Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchDoubt: a "quiet story" masterpiece
Season 11 Episode 1101
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 a…
1 year, 11 months ago
Our Best Advice: female characters + setups and payoffs
Season 10 Episode 1009
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 a…
1 year, 11 months ago
Hanna - women aren't small men
Season 10 Episode 1008
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 h…
1 year, 11 months ago
Where'd You Go, Bernadette: deus ex machina
Season 10 Episode 1007
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 s…
1 year, 11 months ago
The Genius of Novellas
Season 10
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. T…
2 years ago
Crazy Rich Asians: when the antagonist is more compelling than the protagonist
Season 10 Episode 1006
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 on…
2 years ago
Yentil: the heroine's journey
Season 10 Episode 1005
This 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 Mau…
2 years ago
Red Joan: meeting reader expectations
Season 10 Episode 1004
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 b…
2 years ago
Dirty Dancing: the heroine's journey
Season 10 Episode 1003
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 …
2 years ago
Zero Dark Thirty: women in war zones
Season 10 Episode 1002
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 wa…
2 years, 1 month ago