Story Grid Podcast

The sprint is on to finish The Threshing. This week Shawn and Tim begin working through the Archetypes of the Hero's Journey.

This week Shawn sits down with Story Grid Editor, Valerie Francis, to discuss why (and how) the Story Grid method is different from other structural and developmental editing methods.

Steven Pressfield and Black Irish Publishing have released a new project around writers and Resistance. Shawn and Tim discuss both what the project is and the bigger ramifications for the world of publishing.

Your novel is done, now what? Shawn walks Tim through a new level of analysis for his work in progress.

The spreadsheet is a central tool of Story Grid. Shawn walks Tim through how to use it and answers some of his questions.

Story Grid grew out of the need for better editing. Shawn and Tim discuss the origins and the job of an editor.

Tim finished his second draft and turned it into Shawn. What's the verdict?

We all can agree that writing is hard. Learning to level up your writing is even harder. So why all the suffering? Why not just publish a draft that's "good enough"? This is what Shawn and Tim dive into on this week's episode.

What are the building blocks for a believable, fantastical world in your story? Shawn walks through this and hits upon a fundamental reason why Tim's characters have not been working.

How do you create the right cast of characters for your story and make them believable? Shawn walks Tim through a framework to do this correctly.

Tim is working through the final big battle scene and Shawn helps him figure out how to do it right.

Now that Tim has worked through his block, it's time to finish the book. But how? Shawn walks him through the mindset and tactics to finally finish this draft.

Every writer hits that moment. Is it time quit this novel and move on to a new project? Tim is facing this with Threshing and talks over the question with Shawn.

What is the nature of evil and how do you make that into an unforgettable villain in your stories? Shawn and Tim dive into this topic.

Shawn is in the midst of a publishing project of his own and... it's hit some rough spots. He shares what is going on and how he's working through it.

Tim brings a common question to Shawn... when do you know your book is ready to publish? Shawn has important insight on this all important question.

Tim took at a crack at writing a fast paced action sequence that allows moves his story forward. Shawn walks him through the ins and outs and what to do next.

What do video games and story telling have in common? Shawn walks through another tool for analyzing your story.

What is the overarching engine running every story? Shawn uses Tim's latest scene to step into this question and share some of his latest research.

Running Down a Dream has been out for a week. What has happened and what next?