What is a Beat? Beats are the smallest UNIT OF STORY that writers use to convey the details of the ALTERNATE WORLD, AVATARS, and story events to their readers. A beat is a micro interaction that must always have an input and usually has an output.  The Input is an energetic transfer that comes from… Read more »

What is the Morality Genre? An internal story in the Morality genre focuses on the choice to act on behalf of ourselves or others and the consequences of that choice. It turns on the selfishness / altruism spectrum while providing feelings in the reader of satisfaction or contempt. The underlying question in every Morality story… Read more »

What is the Performance Genre? An external story in the Performance genre focuses on the outward expression of the protagonist’s internal gifts and need for approval. It turns on the shame / respect spectrum while generating feelings of triumph in the reader. The underlying question in every Performance story is: Will the protagonist do what… Read more »

What is the Four Core Framework? The Story Grid can help us meet reader expectations by bringing the core of our story into focus. The Four Core Framework makes a story irresistible, memorable, and worth sharing by providing readers with a cathartic emotional moment. The Elements of the Four Core Framework 1. Core Need Core… Read more »

What is a Story Resolution? The story resolution shows the results of the protagonist’s decision in the CLIMAX. It is where the reader learns if the protagonist has made the right decision and watches as the she reaps the rewards or suffers the consequences of her decision.  The resolution is the payoff the reader receives… Read more »

What is the Story Climax? The climax of a UNIT OF STORY is when the protagonist decides and acts on the binary question raised by the CRISIS. The climax also fulfills the promise of the INCITING INCIDENT. We see the true character of the AVATARS only in the choices they make under pressure. The climax… Read more »

What is the Story Crisis? The Crisis of a UNIT OF STORY is a binary, this-or-that, choice that arises out of the TURNING POINT. We reach the Crisis when all of the protagonist’s attempts to go back to the way things were before the INCITING INCIDENT have failed. The Crisis is what forces the protagonist… Read more »