Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchBest Advice: character development + worldbuilding
Season 7 Episode 711
We've reached the end of another season and that means it's time for us to round up our a-ha moments and best lessons learned about how to develop ch…
2 years, 5 months ago
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain: externalize the internal
Season 7 Episode 710
This movie is all about the inner turmoil of Louis Wain. You may not recognize his name, but you'll recognize his art (it's worth Googling). If you h…
2 years, 5 months ago
Pretty Woman: a masterclass in the fundamentals
Season 7 Episode 709
This movie is so light and joyful that it's easy to dismiss it as fluff, but nothing could be further from the truth. Pretty Woman is a masterclass i…
2 years, 5 months ago
Nanowrimo: how to win
Season 7
Nanowrimo starts tomorrow and if you're going to win, you've got to have a strategy. It's no small task to write an entire draft of a novel in thirty…
2 years, 5 months ago
Don't Worry Darling: where did it go wrong?
Season 7
By popular request! So many of you have messaged Valerie about this movie, that she's finally decided to tackle it head on. All the questions you've …
2 years, 5 months ago
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas: writing historical fiction
Season 7 Episode 708
Anyone writing historical fiction needs to pay particular attention to how they build the world for the reader/viewer. In this week's episode, Melani…
2 years, 5 months ago
Big: writing comedic characters
Season 7 Episode 707
It's one thing to write a dramatic character, but what if you want to write a comedic one? Do the same storytelling principles apply, or not? And wha…
2 years, 5 months ago
Everything Everywhere All At Once: was there a script?
Season 7 Episode 706
Ok, so basically, this movie is a bunch of action scenes strung together with expository dialogue. It's heavy-handed with theme (dare we say didactic…
2 years, 6 months ago
Fatal Attraction: who's the villain?
Season 7 Episode 705
Hooboy, this movie gets better with age. Why? Because when we watch it through the lens of 2023 it has much more depth and nuance. Glenn Close's char…
2 years, 6 months ago
District 9: worldbuilding 101
Season 7 Episode 704
This is an episode you're going to want to bookmark because Melanie is offering up oodles of info about how to create a fictional world your readers …
2 years, 6 months ago