Story Nerd

What happens to a reader's attention when you blend or combine genres? The Birds starts out as an obsession love story and ends as a monster horror film. Yes, it's Hitchcock (a filmmaker many consider untouchable) but is this a successful genre blend/transition, or is it a bust? The answer may surprise you — it sure as heck surprised me. And if you're curious about how woman are portrayed in film and literature, particularly how they're presented as witches and "unnatural" women, then you absolutely must hear Melanie's thoughts this episode. Seriously, she's outdone herself. Your perspective might just ch...

What are the telltale signs of a first-time writer? (Yep, they exist and agents can spot them a mile away.) Are you making them? In this Hook Your Reader episode, Kathleen and I reveal some of the biggies, and best of all, we give you solutions and strategies for how to fix and/or avoid them. Enjoy! -V.

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The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

Submit your query letter and f...

When writing historical fiction, how important is historical accuracy? After all, it's fiction, right? Surely there's wiggle room, isn't there? This week, we study The Northman, an excellent example of historical fiction that brings the harshness of Viking reality to life. There's no need to have watched this film to enjoy today's episode. It's a pretty gruesome, bloody film, and we figured many of you would want to give that a pass so we start the episode with a G-Rated plot summary...this is the source material for Hamlet, so it's a storyline you're already familiar with. The lessons...

How do you know if your query letter is accurately representing the narrative within your manuscript? Yes, you have to hook the reader in the query, but what happens if the hook you present doesn't match the story? It's all inside today's Hook Your Reader episode. Enjoy! -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit valeriefrancis.ca/c...

Meet Kathryn Willms (The Rights Factory, Toronto). Kathryn represents writers of both fiction and nonfiction. On the fiction side, her list is focused on cozy fantasy, women’s fiction, and select literary fiction. She loves high-concept and speculative premises and is most drawn to books with a sense of humour, strong pacing, and satisfying conclusions.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

For your FRE...

How do you write a story where the protagonist is her own worst enemy? In other words, when the protagonist is also the antagonist. Well, it isn't easy, that's for sure. Luckily, today's episode offers up a terrific example of it (and good examples are rare!). Enjoy! - V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit valeriefrancis.c...

Why is it that when Kathleen and I read the same query letter and same sample pages, we had completely opposite opinions? One of us loved what we saw, the other, frankly, didn't get it. Is this just how it goes in the query process, or is one of us right and the other wrong? Check out the episode and then let us know what you think. Are you Team Kat or Team Val? -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg f...

If you want to get an agent, then this is for you! We know that researching agents can be hard because not all of them have a social media/online presence. So on these special Agent Spotlight episodes we'll feature a guest agent who'll give us their thoughts on a query letter and first page writing sample. We'll also ask questions about their MSWL and the kinds of writers they want to work with, so that you'll know whether they'd be a good fit for you. Agent Spotlight episodes will be ad hoc for now, but we're aiming to...

Spy Games is not a perfect movie, but one thing it gets right is the main character Nathan Muir. Muir’s belief system is established early in the film via his actions, decisions and contradictions. With one exception, this character’s logic remains steady throughout the film - a win for Melanie this week. However, the same can’t be said for Valerie’s area of study. Spy Games’ middle is missing a key ingredient - an antagonist who challenges Muir. So what does this do to the story? It leaves the tension to be carried by the ticking time bomb...

With all the chatter about AI-gen text (and whether a book was, or was not, generated by it), in this episode we talk about a genre that no machine or prompt will ever be able to produce. Like, never. Never ever. And it is ... SATIRE! Author Tasha Tinsley has submitted a strong query package for a story that's like The Studio but for publishing (my comps, not hers). Regardless of which genre you're writing in, you're going to want to give this episode a listen. -V.

We know that stories need conflict and very often writers default to two kinds: physical fights and shouting matches. Far more interesting — and far more versatile — is the more subtle type of conflict created by antagonists who are master manipulators. Head games. Holy smokes, are they compelling. And they work in every single genre. Say Anything is a teen romance, and the dad is a beautifully crafted and understated villain who is like a puppeteer yanking the strings of our star-crossed protagonists. It's a thing of storytelling beauty. -V. 

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for de...

If you're writing your memoir, or considering writing it, then this episode is a must because it offers an excellent example of both the query letter and the opening pages. Memoirs are tricky business — they're tough to do well. So how did this author impress us both with such a strong query package? Tune in to find out. -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

What happens when a story's logic falters? You end up with plot holes...and boy oh boy, does Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (film version) have plot holes! How could they have been avoided? Well, that's exactly with Melanie talks about in this episode. For my part, I examine what happens to a reader's/audience's attention when the villain exits the story. This problem is more common than you think — you might even be doing it in your own WIP. -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way tha...

Kathleen and I run the gamut of opening pages advice in this episode. We discuss the pros and cons of time travel stories (why we love them and why they're so prone to plot holes), setting up reader expectations, writing working scenes, genre identification, and the one thing your opening pages MUST do if you're to hook your reader. This is a jam-packed episode that you'll want to bookmark and keep. Enjoy! -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

Ever heard of a story having a saggy middle? It's a real thing and this season, I'm revealing the fix for it! Meanwhile, Melanie is study story logic. I know, it sounds kinda dull but trust me on this one - you want to pay close attention because your reader sure will. -V

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

For your FREE First 10 P...

There are a whole lot of people writing memoir and the competition to get an agent is fierce! In this episode Kathleen and I discuss the story-related challenges to writing memoir, we gush over the killer opening line (and all the other 'hooky' lines in the sample pages), and we reveal the trick to holding a reader's attention. Enjoy! -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

Never has there been a better example of why world building is so important. Fans of Sex and the City love to live vicariously through Carrie Bradshaw so it's no surprise that audiences gave this film a 77% Rotten Tomatoes score. However, film critics gave it a 50%, and we tend to agree. What is they see that fans don't? Tune in to this week's episode so that you can emulate the good and avoid repeating the bad. -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg...

Boy, prologues are tricky things. How do you know if your story needs one? If you do want to use one, how do you make sure it enhances your story, or detracts from it? Kathleen and I discuss all this and more in today's Hook Your Reader episode. Enjoy! -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, visit v...

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 Helen Fielding simply dashed off on a weekend. But nothing could be further from the truth. Even though it's a lighthearted story, Bridget is still a dimensional character and that's why we love her. -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample...

Might there actually be a demand for AI-generated books?! What do publishers expect authors to do during these uncertain times? And what should authors expect of publishers? Will AI ultimately make us value art more, or less? In this episode, Melanie, Kathleen and I tackle these questions, and more, as we all try to navigate this bizarre AI-in-publishing landscape. - V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

Holy smokes. The publishing industry is really stumbling its way through this new AI landscape. Some writers, agents, and publishing houses have chosen to use various AI tools and software, some have not. Some are open and honest about the way they do, or do not use AI, some are not. In this episode, where all three of us have come together for the first time, Melanie, Kathleen and I discuss whether AI is something writers should fear or embrace. We talk about critical thinking skills and whether we're losing the ability to recognize good writing from bad, human...

Ah, nonlinear timelines. You don't have to be in this business very long to hear some "expert" claim that flashbacks and flashforwards are bad. Not so! When used correctly, they can make a mediocre story, truly amazing. So what's the key to using flashbacks and flashforwards to greatest effect? And what are the pitfalls to be avoided? That's what Kathleen and I discuss in today's episode. Enjoy! -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

Submit your query l...

The movie had both me and Valerie on the edge of our seats. When we come across a masterful movie we pull out as much as we can for you. This episode is chock-a-block full of info about point of view, narrative drive, clues, and liars. We also examine how the twist in The Good Liar is set up and pulled off. I continue to track the clues and motives this week...or should we say I track the lies. Valerie discusses how point of view and narrative drive work together to create this exciting thriller.

If...

It's not unusual for a debut author to query agents too soon. After all, this is a new skill and often they don't realize that their submission might not be ready. Yes, official queries require completed manuscripts (although on this show it's not necessary). But is that all a writer needs or could there be more? Tune into today's episode to find out. -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

Submit your query letter and first 10 pages writing sample...

In this episode, Melanie takes us on a deep dive of spy stories, their conventions and subgenres. It turns out that what we usually think of as spy stories might not be spy stories at all! Meanwhile, Valerie examines the testing plot and offers advice about how to write historical fiction that works. -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

For your FREE First 10 Pages...

How much worldbuilding should you do in your opening pages? Does it depend on which genre you're writing in? What happens if you do too much, or too little? Will the reader get lost or confused, or will they just go with it and fill in the blanks based on their personal past experiences and knowledge? We discuss all this and more in today's episode. Enjoy! - V.

Not gonna lie ... this episode kinda went off the rails. We're supposed to talk about why Hitchcock's Vertigo is such a fabulous story — after all, it is lauded as one of his greatest films. Buuuut ... I didn't watch it before I recommended it for our What Went Right episode. Yes, the narrative drive works well in places. No question. However, to say this movie doesn't age well is an understatement and Melanie lets Hitchcock have it with both barrels. I roared with laugher through her whole bit (thankfully, my mic was muted so you'll have no trouble hearing her). Th...

How do you know if you're ready to query? The short answer is: when you've finished your manuscript. But could there be more to it than that? Do you need to run it past beta readers first, or is that a waste of time? If it's a good idea, then who do you choose to be on your beta reader team? We discuss all this and more on today's Hook Your Reader episode. Enjoy! -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg...

How did such a successful franchise get the last Bourne film wrong? There’s a simple answer - repetition and forgetting the rules of the world. This is an episode about the details, and it’s perfect for those writing a series because there’s a lot of good lessons to learn. - M

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

For your FREE First...

Genre is a funny topic in our business because nobody can seem to agree on it. That makes querying agents a particularly tricky situation ... what if the agent has a different perspective of your story's genre than you do? What happens then? In today's Hook Your Reader episode, we offer our take on a horror story with fantasy elements that may, or may not, actually be an action story or a haunted house story or even a global internal genre story. -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way...

In this episode we share our lessons learned and a-ha moments about the 4 Types of Protagonists and the Premise statement. The ability to summarize your story in one sentence is an absolute must and over the course of the season, Melanie explored several different methods for doing just that. Which one was her favourite and why? This week, she reveals all. And for my part, I explored the 4 different types of protagonists and was happily surprised to have found three such different examples of the anti-hero — a protagonist type that, I think, is both misunderstood and under used. What do...

Steven Spielberg listens to Story Nerd. My proof? In a recent interview with The New York Times, he said, "The first thing I look for [in a story] is a very compelling premise. The second thing is a character we can hitch our wagons to." THIS is exactly what Melanie and I have been discussing all season. So yeah, he MUST be listening to us, right? ;-) Seriously though, you want to tune into this episode to hear why Spielberg thinks these two things — premise and character — are so important. -V.

The Hook Formula: the work...

Serenity is the follow-on movie from Joss Whedon’s series, Firefly. While the movie had a guaranteed audience, the story suffers because the main protagonist doesn’t have a clear object of desire, however, the antagonist’s OOD is super clear and it saves the movie. Valerie’s exceptional study of the four types of protagonist moves up a notch again, as she explores the ‘lost soul’ theory for the anti-hero. - M

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

Submit...

Querying agents can be a daunting task but there's a way to do it effectively! Agents want to love your book but you have to know how to present it to them. Query letters aren't simply cover letters. They're sales letters and their job is to convince an agent to ask for more. Putting a query package together is a skill, and if you want to get an agent, it's a skill you must master! The Query Starter Kit available at learn.storynerd.ca now. -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your...

What's the key to choosing comp (comparative) titles that pique an agent's curiosity? Should you use films or tv shows? What about huge bestsellers — would those make good comps, and if so, in which circumstances? In today's episode, Kathleen and I discuss an upmarket speculative thriller and discuss comp title choices, killer opening lines and, you guessed it ... exposition! And if you want to read the query letters and first 10 pages writing samples we discuss in these Hook Your Reader episodes, be sure to subscribe to my mailing list. -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time me...

How do you create an emotional connection between a reader and an unlikeable character? That's one of the most common questions we get as editors. The answer lies in understanding the anti-hero protagonist and Birds of Prey offers up a whole group of them to study. And where there are multiple protagonists, there are multiple plotlines. And each of those plotlines needs its own premise statement. It's a full episode this week! Enjoy! -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for...

Nothing is what it seems in this mercenary mystery. I discovered a way to use two premises to create mystery and a twist - a great find for everyone writing mysteries or spy stories. Valerie works out what type of protagonist Sam is, and it’s not what I thought! -M

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

For your FREE First 10 Pages Checklist, vi...

What kind of story are you writing? That question is actually much trickier to answer than it seems, and that's because writers and agents look at genre differently. What happens if, after reading the query letter, an agent isn't clear on your story's genre? What role do comp titles play in explaining genre? We answer these questions and many more in today's Hook Your Reader episode. Enjoy! -V.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

Submit your query...

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 them) then Melanie's got your back because in this episode, she explains it all. Enjoy! -V.

The Hook Formula: the...

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.

The Hook Formula: the works-every-time method for describing your book in a way that captivates readers and makes them beg for more.

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

For your...