Up In The Air, boring or not, is this week’s question. Why do I find this movie interesting, and why does Valerie find it boring? Could the answer lie in Ryan Bingam’s character arc (and does he have one)? Could it lie in the small amount of exposition? Or could it be that George Clooney movies are boring? One thing is certain: this episode is the opposite of boring. -M

"Is this story interesting, entertaining and worthwhile if the protagonist doesn't have an internal worldview shift?" -Melanie Hill

Related Story Nerd Episodes:

The Social Network: Season 12, Episode 1

I, Tonya: Season 12, Episode 3

Gone Baby, Gone: Season 12, Episode 6

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 movie is almost entirely exposition, and while this isn't an approach I'd recommend for novelists, I can't imagine telling this particular story any other way. You might say that ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN is the exception that proves the rule. Master storyteller, William Goldman, pulls it off and that means there's a whole lot we can learn about how and when to use exposition when writing a story. When it comes to character arcs (Melanie's topic this season), neither of the protagonists change in this story but they change the world around them and what that reveals about how stories work is nothing short of fascinating. -V.

"It's almost exclusively exposition. If you have ever wondered whether exposition was a thing or whether it was important, seriously watch this movie." - Valerie Francis

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

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Most stories are about change. However, there is also a place for stories when the protagonist doesn’t change. The outcomes can still be positive - just watch James Bond and Erin Brockovich! There are also stories where the protagonist doesn’t change, and the outcome is ambiguous. This movie combines an ethical dilemma with a constant character to create a haunting outcome. The movie also has buckets of exposition. Is this a case of too much is way too much? Never fear, Valerie groups and summarises all the exposition into four key types. -M.

"Patrick's constant character with an ambivalent arc means that his internal state doesn't change." - Melanie Hill

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