podcasts about writing

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 what about the setting? It's yet another story set in New York so how did the writers distinguish it from the NYC we saw in FATAL ATTRACTION and CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? All this and much more in this week's episode.

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

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 character (Alex) is supposed to be the villain, but is she really? If you want to create a multi-dimensional antagonist who drives the plot and raises the stakes, you've got to listen to this episode.

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

This movie does so many things well, it's a great one for both novelists and screenwriters to have in their repertoire of reference stories. We're studying stakes and empathy this season and boy does Manchester by the Sea deliver. If you haven't seen it yet, add it to your short list and have the tissues handy. Trust us on this one.

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

Melvin Udall is not a nice man, but he sure is interesting and that's what makes this episode so important for writers. We concern ourselves with whether or not our reader will like our main character, but seldom do we consider whether our main character is interesting, or fascinating. Fascination is what we're after, not likability.

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

Sometimes we stumble upon a story that gets everything right - especially when to reveal information and when to hold back. Melanie and Valerie discuss how mystery impacts the audience's understanding of what's at stake, and how empathy is established in the first scene via shared experience and then grows as the story is revealed.

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

There is so much storytelling goodness to be learned from The Godfather, it kinda boggles the mind. Even if you're writing a light-hearted romcom, believe it or not, your novel/screenplay will benefit from the way Coppola and Puzzo approached the craft. The stakes start out high and get even higher. And when it comes to empathy, the role that world-building plays is a thing of beauty. Of course, one of us totally empathizes with Michael and the other of us doesn't at all. Guess which one is which.

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

This may not be the worst movie ever made, but it's certainly among them. The filmmakers have completely ignored storytelling basics and boy, does it ever show. It's based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, so you'd think it would be brilliant, right? Wrong. Without the fundamentals in place this is nothing more than a bunch of stereotypes and cliches strung together, and it's painful to watch.

What did they do wrong and how can you avoid making the same mistakes in your story? Tune in to find out.

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

If you're writing a series (no matter what the genre), this is one episode you won't want to miss. How did James Cameron use Resonance to create a sequel that viewers love? And, how does understanding a character's arc help writers keep a story fresh from film to film, or book to book? Valerie and Melanie discuss all this and more!

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on Instagram and Twitter @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

For information about Valerie's upcoming webinars, visit: www.valeriefrancis.ca/webinars

For access to writing templates and worksheets, and more than 70 hours of training (all for free), subscribe to Valerie's Inner Circle: www.valeriefrancis.ca/innercircle

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website: www.melaniehill.com.au

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

Have you ever struggled with the flow of your novel? Outlining might be the answer! We discuss types of outlines, how to outline, why to outline and more! Come have a drink and listen!

In this episode, we discuss the Loch Ness monster and the origins of vampires! Come have a drink with us & listen!

Ben Atkinson grew up in western Pennsylvania and currently resides in Jacksonville, Fla., with his wife and two young children. A poet with a PhD in wildlife ecology and conservation, he struggled to strike a balance between his scientific research and artistic pursuits. As a young father and husband, he set aside his passion for poetry for more than a decade, under the mistaken belief that he had to choose between a career in science and one in the arts. He rediscovered his poetic voice three years ago, and after reading his debut collection, Spider Lightning, you will be glad that he did. Ben stopped by Scribbler's Corner at River of Grass to kick off our second season, share a little poetry, and talk about his evolution as a polymath. 

A coach wouldn't be much good if they always agreed with you. Lynn Skapyak Harlin has been punching writers in the face to make them better since 2001. She likes to talk about how "mean" she is, but that's not how workshop participants describe her. And that's certainly not why they keep coming back, year after year. Jacksonville's favorite literary curmudgeon, The Shantyboat Lady, ties the ghost of her dear, departed shantyboat up to the dock at River of Grass, for an hour of poetry and tough talk from a tender heart.