Story Grid Editors Roundtable

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.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.

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.

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.

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.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.

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).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.

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

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.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.

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.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.

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.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.

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.

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.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. 

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.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.

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.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.

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.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.

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.

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.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.

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.

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.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. 

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.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. 

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.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.