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Story Nerd: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Valerie Francis, Melanie Hill, Kathleen Foxx
For novelists, memoirists and screenwriters who want to write stories their readers will love. Each week literary 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. The goal is simple: to learn from writers who have come before us...what worked well and what didn't work so well. If you're a writer who loves to write, 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)
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- 3 days ago41 min
What Went Wrong: cowboys and aliens
Blending genres, even genres as disparate as sci-fi and western, CAN be done! Firefly pulls it off beautifully, and yet Cowboys and Aliens flopped. Story tropes and hacks, like having a character lose his memory, can work so well it launches a franchise — look no further than Jason Bourne. But in Cowboys and Aliens it's, frankly, just plain stupid. This film is produced by, and stars, some of the biggest names in the business and yet, it has still done a face plant. So where did it go wrong? That's what Melanie and I reveal in today's episode. Enjoy! -V. Watch us on YouTube (and subscribe)! 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.
- 1 weeks ago30 min
Best Advice: worldbuilding and saggy middles
How do you keep your reader from losing interest halfway through the book? This is what happens when a story "sags" in the middle and the fix is easier than you might expect! What happens if you run afoul of the norms you've established for your own fictional world? Hooboy, this is a trap many writers (new and established) run into and the impact on a story can be devastating. In this episode, Melanie and I review everything we learned in Season 19 about the antagonist's role in the all-important second act, and about orienting a reader to a fictional world. Enjoy! -V. Watch us on YouTube (and subscribe)! 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.
- 2 weeks ago34 min
Bombshell: irony masterclass
If you want to know what irony is and how to use it, this episode is story gold. ‘I’m not a feminist,’ is Megyn Kelly’s catchcry in Bombshell, but she calls out misogyny (eventually) and is the breadwinner for her family. Yep! This has mined the irony to maximum value. However, just because I find story gold, doesn't mean Valerie has been as lucky. What happens when the middle build of a story is meant to be driven by the antagonist and the antagonist does his job off-screen? Join us this week to find out. -M. Watch us on YouTube (and subscribe)! 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.
- 3 weeks ago32 min
Fab Pages Failed Query
Here's why you need to invest time learning to write plot paragraphs: even if your sample pages are stunning, a weak query will sink the whole submission. Don't believe me? Listen to this episode. The author's line writing is spot on but the plot paragraphs in the query letter don't describe the plot and so what Kathleen and I thought we were getting, isn't what we got at all and that can — and will — make an agent say no. Happily, rewriting the QL is much easier than rewriting the manuscript! -V. Watch us on YouTube (and subscribe)! 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.
- 3 weeks ago39 min
The Birds: genre blend or bust?
What happens to a reader's attention when you blend or combine genres? The Birds starts out as an obsession love story and ends as a monster horror film. Yes, it's Hitchcock (a filmmaker many consider untouchable) but is this a successful genre blend/transition, or is it a bust? The answer may surprise you — it sure as heck surprised me. And if you're curious about how woman are portrayed in film and literature, particularly how they're presented as witches and "unnatural" women, then you absolutely must hear Melanie's thoughts this episode. Seriously, she's outdone herself. Your perspective might just change forever. -V. Watch us on YouTube (and subscribe)! 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.
- 4 weeks ago49 min
Debut Writer Red Flags
What are the telltale signs of a first-time writer? (Yep, they exist and agents can spot them a mile away.) Are you making them? In this Hook Your Reader episode, Kathleen and I reveal some of the biggies, and best of all, we give you solutions and strategies for how to fix and/or avoid them. Enjoy! -V. Watch us on YouTube (and subscribe)! 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.
- Oct 7, 202635 min
The Northman: putting the history in historical fiction
When writing historical fiction, how important is historical accuracy? After all, it's fiction, right? Surely there's wiggle room, isn't there? This week, we study The Northman, an excellent example of historical fiction that brings the harshness of Viking reality to life. There's no need to have watched this film to enjoy today's episode. It's a pretty gruesome, bloody film, and we figured many of you would want to give that a pass so we start the episode with a G-Rated plot summary...this is the source material for Hamlet, so it's a storyline you're already familiar with. The lessons here around worldbuilding are something you won't want to miss! And when it comes to the villains, well, The Northman is burdened by the same problem as Spy Games - the antagonist isn’t antagonising. The result is the same too - no significant conflict or rising tension. This is a powerful lesson in why the middle build should belong to the villain. -M&V. Watch us on YouTube (and subscribe)! 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.
- Oct 2, 202644 min
Bait and Switch?
How do you know if your query letter is accurately representing the narrative within your manuscript? Yes, you have to hook the reader in the query, but what happens if the hook you present doesn't match the story? It's all inside today's Hook Your Reader episode. 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!
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About Story Nerd
For novelists, memoirists and screenwriters who want to write stories their readers will love. Each week literary 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. The goal is simple: to learn from writers who have come before us...what worked well and what didn't work so well. If you're a writer who loves to write, 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)
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