you have one in your story) and turning points (those unexpected events that create opportunities for you to reveal character). -V.
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!
29 min - Black Bag: IYKYK
I think BLACK BAG misses the mark but it's one of Melanie's favourites. So what happens when we disagree on whether, from a craft perspective, a story is working or not? Well, you'll have to tune in to this week's episode to find out. One thing I'll say is that this might be a film that is meant for super fans of the spy genre (i.e., Melanie) because it seems to assume a level of knowledge about the world of espionage that the average viewer (i.e., me) simply doesn't have. Enjoy! -V.
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 - Primal Fear: masterful writing
Primal Fear is a superb film. The novel, by William Diehl, is even better. This is a story to add to your short list of go-to stories to study for absolutely any aspect of the craft. Enjoy! - V.
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!
26 min - Legally Blonde (archive)
This week we're throwing it back to season 2. Valerie is studying The Hero's Gift Expressed and Melanie is studying Forces of Antagonism. Legally Blonde is a beautiful example of both!
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!
43 min - No Way Out: conflict triangles (archive)
In this week's episode, Melanie introduces the concept of conflict triangles and honestly, if you use them in your work, your story will improve immediately. In terms of cast design, while usually the plot supports the development of the characters in this case, the characters support the development of the plot. If you don't know which option best serves your story, you'd better tune in.
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 - Moonstruck: writing female characters (archive)
In this episode, Melanie is studying female characters and how women are presented in modern stories (her work in this episode is reeeeally interesting!), and I investigate something I learned from Steven Pressfield, which is that we shouldn't introduce anything new after Act 2.
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!
45 min - The Bourne Identity: build tension, raise stakes (archive)
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.
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 - Knives Out: mastering the whodunit (archive)
Puzzled about what it takes to write a great mystery? Then grab your notebook because this episode is chock-full of tips. No red herrings in this show, we promise!
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!
52 min - Foe: offers lots of writing lessons
Ummm … I don’t know what to say to introduce this week’s episode. Perhaps I should start with a simple question, ‘What makes a story un-watchable/un-readable?’ Part of the answer is chickens. If you’d like to know the rest of the answer, then buckle-up and dive in. -M
“Foe makes all the same mistakes that most novelists make.” - Valerie Francis
Related Story Nerd Episodes
- Season 13 - Four Story Questions
- Season 5 - Story Form
- Season 7 - World Building
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 - The Miracle Club: when the hero is also the villain
THE MIRACLE CLUB is a multiple protagonist, miniplot, story. That means that each protagonist is also an antagonist. Sounds cool, right? But how the heck do you pull it off? Well one of the ways is to give each POV character her own villain's monologue. This film misses on one character and you just have to hear what happens to the story because of it! Melanie continues her study of turning points and this week, she shows us how they impact a story's pacing. Don't miss out! -V.
“The villain drives the middle build of your story.” - Valerie Francis
Related Story Nerd Episodes
- Season 11: Conflict Triangles Deep Dive
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!
31 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…
explain how to craft a story that hooks the reader on page one and holds their attention all the way to the end. On alternate weeks, Valerie and literary agent Kathleen Foxx offer their professional feedback on query letters and writing samples submitted by Story Nerd listeners.
The goal is simple: to help writers realize their dreams of becoming published authors. If you love to write, and you love to tell stories, and you want to see your book out in the world, this podcast is for you!
"The only thing that matters, and that ever will matter, is the story. That's it." - Tom Hanks (Oxford Union 2024)
The goal is simple: to help writers realize their dreams of becoming published authors. If you love to write, and you love to tell stories, and you want to see your book out in the world, this podcast is for you!
"The only thing that matters, and that ever will matter, is the story. That's it." - Tom Hanks (Oxford Union 2024)
More shows like Story Nerd
Hidden Brain
43,359 Listeners
The Book Review
3,959 Listeners
Writing Excuses
1,294 Listeners
The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers
630 Listeners
Self-Publishing with ALLi
58 Listeners
The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
227 Listeners
#AmWriting
251 Listeners
The Story Blender
33 Listeners
Wish I'd Known Then: a Podcast for Self Published Indie Writers
131 Listeners
Fiction Writing Made Easy with Savannah Gilbo | How to Write a Novel & Writing Advice
1,483 Listeners
The Rest Is History
15,702 Listeners
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
783 Listeners
ZOE Science & Nutrition
2,031 Listeners
Essential Guide to Writing a Novel
432 Listeners
Your Next Draft
77 Listeners