Story Nerd podcast

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38:05

In late 1972, U.S. Marine Captain Ron Forrester disappeared on a bombing run into North Vietnam. Back home in Texas, his family could only wait and hope. Audio subscribers to Texas Monthly can get early access to episodes of the series, plus exclusive interviews and audio. Visit texasmonthly.com/audio to join. Go to HelloFresh.com/FLIGHT10FM to get 10 Free Meals with a Free Item For Life.…

Story Nerd

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For novelists, memoirists and screenwriters who want to know how stories work so they can finish their manuscripts faster, and without frustration. Each week literary editors Valerie Francis and Melanie Hill explain the craft of storytelling using films as examples. 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 want to spend more time writing your book/screenplay and less time studying story theory, 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)

180 episodes

Story Nerd

updated a day ago

Series home•Feed

180 episodes

All episodes

Story Nerd

1
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: secrets of multi POV stories 37:50

1 day ago37:50

37:50

This movie looks like an innocent little story about seniors who want to make the most of their golden years, but the craft behind it will knock your socks off. It's a multiple POV, multiple plot film and believe me, this is NOT an easy format to pull off. So if you're writing a story with more than one protagonist and/or more than one plot line, do yourself a favour — listen to this episode and learn from these master storytellers. -V. 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

1
Anatomy of a Fall: mind blown 28:56

8 days ago28:56

28:56

Every-now-and-then we stumble across unassuming movies that blow our socks off. Anatomy of a Fall is one of these. There’s so much to love about this movie which is a masterclass in character, mystery, tension, and nearly every story telling principle we’ve discussed on the podcast. Of course, there’s a great deal to learn about progressive complications and the climatic moment. -M 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

1
Shirley: when endings fail 41:16

15 days ago41:16

41:16

I think the filmmakers had good intentions when they made SHIRLEY, unfortunately, they failed to stick to the essentials of storytelling. In this episode, Melanie does a fantastic job of illustrating what happens to a story when writers fail to create obstacles that progressively complicate the plot. (Progressive Complications are a big deal - you're going to want to pay attention to this one.) And I do a deep dive into the core event (aka the climax) and explain why it doesn't work and how you can avoid making the same mistake in your novel. -V. 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

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

22 days 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 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

1
Greenbook: when society is the antagonist 22:28

29 days 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 lot of things right. - V. 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

1
Anyone But You: yeah nah 27:18

5 weeks 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 a reasonable example of progressive complications in action. Not surprisingly, Valerie’s study of the Core Event is hampered by, um, by, everything. -M 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

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

6 weeks 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 also features Def Leppard (seriously!). Let me know if you literally stand up and dance at the end of this movie. I did! -V. 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

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

7 weeks 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 manifesting, and the mindset Brian used to become a bestselling author with his very first book. -V. 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

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

8 weeks 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 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

1
The Dry: an intro to outback noir (archive) 38:24

9 weeks 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 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

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

10 weeks 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 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

1
What Went Right: paddington 24:08

11 weeks 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 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle. To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

1
What Went Wrong: green lantern 48:12

12 weeks 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 Inner Circle. To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

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

13 weeks 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. This is really important stuff. Trust me on this...if you can't answer these questions clearly and succinctly, your story might be in big trouble. -V. 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. Follow Valerie on Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor…

Story Nerd

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

14 weeks ago28:45