Best Using Ai To Write Novels Podcasts (2025)

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#221. 5 Line Editing Tips to Make Your Prose Shine 25:00

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15h ago25:00

25:00

Discover five practical line editing strategies that sharpen your prose, strengthen emotional clarity, and make each sentence more purposeful on the page. Line editing can feel intimidating, especially if you're not sure where to begin or how to make meaningful improvements at the sentence level. And if you've ever tried refining lines before your …

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#169: Adele Parks — Writing 25 Bestsellers in 25 Years: Discipline, Voice, and Long-Term Success in Commercial Fiction 1:05:35

12h ago1:05:35

1:05:35

Bestselling novelist Adele Parks on her writing life, routines and techniques, character work, and creative strategies that have kept her stories fresh and her readership devoted for over two decades. You'll learn: How Adele moved from imitating other writers to trusting her own voice and background. How loss and adversity can shape resilience and …

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Author CINDY PON (Silver Phoenix, Want) on Writing Underdogs, Sensory World-Building, and Existence as Resistance 53:49

4d ago53:49

53:49

A six-year-old lands in a new country without knowing the alphabet and discovers, by third grade, that reading feels like magic. That spark became Cindy Pon’s compass as she wrote underdogs who straddle worlds, crafting YA stories that welcome readers who’ve never seen themselves on a cover. We sit down with Cindy to trace that path—from Silver Pho…

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How We Got Here and Where We're Going: AI History (and Future) w/ Vasant Dhar, Author of Thinking with Machines 42:30

17h ago42:30

42:30

Is AI making us smarter or dumber—and how do we make sure we’re on the right side of that divide? In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Professor Vasant Dhar, author of the new book Thinking With Machines: The Brave New World of AI. Vasant isn’t just a historian of AI; he’s part of the story. In the 1990s, he helped bring machine learning to …

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Dial M For Murder: unlikeable characters 24:15

2d ago24:15

24:15

If you're curious about how to handle unlikeable protagonists, this episode is for you! In Hitchcock's classic, DIAL M FOR MURDER, the protagonist is the villain — he plots the murder of his wife, and that's about as unlikeable as it gets! His anti-hero's monologue is a veritable masterclass and his shadow reveals that he's actually kind of a nice …

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#220. How to Build an Author Platform (Even if You're an Introvert) with Shelby Leigh 32:05

8d ago32:05

32:05

Learn how to build a focused, authentic author platform to connect with readers early, grow your visibility, and create lasting momentum for your book launch. In this episode, I’m joined by Shelby Leigh, bestselling author of four poetry books (with over 60,000 copies sold!) and the founder of Marketing by Shelby, where she's helped more than 8,000…

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#168: Anne Ditmeyer and Martin Lake – Self-Publish Successfully: Choosing Platforms, Managing Costs & Earning Six Figures 52:30

5d ago52:30

52:30

Self-published authors Anne Ditmeyer and Martin Lake share what it really takes to go indie, from choosing platforms and budgeting for editing, design, and ISBNs to redefining success, avoiding scams, and playing the long game of finding readers and building a sustainable writing life. You'll learn: Why Anne and Martin chose self-publishing over tr…

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We Almost Paid $30/User/Month Until We Built This in 1 Week (Custom Time-Off App) 9:07

8d ago9:07

9:07

Send us a text We were wasting several hours a month on time-off requests. So we built an app for it. Every time someone needed a day off, it was the same dance: + Send a message to the team + Create a calendar invite + Update the project manager + Hope nobody forgot For a small team where every hour counts, this was ridiculous. So my colleague Jar…

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The Incredibles: storytelling gold 29:29

12d ago29:29

29:29

The villain isn’t a stand in for the hero’s shadow. The villain is a warning to the hero if the hero doesn't learn to integrate their shadow. The Incredibles is storytelling gold and a very clear example of the role of the villain and hero plus their relationship to the hero’s shadow. Of course, every good superhero movie needs a hero’s monologue a…

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#219. How To Build Story Tension by Sharing More (Not Less) with Daniel David Wallace 29:00

15d ago29:00

29:00

Discover why clarity (not secrecy) is the key to keeping your readers engaged, curious, and emotionally invested in your story. Writers often think suspense means withholding information, but what if the opposite were true? In this episode, I'm joined by Daniel David Wallace, author, writing teacher, and founder of the annual Escape the Plot Forest…

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How to Write Endings Readers Can't Stop Talking About 47:02

15d ago47:02

47:02

You’ve heard it said that a great beginning will sell your book, but a great ending will sell your next book. Every bestseller becomes a bestseller because word spreads from reader to reader, and what creates that good word of mouth? Satisfying endings. In this week’s episode, you’ll learn: What makes an ending satisfying (hint: it doesn’t have to …

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#167: Anna Davis, founder of Curtis Brown Creative — Learning How to Write: Messy Drafts, the Rewrite Doctor, and What Agents Want 58:03

17d ago58:03

58:03

Anna Davis, novelist, agent, and founder of Curtis Brown Creative, shares how to turn a messy first draft into a strong, market-ready novel through diagnostic editing, practical rewriting tools, and a clear understanding of what agents actually look for. You'll learn: Why every writer’s process is different (and why messy drafts are fine). How to d…

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Actress-Advocate ESTEFANÍA REBELLÓN (Yes We Can World Foundation) on Educational Equity and Narrative Change 42:14

18d ago42:14

42:14

Two truths drive this conversation: images shape policy, and classrooms shape futures. Hollyn speaks with actress, activist, and storyteller Estefanía Rebellón—refugee from Cali, Colombia and co-founder of Yes We Can World Foundation—to unpack how a consent-first media ethic and year-round education are changing the lives of migrant children at the…

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How San Jose is Harnessing AI (and What We Can Learn From It), w/ Mayor Matt Mahan 35:08

19d ago35:08

35:08

Can a city use AI to cut red tape, fill potholes faster, and shave minutes off commutes—without sliding into surveillance? We sit down with San José’s mayor, Matt Mahan, to unpack how a highly regulated public institution can adopt AI pragmatically and responsibly. In this episode, we dig into the playbook: pilots that become policy, guardrails tha…

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The Proposal: writing dual protagonist stories 21:42

19d ago21:42

21:42

If you're writing a dual protagonist story, a story with multiple plot lines or a romance, this episode is for you! After the spookiness of last week's episode, I thought we are all due for a feel-good, positive juju kinda movie. What better choice than THE PROPOSAL? Enjoy! -V. Acquire the power to write a bestselling story at storynerd.ca/courses …

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#218. How to Find & Work With Beta Readers to Improve Your Manuscript 25:50

22d ago25:50

25:50

Learn how to work with beta readers in a grounded, calm way so feedback feels useful, not overwhelming. You're nearing the finish line of your first draft, or maybe you've just crossed it. Either way, the question is the same… what happens next? Should you send it to friends? Hire an editor? Bury it in a drawer? Everyone keeps mentioning “beta read…

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EP 109. I Built a Blog Automation App in 2 Weeks Using Claude Code (Two-Agent CTO Approach) - Video On Spotify! 28:42

22d ago28:42

28:42

Send us a text Watch the full episode on youtube (or Spotify): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttf2tQy0x_U We build MVPs in 2-week sprints. This sprint is an internal “Blog Maker” app. I’m wrestling the last mile, always the hardest part of any launch. 👉 What the app does + Pull YouTube videos from our channel + Analyze transcript + do SERP/competi…

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#166: Kate McKean — Author and Literary Agent on Building a Writing Life: Pitches, Rejections, and Publishing Truths 1:02:45

23d ago1:02:45

1:02:45

Literary agent and author Kate McKean shares how to pitch like a human, read rejection letters usefully, and protect your joy so you can build a durable writing life. You'll learn: How to build a clear 1–2 line pitch others can repeat and sell. How to read rejection letters, spot strong notes, and decide when to revise. Query etiquette and timeline…

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The Substance: ewwwww! 28:01

28d ago28:01

28:01

You need to read stories you don’t like. Yep, it’s true. This week I put my body on the line and I forced myself (and Valerie - so sorry, please forgive me) to watch The Substance. I don’t read, watch, or listen to horror, but there are times when I need to go outside my comfort zone to learn more about the craft. My topic this season is The Shadow…

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#217. Save the Cat! Writes Horror: How to Write Truly Terrifying Stories With Jamie Nash 47:12

29d ago47:12

47:12

Ever wonder why some horror stories linger in your mind long after the lights go out? Jamie Nash reveals how structure (not jump scares or gore) creates true terror. In this episode, I’m joined by Jamie Nash, screenwriter and author of Save the Cat! Writes Horror, the ultimate guide to creating “Monster in the House” stories that keep readers up at…

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Author ALDA P. DOBBS (Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna) on the Mexican Revolution, Spanglish, and the Magic of Literacy 42:01

1M ago42:01

42:01

A single book magically changed a life. Hollyn talks to award-winning author Alda P. Dobbs about her childhood spent dodging a harsh kindergarten teacher and resisting English to the night she read The Catcher in the Rye straight through, discovering that stories can carry a person across borders without moving an inch. From there, we trace the spi…

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EP. 108 - I Built a 25-Page Interactive Handbook in 1 Week Using Claude Code (Vibe Coding) 10:16

1M ago10:16

10:16

Send us a text I just shipped a 25-page interactive handbook with calculators, charts, and a full assessment tool in 3 weeks. Total time that would've taken traditionally? An entire quarter. What I Built: 9-chapter Digital Readiness Handbook (25 pages) Interactive elements, calculators, live charts 8-question assessment tool with scoring SWOT analy…

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The Complicated Intersection of AI and Creativity, w/ Dr. Maya Ackerman 39:22

29d ago39:22

39:22

Does AI make us more creative—or quietly replace us? In this episode of AI-Curious, we sit down with Dr. Maya Ackerman—author of Creative Machines: AI, Art, and Us—to probe where human creativity ends and machine creativity begins, and how incentives in Big Tech and venture capital shape the tools we all use. We explore why today’s dominant systems…

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#165: Carys Shannon — Debut Novelist on Choosing an Indie Press, Finding Your Voice, Writers’ Hour, and Holding Your Vision 49:09

1M ago49:09

49:09

Debut novelist Carys Shannon on how to stay true to your voice through submissions and agent feedback, why an editorially led indie press was the right home for her book, and the craft that brought it to life. We discuss: How to decide what your book wants to be and center its emotional life. Submission strategy after competitions: reading agent fe…

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Backdraft: yes, but why? 27:44

1M ago27:44

27:44

How does your reader know why your protagonist does what she does? This seemingly minor detail is one of the most important parts of your story and the way you let the reader know about it is through the hero's monologue. What aspect of your protagonist is hidden from her, from your reader, or both? If you want to create a main character with dimen…

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Has Christian Publishing Gone Woke? 53:03

1M ago53:03

53:03

Many authors have received that dreaded rejection letter from a traditional Christian publisher siting platform size as the reason for the rejection. Is there a platform size that makes you a shoo-in for a traditional Christian publisher? What if even millions of followers can’t get you a contract with a traditional Christian publisher? Is there so…

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#216. Story Structure: The 5 Scenes Every Story Needs (With Kristina Stanley) 46:57

1M ago46:57

46:57

Learn the five key plot points that turn struggling manuscripts into finished novels—and exactly where they need to appear in your story structure. Have you ever felt like your story just isn't clicking, no matter how much effort you've put into it? Maybe you've polished your prose, developed your characters, and built an intriguing world—but somet…

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EP. 107 - I Test AI Products for 2 Weeks Before Writing Code (Save Thousands in Tokens) 11:37

1M ago11:37

11:37

Send us a text You’re probably burning tokens on an AI feature your users don’t want. You’re not alone. Lots of teams are forcing “AI-native” into products. Here’s the good news: Lean Startup still applies to AI. You can validate the experience without writing a single line of app code. 👉 The No-Code AI MVP (my playbook) Goal: simulate your product…

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#164: Liv Maidment — A Literary Agent’s Playbook for Writers: Query Smart, Pick Comps, Nail the Pitch & Synopsis, and Today’s Market 54:52

1M ago54:52

54:52

Head of Books at the Madeleine Milburn Agency, Liv Maidment, shares how literary agents read, evaluate, and champion submissions (from pitches and comps to strategy, timelines, and today’s AI-driven market), helping writers pitch their work clearly and confidently. You'll learn: How to build a snappy 1–2 line elevator pitch that helps everyone down…

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What Went Right: the outrun 44:21

1M ago44:21

44:21

I think I missed the mark with my choice for What When Right this Season. I went with The Outrun because it scored well on ratings sites. Why did this movie get such good ratings when both Valerie and I had trouble staying engaged? It’s a story that has great performances and it handles addiction without judgement. There’s also some parallel story …

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#215. How to Write a Prologue Readers Won’t Skip (& When to Start at Chapter One Instead) 18:57

1M ago18:57

18:57

Should you include a prologue or skip it? Here's how to make the right choice for your novel. Prologues are one of the most debated topics in fiction. Some literary agents warn against them, some readers skip them altogether, and yet many of the most beloved bestselling novels begin with one. The real question is this: Does your story need a prolog…

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EP. 106 - Shorts: I built production-ready front-end in 60 minutes using Claude Code + ChatGPT Codex (No Figma) 11:16

1M ago11:16

11:16

Send us a text Please check our podcast on Spotify for the video. For MVP projects, we don't create high-fidelity designs for every single screen anymore. Our designer creates key screens in high-fidelity, then AI generates the entire design system and front-end ready UI components. To prove this workflow works with even less, I took it further. St…

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Author-Producer ABDI NAZEMIAN (Exquisite Things, Call Me By Your Name) on Identity, Queerness, and Difficult Conversations 54:11

2M ago54:11

54:11

A revolution uproots a family. A kid grows up between languages and continents. Years later, a studio note says, “cut all the gay characters,” and a writer decides he’s done waiting for permission. Our talk with Abdi Nazemian is a global tour—from Tehran to Paris, Toronto, New York, and LA—and an illustration of how storytelling can hold all those …

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#163: Indyana Schneider — Lessons from an Opera Singer Who Wrote Her Novel on the Tube; Rhythm, Desire & Tension for Fiction Writers 1:04:53

2M ago1:04:53

1:04:53

Indyana Schneider—international opera singer and novelist—shares practical ways to write rhythm and desire on the page, craft scene-level tension, and shape compressed-time narratives; plus lessons from drafting her debut on the Tube. You'll learn: How to build sentence-level cadence: vary lengths and read aloud to tune flow. A simple spine for sho…

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Jett Cooper: Melanie's New Novel 1:00:44

2M ago1:00:44

1:00:44

Today is a fantastic day for the Story Nerd Podcast. We are celebrating the launch of Melanie’s new middle-grade novel, Jett Cooper, by sharing a behind the veil look at how she put theory into practice. Join us for this special episode and learn more about Melanie, what inspired her to write this novel, and why it took her so long. Valerie also sh…

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LinkedIn's Chief AI Officer, Deepak Agarwal, on AI Agents, Building Responsible AI, and the Future of Work 48:43

2M ago48:43

48:43

By Jeff Wilser

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#214. Subverting the Mainstream Lens: Writing Stories That Stay True to Your People (With Tiffany Grimes) 35:37

2M ago35:37

35:37

Learn how to write authentic, diverse characters without over-explaining or fearing criticism. Writing diverse characters can feel intimidating. You want to include different voices in your story, but worry about misrepresenting them. This leads many writers to either avoid diversity altogether or fall into the trap of over-explaining everything fo…

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AI Tools for Authors (Writing Off Social Crosscast) 52:01

2M ago52:01

52:01

By Thomas Umstattd Jr.

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EP. 105 - Shorts: Claude Imagine is hands down the most exciting build platform I've tested. 10:29

2M ago10:29

10:29

By Bonanza Studios

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Bonus Episode: ABIGAIL HING WEN Discusses AI in Storytelling and her New Bestseller THE VALE, Live at Annabelle's Book Club! 30:31

2M ago30:31

30:31

What if a 13-year-old trained an AI on fairy tales—and the world learned back? Hollyn sits down with New York Times bestselling author and filmmaker Abigail Hing Wen for our first live taping at Annabelle's Book Club LA to unpack The Vale, Abigail's middle grade debut about a boy who builds an AI-generated realm and then has to save it when reality…

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What Went Wrong: stayin' alive 50:13

2M ago50:13

50:13

STAYIN' ALIVE has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (I didn't even know that was possible!) so Melanie and I wanted to see if we could figure out where the storytelling in this movie went wrong. And boy, did it give us the giggles. In this episode, we cover everything from missing empathy to missing pants. So come join us, and be sure to let us know w…

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#213. 5 Expert Tips To Edit Your Messy First Draft Without The Overwhelm 28:23

2M ago28:23

28:23

Five book coaches reveal the editing secrets that turn messy first drafts into ready-to-publish manuscripts. Finishing a first draft is an incredible milestone, but what comes next can feel overwhelming. If you're staring at your messy pages and wondering how to even begin editing, you're not alone. The good news is that there is a way to move forw…

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#162: Natalie Lue — Publishing Mini-Memoirs, Writing Difficult Truths, Choosing Indie Publishing 42:22

2M ago42:22

42:22

Natalie Lue, bestselling author and writer (Baggage Reclaim) shares how she shaped her mini-memoirs Let Go (Family & Friction) with The Pound Project, why intention is your best editor, and the inner tools that helped her write through grief, illness, and complicated family ties — without turning her life into content. You’ll learn How to decide if…

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Author ABIGAIL HING WEN (Loveboat Taipei & The Vale) on Writing Books, Making Films, and Working in Tech 32:26

2M ago32:26

32:26

NYT-bestselling author Abigail Hing Wen discusses writing the LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI trilogy, producing LOVE IN TAIPEI for Paramount+ (and Netflix), and directing her first short film THE VALE: ORIGINS (starring Lea Salonga), a prequel to her new middle-grade novel THE VALE. Lightning Round topics: favorite movies, superpowers, whether cereal is a soup, …

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Why GEO is the New SEO--And How Businesses Must Adapt--w/ Curtis Sparrer, co-founder of Bospar 40:10

2M ago40:10

40:10

Will GEO replace SEO? (Spoiler alert: Probably!) We dig into how generative engines are reshaping discovery, why executives are already making decisions from AI answers, and what brands should do now to show up accurately and credibly in AI results. In this episode of AI-Curious, we sit down with Curtis Sparrer, co-founder and principal at Bospar P…

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Our Best Advice: villain's monologue + turning points 28:39

2M ago28:39

28:39

We've come to the end of another season and that means it's time for our best advice about the villain's monologue (what it is, and why it's essential you have one in your story) and turning points (those unexpected events that create opportunities for you to reveal character). -V. Acquire the power to write a bestselling story at storynerd.ca/cour…

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#212. 5 Ways Writers Can Use AI to Help With Book Marketing 18:29

2M ago18:29

18:29

You’ve poured your heart into writing your book, but now you’re staring down the next challenge: how do you actually get it into readers’ hands? Marketing your book can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. With the right tools—like AI—you can turn it into a streamlined, even fun, part of your creative process. In this episode, I’m breaking…

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#161: Sarah Hall — Writing Award-Winning Short Stories & Literary Fiction, Evocative Landscape & Creative Freedom; Booker-Nominated Writer 1:07:20

2M ago1:07:20

1:07:20

Sarah Hall—twice Booker Prize–nominated author and the only writer to win the BBC National Short Story Award twice—on crafting fiction that is both lush and uncompromising, and how to captivate readers on the sentence level while staying true to creative freedom. We discuss: Her early reading life in the countryside and the characters who first spa…

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Space Robots Are Here Now, w/ Icarus Robotics cofounders Ethan Barajas and Jamie Palmer 41:51

2M ago41:51

41:51

What happens when “space robots” stop being sci-fi set dressing and start punching a clock? We dig into a new breed of microgravity robots that do the unglamorous work—so astronauts can do more science. In this episode of AI-Curious, we talk with Ethan Barajas (CEO) and Jamie Palmer (CTO), co-founders of Icarus Robots, fresh out of stealth with a $…

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Black Bag: IYKYK 38:52

2M ago38:52

38:52

I think BLACK BAG misses the mark but it's one of Melanie's favourites. So what happens when we disagree on whether, from a craft perspective, a story is working or not? Well, you'll have to tune in to this week's episode to find out. One thing I'll say is that this might be a film that is meant for super fans of the spy genre (i.e., Melanie) becau…