Story Nerd

Hold on to your hats! Robert Altman's 1975 classic, Nashville, has 24 main characters and more storylines that you can count. If you're writing a story with two or more POVs and/or storylines, you can't afford to skip this episode! Mind blown. 🤯 For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefranci...

Melanie loves this film but it gives Valerie the creeps. They'll never see eye-to-eye on this one, but thanks to story theory, their subjective opinions don't get in the way of appreciating what this story has to offer. Guillermo del Toro has innovated the heck out of a courtship love story in a way that is nothing short of masterful. If you're looking for ways to innovate your story, regardless o...

It's easy to think that a Miniplot story is simply one where the protagonist has a strong internal arc. But that's only part of it. There's much, much more to it than that. So if your novel features a main character who changes over the course of the story, you definitely want to give this episode a listen! For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for...

The marketing people at Lego are geniuses. In 2014 they released The Lego Movie, launching a lucrative movie franchise and driving sales of their product through the roof. The storytelling isn't fancy, but it sure is solid. In this week's episode Valerie and Melanie look at Lego Batman (2017) and how the company uses resonance and storytelling fundamentals to create movies viewers love. For access...

Season 5 kicks off with Men in Black. Valerie is studying plot structure, and Melanie is studying resonance. Now, admittedly, plot structure doesn't sound very sexy but it's one of the first decisions a writer must make. If you haven't chosen a structure for your novel, how will you know if what you've written is working? Resonance is the ability to evoke or suggest images, emotions, and memories,...

We've all heard this advice from A-List authors...if we want to be better writers we have to read more. What they don't tell us is that reading like a writer is an entirely different activity than reading like a reader. In this episode, Melanie explains her approach to reading actively, deeply, widely and consistently. For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of train...

That's a wrap for Season 4! In this episode, Valerie and Melanie pull out their a-ha moments from the past ten shows, and they give you their best advice about crafting the middles of stories (Act 2) and subtext. For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle To learn to read...

Sometimes, studying a story that you love can be a bit scary. What if it turns out that the story is rubbish, and what you really like is the soundtrack, or the actor, or the costumes? Well, you can cast those worries aside this week because The Devil Wears Prada is solid. In terms of structure, it isn't fancy. It doesn't waver from the Hero's Journey/Archplot form, and that's okay. In fact it's m...

How are you starting your story, and is your global inciting incident fulfilling its two most important functions? In this episode, Valerie fills you in on the key points you need to know about the Inciting Incident at the global story level and the scene level.  Learn more about Valerie's upcoming webinar at www.hookyourreader.com For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 h...

Want to keep the middle of your story from sagging? In this episode, Valerie reveals the one thing writers need to understand about the second act and its function in a story. While Valerie and Melanie agree on the genre for this movie, they disagree about whether the film works as a whole. What do you think? Learn more about Valerie's upcoming webinar at www.hookyourreader.com For access to writi...

Thanks to you, our fellow story nerds, this little passion project of ours is growing by leaps and bounds. We're already in 76 countries and are nearing 1,000 downloads per week. And we're still in our first year! To express our gratitude, we're introducing new bonus episodes called Story 101. They'll be your quick reference guide to story theory for those times you need a little refresher. We've...

What on earth can novelists learn from a musical? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot. Cinematically, this is a beautiful film, there's oodles of subtext, and yes, the music is lovely. The story itself? Well, it's kinda thin. And this is the problem many novelists have ... we spend too much time on the polish and not enough time on the substance. For access to writing templates and worksheets, and...

Valerie and Melanie are both happily surprised (relieved?) to discover that there's much more to this movie than meets the eye. How did Harold Remis hold his audience's attention when the same day, and many of the same activities, repeat over and over and over again? It's quite a neat trick and is yet one more example of why understanding storytelling fundamentals is so important. For access to wr...

In this episode, Melanie's study of subtext has revealed something odd (and slightly uncomfortable). It seems that, according to Skyfall at least, M stands for mother. But why should Judi Dench's M be a maternal figure for James Bond? Valerie's study of Act 2 uncovers a striking similarity to last week's film: Back to the Future. What on earth could these movies have in common? To learn more about...

Back to the Future has plot holes. There, we said it. Does it matter? Nope. We've watched this film dozens (hundreds?) of times and only saw the holes when we analyzed it for this episode. Folks, it doesn't get any better than that. This is a great example of the three-act structure and the hero's journey, so if you need an excuse to rewatch this 1985 classic, here it is! You're welcome. Submit yo...

The Australian film, Storm Boy, uses a very complex story structure. It's nonlinear, with a framing story and flashbacks...definitely not for the faint of heart. So, if you're using even one of these techniques in your novel or screenplay, this episode is for you. Oh, and what does all this have to do with Hugh Jackman (because he's not in the film)? You'll have to tune in to find out. Submit your...

There are plenty of great reasons to study this film and chief among them is that it's a terrific example of why the antagonist in a story must have a point; a very good point that is hard to refute. What does your villain believe and can your reader agree, at least in part, with the argument? Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca. For access to writing templat...

Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller and his novel, Coraline, has been a favourite with young readers for two decades. The film version is a dazzling display of creativity from the stop-motion animation to the A-List voice talent, but does it eclipse or enhance Gaiman's original concept? What can novelists learn from the filmmakers' approach to adapting prose for the screen? Submit your query lette...

We're kicking off a brand new season with a holiday classic. Home Alone might feature a 10-year-old in the starring role, but the writing in this film is anything but child's play. If you're the kind of writer who likes to bend the rules, this is the episode for you. Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca. For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more...

To wrap up Season 3, we're doing a rundown of everything we've learned in the past ten episodes about the beginnings and endings of stories (and how they work as a unit), and sequences. Be sure to bookmark this episode so you can return to it whenever you need a quick refresher! Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca. For access to writing templates and workshee...

This is one strange movie. While we can understand it from an intellectual level, and we can deconstruct it (and yes, it won lots of awards), Lost in Translation didn't evoke any emotion from us (except maybe, annoyance). That's a big, big problem. Why is that the case? Where did this film go wrong, and how can we avoid making the same mistakes? Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing...

There are a handful of stories that theorists use as great examples of the craft, and Toy Story is one of them. (Chinatown is another, but sheesh, enough already!) Yes, the animation was groundbreaking for its day but that's not what makes this film special. All the fancy tech in the world (or even the best actors in the world) can't save a film from a script that doesn't work. If you're writing a...

It's not uncommon for a subplot, or secondary character, to take over a story - especially when a writer is still learning the ropes. So, how do you keep a subplot in check and what do you do if it starts taking over? In this week's episode, Valerie and Melanie discuss just that. Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca. For access to writing templates and workshe...

When fans talk about this movie, they usually mention the music. But an amazing soundtrack can't save a story that doesn't work. More importantly, for our purposes, music is outside the purview of the writer. So the question remains. Is the writing of this film solid, or does it rely on hits from yesteryear to gloss over its weaknesses? Tune in to find out. Submit your query letter and first 10 pa...

This week, Melanie and Valerie fell into a discussion about whether Good Will Hunting is a miniplot story, or an archplot story with a couple of subplots. What's the difference? Why does it matter? And how can not knowing put your work-in-progress at risk? Tune in to find out. Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca. For access to writing templates and worksheets...