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 all about brain science!) – V. (The following summary was generated by AI.) Crafting Stories Readers Will Love: Insights from Our Latest Episode If

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 scenes take up a lot of space. However she did find a strong example of another story telling principle…join us to find out what it was. – M. (The following summary was

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 weak narrative drive). If you want to understand the impact these things have on a story, and on the reader/viewer, this episode is for you! – V. (The

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 episode, I mention that Jenna Bush recommended two novellas in her March 2024 bookclub. That is incorrect. She recommended one — THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET

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, the antagonist. Valerie discusses how superficial innovation doesn’t hide questionable male characters or Asian stereotypes.-V. (The following summary was generated by AI.) Discover the Power of Novellas and Cultural Storytelling in Crazy

his movie was way ahead of its time. It’s a brilliant example of the heroine’s journey and Melanie walks us through all 10 phases as outlined in Maureen Murdock’s THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY: A WOMAN’S QUEST FOR WHOLENESS. Thanks to its excellent use of setups and payoffs, it also has an ending that is both surprising and inevitable. -V. (The following summary was generated by AI.) Have you ever felt the daunting weight of an unfinished novel on your shoulders? You’re not alone. Many writers struggle with the marathon of long-form

The marketing for this film highlights Judi Dench, but she’s barely in it at all. As fans of hers, Melanie and I were disappointed. The movie is ok but it wasn’t what we expected and that soured our experience of the story. Melanie still did a study of female archetypes and I still studied setups and payoffs, but the real lesson this week is what happens when a story doesn’t meet audience (or reader) expectations. -V. (The following summary was generated by AI.) Have you ever wondered what makes a

Does the nickname “baby” bother us? Why yes, yes it does. But we’ve got to admit, Dirty Dancing is an excellent example of the heroine’s journey, as well as female archetypes and how women are presented in stories. It also happens to be, structurally, an excellent film. It’s not a complex story, but it’s well-told. -V. (The following summary was generated by AI.) Are you a writer seeking to enchant your readers with stories that resonate on a deeper level? Then you won’t want to miss our latest podcast episode,

War stories are often the domain of ‘dick lit’ male protagonists, but is this a true representation of history and does the experience of women in war differ? In this episode, I reference historical female warriors and examines how the experiences of Maya, the protagonist in Zero Dark Thirty, compares with her wartime service. Valerie explores what happens when the scope of a story is too wide, and the impact scope has on setups and payoffs. -M (The following summary was generated by AI.) Dive into the intricacies of storytelling

We’re kicking off a brand new season with two new story concepts. Melanie will be studying female characters and how women are presented in modern stories (her work in this episode is reeeeally interesting!), and I’ll be investigating something I learned from Steven Pressfield, which is that we shouldn’t introduce anything new after Act 2. – V. (The following summary was generated by AI.) Dive into the heart of storytelling with us as we peel back the layers of the classic rom-com ‘Moonstruck’ to explore the vital storytelling principle of