am writing

This week the Roundtablers test Anne’s assertion that Ryan Coogler’s 2018 Marvel blockbuster Black Panther is really a Society political story and not the action movie it looks like.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a favorite film as an example of a significant story principle. Then we team up to debate whether it succeeds or fails, giving authors deep insight into story structure.

Click here for the full show notes.

The editors travel back to fundamentals this week as we analyze one of Kim’s favorites, About Time, to learn all about the an internal global genre.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a favorite film as an example of a significant story principle. Then we team up to test the idea, looking at it from all angles to give authors a deeper insight into story structure.

Click here for the full show notes.

Valerie opens our eyes to the principle of Progressive Complications as we analyze the hilarious 1998 British-Irish village comedy Waking Ned Devine. This sleeper hit was written and directed by Kirk Jones.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a favorite film as an example of a significant story principle. Then we team up to debate whether it succeeds or fails, giving authors deep insight into story structure.

Click here for the full show notes.

Can Jarie make the case that pairing an 18-year-old boy with a 79-year-old woman is truly an innovation on the Love Story? Find out as we examine Harold and Maude, the 1971 cult black comedy directed by Hal Ashby from a script by Colin Higgins.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a favorite film as an example of a significant story principle. Then we team up to debate whether it succeeds or fails, giving authors deep insight into story structure.

Click here for the full show notes.

This week Leslie goes 15 rounds in the ring arguing that tough guy Rocky is a Virgin’s Promise story at heart, while the opposition brings some heavyweight counterarguments. This 1976 Best Picture was directed by John Avidsen from star Sylvester Stallone’s Oscar nominated script.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a favorite film as an example of a significant story principle. Then we team up to debate whether it succeeds or fails, giving authors deep insight into story structure.

Click here for the full show notes.

Anne Hawley pitched the 2002 meta-comedy Adaptation this week, as proof that you can break some big story rules and still succeed—but maybe only if you’re screenwriter Charlie Kaufmann. His wild adaptation of Susan Orlean’s nonfiction book The Orchid Thief was directed by Spike Jonze.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a favorite film as an example of a significant story principle. Then we team up to debate whether it succeeds or fails, giving authors deep insight into story structure.

Click here for the full show notes.

This week the Roundtablers succumb to the selkie’s call with Song of the Sea, Kim’s pick for a story that combines Virgin’s Promise and Hero’s Journey structures. This 2014 animated fantasy based on Irish myth was written by Will Collins and directed by Tomm Moore.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editors—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a favorite film as an example of a significant story principle. Then we team up to debate whether it succeeds or fails, giving authors deep insight into story structure.

Click here for the full show notes.

In the premiere of season three, the Roundtablers debate Valerie’s assertion that Manchester by the Sea exemplifies the story principle of Surprising But Inevitable Ending. This haunting 2016 Oscar winner was written and directed by Richard Lonergan.

Each week one of the Story Grid Editor—Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, or Leslie Watts—pitches a favorite film as an example of a significant story principle. Then we team up to debate whether it succeeds or fails, giving authors deep insight into story structure.

Click here for the full show notes.

This week the Roundtablers bring the the Morality genre in for a rough landing with Flight, the 2012 film by Robert Zemeckis starring Denzel Washington.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

The Roundtable team touches down into the Worldview genre this week with the 2016 science fiction revelation drama Arrival, written Eric Heisserer and Ted Chiang, based on Ted Chiang’s “The Story of Your Life” and directed by Denis Villeneuve.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

The Roundtablers trace the outlines of the Status genre this week with Real Women Have Curves, directed in 2002 by Patricia Cardoso from a script by Josefina Lopez and George LaVoo.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

The Roundtable team marches into the Society genre this week with the 2014 historical drama Selma.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better editor. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

This week the Roundtablers throw the Lasso of Truth around the 2017 superhero Action movie Wonder Woman, making it tell the truth about its story, directed by Patty Jenkins with screenplay by Alan Heinberg.
This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

It’s the chaos of war this week as the Roundtable team goes into The Hurt Locker, Mark Boal’s Oscar-winning war drama directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

This is a show dedicated to helping you become a better writer. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.

Click here for the full show notes.

This week we embrace the Love Story once again as we camp out on Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee’s 2005 multiple-Oscar-winning masterpiece about the love affair between two cowboys in Wyoming. The screenplay is by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, based on the award-winning short story by Annie Proulx.

This is a show dedicated to helping you to become a better writer. Each week Story Grid Editors Jarie Bolander, Valerie Francis, Anne Hawley, Kim Kessler, and Leslie Watts analyze a film from one of the twelve Story Grid content genres and discuss it using the Editor’s Six Core Questions as developed by Shawn Coyne.