Story Grid Writers' Room

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.

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. 

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.

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.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.

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.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. 

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.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. 

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.

In this episode, the hosts analyze the core event of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. They discuss the chase scene, set pieces, emotional connections, and hiding a character's true motives. They also explore the power dynamics between characters, the complexity of Snape's character, and the challenges of writing children's literature. The hosts rush through a scene analysis using Socratic questions, discuss the importance of emotional connection and the editor's credo of 'do no harm', and analyze the aftermath of a crucial scene. Additionally, they explore the brilliant point of view choice and the arrangement of progressive complications in the Harry Potter series.

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.

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.