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Step into an infinite world of stories

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Shawn Coyne

What Are Story Grid Beats?
We think about the story creation process (writing) as one big “problem.” 

You simply want to travel from where you are right now (without a story that works) to a place where your story takes on a life of its own. It works.

We submit to you that the practical way to unpack that very big problem is by breaking it into smaller, more easily solvable units. 

Just as performers break down acting challenges into moment to moment micro-actions they call beats, so do Story Grid Beat books break your story problems into specific high-resolution mini-puzzles. 

They’re like global positioning system reports for when you find yourself lost on your author’s journey. And once they clearly define the problem at hand, they offer procedural advice about how best to reframe your approach and solve it in your own unique way. 

After all, you can’t begin to solve a problem until you clearly know what it is. 
You Are Not the Problem. The Problems are the Problem.

Dan Portnoy

Story Grid Universe LLC

Story Grid Beats

The Story Grid Universe: Leveling Up Your Craft

Leslie Watts and Shelley Sperry

WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?

Think about the story creation process (writing) as one big "problem."

You want to travel from where you are right now to (without a story that works) to a place where your story takes on a life of its own. Your desired destination is where stories entertain and enlighten. 

The practical way to unpack that explosively complex problem is by breaking it down, into smaller, more easily solvable units. 

Just as performers make active micro-decisions they call beats, so do Story Grid Beats pare down your story problems into specific high-resolution mini-puzzles.

They're like global positioning system reports for when you find yourself lost on your writer's journey. And once they define the problem, they offer procedural advice about how best to reframe your approach and solve it in your unique way. 

After all, you can't begin to solve a problem until you know what it is. 

YOU ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEMS ARE THE PROBLEM.

What's The Big Idea?: Nonfiction Condensed

Action Stories speak to ancient human desires. Readers want to experience heart-stopping fear and excitement and learn lessons of survival.

How can you write a story that satisfies those desires?

In Action Story: The Primal Genre, Story Grid founder Shawn Coyne takes you on a journey deep into the meaning of the genre. Coyne boils down insights gained through more than 25 years as an editor and writer to teach you Action Story’s fundamental constraints and patterns. He explores subgenres and setting, and proposes a new way of understanding the traditional cast of characters to reveal their power as agents of light and darkness.

In keeping with Story Grid Publishing’s goal of helping all writers level up their craft, Coyne provides a practical twenty-point game plan, showing how action stories move forward from beginning to end.

Action stories are part of our DNA, fundamental to our humanity. Let’s learn to write them together.

Action Story: The Primal Genre

Story Grid Beats - The book series

Story Grid Beats - The book series

Story Grid Beats books in order

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