Fundamental Fridays

Creating a Writing Practice that Works

Fundamental Fridays

To cross the electric fence from the actual world to the writing world requires at least as much invention as the writing itself. —John McPhee, Draft No. 4 As my writing hero John McPhee suggests, there is a fence—or if you prefer, a gulch, a canyon, a high concrete barrier, a forest of thorns and… Read more »

From Initial Idea to Publishable Draft

Fundamental Fridays

How to develop your Personal Writing Process “What is the rhythm of a writer’s day? First, you enter your imagined world. As characters speak and act, you write. What’s the next thing you do? You step out of your fantasy and read what you’ve written. And what do you do as you read? You… Read more »

Writing a Page-Turner: Part 1

Fundamental Fridays

As a novelist, I’m fascinated by what keeps readers turning pages. How do we hook a reader at page one, and keep her spellbound until the end? I’ve been looking for an answer to this question for three years, and my search has led me to something called Narrative Drive. What is Narrative Drive?… Read more »

Write Better Novels Using a Masterwork to Guide You

Fundamental Fridays

The Case for Analyzing Masterworks, Part II All right, fellow Story Grid nerds. Time for some tough talk. (We’re serious writers. We can handle it.) Shawn Coyne tells us to “study masterworks.” How many of you have actually gone out and done it? How many of you have taken a masterwork in your genre… Read more »

Five Story Grid Lessons Learned from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Fundamental Fridays

The Case for Analyzing Masterworks, Part I How to use Story Grid and your favorite books to create a book your reader can’t put down About a year ago, the gods smiled on me, and I became a member of the very first cohort of certified Story Grid editors. After an intense week of training… Read more »

Cause and Effect: A Clear Path to Better Stories

Fundamental Fridays

I’ve been mulling over the ins and outs of cause and effect relationships in story for quite a while. But the power of how a deep understanding of causal relationships can improve stories came together for me in a strange context: The Great British Baking Show. I’m not a baker, but I love to watch… Read more »

Using the Foolscap to Draft Your Next Novel

Fundamental Fridays

I’m a writer, and of all the methods and approaches I’ve studied about the craft, Story Grid is the one that makes the most sense to me because of its simplicity and scalability. I’m also a Story Grid Editor, because I believe that good writers are made, not born. I’d like to show you one… Read more »

How to Analyze a Scene

Fundamental Fridays

Scenes are the basic building blocks of story, so knowing how to write them is vital. The only way to master this skill is through study and application; study scenes that others have written then apply what you’ve learned to your own work. Scene analysis is not a sexy concept, I’ll grant you that…. Read more »

Where’s the Finish Line?

Fundamental Fridays

How long should this process take, how do I know when I’m ready, and how can Story Grid help? In today’s Fundamental Fridays article, I’d like to address a question that all novelists have somewhere in the back of their minds: how long “should” it take to write a novel? When do I stop… Read more »

“To Feel Connected”: Hannah Gadsby’s Big Idea

Fundamental Fridays

What I would have done to have heard a story like mine. Not for blame, not for reputation, not for money, not for power. But to feel less alone. To feel connected. —Hannah Gadsby, “Nanette” For this post, I had planned to write about narrative nonfiction, specifically about one of my favorite recent books, David… Read more »

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Fundamental Fridays

Creating a Writing Practice that Works

Fundamental Fridays

From Initial Idea to Publishable Draft

Fundamental Fridays

Writing a Page-Turner: Part 1

Fundamental Fridays

Write Better Novels Using a Masterwork to Guide You

Fundamental Fridays

Five Story Grid Lessons Learned from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Fundamental Fridays

Cause and Effect: A Clear Path to Better Stories

Fundamental Fridays

Using the Foolscap to Draft Your Next Novel

Fundamental Fridays

How to Analyze a Scene

Fundamental Fridays

Where’s the Finish Line?

Fundamental Fridays

“To Feel Connected”: Hannah Gadsby’s Big Idea

Fundamental Fridays

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Fundamental Fridays

Still not finding whatyou're looking for?

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