Podcast Episodes

Bridget Jones's Diary: why we love her

Season 7 Episode 703

Because the novel is so funny and easy to read, and because the film is a romcom, it's easy to dismiss Bridget Jones's Diary as a simple story that H…

2 years, 6 months ago

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Story 101: Poetic Device

Season 7

Here's an episode that will help you improve your line writing. Yes, Melanie is focusing on the poetic devices of metaphor, simile, and allegory, but…

2 years, 6 months ago

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Can You Ever Forgive Me: what's hiding under your bed?

Season 7 Episode 702

Very few movies make an adult afraid of what's hiding under her bed, but this is one of them...and it isn't even a horror movie. That's the power of …

2 years, 7 months ago

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Ray: a product of his environment

Season 7 Episode 701

It's a brand new season and that means brand new topics. For the next ten weeks, Valerie will study character development and Melanie will study worl…

2 years, 7 months ago

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Death on the Nile: the moustache mystery (archive)

Season 6

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 Kenne…

2 years, 7 months ago

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Skyfall: m is for mother? (archive)

Season 6

In this episode, Melanie's study of subtext has revealed something odd (and slightly uncomfortable). It seems that, according to Skyfall at least, M …

2 years, 7 months ago

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The Water Horse: keep subplots at bay (archive)

Season 6

It's not uncommon for a subplot, or secondary character, to take over a story - especially when a writer is still learning the ropes. So, how do you …

2 years, 7 months ago

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West Side Story: innovative or cliche? (archive episode)

Season 6

West Side Story (2021) has been lauded for its depiction of race and racial tension, but how has it handled the love story? In his retelling of this …

2 years, 8 months ago

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Wanted: AI Prompt Engineer

Season 6

For better or worse, Generative AI will change the job market. Some professions will disappear and new ones will be created. One of the new jobs popp…

2 years, 8 months ago

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Alec Sokolow: the hero's journey

Season 6

Hey, this is Valerie. I recently had the good fortune to study with Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, Alec Sokolow. (Super cool, right!?) Somehow…

2 years, 8 months ago

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