Story Grid Writers' Room

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.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.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.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. 

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.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 complete show notes.

The podcast analyzes E. L. Doctorow's novel Ragtime, exploring its relevance in society and the use of point of view. They discuss the film adaptation's lack of depth compared to the book. They delve into the four core elements of the society genre and examine the failed revolution in the story. The hosts emphasize the importance of selecting the right narrative device and point of view.

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.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.

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.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.