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We're trying something new this week! Writers are constantly asking me and Melanie to explain why a story seems weird to them. So to help you understand why some stories flop, at the end of each season we'll pick a film that doesn't work and we'll try to figure out why. In this inaugural episode, Melanie chose IN THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY because it got a whopping 4% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's an eye-opener, that's for sure! I'd love to hear if you agree, or disagree, with our assessment. -V.
"This movie failed because it didn't follow any of the basic storytelling principles." Valerie Francis
Related Story Nerd Episodes
The Help (Season 11, Episode 5)
Season 10 - Setups and Payoffs
Season 11 - Narrative Drive + Conflict Triangles
Season 12 - Exposition
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca.
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.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!
By Melanie Hill, Valerie Francis, Kathleen Foxx5
5757 ratings
We're trying something new this week! Writers are constantly asking me and Melanie to explain why a story seems weird to them. So to help you understand why some stories flop, at the end of each season we'll pick a film that doesn't work and we'll try to figure out why. In this inaugural episode, Melanie chose IN THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY because it got a whopping 4% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's an eye-opener, that's for sure! I'd love to hear if you agree, or disagree, with our assessment. -V.
"This movie failed because it didn't follow any of the basic storytelling principles." Valerie Francis
Related Story Nerd Episodes
The Help (Season 11, Episode 5)
Season 10 - Setups and Payoffs
Season 11 - Narrative Drive + Conflict Triangles
Season 12 - Exposition
Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca.
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.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.
Watch us on YouTube!

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