Story Grid

Default category for all Story Grid posts

Mastering the Clock

Story Grid

Everyone is familiar with the “ticking clock” in stories. It’s the bomb set to explode in T-Minus five minutes if the hero doesn’t figure out whether to pull the red, green or yellow cable. Or the meteorite on its way to destroy the Earth if the brilliant scientists or brave soldier cannot figure out how to stop… Read more »

Talent, Inspiration and Blue Collar Work

Podcasts, Story Grid

Brokeback Mountain on the New Yorker website Annie Proulx’s prologue (that wasn’t in the New Yorker) Anne’s Foolscap and Spreadsheet Anne’s Beat Breakdown Anne’s Crosswalk Document Lee Wind’s YA Novel Queer As a Five Dollar Bill Jeff and Will’s Big Gay Fiction Podcast Anne Hawley is the author of Restraint, a love story set in… Read more »

Editor’s View vs Writer’s View

Story Grid

Brokeback Mountain on the New Yorker website Anne’s Foolscap and Spreadsheet Anne’s Beat Breakdown Anne’s Crosswalk Document Anne Hawley is the author of Restraint, a love story set in 19th Century London. She’s a Story Grid Certified Editor specializing in literary and historical fiction, and is the producer of the Story Grid Editor Roundtable podcast…. Read more »

How to Craft Brand, Business, and Big Idea Narratives

Story Grid

One of the things I have found useful about being a certified Story Grid editor is how well the framework applies to business communications. After all, stories are how businesses get customers to know, like, trust, buy, then, hopefully, promote them. In fact, I would postulate that the nonfiction big genre silos, which are, academic,… Read more »

One Sentence Can Fix Your Biggest Story Problems

Story Grid

How long have you been working on your current story? Weeks? Months? Years? Are your revisions even getting you closer to the story you want to tell? Or do you feel lost, unable to answer the most basic questions about your character and plot? Do you sense something fundamental isn’t working in your story but… Read more »

The Five Commandments of the Independent Author Story

Story Grid

“Should I traditionally publish or self-publish?” I’ve often heard this question posed as if it’s a real choice. It’s not. It’s like asking this: “Should I get up and go to work today or should I hit the lottery?” The choice of the traditional publishing path versus the self-publishing path is a false dilemma. You… Read more »

You are Not the Problem

Story Grid

I’m stuck! I can’t get past this draft! Something is keeping me from moving forward! What am I doing with my life? What’s wrong with me ???? Were you cringing while reading those words? I know those thoughts. They dig their claws in while you’re trying to write and they just won’t let go. That… Read more »

What does it mean to write, read, and live with intention?

Story Grid

As I think about refining what it means for me to help writers learn to tell their stories better, it comes down to three areas. Masterful writing. Active reading. Intentional living. Three interconnected pillars. Improve one and, I believe, the others will follow. Learning to write well comes from focusing on the fundamentals and iterative… Read more »

How Reading Better Can Help You Write Better

Story Grid

I will not make assumptions about your habits and desires, especially when it comes to writing. As for my own, few things rank as high on my list as “improve my writing.” It feels like an unfinished task. One I’m never close to achieving no matter how much time and effort I put in. As… Read more »

The Story Grid Translated Into Common Writing Terms

Story Grid

The Story Grid covers a lot of ground. With a 344 page book, over 120 podcast episodes, and more than 100 articles, it’s a comprehensive resource on how to line up every element of your novel to craft a page-turning story that packs an emotional punch. But where do you start to try and absorb… Read more »

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Story Grid

Mastering the Clock

Story Grid

Talent, Inspiration and Blue Collar Work

Podcasts, Story Grid

Editor’s View vs Writer’s View

Story Grid

How to Craft Brand, Business, and Big Idea Narratives

Story Grid

One Sentence Can Fix Your Biggest Story Problems

Story Grid

The Five Commandments of the Independent Author Story

Story Grid

You are Not the Problem

Story Grid

What does it mean to write, read, and live with intention?

Story Grid

How Reading Better Can Help You Write Better

Story Grid

The Story Grid Translated Into Common Writing Terms

Story Grid

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Story Grid

Still not finding whatyou're looking for?

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