Best Using Ai To Write Novels Podcasts (2025)

1
Mother's Instinct: keeps you guessing 26:29

5d ago26:29

26:29

The antagonist owned the progressive complications in this movie. Celine shows her best friend Alice what a fate worse than death could be. Valerie explains how the Core Event is linked to its genre and why it’s important to understand the difference between the core event in an action, horror, or thriller. -M For access to writing templates and wo…

1
Greenbook: when society is the antagonist 22:28

12d ago22:28

22:28

If you're writing a character-driven story, or a story where society is the antagonist, or a story with broad societal issues, add Greenbook to your list of films to study. I know all about the controversy surrounding this film but our analysis this week is, as always, on the storytelling craft. And from a craft perspective, this movie does a whole…

1
Anyone But You: yeah nah 27:18

19d ago27:18

27:18

First of all I have to let you know that it’s a miracle that no podcasters were harmed during the making of this episode. Bloody hell! What have I done? The cringe factor in this movie is off the charts - it’s worse than getting “sand up your clacker” (if you’ve watched this movie, you’ll get the reference). However, the opening scene does provide …

1
The Bank of Dave: def leppard steals the show 26:58

26d ago26:58

26:58

It's a brand new season and that means two brand new story theory principles to discuss! This time around, I'm studying the core event (aka a story's climax) and Melanie is studying progressive complications. The writers of THE BANK OF DAVE definitely poured some sugar on this genuinely sweet, feel-good movie. It's rock solid. As an added bonus, it…

1
Becoming a Bestselling Author, with Brian Proctor 36:52

1M ago36:52

36:52

In this special bonus episode, I interview Brian Proctor, a bestselling author in the field of personal development. This might seem like an odd fit for the show until you realize that it's not our talent or ability that holds us back as writers, it's our mindset. In this interview we discuss how to conquer procrastination, the truth about manifest…

1
Pretty Woman: a masterclass in the fundamentals (archive) 46:16

1M ago46:16

46:16

While Melanie and I continue to beaver away in the background, we thought we'd pull PRETTY WOMAN from the archives for you. This movie is a fan favourite and here's the thing, it gets all the storytelling fundamentals exactly right. We can't wait to share our new project with you. Stay tuned for more! - V. For access to writing templates and worksh…

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The Dry: an intro to outback noir (archive) 38:24

2M ago38:24

38:24

While Melanie and I cook up something extra special for you, we're highlighting some past episodes that you might have missed. THE DRY is an Outback Noir that we studied back in season 9. We talk about the environment as an antagonist, character archetypes, and a whole lot more. Check it out! - V. For access to writing templates and worksheets, and…

1
Whiplash: why the villain has a point (archive) 51:51

2M ago51:51

51:51

Behind the scenes, Melanie and I are cooking up something very special for you! While we work on that, for the next few weeks we'll be replaying some of our best episodes for you. This week it's WHIPLASH. This is one of my all-time favourites because it's an excellent example of every story principle (seriously). Enjoy! -V. For access to writing te…

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What Went Right: paddington 24:08

2M ago24:08

24:08

What makes the Paddington franchise so popular with audiences? That's exactly what Melanie and I set out to discover as we take a deep dive into the first film in the trilogy in this brand new What Went Right episode. We look past the CGI and get straight to the heart of the story. -V. For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 7…

1
What Went Wrong: green lantern 48:12

2M ago48:12

48:12

It's our second "what went wrong" episode and this time we're taking a deep dive into the 2011 film, GREEN LANTERN. Even Ryan Reynolds says this one is a dud, so where did the storytelling go wrong? Tune in to find out! -V. For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inne…

1
Our Best Advice: tension + 4SQ 17:56

3M ago17:56

17:56

That's a wrap on Season 13! Over the past eight episodes Melanie took a deep dive into one of the most important concepts in storytelling: tension. In this episode, she reviews the concepts of high and low tension, and highlights the principles you can use to create tension in your story. Meanwhile, I spent the season studying The 4 Story Questions…

1
Sleepless in Seattle: relies on star power? 28:45

3M ago28:45

28:45

Valerie and I take a scalpel to some well loved movies this season. First there was the Nightmare Before Christmas and now Sleepless in Seattle. I’m not a believer in ‘magic love’ so I find the premise of the movie silly, but there are some good examples of tension. However, under the microscope of Valerie’s 4 Story Questions, this movie is lacking…

1
Gifted: nowhere to hide 33:40

3M ago33:40

33:40

Writers of quiet, character-driven or "literary" stories often ask me if all this story theory stuff applies to them, or if it's only for "commercial" fiction. Believe me when I say that it's even more important and in this episode of the podcast, I explain why. Meanwhile, Melanie conducted an experiment this week. She wanted to discover how knowin…

1
The Secret of Roan Inish: sweet but weak 27:14

3M ago27:14

27:14

Frustration follows flaws! Can you create tension and conflict if the 4 Story questions haven’t been answered? The simple answer is “no”. I desperately wanted to love this movie because I’m writing a short story based on selkies. This is a sweet movie. It lacks some storytelling basics, which results in minimal tension and conflict. I know I’ve sai…

1
Judy: why object of desire is essential 30:33

3M ago30:33

30:33

Melanie and I talk about Object of Desire all the time and boy, oh boy, this movie really drives home why it's so important. The writers didn't go for the obvious choice here and it makes the movie, and the protagonist, so much more interesting because what Judy wants more than anything in the world is not to perform, but to be with her kids. In te…

1
Crazy Stupid Love: passive tension? 33:01

4M ago33:01

33:01

I love it when Valerie and I study different theories and come to different conclusions about the movie. Crazy, Stupid, Love has great examples of slow/low tension and high/intense tension - it’s a great movie demonstrating how tension works. However, it doesn’t work so well when the 4 Story Questions are applied. Why? Because a multi-point-of-view…

1
Fatal Attraction: who's the villain? (archive) 39:30

4M ago39:30

39:30

In this archive episode, we revisit our study of FATAL ATTRACTION which first aired as episode 5 of season 7. I was studying character revelation and Melanie was studying worldbuilding, but what I find most fascinating about this movie is that, viewed through a modern lens, it's unclear who the antagonist really is. We'll be back next week with a b…

1
10 Things I Hate About You: what not to do (archive) 33:58

4M ago33:58

33:58

While I'm teaching my kids to surf during our summer beach holiday, and Valerie is shovelling out from a winter storm, we're bringing you a throwback episode from season 6 where we studied stakes and empathy. Based on Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew", "10 Things I Hate About You" is packed with lessons about what not to do. We'll be back wit…

1
The Nightmare Before Christmas: razzle dazzle 32:28

4M ago32:28

32:28

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a favourite with both our families, and given that this is a Tim Burton film we expected that the storytelling would be rock solid. This is a great example of writers using the storytelling tools at their disposal to maximum effect. Ah, but since filmmakers have access to different tools than novelists, when you st…

1
The Banshees of Inisherin: when the mc breaks bad 25:28

5M ago25:28

25:28

The tension starts with the title of this week’s movie - The Banshees of Inisherin. Banshees cry right before someone dies. That’s tension right there - who will it be? The anticipation about who is going to die is high because the outcome is unknown. Tension thrives with uncertainty. I also explore the idea of high and low tension in a story. Vale…

1
Calendar Girls: wait...it's over? 33:51

5M ago33:51

33:51

Welcome to a brand new season! This time around I'm studying the 4 Story Questions and Melanie is focused on tension. This week we're looking at CALENDAR GIRLS. We love these actresses (I mean, honestly, what's not to love?) but the storyline threw us for a loop because when it felt like it was coming to a natural conclusion, we realized there was …

1
BLACK FRIDAY - SAVE 89% 2:28

5M ago2:28

2:28

You want to get published, right? You want to see your book in bookstores, you want to hit a bestseller list, and maybe you want Reese Witherspoon to pick your book for her bookclub. Well, before any of that can happen you need an agent and an outstanding query letter is the key to getting one. That's why I developed my brand new course, THE ART OF…

1
What Went Wrong: the cold light of day 39:22

5M ago39:22

39:22

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 go…

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Our Best Advice: writing exposition and creating character arcs 27:47

5M ago27:47

27:47

It's that time again! We've reached the end of the season and that means Melanie and I are wrapping up all our a-ha moments and lessons learned about writing exposition and creating character arcs. Plus we've got a special surprise coming for you and we talk about it in this episode to be sure to listen all the way to the end! - V. "The closer a sc…

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Up in the Air: thiiiiin 19:09

6M ago19:09

19:09

Up In The Air, boring or not, is this week’s question. Why do I find this movie interesting, and why does Valerie find it boring? Could the answer lie in Ryan Bingam’s character arc (and does he have one)? Could it lie in the small amount of exposition? Or could it be that George Clooney movies are boring? One thing is certain: this episode is the …

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All the President's Men: masterful exposition 43:06

6M ago43:06

43:06

This movie is almost entirely exposition, and while this isn't an approach I'd recommend for novelists, I can't imagine telling this particular story any other way. You might say that ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN is the exception that proves the rule. Master storyteller, William Goldman, pulls it off and that means there's a whole lot we can learn about…

1
Gone Baby Gone: writing a static protagonist 37:02

6M ago37:02

37:02

Most stories are about change. However, there is also a place for stories when the protagonist doesn’t change. The outcomes can still be positive - just watch James Bond and Erin Brockovich! There are also stories where the protagonist doesn’t change, and the outcome is ambiguous. This movie combines an ethical dilemma with a constant character to …

1
Little Miss Sunshine: who's the protagonist? 29:54

6M ago29:54

29:54

As Melanie and I prepared for this episode one question kept coming up ... Who is the protagonist? Melanie argues that the entire family is the protagonist, but I think that Olive (who is the Little Miss Sunshine contestant) is the protagonist. It's an interesting question and our discussion about it is even more interesting. If you're writing a mu…

1
Far From Heaven: what your character doesn't want 27:45

6M ago27:45

27:45

This season, I am focused on stories with negative or neutral character arcs. Sometimes, finding out what a character doesn’t want is the first step to discovery. On the surface, Cathy Whitaker has a perfect life. However, it’s a shallow life. Cathy’s choices are symbolically represented by her husband, Frank, and her gardener, Raymond. The two mal…

1
I, Tonya: don't try this at home 30:55

7M ago30:55

30:55

Wowzers! I, TONYA is absolutely chock-full of exposition. It's a documentary-style film so at first blush it doesn't seem to offer up many story lessons for novelists. However, DAISY JONES & THE SIX is a documentary-style novel so this is an episode you might want to pay attention to — not just for their handling of exposition, but also for their p…

1
Dorian Gray: what mick jagger said 29:43

7M ago29:43

29:43

The Rolling Stone’s song ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want,’ is my earworm this season. This week, I started to pick apart how wants, needs and arcs are connected. Dorian Gray is a classic cautionary tale about selling your soul. Dorian arrives in London as a beautiful but naive young man and dies with a rotten and decrepit soul - he is unredeema…

1
The Social Network: pacing, pacing, pacing 29:06

7M ago29:06

29:06

It's a brand new season and this time Melanie is studying character arcs through 5 key questions: Where do the characters start, where do they finish, what do they want, what decisions do they make along the way that get them to the end, and do they get what they want or need? Meanwhile, I do a deep dive into exposition. You've heard about "show, d…

1
Best Advice: Narrative Drive + Conflict Triangles 25:39

7M ago25:39

25:39

Whoa. This season has been a heavy season. Narrative Drive and Conflict Triangles are two major concepts that can - and will - transform your writing. In this episode, Melanie and I summarize everything we learned this season. -V For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie'…

1
Eye in the Sky: wonderfully nuanced storytelling 33:43

8M ago33:43

33:43

Eye in the Sky reminds me of the ‘greater good’ questions I discussed in class during high school - there’s no right or wrong answer but there are always consequences. This movie is an excellent example of how tension and escalating stakes combine with conflict triangles and narrative drive to create a compelling story. This isn’t an action movie b…

1
NYAD: writing unlikeable characters 32:15

8M ago32:15

32:15

Your reader doesn't have to like the protagonist but she does have to empathize with him because if empathy is absent, your story is in trouble. In this episode Melanie and I study conflict triangles and narrative drive, but we also have an interesting side conversation about empathy and likeability. If you're writing an unlikeable character, or if…

1
The Wife: best movie ever 25:24

8M ago25:24

25:24

Holy moly, this is a good movie! It's an especially good movie to study for anyone writing a quiet, character-driven story. THE WIFE originally aired as Episode 4 of Season 6 when Melanie was studying stakes and I was studying empathy. But honestly, this is one of those rare films that novelists (and memoirists!) can study to learn just about any s…

1
August Osage County: simply masterful 31:03

8M ago31:03

31:03

This movie is a masterclass on characters, character development, cast design and the relationships between characters. It honestly doesn't get any better than this. So no matter what kind of story you're writing, grab your notepad and dive in! -V. For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), su…

1
Lego Batman: ROTFL 39:35

9M ago39:35

39:35

Melanie chose Lego Batman from the vault because, in addition to being a really well-written story, it made her laugh. And that, imo, is the mark of superior writing. This episode originally aired in Season 5 when Melanie was studying resonance. If you're curious about what that is, and how it can truly enhance your storytelling, be sure to give th…

1
The Godfather: Valerie gets excited 50:47

9M ago50:47

50:47

Melanie and I are taking a short mid-winter/mid-summer break, so while we recharge our batteries we're reposting some of our favourite episodes starting this week with THE GODFATHER. Wow, there just aren't too many movies with this level of storytelling craft in them. I had a whole lot to say about this classic film and I know that no matter which …

1
Nocturnal Animals: pretty, but no story 24:26

9M ago24:26

24:26

We visit the joys of multiplot stories this week. Valerie discovers (again) the issues with multiplot stories in movies, and I investigate how the different timelines impact the narrative drive. We both learnt what happens to a story when conflict triangles and curiosity and concern are absent - a cautionary tale for writers. -M “A character can’t …

1
The Help: put this on your list 29:01

9M ago29:01

29:01

If you're writing a story with multiple protagonists/POVs, or if you're tackling a big social issue in your story, then you'll want to study The Help. As it happens, it's also a cracking example of Conflict Triangles and Narrative Drive - and that's what Melanie and I talk about in this week's episode. - V. "The bigger the scope of the issue, the s…

1
A Simple Favor: seriously, an evil twin? 36:53

10M ago36:53

36:53

This week one of mystery writing’s deadly sins makes a guest appearance. Valerie and I discuss if the appearance is welcome or not. A Simple Favour has good examples of how Narrative Drive works - great for my topic. However, it wasn’t so good for Valerie’s study of Conflict Triangles, so we see how superficial a story can be when the conflict isn’…

1
Belfast: active v passive protagonist 33:47

10M ago33:47

33:47

In BELFAST, Kenneth Branagh does something that most, if not all, new writers do. In a movie, it's kind of hard to spot because filmmakers have access to tools (like costume design, cinematography, and a musical score) that obscure it. In a novel, it's obvious —stark even — because all we have is black text on a white page. It's laid bare for all r…

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What Lies Beneath: play the "let me guess" game 31:10

10M ago31:10

31:10

Sometimes we learn more from our mistakes than our successes - that’s my story and I’m sticking to it this week! Narrative drive is an important storytelling principle to learn and this week’s movie is an example of poor story structure resulting in terrible narrative drive. A mystery writer should have control of the information. Valerie’s study o…

1
Doubt: a "quiet story" masterpiece 26:59

10M ago26:59

26:59

It's a brand new season and that means Melanie and I are studying two new topics: narrative drive and conflict triangles. Conflict and page-turners are usually associated with action stories, thrillers and the like. But DOUBT is a quiet, character-driven film that is so expertly crafted it grabs the viewer's attention immediately and holds it right…

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Our Best Advice: female characters + setups and payoffs 30:23

10M ago30:23

30:23

We've reached the end of another season and so we're wrapping up our best advice and a-ha moments just for you. Tune in to hear what we have to say about writing female characters and using female archetypes. We also share why it's crucial for you to use the first half of your story to set up everything that happens in the second half. (Hint: it al…

1
Hanna - women aren't small men 41:04

11M ago41:04

41:04

I have been looking forward to this episode since the start of the season. I specifically selected Hanna so we could study fight scenes and weapons handling with female characters - Hanna doesn’t disappoint. I consider aspects of female fight scenes and firing pistols. Valerie wasn’t so lucky this week. Hanna is light on story because the action sc…

1
Where'd You Go, Bernadette: deus ex machina 33:30

11M ago33:30

33:30

Quite often, stories that don't work have more to teach us than the stories that do. Maybe Maria Semple's novel (upon which this film is based), is simply one that's challenging to adapt to the screen. Whatever the case, this move has missed the mark on some basic storytelling principles (it has too many backstory info dumps, a Deus Ex Machina, and…

1
The Genius of Novellas 11:36

11M ago11:36

11:36

Novellas are the ace up your writerly sleeve! They enable you to practice all of the principles of storytelling in a shorter, more manageable form. That's going to make you a much better novelist because your story will be focused and you won't get lost in your manuscript. And oh, the best part? Novellas are on the rise. - V. *Script note: In the e…

1
Crazy Rich Asians: when the antagonist is more compelling than the protagonist 44:13

11M ago44:13

44:13

Crazy Rich Asians pitches two female leads against each other - sounds excellent right? Not so fast… This should set up an epic battle of wills as one fights against traditions she doesn’t understand while the other fights to retain order and tradition. This week, I find out what happens when the protagonist doesn’t plausibly match, then surpass, t…

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Using Ai To Write Novels Podcasts

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