Story Nerd · Nov 4, 2026 · 41:22
Listen in the Podli app 🎧
Follow your favourite podcasts, listen offline and in the car with CarPlay and Android Auto, and always pick up where you left off. Free to try.
Blending genres, even genres as disparate as sci-fi and western, CAN be done! Firefly pulls it off beautifully, and yet Cowboys and Aliens flopped. Story tropes and hacks, like having a character lose his memory, can work so well it launches a franchise — look no further than Jason Bourne. But in Cowboys and Aliens it's, frankly, just plain stupid. This film is produced by, and stars, some of the biggest names in the business and yet, it has still done a face plant. So where did it go wrong? That's what Melanie and I reveal in today's episode. Enjoy! -V.
Watch us on YouTube (and subscribe)!
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/checklist
To learn to read like a writer, visit Melanie's website.
To subscribe to Kat's Keynotes (Substack), click here.