Story Nerd

Story Nerd

The Story Nerd Podcast demystifies story theory so writers spend less time studying and more time writing. Literary editors and writers, Valerie Francis and Melanie Hill, analyze a film a week as an example of a storytelling principle. The show focuses on concepts common to all stories across film, television, novels and screenplays.

Episodes

Tootsie: finally, sequences!

September 28, 2022 • 32 min
Valerie and Melanie are kicking off a brand new season of the Story Nerd podcast with a high level look at both sequences, and the beginnings and endings of stories. If you want to learn how the first act of a story telegraphs the last, or how to break your manuscript down into easily-manageable sequences, be sure to tune in.
Share
Mark as Played

Our Best Advice: hero's gift + antagonism

September 21, 2022 • 32 min
To wind up the season, Valerie and Melanie summarize what they've learned about the hero's gift expressed and forces of antagonism, and they offer their best advice about how you can get these storytelling principles working in your own novel. This is an episode you'll want to bookmark!
Share
Mark as Played

Wild: stories need conflict

September 14, 2022 • 34 min
It's hard to know quite where this film went off the rails, but certainly, one of the main problems is that there isn't any real conflict or tension. Just as tension begins to form, it fizzles, and so too does the viewer's interest. Why did this happen and how can you avoid it in your story?
Share
Mark as Played

A Few Good Men: this is how you handle exposition

September 7, 2022 • 52 min
If you've ever been told to "show, don't tell" then you'll want to listen to this episode because the truth is that exposition (i.e., "tell") is an effective storytelling tool. This film is a brilliant example of forces of antagonism, the hero's gift expressed, and just about every other storytelling principle you can think of — including exposition.
Share
Mark as Played

Booksmart: an unfortunate train wreck

August 31, 2022 • 45 min
Well, the good news is that as writers we often learn more from the stories that don't work, than from the stories that do work. Booksmart is a great example of what not to do. Are you making any of the same mistakes as these screenwriters?
Share
Mark as Played

Death on the Nile: the moustache mystery

August 24, 2022 • 46 min
This might be one of Agatha Christie's best known mysteries, but does it work for a modern audience? This week, Valerie and Melanie analyze Sir Kenneth Branagh's version of Christie's classic tale, and discuss just how far into a story the inciting incident can be. And don't miss Melanie's super sleuth skills in action as she uncovers a major plot hole that has to do with Poirot's famous moustache.
Share
Mark as Played

Promising Young Woman: when society is the villain

August 17, 2022 • 50 min
The writing in this film is nothing short of masterful. Among the many reasons to study it is the way it develops Society as a force of antagonism. The heroine isn't just battling men, she's up against women, societal attitudes, and institutions too.
Share
Mark as Played

The Matrix: give your story away

August 10, 2022 • 50 min
In the first 10 pages of your story, you need to give the ending away. Sounds crazy, right? But, it's true. Why on earth would we do that? It would ruin the story, wouldn't it? Nope. When done right, it makes the story better. How would we do it? Listen to this episode to find out.
Share
Mark as Played

Captain Marvel: the alter ego is key

August 3, 2022 • 42 min
Did you know that if the alter ego doesn't have a gift to express, the superhero doesn't have a superpower? In this episode Valerie and Melanie discuss the importance of Carol Danvers's gift, and how expressing it ultimately enables her to both outsmart and overpower the forces of antagonism.
Share
Mark as Played

The Invisible Man: thriller or horror?

July 27, 2022 • 49 min
This week's episode is a bit of a throwback to season one, as Valerie and Melanie debate the genre and whether the antagonist is a monster, or a man who is monstrous. (In the world of storytelling, there's a big difference!) What do you think, is The Invisible Man a horror or a thriller?
Share
Mark as Played

Bend It Like Beckham

July 20, 2022 • 39 min
You can't go wrong with a performance story; it's a crowd-pleaser every time. With this genre, the opponent is usually the sole antagonist. But this film has a whole host of antagonists working together to complicate the plot and make life for the heroine very, very difficult. How did the writers weave together multiple forces of antagonism so seamlessly? Tune in to find out.
Share
Mark as Played

Legally Blonde

July 13, 2022 • 39 min
We're kicking off a new season with a focus on two new storytelling principles! In Season 2, Valerie is studying The Hero's Gift Expressed and Melanie is studying Forces of Antagonism. Legally Blonde is a beautiful example of both!
Share
Mark as Played

Genres: best advice for authors

July 6, 2022 • 34 min
In this episode, Valerie and Melanie review their key takeaways from the ten films they studied this season. Tune in to learn their best advice for authors, ah-ha moments and resource recommendations.
Share
Mark as Played

Dune: spectacle v. story

June 29, 2022 • 43 min
Dune is a true feast for the eyes, and it's got the Oscars to prove it. However, none of the awards (or nominations) were for the writing and there's an obvious reason for that. Join Valerie and Melanie as they do a deep dive into the storytelling aspect of this popular film.
Share
Mark as Played

The Power of the Dog: the epitome of a blended genre story

June 22, 2022 • 47 min
If you plan to blend genres in your novel, then do yourself a favour and tune in to this week's episode of Story Nerd. Maybe it's a western and maybe it isn't. Maybe it's something entirely new. Jane Campion and the entire team of professionals brought their A-Game to this one!
Share
Mark as Played

Rogue One: worldbuilding 101

June 15, 2022 • 47 min
Oh dear. The scales have fallen from Melanie's eyes this week as she analyzed one of her favourite films. The "spectacle" of film sure does make the movie-going experience a whole lot of fun, but when we strip away the soundtrack, the CGI, the costumes and the actors we admire, we're left with the story. Sometimes that makes us love our favourite stories even more, and sometimes it doesn't.
Share
Mark as Played

Knives Out: mastering the whodunnit

June 8, 2022 • 48 min
Puzzled about what it takes to write a great mystery? Then grab your notebook because this episode is chock-full of tips. No red herrings in this show, we promise!
Share
Mark as Played

Being the Ricardos: masterful writing, but does it work?

June 1, 2022 • 51 min
There's no question that Aaron Sorkin is a master storyteller, and the craft on display here is next level stuff. But, it doesn't necessarily mean the story works. In this episode, Melanie attempts to untangle the genre while Valerie discusses the hazards of prioritizing elevated writing technique over fundamental storytelling basics.
Share
Mark as Played

Turning Red: home run, or swing and miss?

May 25, 2022 • 45 min
While this film may not be listed among Pixar's Top 10, there's still plenty to love about Turning Red and we need more stories that explore these themes. From a craft perspective, Melanie sees it as a good example of how the beginning of a story sets up the end, and Valerie considers whether the red panda is a metaphor that works.
Share
Mark as Played

The Courier: when is a spy story not a spy story?

May 18, 2022 • 57 min
In this episode, Melanie takes us on a deep dive of spy stories, their conventions and subgenres. It turns out that what we usually think of as spy stories might not be spy stories at all! Meanwhile, Valerie examines the testing plot and offers advice about how to write historical fiction that works.
Share
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Serial

    Serial

    Serial is a podcast from Serial Productions, a New York Times company, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial unfolds one story - a true story - over the course of a whole season. The show follows the plot and characters wherever they lead, through many surprising twists and turns. Sarah won't know what happens at the end of the story until she gets there, not long before you get there with her. Each week she'll bring you the latest chapter, so it's important to listen in, starting with Episode 1. New episodes are released on Thursday mornings.

    Crime Junkie

    Crime Junkie

    If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.

    Morbid

    Morbid

    It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! Morbid is a true crime, creepy history and all things spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor.

    The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon

    The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon

    Welcome to the Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon produced by HBO Max and iHeartRadio. This show is the go-to audio destination to unpack and discuss everything Game of Thrones for casual and die-hard fans alike, starting with the new HBO Original series, House of the Dragon. Join our hosts Jason Concepcion (X-Ray Vision) and Greta Johnsen (WBEZ's Nerdette podcast) every week as they share insights, fan questions, exclusive interviews with the cast and crew, and a whole lot of thoughts and opinions. It’s the only podcast with the inside scoop on all things Game of Thrones. It is also produced in association with Crooked Media.

    Dateline NBC

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.

Advertise With Us

For You

    Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

    Connect

    Explore

    iHeart

    Live Radio

    Podcasts

    Artist Radio

    Genres

    Exclusives

    News

    Features

    Events

    Contests

    Photos

    Information

    About

    Advertise

    Blog

    Brand Guidelines

    Contest Guidelines

    Subscription Offers

    Jobs

    Get the App

    Automotive

    Home

    Mobile

    Wearables

    © 2022 iHeartMedia, Inc.