Tim Grahl - Stop Writing Like S**t (A Craft Workshop)

Episode Description

Tim Grahl runs Story Grid and wrote The Shithead, and he has a controversial opinion: writing is a learnable skill, not magic. In this conversation, we talk about why most writing advice is terrible for beginners, why “write what feels right” is garbage guidance, and how to actually improve your craft systematically.

Some writers hate hearing that good stories follow patterns. Tim doesn’t care. He’s more interested in helping people write books that readers actually want to finish.

In This Episode

* Why Stephen King’s On Writing is terrible advice for beginners

* What Story Grid actually teaches (and why it works)

* The problem with “writing for yourself”

* Why scenes need to make readers want to turn the page

* How Tim learned to write through systematic feedback

* Why most indie fantasy books are unreadable

* The difference between talented and skilled

* Mental stack: how to avoid overwhelming your reader

* Why world-building often becomes procrastination

* Craft first, marketing second (but both matter)

Guest Links

Tim Grahl

* Story Grid: storygrid.com

The Shithead

* Amazon: https://amzn.to/4nqxB59

Kristin’s Links

Services & Content

* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com

* Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack

* YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin

Sponsors

Later - Stop living on your phone. Schedule your social media posts across all platforms from one dashboard. Try it free at try.later.com/nonsensefree

Timestamps

[00:00] - Introduction: Writing is a learnable skill (and that makes people mad)[03:20] - How Tim got into book marketing and then writing[07:45] - Why On Writing by Stephen King is bad advice for beginners[12:30] - What’s wrong with Bird by Bird[16:15] - The “I’m writing for myself” fallacy[20:40] - What Story Grid actually teaches[25:50] - Why most indie books fail the first chapter test[30:25] - Mental stack: How readers process information[35:10] - The world-building trap (and why it’s procrastination)[40:15] - Reveal, don’t explain[44:30] - Why craft matters more than “writing to market”[49:20] - How Tim wrote The Shithead (and why it almost didn’t happen)[54:45] - Learning craft systematically vs. hoping it clicks[59:10] - Why deliberate practice works for writing

About This Podcast

Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.

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