Story Grid Writers' Room

A Wizard of Earthsea - Global Story

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 2 Jun 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Get a bird’s-eye view of A Wizard of Earthsea while Leslie and Valerie offer a macro analysis of this fantasy origin story using Story Grid’s Editor’s Six Core Question. The 1968 story was written by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Click here for the full show notes.

Season Three Preview

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 09:00:00 +0000

This season on the Story Grid Writers’ Room podcast, Leslie and Valerie are doing a full Story Grid macro analysis of A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. We'll review the Editor’s Six Core Questions and look at each of the acts in detail.

The Story Grid Writer’s Room is a show dedicated to offering a practical approach to the Story Grid method so you can put it to work. Valerie and Leslie analyze stories and scenes to help you understand how to apply Story Grid tools to masterworks and your own story.

Click here for the full show notes.

Gone Girl - Key Takeaways

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Story Grid) — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Stay tuned to discover the final takeaways from Valerie and Leslie’s deep study of Gillian Flynn’s 2012 novel, Gone Girl. Find out what they’ve learned from applying Story Grid’s Editor’s Six Core Questions and breaking down each quadrant of this compelling Psychological Thriller.

The Story Grid Writer’s Room is a show dedicated to offering a practical approach to the Story Grid method so you can put it to work. This season Valerie and Leslie will spend six episodes analyzing Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn to help you understand how to apply Story Grid’s macro tools to masterworks and your own story.

Click here for the full show notes.

Gone Girl - Ending Payoff

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 6 Jan 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Wonder how to deliver a powerful and satisfying finish to your story? On the Story Grid Writer’s Room podcast this week, Valerie and Leslie analyze the ending payoff of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl to unpack what makes this story work so well.

The Story Grid Writer’s Room is a show dedicated to offering a practical approach to the Story Grid method so you can put it to work. This season Valerie and Leslie take six episodes to analyze Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn to help you understand how to apply Story Grid’s macro tools to masterworks and your own story.

Click here for the full show notes.

Gone Girl - Middle Build Two

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Feeling stuck in the middle of your story? On the Story Grid Writer’s Room podcast this week, Valerie and Leslie analyze the middle build 2 quadrant of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl to unpack what makes this story work so well.

Click here for the full show notes.

Gone Girl - Middle Build 1

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Frances, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000

How can you keep readers turning pages through the middle build of your story? On the Story Grid Writer’s Room podcast this week, Valerie and Leslie find out by analyzing the middle build 1 quadrant of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl.

The Story Grid Writer’s Room is a show dedicated to offering a practical approach to the Story Grid method so you can put it to work. This season Valerie and Leslie will spend six episodes analyzing Gone Girl to help you understand how to apply Story Grid’s macro tools to masterworks and your own story.

Click here for the full show notes.

Gone Girl - The Beginning Hook

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000

What makes the opening of Gillian Flynn’s 2012 Psychological Thriller, Gone Girl, so compelling? On the Story Grid Writer’s Room podcast this week, Valerie and Leslie analyze the beginning hook to find out.

The Story Grid Writer’s Room is a show dedicated to offering a practical approach to the Story Grid method so you can put it to work. This season Valerie and Leslie will spend six episodes analyzing Gone Girl to help you understand how to apply Story Grid’s macro tools to masterworks and your own story.

Click here for the full show notes.

Gone Girl - Editor's Six Core Questions Analysis

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 9 Dec 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Follow the clues this week to uncover the genius behind Gillian Flynn’s 2012 Psychological Thriller, Gone Girl. Valerie and Leslie analyze the macro story by applying Story Grid's Editor’s Six Core Questions. They identify the global genre, the conventions and obligatory moments of the genre, point of view and narrative device, objects of desire, the controlling idea, and the beginning hook, middle, build, and ending payoff.

Click here for the full show notes.

Roundtable Reissue - Gone Girl E6CQA

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Ever since the Story Grid Editor Roundtable started three years ago, we've been asked to apply the Story Grid method to a novel. Well, this is it! This season we're doing a full Story Grid macro analysis of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. We'll review the Editor’s Six Core Questions in the first episode. Haven't read it yet? Grab a copy of the novel now and follow along with us on December 9, 2020, when we'll post the first episode of the new season.

To whet your appetite, we’re sharing our Story Grid Editor Roundtable analysis of the 2014 film adaptation.

Click here for the full show notes of this "Roundtable Reissue" episode.

Season Two Preview

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 4 Nov 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Ever since the Story Grid Editor Roundtable podcast started three years ago, we've been asked to apply the Story Grid method to a novel. Well, this is it! This season we're doing a full Story Grid macro analysis of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. We'll review the Editor’s Six Core Questions and look at each of the acts in detail.

Click here for the full show notes.

Season One Wrap-Up

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 08:00:00 +0000

It’s a wrap! In this episode, Valerie and Leslie close out the first season of the Story Grid Writer’s Room Podcast with a review of takeaways and lessons learned.

This season we're analyzing scenes from novels, short stories and films because scenes are the basic building blocks of story. To be able to write a story that works, you must be able to write a scene that works.

Click here for the full show notes.

Exposing the Criminal Scene - The Body in the Library

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 08:00:00 +0000

In the Writers’ Room this week, Valerie and Leslie find out whodunit and how in the Core Event of The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie. The 1942 Cozy Mystery features a classic "summation gathering" scene when Miss Jane Marple reveals how she discovered the killer’s identity.

We're focusing on scenes this season because scenes are the basic building blocks of story. To be able to write a story that works, you must be able to write a scene that works.

Click here for the full show notes.

Lightbulb Moment Scene - The Secret Life of Bees

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 08:00:00 +0000

In the Writers’ Room this week, Valerie and Leslie look at internal conflict and character revelation in a Turning Point scene of Sue Monk Kidd’s 2002 Worldview Story, The Secret Life of Bees. See how quiet moments can lead to scenes with big impact.

We're focusing on scenes this season because scenes are the basic building blocks of story. To be able to write a story that works, you must be able to write a scene that works.

Click here for the full show notes.

Hero at the Mercy of the Villain - The Girl on the Train

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 7 Oct 2020 08:00:00 +0000

In the Writers’ Room this week, Valerie and Leslie unpack the many points of conflict from different perspectives in the Core Event of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. The 2015 Psychological Thriller culminates in an extended Hero at the Mercy of the Villain scene that features a “Tug of War” where life hangs in the balance. Learn about unreliable narrators and shifting points of view, and don’t forget to check out the the list of progressive complications in the show notes.

Click here for the full show notes.

"I Have a Voice" Scene - Performance Story

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Story Grid) — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 08:00:06 +0000

In the Writers’ Room this week, we listen closely to the “I Have a Voice” scene in the 2010 film The King’s Speech. The Oscar-winning story was directed by Tom Hooper from a screenplay by David Seidler. The scene in the spotlight today delivers the middle build climax of this Performance Story by “poking the bear.” But that’s not all it does. Don’t miss how the dialogue reveals character and word choice sets up conflict and conveys the theme.

Click here for the full show notes.

Revolution Scene in a Society Story

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 08:00:02 +0000

We slide into the Revolution Scene in the Writers’ Room this week as we analyze the 1911 novella Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. We look at the difference between cautionary and tragic tales and discuss what The Hunger Games and The Accidental Tourist have in common with Ethan Frome.

Click here for the full show notes.

Toolbox Episode - Sales Copy for Your Book

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Shawn Coyne) — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 08:00:08 +0000

Don't know what to include in the sales copy for your book? How can you describe your story to appeal to the ideal reader? Shawn Coyne and Valerie Francis help you find your way in a special Toolbox episode of the Writers' Room Podcast.

Click here for more information.

Hero at the Mercy of the Villain - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 9 Sep 2020 08:00:20 +0000

This week we face the Hero at the Mercy of the Villain in the Writers’ Room as we analyze the core event of the 2005 novel Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling.

But that’s not all! In addition to analyzing this excellent example of a “chase scene” in an Action Story, we discuss set pieces, emotional connections, and how to hide a character’s true motives. And don’t miss Rowling’s masterful combination of movement and POV that keeps us inside Harry’s experience without losing what’s happening in other parts of Hogwarts.

This season we're analyze a scene from novels, short stories and films because scenes are the basic building blocks of story. To be able to write a story that works, you must be able to write a scene that works.

Click here for the full show notes.

Big Showdown - 3:10 to Yuma

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 2 Sep 2020 08:00:08 +0000

It’s time for the Big Showdown in the Writers’ Room this week as we analyze the 1953 short story “3:10 to Yuma” by Elmore Leonard.

This season we analyze a scene from a novel, short story or film because scenes are the basic building blocks of story. To be able to write a story that works, you must be able to write a scene that works.

Click here for the full show notes.

The Big Choice - I Stand Here Ironing

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 08:00:36 +0000

It’s the Big Choice plus perspective in the Writers’ Room this week as we analyze the 1961 short story “ I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen.

Each week this season, we'll analyze a scene from a novel, short story or film because scenes are the basic building blocks of stories. To write a story that works, you must be able to write a scene that works.

Click here for the show notes.

Victim at the Mercy of the Monster - The Tell Tale Heart

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 08:00:05 +0000

It’s the victim at the mercy of the monster this time as Valerie and Leslie analyze the 1843 Horror story “The Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe.

Click here for the full show notes.

Lovers Meet Scene - Bridget Jones's Diary

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 08:00:18 +0000

What makes a great lovers meet scene? Find out when Valerie and Leslie analyze the turkey curry buffet scene in Bridget Jones’s Diary, the 1996 Love Story by Helen Fielding.

This season we analyze scenes from novels, short stories and films because scenes are the basic building blocks of story. To be able to write a story that works, you must be able to write a scene that works.

Click here for the full show notes.

Introducing the Story Grid Writers' Room

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Fancis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 5 Aug 2020 08:00:07 +0000

In this episode, Story Grid editors Valerie Francis and Leslie Watts introduce the new Story Grid Writers’ Room.

Each week this season, we analyze a scene or short story to get to the bottom of how to write scenes because to write a story that works, you must be able to write scenes that work.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Marriage Story Scene Analysis

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 08:00:19 +0000

It’s 30 minutes of deep insight as Valerie Francis and Leslie Watts bring you a bite-size episode on analyzing a scene, with an example from Marriage Story.

Here on the Roundtable we're dedicated to helping you become a better writer, following the Story Grid method developed by Shawn Coyne. In these episodes we bring you some shorter solo articles and interviews on topics that interest us as writers.

Click here for the show notes.

Action - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 08:00:16 +0000

Gaze into the pensieve to learn the secrets of point of view and narrative device in the 2005 novel by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The Roundtablers also discuss the 2009 film of the same name, directed by David Yates from the screenplay by Steve Kloves.

Each week one of the Roundtable team—Valerie Francis, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—aims to get to the bottom of a specific story principle by analyzing a film, novel, or short story. The rest of us analyze the story according to our own chosen topics, and together we deepen our knowledge and level up our craft.

Click here for the full show notes.

Performance and Crime - The Imitation Game

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 08:00:05 +0000

Uncover the secret to integrating framing stories with The Imitation Game. The 2014 film was directed by Morten Tyldum from the Oscar-winning screenplay by Graham Moore. It’s based on the 1983 biography Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges.

Click here for the full show notes.

Core Events - Fried Green Tomatoes

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 8 Jul 2020 08:00:11 +0000

Core events, mini-plots, and nested stories are on the menu this week as the Roundtablers analyze the 1991 film Fried Green Tomatoes, directed by Jon Avnet from a screenplay by Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski, based on Flagg’s 1987 novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

Click here for the complete show notes.

Society - Ragtime

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 1 Jul 2020 08:00:09 +0000

Gain a new perspective on history and point of view as the Roundtablers analyze E. L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel Ragtime. The 1981 film based on the novel was directed by Miloš Forman from a screenplay by Michael Weller and Bo Goldman.

Click here for the full show notes.

Love Story - Marriage Story

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 08:00:15 +0000

Make your way from coast to coast and from beginning to end as Valerie takes us through the three-act structure of Noah Baumbach’s 2019 film, Marriage Story.

Click here for the full show notes.

Performance - Center Stage

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 08:00:26 +0000

Warm up and get your dancing shoes on for the Core Event of Center Stage. This 2000 Performance genre film was directed by Nicholas Hytner from a screenplay by Carol Heikkinen.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Edition - Past and Present 2

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 08:00:13 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of insight this time as Kim Kessler chats with Anne Hawley about the power of past and present.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview-Disillusionment - The Great Gatsby

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 3 Jun 2020 08:00:03 +0000

This week the Roundtablers look to The Great Gatsby, the 1925 novel of disillusionment in love by F. Scott Fitzgerald, to find out why the story endures. The team also examines the 2013 film adaptation directed by Baz Luhrmann from a screenplay by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce.

Click here for the full show notes.

Thriller - Baby Driver

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 27 May 2020 08:00:09 +0000

This week, Valerie drives home the importance of a compelling middle build in the context of the film Baby Driver. Don’t get away without hearing the Roundtablers’ take on this 2017 film written and directed by Edgar Wright.

Click here for the full show notes.

Society Story - Howards End

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 20 May 2020 08:00:04 +0000

It’s manners and mores this week as the Roundtable team examines the 1992 film adaptation of E. M. Forster’s 1910 novel Howards End. The adaptation was written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and directed by James Ivory.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Season 7 Preview

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 13 May 2020 08:00:11 +0000

Here’s a preview of what the Roundtablers are getting ready to bring you in Season 7. Listen as Kim, Valerie, and Leslie each reveal their Season 7 focus and their first story pick.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Big Idea Nonfiction with Shelley Sperry

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts) — Wed, 6 May 2020 08:00:03 +0000

It’s 30 minutes of insight this time as Leslie Watts and Shelley Sperry bring you a bite-size episode on Big Idea Nonfiction.

Welcome to the Bite Size Edition of the Editor Roundtable Podcast. Here on the Roundtable we're dedicated to helping you become a better writer, following the Story Grid method developed by Shawn Coyne. In these episodes we bring you some shorter solo articles and interviews on topics that interest us as writers.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Power of Past and Present

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 08:00:04 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of insight this time as Kim Kessler and Anne Hawley bring you a bite-size episode on the power of past and present with stories that include dual timelines, onstage events in the present and the past that, together, to create a rich global story arc.

Here on the Story Grid Editor Roundtable we're dedicated to helping you become a better writer, following the Story Grid method developed by Shawn Coyne. In these episodes we bring you some shorter solo articles and interviews on topics that interest us as writers.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Short Stories

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Valerie Francis, Shawn Coyne) — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 08:00:10 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight this time as Valerie Francis and Shawn Coyne bring you a bite-size episode on short stories.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Big Idea Nonfiction

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 08:00:09 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of insight this time as Valerie Francis and Leslie Watts bring you a bite-size episode on Big Idea Nonfiction.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview - "A Private Experience"

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 8 Apr 2020 08:00:16 +0000

We journey to the riot-torn streets of Kano, Nigeria this week as we analyze Anne’s short story pick, “A Private Experience,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Each week one of the Roundtable team—Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—aims to get to the bottom of a specific story principle by analyzing a film, novel, or short story. The rest of us analyze the story according to our own chosen topics, and together we deepen our knowledge and level up our craft.

Click here for the full show notes.

Performance - Mrs. Doubtfire

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 1 Apr 2020 08:00:27 +0000

The Roundtablers try to figure out what’s good storytelling and what’s just Robin Williams this week as Valerie pitches the 1993 comedy Mrs. Doubtfire in her quest to understand how society itself acts as a force of antagonism. The film was directed by Chris Columbus from a script by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon, and based on the 1987 middle-grade novel Alias Madam Doubtfire by Anne Fine.

Click here for the full show notes.

Status - Brooklyn

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 08:00:02 +0000

In a rare convergence of taste, all four Roundtablers loved this week’s story, Brooklyn, and derived masses of actionable story advice from it. This 2015 film was directed by James Crowley from a screenplay that Nick Hornby adapted from Colm Tóibín’s 2008 novel of the same name.

Each week one of the Roundtable team—Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a story to analyze in order to get the bottom of the specific story principle that we’re studying for the season. The rest of us analyze it according to our own chosen topics, and together we deepen our knowledge and level up our craft.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview - Silver Linings Playbook

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Fancis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 08:00:02 +0000

The Roundtablers find more cloud than silver lining in this week’s entry, as Kim looks at establishing life values in your opening scenes with Silver Linings Playbook, both the 2008 novel by Matthew Quick and its 2012 film adaptation by David O. Russell.

Each week one of the Roundtable team—Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—aims to get to the bottom of a specific story principle by analyzing a film, novel, or short story. The rest of us review the story according to our own chosen topics, and together we deepen our knowledge and level up our craft.

Click here for the full show notes.

Status - "Waters of Versailles"

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 08:00:04 +0000

It’s wet, it’s wild, and it’s decadent this week as Leslie leads the Roundtablers through Kelly Robson’s Nebula-award-nominated novella, “Waters of Versailles,” a status story with a fantasy historical setting in the French court of the 18th century.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview-Education - "Pilgrims"

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 4 Mar 2020 09:00:07 +0000

Anne's short story choice this week might be a little too short. Join the Roundtablers as they hash out the issue with Elizabeth Gilbert's famously reduced "Pilgrims" (1993).

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Character Development

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 09:00:11 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of insight this time as Valerie Francis and Leslie Watts bring you a bite-size episode on character development.

Click here for the full show notes.

Thriller - Blade Runner

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 09:00:03 +0000

Valerie leads the team into the dystopian future of 2019 to examine the forces of antagonism in Ridley Scott’s 1982 science fiction noir classic, Blade Runner. Loosely adapted from Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the screenplay was written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Anne Learns to Write

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 09:00:04 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight this time as Anne brings you a bite-size episode on how, after writing for five decades, she has finally learned to write.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Why You Need a Masterwork

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 5 Feb 2020 09:00:03 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight this time as Valerie Francis and Leslie Watts bring you a bite-size episode on why you need a masterwork.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - P10 Analysis of Whiplash

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 09:00:06 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight this time as Valerie Francis and Leslie Watts bring you a bite-size episode all about the progressive complications and escalating stakes of Whiplash.

Here on the Roundtable we're dedicated to helping you become a better writer, following the Story Grid method developed by Shawn Coyne. In these bite size episodes we bring you some shorter solo articles and interviews on topics that interest us as writers.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - How to Analyze a Scene

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 09:00:02 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight this time as Valerie Francis and Leslie Watts bring you a bite-size episode on how to analyze a scene.

Click here for the full show notes.

Morality Genre - "The Bear Came Over the Mountain"

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 09:00:05 +0000

It’s another wintry story this week as Leslie continues her exploration of POV and narrative device in Alice Munro’s 1999 short story “The Bear Came Over the Mountain,” and Away From Her, the 2006 Sarah Polley film adapted from it.

Click here for the full show notes.

Status Genre - "Wolves of Karelia"

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 8 Jan 2020 09:00:02 +0000

The Roundtablers take on a whole new question this week as Anne starts her study of how modern short stories work. We analyze Arna Bontemps Hemenway’s 5200-word tale of love and war, “Wolves of Karelia,” published in August, 2019 in The Atlantic.

Click here for the full show notes.

Performance - Whiplash

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 1 Jan 2020 09:00:03 +0000

Valerie bangs the drum this week for the importance of powerful forces of antagonism as the Roundtablers examine 2014’s Whiplash, written and directed by Damien Chazelle.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview-Education - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 09:00:13 +0000

This week, Kim takes a close look at The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, in order to study how a story’s life values are established in the beginning hook.

This 2018 film was directed by Mike Newell from a screenplay by Don Roos, Tom Bezucha, and Kevin Hood. It was based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer using the Story Grid method, developed by Shawn Coyne. Each week we use a movie, a novel, or a short story to study different storytelling principles so that we can deepen our understanding of story and level up our craft.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview-Education - It's a Wonderful Life

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 09:00:05 +0000

It’s a wonderful look at Point of View and Narrative Device this week, as Leslie opens Season 6 of the podcast with It’s a Wonderful Life. This 1946 perennial holiday favorite was directed by Frank Capra, and written by Francis Goodrich, Albert Hackett, and Frank Capra. The screenplay was based on the short story “The Greatest Gift,” originally published as a Christmas card in 1943 by Philip Van Doren Stern.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Season 6 Preview

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 09:00:04 +0000

Here’s a preview of the winning hand of stories the Roundtablers are getting ready to bring you in Season 6. Join us for Episode 0, when the team bids farewell to Jarie, and Anne, Kim, Valerie, and Leslie each reveal their first movie of the season. They’ll talk about why they chose it and how their Season 6 focus will help them in their own writing.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer using the Story Grid method developed by Shawn Coyne. Each week one of the Roundtable team—Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—aims to get to the bottom of a specific story principle by analyzing a film, novel, or short story. The rest of us analyze the story according to our own chosen topics, and together we deepen our knowledge and level up our craft.

Bite Size Edition - Conventions and Obligatory Scenes

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 4 Dec 2019 14:16:24 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight this time as Kim Kessler brings you a bite-size episode on the truth behind Conventions and Obligatory Scenes.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Edition - Choosing Your Point of View

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 09:00:15 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight this time as Leslie Watts brings you a bite-size episode on how to choose your point of view.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Edition - Becoming an Editor

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 09:00:02 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of chat and fun this time as Kim Kessler and new Story Grid Certified Editor Danielle Kiowski bring you a bite-size episode on what it’s like to become an editor.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Edition - Beginning, Middle, and End

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 09:00:04 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight as Valerie Francis brings you a bite-size episode on the Beginning, Middle and End of a story.

Here on the Story Grid Editor Roundtable Podcast we're dedicated to helping you become a better writer, following the Story Grid method developed by Shawn Coyne. In these episodes we bring you some shorter solo articles and interviews on topics that interest us as writers.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Edition - Genre

tim.grahl@gmail.com (Kim Kessler, Valerie Francis, Leslie Watts, Anne Hawley) — Wed, 6 Nov 2019 09:00:23 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of Story Grid 101 insight and chat this time as Anne and guest editor Rachelle Ramirez bring you a bite-size episode on some basics of Genre.

Click here for the full show notes.

Morality - The Girl in the Book

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 08:00:01 +0000

The Roundtablers work hard to discover what doesn’t quite work in this week’s story, The Girl in the Book. The 2015 film was written and directed by Marya Cohn. Some strong content warnings in this one, folks.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a film as an example of a significant story principle. The rest of us explore different aspects of the story so we can all understand it better.

Click here for the full show notes.

Love Story Genre - Love Story

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 08:00:15 +0000

Back in 1970, apparently love meant never having to say you were sorry. Or so Love Story, that year’s popular tearjerker, would have us believe. The film was directed by Arthur Hiller from a screenplay by Erich Segal, who also wrote the accompanying novel.

Click here for the full show notes.

Story Grid Live 2019

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 08:00:15 +0000

It’s the Live from Nashville 2019 bonus edition as Jarie—who wasn’t able to attend—interviews the rest of us about our experiences at Story Grid Live 2019, and we talk about what it was like to be with over 100 fellow story nerds live and in person.

This is a special episode, but in a typical episode, one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a film as an example of a significant story principle. The rest of us explore different aspects of the story so we can all understand it better.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Objects of Desire

Wed, 9 Oct 2019 08:00:02 +0000

It’s 15 minutes of Story Grid 101 this time as Anne Hawley brings you a bite-size episode on the fourth of the Editor’s Six Core Questions: Objects of Desire.

Here on the Roundtable we're dedicated to helping you become a better writer, following the Story Grid method developed by Shawn Coyne. In these episodes, we bring you some shorter solo articles on topics that interest us as writers.

Click here for the full show notes.

Performance - Black Swan

Wed, 2 Oct 2019 08:00:05 +0000

This week, genre disagreements don’t stop the team from pointe-ing out the great storytelling in Black Swan. This 2010 film about artistic passion was directed by Darren Aronofsky from a screenplay by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John McLaughlin.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Cause and Effect

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 08:00:01 +0000

It’s 15 minutes of deep insight this time as Leslie Watts brings you a bite-size episode on Cause and Effect.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - It's Always Today

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 08:00:10 +0000

It’s 10 minutes of deep insight into the writer’s habits and mindset as Valerie brings you a bite-size episode about daily writing targets and our old friend, Resistance.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - How to Plan A Novel

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 08:00:05 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight this time as Jarie Bolander bring you a bite-size episode on how to plan a novel.

Click here for the full show notes.

Action - The Return of the King

Wed, 4 Sep 2019 08:00:13 +0000

Leslie concludes her epic examination of the action story on an epic scale with the epic-est epic of them all, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. This 2003 conclusion to The Lord of the Rings trilogy was directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay he wrote with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Click here for the full show notes.

Love Story - Like Water for Chocolate

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 08:00:04 +0000

Come along to Mexico and decide whether the movie or the novel is tastier, as Anne pitches Like Water For Chocolate in her study of novels adapted to film. The 1992 Mexican film was directed by Alfonso Arau from the screenplay Laura Esquivel adapted from her 1989 novel of the same name.

Click here for the full show notes.

Love Story - Passengers

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 08:00:05 +0000

Wake us up when it’s over! Kim continues her study of stories that don’t work this week with 2016’s Passengers, written by Jon Spaihts and directed by Morten Tyldum. This film had a flaw so widely perceived that several film blogs created fixes for it. We’re going to do the same.

Click here for the full show notes.

Love Story - Crazy Rich Asians

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 08:00:02 +0000

Let’s get whisked away to Singapore to explore Modern Love with the 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians. This romantic comedy was written by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim and directed by Jon M. Chu.

Click here for the full show notes.

Psychological Thriller - The Girl on the Train

Wed, 7 Aug 2019 08:00:08 +0000

We’re all aboard this week to try to separate the truth from the lies in The Girl on the Train. This 2016 psychological thriller was directed by Tate Taylor from a screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson, based on the record-breaking bestseller of the same name by Paula Hawkins.

Click here for the full show notes.

Action - Deep Impact

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 08:00:06 +0000

It’s a disaster this week as the Leslie leads our fearless crew through Deep Impact. This first of two 1998 films about giant space rocks hitting the earth was written by Bruce Joel Rubin and Michael Tolkin and directed by Mimi Leder.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview Adaptation - If Beale Street Could Talk

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 08:00:15 +0000

Hope, love, and injustice intersect this week in Anne’s pitch: James Baldwin’s 1973 novel If Beale Street Could Talk, and the 2018 film adaptation that was written and directed by Barry Jenkins.

Click here for the full show notes.

Action - Jupiter Ascending

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 08:00:04 +0000

The Wachowskis once again give the Roundtablers reason to tear their hair out, this time with their 2015 failed blockbuster, Jupiter Ascending. Despite a fine cast, a promising storyline, and brilliant special effects, this story doesn’t really work. Kim leads us in trying to figure out why.

Click here for the full show notes.

Love Story - Sense and Sensibility

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 08:00:22 +0000

The Roundtablers return to the love story this week with Sense and Sensibility. This Oscar-winning 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1811 novel was written by Emma Thompson and directed by Ang Lee.

Click here for the full show notes.

Psychological Thriller - Primal Fear

Wed, 3 Jul 2019 08:00:13 +0000

The multiple personalities around the Roundtable try to puzzle out whether the 1995 thriller Primal Fear works, and why—or why not. This film, starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton in his first feature film role, was written by Steve Shagan and Ann Biderman, based on William Diehl’s 1993 novel of the same name. It was directed by Greg Hoblit.

Click here for the full show notes.

Action - Thor: Ragnarok

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 09:00:24 +0000

We’re keeping one eye on superheroes this week as Leslie hammers home some insights about the epic-style Action story in Thor: Ragnarok. This 2017 Marvel blockbuster was written by Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost, and directed by Taika Waititi.

Click here for the full show notes.

Status Genre - A Little Princess

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 09:00:17 +0000

When the villain goes low, we go high with the classic Status Admiration story, A Little Princess. This 1905 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett was most recently adapted to film in 1995 by screenwriter Richard La Gravenese and director Alfonso Cuaron.

Click here for the full show notes.

Special Episode - Launching the Masterwork Experiment

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 09:00:08 +0000

Welcome to the Story Grid Masterwork Experiment!

In this ten-episode summer series, Shawn Coyne and author Anne Hawley are breaking a great masterwork down to the beat level to find out whether an experienced writer can create a new and original story from exactly the same building blocks.

Episode 1 of the Masterwork Experiment introduces the masterwork and lays out the experimental protocol. Will Anne write something new and fresh? Or will she wind up with a hackneyed copy of a beloved novella? Put on your lab coat and goggles, and join us in the story lab to find out.

If you are a subscriber of The Story Grid Podcast, this is the same as episode 167.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Season Five Teaser Trailer

Wed, 29 May 2019 09:00:10 +0000

Here’s a preview of the winning hand of stories the Roundtablers are getting ready to bring you in Season 5. Join us for Episode 0, where Anne, Kim, Valerie, Jarie and Leslie each reveal their first movie of the season and talk about why they chose it, and how they hope studying it will help them in their own writing.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editors pitches a film as an example of a significant story principle and analyzes it using Story Grid tools. The rest of us explore different aspects of the story so we can all understand it better.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Value Shift 101

Wed, 22 May 2019 09:00:15 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight this time as Valerie Francis brings you a bite-size episode on Value Shift.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Episode - Vetting Your Book Idea

Wed, 15 May 2019 09:00:04 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight this time as Kim Kessler bring you a bite-size episode on Vetting Your Book Idea.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Edition - Too Much Information

Wed, 8 May 2019 09:00:10 +0000

What is exposition, and why should novelists be leery of it? Turns out there's brain science behind “Show Don't Tell.” Editor Anne Hawley lays it all out in this 20-minute Bite Size Edition.

Click here for the full show notes.

Status - Puzzle

Wed, 1 May 2019 09:00:03 +0000

This week, Kim and the other Roundtablers continue piecing together global internal genre stories with the 2018 independent film, Puzzle. The screenplay, an adaptation from a 2010 Argentinian film Rompecabezas, was written by Oren Moverman and directed by Marc Turtletaub.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview - The Queen

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 09:00:03 +0000

It’s tradition versus change as Valerie and the Roundtablers examine dramatic irony in the British historical drama The Queen. This 2006 film examining events surrounding the death of Princess Diana was written by Peter Morgan and directed by Stephen Frears.

Click here for the full show notes.

Crime - A Fish Called Wanda

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 09:00:27 +0000

Don’t call us stupid! Jarie and the team examine 1998’s *A Fish Called Wanda *for comedic dialogue. This heist comedy was directed by Charles Crichton from a screenplay by Charles Crichton and John Cleese.

Click here for the full show notes.

Action - The Hunger Games

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 09:00:08 +0000

It’s bread, circuses, and action subgenre conventions this week as the Roundtablers look at The Hunger Games. This 2012 movie was written by Billy Ray, Gary Ross, and Suzanne Collins based on Collins’s novel of the same name.

Click here for the full show notes.

Love Story - Love Actually

Wed, 3 Apr 2019 09:00:11 +0000

Love is all around us this week as the Roundtablers sashay into the miniplot story structure with Love Actually. This 2003 all-star British romantic comedy was written and directed by Richard Curtis.

Click here for the full show notes.

Live from Nashville

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000

We’re in Nashville this week for Story Grid University’s second Editor Certification course. Join us for some lively interviews with the students who are about to join the exclusive club of Story Grid Certified Editors, along with our own insights and next steps.

In our typical episodes, one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a film as an example of a significant story principle. The rest of us explore different aspects of the story so we can all understand it better.

Bite Size Edition - Shawn on Reading

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000

“It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but you are not well-read enough.”

It’s 20 minutes of professional inspiration for writers and editors this time as the Roundtablers interview Shawn Coyne on the critical importance of reading more widely and deeply.

In these episodes we bring you some shorter solo articles and interviews on topics that interest us as writers.

Click here for the full show notes.

Redemption - A Man Called Ove

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000

This week, the team goes global with the foreign language film A Man Called Ove to study Global Internal Genres. This 2015 Swedish comedy-drama was written and directed by Hannes Holm.

Click here for the full show notes.

Thriller - Rear Window

Wed, 6 Mar 2019 09:00:00 +0000

Sit in a chair and watch the suspense unfold this week as Valerie and the other Roundtablers examine Rear Window.

Click here for the full show notes.

Crime - Fargo

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 09:00:00 +0000

You betcha the Roundtablers are going to chip away at how set and setting drive dialogue in the 1996 Coen Brothers film Fargo. This dark comedy was directed by Joel Coen from the script he co-wrote with Ethan Coen.

Click here for the full show notes.

Action-Epic - The Spy Who Dumped Me

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 09:00:00 +0000

It’s international intrigue with comedy on the side on the Roundtable this week as Leslie continues to explore action plot conventions in The Spy Who Dumped Me. This 2018 action-epic-conspiracy film was directed by Susanna Fogel from a screenplay she wrote with David Iserson.

Click here for the full show notes.

Complex Status Story - Black Mirror "Bandersnatch"

Wed, 13 Feb 2019 09:00:00 +0000

TV shows? Video Games? Choose Your Own Adventure? The Roundtablers take on "Bandersnatch" this week as Anne continues her exploration inot complex story forms. This 2018 episode of the Netflix series Black Mirror was written by Charlie Brooker and directed by David Slade.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview-Education - The Fundamentals of Caring

Wed, 6 Feb 2019 09:00:00 +0000

The fundamentals of global internal genre are under review this time as Kim pitches The Fundamentals of Caring, a 2016 independent film written and directed by Rob Burnett.

Click here for the full show notes.

Dialogue - The Shawshank Redemption

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 09:00:00 +0000

Get busy living or busy dying when the editors chip away at dialogue in The Shawshank Redemption. This 1994 film was written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on Stephen King’s Novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.

Click here for the full show notes.

Narrative Drive - Mystery - Murder on the Orient Express

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 09:00:00 +0000

All aboard the murder train! This week, the Roundtablers set off from Istanbul with Hercule Poirot and a star-studded cast to review Murder on the Orient Express. This 1974 classic, based on Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel, was written by Paul Dehn and directed by Sidney Lumet.
Each week one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a film as an example of a significant story principle. The rest of us explore different aspects of the principle so we can all understand it better.

Click here for the full show notes.

Action Subgenre Conventions: Pirates of the Caribbean

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 09:00:00 +0000

Yo ho! The conventions of the Action story sail into port this week as Leslie invites us to examine Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. This 2003 comedy-horror-action movie was written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and directed by Gore Verbinski, based on the ride at Disneyland.

Click here for the full show notes.

Complex Story Structure - Cloud Atlas

Wed, 9 Jan 2019 09:00:00 +0000

Things get really complicated this week as Anne pitches Cloud Atlas so we can all study complex nested story form. This 2012 film was written and directed by Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, based on the 2004 novel by David Mitchell.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Edition - Spreadsheet: The Giant Tamer

Wed, 2 Jan 2019 09:00:00 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of brain-changing inspiration this time as Anne brings you a bite-size episode on how the Story Grid spreadsheet helped her write a better novel.

Here on the Roundtable we're dedicated to helping you become a better writer, following the Story Grid method developed by Shawn Coyne. In these bite-size episodes we bring you some shorter solo articles and interviews on topics that interest us as writers.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Edition - Essential Action

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Leslie and Anne’s Story Grid Investigation Team has been on the case, and today we uncover Essential Action, a great tool for evaluating the conflict in your scenes.

Click here for the full show notes.

Season 4 Teaser Trailer

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Here’s a preview of the winning hand of stories the Roundtablers are getting ready to bring you in Season 4. Join us for Episode 0, where Anne, Kim, Valerie, Jarie and Leslie each reveal their first movie of the season and talk about why they chose it, and how they hope studying it will help them in their own writing.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Edition - Internal Genre Buffet

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of deep insight this time as Kim Kessler and Leslie Watts bring you a bite-size episode on internal genres.

Here on the Roundtable we're dedicated to helping you become a better writer, following the Story Grid method developed by Shawn Coyne. In these bite-size episodes, we’ll serve up some shorter discussion on topics that interest us as writers.

Click here for the full show notes.

Bite Size Edition - Thawing the Fiction Freeze

Wed, 5 Dec 2018 09:00:00 +0000

It’s 20 minutes of help for frozen writers this time as Anne brings you a bite-size episode on the direct path from story structure right down to the selection of details for a story that will engage, entice and enchant your readers.

Here on the Roundtable we're dedicated to helping you become a better writer, following the Story Grid method developed by Shawn Coyne.
In these episodes we bring you some shorter solo articles and interviews on topics that interest us as writers.

Click here for the show notes.

Story Grid 101: The Five Commandments of Storytelling - Coco

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 09:00:00 +0000

We wind up Season 3 with another episode of Story Grid 101. Each of the Roundtable Editors is tackling one of the Story Grid Five Commandments for a deep dive into the fundamental structure of scene, act, and global story, using the Pixar animated feature, Coco as our model. This 2017 family favorite was written by Lee Unkrich, Jason Katz, Matthew Aldrich and Adrian Molina.

Each week the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—examine a specific story principle within the context of a movie.

Click here for the full show notes.

Emotional Stakes - The King's Speech

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 09:00:00 +0000

The Roundtablers join King George VI behind the mic this week to examine emotional stakes in 2010’s Best Picture, The King's Speech, directed by Tom Hooper from David Seidler’s Oscar-winning script.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a favorite film as an example of a significant story principle. Then we team up to debate whether it succeeds or fails, giving authors deep insight into story structure.

Click here for full show notes.

Nested Storytelling - Inception

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Can Anne take the Roundtablers to a story within a story within a story? Find out this week as we analyze Christopher Nolan’s 2010 science fiction heist film Inception.

Click here to read the full show notes.

Narrative Device - Jane Eyre

Wed, 7 Nov 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Join us in the wilds of Yorkshire as we examine the framing story as narrative device in the original gothic romance, Jane Eyre. This 2011 version was directed by Cary Fukunaga from Moira Buffini’s adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 masterpiece.

Narrative Drive - Get Out

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000

It’s suspense, mystery and dramatic irony this week as the Roundtablers explore narrative drive in the context of 2017’s Get Out. This innovative horror movie was directed by Jordan Peele from his Oscar winning screenplay.

Click here for the full show notes.

Symbolism - The Wizard of Oz

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000

We are off to look at symbolism this week as we analyze The Wizard of Oz. This iconic American classic was written by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful World of Oz, and directed primarily by Victor Fleming.

True Life Performance Story - Rudy

Wed, 17 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000

Put on your favorite jersey and join the Roundtablers as we analyze the 1993 film Rudy. This film was written by Angelo Pizzo and directed by David Anspaugh. It’s based on the true story of Daniel Eugene "Rudy" Ruettiger, a walk on to the 1974-1975 Notre Dame Football team. Jarie feels it’s a great example of how to adapt a true life story.

Click here for the full show notes.

Society Political in Disguise - Black Panther

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000

This week the Roundtablers test Anne’s assertion that Ryan Coogler’s 2018 Marvel blockbuster Black Panther is really a Society political story and not the action movie it looks like.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview Maturation - About Time

Wed, 3 Oct 2018 08:00:00 +0000

The editors travel back to fundamentals this week as we analyze one of Kim’s favorites, About Time, to learn all about the an internal global genre.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a favorite film as an example of a significant story principle. Then we team up to test the idea, looking at it from all angles to give authors a deeper insight into story structure.

Click here for the full show notes.

Progressive Complications and the Power of 10 - Waking Ned Divine

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 08:00:00 +0000

Valerie opens our eyes to the principle of Progressive Complications as we analyze the hilarious 1998 British-Irish village comedy Waking Ned Devine. This sleeper hit was written and directed by Kirk Jones.

Click here for the full show notes.

Innovating the Love Story - Harold and Maude

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 08:00:00 +0000

Can Jarie make the case that pairing an 18-year-old boy with a 79-year-old woman is truly an innovation on the Love Story? Find out as we examine Harold and Maude, the 1971 cult black comedy directed by Hal Ashby from a script by Colin Higgins.

Click here for the full show notes.

Status Sentimental and Virgin's Promise - Rocky

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 08:00:00 +0000

This week Leslie goes 15 rounds in the ring arguing that tough guy Rocky is a Virgin’s Promise story at heart, while the opposition brings some heavyweight counterarguments. This 1976 Best Picture was directed by John Avidsen from star Sylvester Stallone’s Oscar nominated script.

Click here for the full show notes.

Genre Mashup - Adaptation

Wed, 5 Sep 2018 08:00:00 +0000

Anne Hawley pitched the 2002 meta-comedy Adaptation this week, as proof that you can break some big story rules and still succeed—but maybe only if you’re screenwriter Charlie Kaufmann. His wild adaptation of Susan Orlean’s nonfiction book The Orchid Thief was directed by Spike Jonze.

Click here for the full show notes.

Hero's Journey and Virgin's Promise - Song of the Sea

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 13:45:00 +0000

This week the Roundtablers succumb to the selkie’s call with Song of the Sea, Kim’s pick for a story that combines Virgin’s Promise and Hero’s Journey structures. This 2014 animated fantasy based on Irish myth was written by Will Collins and directed by Tomm Moore.

Click here for the full show notes.

Morality-Redemption - Manchester by the Sea

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 08:00:00 +0000

In the premiere of season three, the Roundtablers debate Valerie’s assertion that Manchester by the Sea exemplifies the story principle of Surprising But Inevitable Ending. This haunting 2016 Oscar winner was written and directed by Richard Lonergan.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editor—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a favorite film as an example of a significant story principle. Then we team up to debate whether it succeeds or fails, giving authors deep insight into story structure.

Click here for the full show notes.

Morality-Redemption - Flight

Wed, 8 Aug 2018 08:00:00 +0000

This week the Roundtablers bring the the Morality genre in for a rough landing with Flight, the 2012 film by Robert Zemeckis starring Denzel Washington.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

Crime - Mad Money

Wed, 1 Aug 2018 08:00:00 +0000

This week the Roundtablers sneak into the Crime genre and make off with a rather poor impression of the 2007 caper comedy Mad Money, written by Glenn Gers and directed by Callie Khouri.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview - Arrival

Wed, 25 Jul 2018 08:00:00 +0000

The Roundtable team touches down into the Worldview genre this week with the 2016 science fiction revelation drama Arrival, written Eric Heisserer and Ted Chiang, based on Ted Chiang’s “The Story of Your Life” and directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Click here for the full show notes.

Status - Real Women Have Curves

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 08:00:00 +0000

The Roundtablers trace the outlines of the Status genre this week with Real Women Have Curves, directed in 2002 by Patricia Cardoso from a script by Josefina Lopez and George LaVoo.

Click here for the full show notes.

Society - Selma

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 08:00:00 +0000

The Roundtable team marches into the Society genre this week with the 2014 historical drama Selma.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better editor. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

Action - Wonder Woman

Wed, 4 Jul 2018 08:00:00 +0000

This week the Roundtablers throw the Lasso of Truth around the 2017 superhero Action movie Wonder Woman, making it tell the truth about its story, directed by Patty Jenkins with screenplay by Alan Heinberg.
This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

Western - Yojimbo

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 08:00:00 +0000

It’s East meets Western this week as the Roundtable team crosses the Pacific and the decades to look at Akira Kurosawa’s 1960 samurai classic,Yojimbo.

Click here for the full show notes.

War Story - The Hurt Locker

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 08:00:00 +0000

It’s the chaos of war this week as the Roundtable team goes into The Hurt Locker, Mark Boal’s Oscar-winning war drama directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

Click here for the full show notes.

Psychological Thriller - Gone Girl

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 08:00:00 +0000

This week the Roundtable team disappears into Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, and comes back with a verdict of Psychological Thriller, with an extra dose of disturbing.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better editor. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the 12 Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

Special Episode - Story Grid 101: The Editor's Six Core Questions

Wed, 6 Jun 2018 08:00:00 +0000

It’s Story Grid 101: The Editor’s Six Core Questions. What do they mean? Why do you need them? How do they help you edit your novel? The Roundtable team stacks it all up for you in this special episode.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better editor. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the 12 Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

Horror - Carrie

Wed, 30 May 2018 08:00:00 +0000

It’s bucket-o-blood time as the Roundtable team tackles the Horror genre with Kimberly Peirce’s 2013 remake of the Stephen King classic Carrie. Screenplay by Lawrence D. Cohen and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

Love Story - Brokeback Mountain

Wed, 23 May 2018 08:00:00 +0000

This week we embrace the Love Story once again as we camp out on Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee’s 2005 multiple-Oscar-winning masterpiece about the love affair between two cowboys in Wyoming. The screenplay is by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, based on the award-winning short story by Annie Proulx.

This is a show dedicated to helping you to become a better writer. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Action - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Wed, 16 May 2018 08:00:00 +0000

The Roundtablers soar this week into Ang Lee’s 2003 “Wung-fu” Action + Society mashup Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the story of a secret young woman warrior and her attempts to be free of all her masters. The screenplay is by Hui Ling Wang, based on the 1935 Chinese Wǔxiá romance by Wáng Dù Lú.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer. Each week, Story Grid Certified Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the 12 Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

Performance-Hidden Figures

Wed, 9 May 2018 08:04:00 +0000

The Roundtablers lift off into the Performance genre this week with the 2015 Oscar nominee Hidden Figures, which tells the story of three remarkable African-American women and their real-life achievements in the face of racism at NASA. The screenplay is by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi, based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s book.

Click here for the full show notes.

Big Idea Nonfiction - In Defense of Food

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 08:07:00 +0000

This week we put food on the Roundtable as we study the 2015 Big Idea Nonfiction documentary In Defense of Food, by Edward Gray based on the book by Michael Pollan. Visit us on Twitter @StoryGridRT and let us know what you think of our analysis.

Click here for the full show notes.

Crime - Double Indemnity

Wed, 4 Apr 2018 08:00:00 +0000

This week the Roundtable team investigates the claims of Double Indemnity, the 1944 film noir classic about murder and insurance fraud, with screenplay by Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder. Visit us on Twitter @StoryGridRT and let us know what you think of our analysis.

Click here for the full show notes.

Worldview or Society - Dead Poets Society

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 08:00:00 +0000

The Roundtable team waxes lyrical over the 1989 movie Dead Poets Society, directed by Peter Weir with screenplay by Tom Schulman. What we thought was a Global Worldview Story could actually be a Society Story. Visit us on Twitter @StoryGridRT and let us know what you think of our analysis.

Click here for the full show notes.

Western - True Grit

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 08:00:00 +0000

In this week’s episode, the team rides off across wide-open country with the 1969 Western True Grit, written by Marguerite Roberts based on Charles Portis’s bestselling 1968 novel. Visit us on Twitter @StoryGridRT and let us know what you think of our analysis.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer and editor. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the 12 Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

Political Thriller - Marathon Man

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 08:22:00 +0000

In this week’s episode, the team drills into the 1976 thriller Marathon Man with screenplay by William Goldman (based on his novel of the same name) and directed by John Schlesinger. Visit us on Twitter @StoryGridRT and let us know what you think of our analysis.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer and editor. Each week, Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

Action - Jack the Giant Slayer

Wed, 7 Mar 2018 09:00:00 +0000

The Roundtablers make the long climb up Jack the Giant Slayer, the 2013 Action-Adventure CGI extravaganza, written by Darren Lemke, Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney and directed by Bryan Singer. Share your thoughts on our analysis or ask questions on Twitter @StoryGridRT

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better editor. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the 12 Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

Redemption - The Muppet Christmas Carol

Wed, 28 Feb 2018 09:57:00 +0000

The Roundtablers know what the Dickens they’re doing this week as they pay a ghostly visit to The Muppet Christmas Carol, the 1992 music-and-puppets version of the classic scary Morality tale, with screenplay by Jerry Juhl based on the story by Charles Dickens. Visit us on Twitter @StoryGridRT and let us know what you think of our analysis.

Click here to see the full show notes.

Society - Thelma and Louise

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 13:29:00 +0000

In this week’s episode, the team drives right up to the edge with the 1991 Society movie Thelma and Louise, Oscar-winning screenplay by Callie Khouri, directed by Ridley Scott. Share your thoughts on our analysis or ask questions on Twitter @StoryGridRT

Click here to see the full show notes.

Brotherhood War Story - A Midnight Clear

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 13:05:00 +0000

In this week’s episode, the Roundtable goes to war with the tragically underrated 1992 Brotherhood War movie A Midnight Clear, written and directed by Keith Gordon, and based on the 1982 novel by William Wharton. Share your thoughts on our analysis or ask questions on Twitter @StoryGridRT.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better editor. Each week, Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here to see the full show notes.

Courtship Love Story - The Bridges of Madison County

Thu, 8 Feb 2018 09:00:00 +0000

It’s love, loss and longing this week as the Roundtable team crosses The Bridges of Madison County, the 1995 film written by Richard LaGravenese from Robert James Waller’s 1992 novel. Visit us on Twitter @StoryGridRT and let us know what you think of our analysis.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer and editor. Each week, Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here to see the full show notes.

Status Genre - Gladiator

Thu, 1 Feb 2018 09:00:00 +0000

In this week’s episode, we examine the 2000 Status/Admiration epic Gladiator, written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson. Let us know what you think of our analysis. You can reach us on Twitter @StoryGridRT.

Click here to see the full show notes.

Thriller Genre - Hot Fuzz

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 15:47:00 +0000

In this week’s episode, the team takes a look at the 2007 British comedy thriller Hot Fuzz, written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. Let us know what you think of our analysis.

Check out the full show notes.

View the Story Grid Foolscap.

Watch the movie on Amazon.

Horror Genre - Alien

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 15:30:00 +0000

In this week’s episode, the team takes a look at Ridley Scott’s 1979 Horror classic Alien, written by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. Let us know what you think of our analysis.

Check out the full show notes.

View the Story Grid Foolscap.

Watch the movie on Amazon.

Performance Genre - Billy Elliot

Wed, 24 Jan 2018 08:24:00 +0000

In this week’s episode, the team takes a look at the 2000 Performance genre movie Billy Elliot, written by Lee Hall. Let us know what you think of our analysis.

Check out the full show notes.

View the Story Grid Foolscap.

Watch the movie on Amazon.