By the time we get to the end of our manuscript, we can feel drained creatively. The temptation to phone it in looms large. But be careful. No matter how good the rest of your story is, if the ending is weak, the novel/film will fail to impress. This is just one of the lessons that Valerie and Melanie learned this week.

"What I mean by a left-brained story is basically a story that appeals to our heads more than our hearts. It has to hook the reader intellectually." - Valerie Francis

RELATED STORY NERD EPISODES:

Death on the Nile (Season 2, Episode 207)

Empathy (Season 6)

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.