James M Cain

Writer

Films Discussed 2

· Double Indemnity (1944) (w)
· Mildred Pierce (1945) (w)

Draft Zero Episodes 2

DZ-123: Flawed Characters in Noir

What can Film Noir teach us about character arcs and audience engagement?

In this two part series, Mel and Chas use Noir (the genre) as a lens to interrogate flawed characters. How can characters doing reprehensible things still engage audiences? How can you ensure representation isn’t endorsement? And whether these characters undergo transformative arcs, or simply reveal their true natures… →

⏱ 1h 22m

31 DEC 2025

Character · Theme · Scenes

Listen if you want to write morally compromised characters without endorsing their choices.

▶ More Info

Films: Double Indemnity (1944) , The Long Goodbye (1973)

Character: Audience Complicity , Moral Ambiguity , Character Motivation , Character Arcs , Antiheroes , Moral Complexity , Character Flaw

Theme: Worldview , Representation and Endorsement

Scenes: Dramatic Irony

DZ-67: Writing Passive Protagonists & Melodrama

How do I tell a powerful story where the protagonist cannot drive the plot?

Stu and Chas are joined by Stephen Cleary following his exploration into Melodrama, and together they try to reclaim the word from its pejorative meaning… →

⏱ 2h 58m

30 APR 2020

Structure · Tone · Character

Listen if you want to write powerful stories centred on characters without much agency.

▶ More Info

Films: Ladies in Black (2018) , Marriage Story (2019) , Pete's Dragon (2016) , Mildred Pierce (1945) , Joker (2019) , The Handmaid's Tale (2017) , Stranger Things (2016) , The Witcher (2019) , Lost (2004)

Shows: The Handmaid's Tale 1x1 , Stranger Things , The Witcher , Lost

Structure: Character Questions , Endings

Tone: Melodrama

Character: Character Agency