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 war differ? In this episode, I reference historical female warriors and examines how the experiences of Maya, the protagonist in Zero Dark Thirty, compares with her wartime service. Valerie explores what happens when the scope of a story is too wide, and the impact scope has on setups and payoffs. -M

"What is interesting to me, is how women are portrayed in war movies, are they portrayed as masculine or weak, are they given due credit for their skill and experience, and how does this compare to my own experience?" - Melanie Hill

Related Story Nerd Episodes

Rogue One (Season 1, Episode 8)

Skyfall (Season 4, Episode 6)

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

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

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We're kicking off a brand new season with two new story concepts. Melanie will be studying female characters and how women are presented in modern stories (her work in this episode is reeeeally interesting!), and I'll be investigating something I learned from Steven Pressfield, which is that we shouldn't introduce anything new after Act 2.

"Setups and payoffs are questions asked and answered." Valerie Francis

Related Story Nerd Episodes:

Lady Bird (Season 8, Episode 9)

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

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor

This bonus episode was prompted by a chat I saw on Threads. It started with the question, what excites you most about having an agent? Offline, Melanie and I began to literary agents and what they do. We decided to hit record and share what we know with you. Enjoy! - V.

REGISTER FOR THE 2024 SPRING WEBINAR SERIES

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

To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.

Follow Valerie on X, Instagram and Threads @valerie_francis

Follow Melanie on X, Instagram and Facebook @MelanieHillAuthor