Story Nerd

Well, well, well ... this has to be THE most interesting presentation of an underdog protagonist that I've ever come across. Not only have the filmmakers gone above and beyond with respect to their audience's expectations, but they've innovated the heck out of the underdog. This you've got to see! And if you're not sure whether you've written a logline or a premise statement for your story (or why you'd need both and when you'd use...

This week I practised writing a premise for each of the characters in Notting Hill and I experimented with the ending to see if this tool helps writers evaluate writing ideas. Valerie studied the value of the “everyman” punching above his weight in a romance - a winning formula if ever there was one! - M.

Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca.

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What happens when a story is pitched in the query letter as a mystery, but doesn't read like one in the opening pages? Where did the confusion creep in and how can you avoid a genre mismatch? We discuss this and much more (including writing unnamed protagonists and passive characters) in today's Hook Your Reader episode. Enjoy! -V.

Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca.

For access to writing temp...

Of all the types of protagonists, audiences/readers love the underdog the most, and our discussion of this beloved archetype led us down all kinds of interesting story theory roads including tension, stakes, objects of desire, the use of consequences as plot devices, suspension of disbelief and the Disneyfication of fairy tales! Meanwhile, Melanie continues her study of the premise statement and logline — what the difference ...

Sicario presented us with a few surprises this week. Valerie thought she’d be analysing a hero, but Kate is an underdog. She’s not presented as a typical underdog, nor does she have the typical underdog resolution. On my end, the logline for the movie misses some essential information. I try a new method of creating a premise that clarifies the conflict and story climax, and it delivers a surprising discovery about the ...

Can you write a killer opening line? Can you define what a killer opening line is? In this week's episode, we give our professional advice on the opening pages of a story described as upmarket with suspense elements, starting with a debate about the opening line. Don't get me wrong ... the first 10 pages are quite good, but we've got suggestions for how to make them great! Don't miss this episode! -V.

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What type of protagonist does your story feature? There are 4 types, each of them can be a constant character or a change character, and each one evokes a different emotion from your reader/viewer. And that's exactly what I'm studying this season starting with the hero which could be a literal superhero, or it could be a little old lady. And Melanie is studying the story premise and how to articulate a story in one sentence (becaus...

Poles apart - and not the dancing kind!

Anora won the 2024 Palme d’Or at Cannes and five out of six categories at the 2025 Academy awards including Best Original Screen Play and Best Film. Plus, it was nominated for a multitude of other awards and won its fair share. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an aggregated rating of 93%. That’s impressive. 

However, we disagree about What Went Right. I saw how the writer director c...

It's AMA time! When is the best time to query an agent? When is the best time to go out on submission? How on earth does a writer choose comp titles? Literary agent, Kathleen Foxx, answers these questions and more on today's Hook Your Reader episode. If you want our feedback on your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample, visit storynerd.ca for details on how to submit. We look forward to reading your work! -V.

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I'm convinced that the screenplay for this film was generated by AI. Of course, I have no proof for that, but 80 for Brady is so completely bizarre that if AI wasn't involved, I'd like to know what the filmmakers were smoking. It misses the mark at every turn and has so neglected (ignored? forgotten?) the fundamentals of storytelling that not even four legends of stage and screen can save it. This just might be the worst movie ever...

In the season roundup, we share all our best advice about the speech in praise of the villain (what it is, how to craft it, and why it's important), and constant characters (they're waaaaaay more common than you think!). -V.

Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca.

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This is the first episode of our brand new HOOK YOUR READER series! In these episodes, literary editor Kathleen Foxx and I review query letters and first ten pages writing samples from you, our listeners! While we're getting this off the ground, and to give you time to prepare your work, we've devoted this week's show to answering your questions about AI, writing and publishing. It's a good one! And, to find out how you can send in...

What if you could get professional advice on your query letter and first ten pages writing sample BEFORE you started to send it off to agents? Well my friends, you're going to love this! Starting tomorrow, literary agent Kathleen Foxx and I are going to do just that (and it's free). For all the details about how you can get our feedback on your work, visit storynerd.ca. -V.

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In a twist that no one saw coming, not even us, the villains in this movie are Val and Mel! 

Despite this, I thought Thunderbolts would be better. :( However, the constant characters in this movie support a protagonist with a change arc, and fill archetypal roles in the movie. In another surprising twist - switching the villain in the end of the movie has a big impact on the effectiveness of the speech in praise of the villain...

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? Do you know what the structure options are? Resonance is the ability to evoke or suggest images, emotions, and ...

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 more than okay because it teaches us...

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.

Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample at storynerd.ca.

For access to writing templates and wor...

Wowzers! This is a terrific movie. If you're writing a thriller (any sub-genre), or a story with nuanced and complex characters, this episode is for you. In fact, CONCLAVE is one of the movies we recommend you put on your short list of films to study because, seriously, you can learn about almost any aspect of storytelling from it. It's so good that I'm not even angry that the bad guy turns out to be a Canadian - lol! -V.

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What does a literary agent look for in the sample writing pages of a query? In this special bonus episode, I speak with agent Kathleen Foxx (The Rights Factory) about the 4 criteria she uses to evaluate a submission, her 21-point checklist (which you can get for free), and the importance (or not) of a novel's opening line. This is an episode you're going to want to bookmark and share with your writer friends!

https://kathleenfoxxag...