Fundamental Fridays

Unlock Your Nonfiction Book

Fundamental Fridays

In my last post, we considered the power of story as a facet of human growth and survival. That story is so deeply embedded into who we are and how we think, it emerges not only in the fiction and nonfiction book we’re working on, but in nearly every interaction we have. Especially in this… Read more »

Story Grid Editor Roundtable Episodes

Editor Roundtable Podcast, Fundamental Fridays

The Roundtable Podcast began in May 2017 as a study group to prepare for the first Story Grid Certified Editor Training. We met every Monday to discuss a story, sometimes a short story by Stephen King, but mostly films. We analyzed them according to the Editor’s Six Core Questions. We struggled at first (we spent… Read more »

How to Write a Novel

Fundamental Fridays

Using the Story Grid Method from Start to Finish One of the most common questions we get as Story Grid Certified Editors is, “Can the Story Grid method be used as a drafting tool?” The answer to that is a resounding yes! Our goal here is to take you through the process of using the… Read more »

Tracking and Improving Your Writing Skills

Fundamental Fridays

A question was put to me recently, which was: “How do I know if my writing is getting better?” and I didn’t know what to answer. The first reaction I had was in my head: “You can’t!”. Hiss and despair. But after a moment I was able to think of a few tools that a… Read more »

Narrative Device: On the Origin of Story

Fundamental Fridays

Fair warning: This post is going to skew toward a certain political bias, but those details are only the surface presentation of the larger issues we face as a society. I had intended to write about more technical aspects of story, but recent events aren’t happening on a technical level, and I believe storytellers hold… Read more »

How to Create Your Anti-Hero or Anti-Villain

Fundamental Fridays

The world of storytelling is packed full of memorable heroes and villains that linger long after the story is over. Whether it’s the resilient Jason Bourne from the Bourne Supremacy or the unnerving Hannibal Lector from Silence of the Lambs or the more glamorous marvel characters of Spiderman and Wonder Woman. But what about those… Read more »

How to Start a Story: Strategies and Tips to Start Right

Fundamental Fridays

If you’ve ever struggled with preparing a presentation, someone has undoubtedly trotted out this advice: Tell ‘em what you’re about to tell ‘em. Then tell ‘em. Then tell ‘em what you told ‘em. Fiction isn’t that different. But unlike nonfiction that explicitly tells us information, fiction shows us through characters, settings, conflict, and word choice…. Read more »

How to Start a Publishing Company: Our Checklists and Walkthrough

Fundamental Fridays

In January 2020, Shawn Coyne and I launched Story Grid Publishing. The division of labor between the two of us has been this: Shawn gets the manuscript “locked” — ready to publish — and I take it all the way to on sale. This article will take you through our entire process on how to… Read more »

Using the Story Grid to write a successful album.

Fundamental Fridays

Have you ever wondered if you can apply the Story Grid to more than novels, screenplays, and non-fiction books? What about the shortest form of storytelling that has the power to create the quickest impact on our emotions? Songs. Songs rarely tell a complete story from start to finish. Only some songs like ‘Welcome to… Read more »

How to Write Faster: 5 Tips for Better Results

Fundamental Fridays

I started this year like many, with new goals. I was about the possibilities that a new decade brings. Then events happened that made spring of this year the ultimate example of a phere. So how to write faster when everything is burning down around you? Everyone has had to cope with changing schedules. For… Read more »

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Fundamental Fridays

Unlock Your Nonfiction Book

Fundamental Fridays

Story Grid Editor Roundtable Episodes

Editor Roundtable Podcast, Fundamental Fridays

How to Write a Novel

Fundamental Fridays

Tracking and Improving Your Writing Skills

Fundamental Fridays

Narrative Device: On the Origin of Story

Fundamental Fridays

How to Create Your Anti-Hero or Anti-Villain

Fundamental Fridays

How to Start a Story: Strategies and Tips to Start Right

Fundamental Fridays

How to Start a Publishing Company: Our Checklists and Walkthrough

Fundamental Fridays

Using the Story Grid to write a successful album.

Fundamental Fridays

How to Write Faster: 5 Tips for Better Results

Fundamental Fridays

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Fundamental Fridays

Still not finding whatyou're looking for?

The Book

First Time Writer

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Still not finding what
you're looking for?