If you're interested in character development, this award-winning film is one you want to study. However, if you're interested in studying examples of crime stories (which is how this movie has been marketed), maybe give it a pass. Tune in to find out why! 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.
Watch us on YouTube!

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 age-old story, did Spielberg innovate the genre or did he perpetuate stereotypes? 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.
Watch us on YouTube!

A story makes one point. If your story is about everything, then it's about nothing. Understanding genre is a vital skill for writers because everything in a story flows from it; it's the key to telling a story in an entertaining and effective way. Can you boil your story down to one idea? Does your choice of genre help your story make its point? 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.
Watch us on YouTube!

Join literary editors and writers, Valerie Francis and Melanie Hill, as they analyze a film a week as an example of a storytelling principle. If you want to spend more time writing and less time studying, this show is for you. 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.
Watch us on YouTube!