Four Core Fiction A Story Grid Contenders Analysis Guide

Getting to the Heart of Story Every story has a moment we're waiting for-a climactic scene that sends an electric pulse of emotion through us-a moment of catharsis. In the Story Grid Universe, we've analyzed hundreds of stories looking for the source of that electricity. And now we've gotten to the heart of the matter in what we're calling the Four Core Framework A core need satisfied or denied through the change of a core value in a core event that elicits a core emotion. In this collection of twelve original works of fiction-one for each of our twelve story genres-we showcase the core events that make an audience gasp, sigh, or cry when they experience the emotional release they seek. This anthology was written and edited by intrepid members of our Story Grid community inspired by the core events of masterworks in each genre. We hope it will encourage writers to explore new ways to improve their craft and captivate readers. Stories by Genre Action Goliath Approaches by Leslie Watts, edited by Rachelle Ramirez War The Confession by Tim Grahl, edited by Valerie Francis Horror Outpost 5 by J. Thorn, edited by Ira Heinichen Crime Let Justice Prevail by Mark McGinn, edited by Leslie Watts Thriller X Pass by Rebekah Olson, edited by Randall Surles Western High Plains Migration by Shelley Sperry, edited by Larry Pass Love I Brush My Teeth Left-Handed and Other Reasons You Should Date Me by Rebecca Monterusso, Edited by Danielle Kiowski Performance Jaws by Courtney Harrell, edited by Melanie Naumann Society Above All Else by Shawn Coyne, edited by Tim Grahl Status The Good Daughter by Rachelle Ramirez, edited by Anne Hawley Morality An Artist's Test by Kimberly Kessler, edited by Abigail K Perry Worldview Elixir by Julia Blair, edited by Catherine Lunardon

What if you could look inside a novel and see exactly how it works, like a doctor analyzing an x-ray or MRI scan? In The Story Grid Contenders Analysis Guide to Four Core Fiction the authors look deep into the heart of these short stories written by Story Grid Certified editors along with Story Grid founders Shawn Coyne and Tim Grahl. How does each scene break down and work on its own? The scene is the essential tool in a writer's arsenal. In this guide you will go beat-by-beat through each scene and look at how and why it works. Digging deep into a scene beat-by-beat is an amazing way to study writing. This Story Grid Contenders Analysis Guide is a valuable tool for any writer or editor interested in the art and science of storytelling. By showing you the inner workings of each beat-by-beat of the scene is the way to level up your craft.

There are a lot of books on story structure, but only THE PLOT MACHINE presents a step-by-step guide to designing a story. In clear precise language, this guide discusses the various types of stories we tell, their specific parts, and how they are assembled. Say good-bye to staring at the blank page waiting for lightning to strike. Just put a few coins in THE PLOT MACHINE and design better stories faster.

WHAT IS THE STORY GRID? The Story Grid is a tool developed by editor Shawn Coyne to analyze stories and provide helpful editorial comments. It's like a CT Scan that takes a photo of the global story and tells the editor or writer what is working, what is not, and what must be done to make what works better and fix what's not. The Story Grid breaks down the component parts of stories to identify the problems. And finding the problems in a story is almost as difficult as the writing of the story itself (maybe even more difficult). The Story Grid is a tool with many applications: 1. It will tell a writer if a Story ?works? or ?doesn't work. 2. It pinpoints story problems but does not emotionally abuse the writer, revealing exactly where a Story (not the person creating the Story'the Story) has failed. 3. It will tell the writer the specific work necessary to fix that Story's problems. 4. It is a tool to re-envision and resuscitate a seemingly irredeemable pile of paper stuck in an attic drawer. 5. It is a tool that can inspire an original creation.

"If you are a fan of Hunger Games or the Matrix, this is the book that you carry around with you until you get to the end." 1. If you win, you survive. 2. If you lose, you and everyone you love slowly starve to death. Years before twelve-year-old Jesse was born, everyday life tipped into this dystopia when firestorms burned through millions upon millions of acres of sustainable farmland. Now there's not enough food for too many people. Leaders from around the globe came together and conceived of the most extraordinary competition imaginable. The results determine who gets what and how much. This battlefield lies within the grid, a virtual world where the people mine credits to stake their claim for their daily bread. When everyone else is living a virtual life honing unreal skills, only the truly gifted have the courage and know-how to be real. And Jesse might be the most gifted competitor in The Threshing. Ever.

A stirring portrait of the decade when the Steelers became the greatest team in NFL history, even as Pittsburgh was crumbling around them. In the 1970s, the city of Pittsburgh was in need of heroes. In that decade the steel industry, long the lifeblood of the city, went into massive decline, putting 150,000 steelworkers out of work. And then the unthinkable happened: The Pittsburgh Steelers, perennial also-rans in the NFL, rose up to become the most feared team in the league, dominating opponents with their famed "Steel Curtain" defense, winning four Super Bowls in six years, and lifting the spirits of a city on the brink. In The Ones Who Hit the Hardest, Chad Millman and Shawn Coyne trace the rise of the Steelers amidst the backdrop of the fading city they fought for, bringing to life characters such as: Art Rooney, the owner of the team so beloved by Pittsburgh that he was known simply as "The Chief"; Chuck Noll, the headstrong coach who used the ethos of steelworkers to motivate his players; Terry Bradshaw, the strong-armed and underestimated QB; Joe Green, the defensive tackle whose fighting nature lifted the franchise; and Jack Lambert, the linebacker whose snarling, toothless grin embodied the Pittsburgh defense. Every story needs a villain, and in this one it's played by the Dallas Cowboys. As Pittsburgh rusted, the new and glittering metropolis of Dallas, rich from the capital infusion of oil revenue, signaled the future of America. Indeed, the town brimmed with such confidence that the Cowboys felt comfortable nicknaming themselves "America's Team." Throughout the 1970s, the teams jostled for control of the NFL-the Cowboys doing it with finesse and the Steelers doing it with brawn-culminating in Super Bowl XIII in 1979, when the aging Steelers attempted to hold off the Cowboys one last time. Thoroughly researched and grippingly written, The Ones Who Hit the Hardest is a stirring tribute to a city, a team, and an era.

A National Book Award Longlist title! "A wondrous book, wise and wild and deeply true." —Kelly Barnhill, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon "This is one of those books that haunts you long after you read it. Thought-provoking and magical." —Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series In the tradition of modern-day classics like Sara Pennypacker's Pax and Lois Lowry's The Giver comes a deep, compelling, heartbreaking, and completely one-of-a-kind novel about nine children who live on a mysterious island. On the island, everything is perfect. The sun rises in a sky filled with dancing shapes; the wind, water, and trees shelter and protect those who live there; when the nine children go to sleep in their cabins, it is with full stomachs and joy in their hearts. And only one thing ever changes: on that day, each year, when a boat appears from the mist upon the ocean carrying one young child to join them—and taking the eldest one away, never to be seen again. Today’s Changing is no different. The boat arrives, taking away Jinny’s best friend, Deen, replacing him with a new little girl named Ess, and leaving Jinny as the new Elder. Jinny knows her responsibility now—to teach Ess everything she needs to know about the island, to keep things as they’ve always been. But will she be ready for the inevitable day when the boat will come back—and take her away forever from the only home she’s known? "A unique and compelling story about nine children who live with no adults on a mysterious island. Anyone who has ever been scared of leaving their family will love this book" (from the Brightly.com review, which named Orphan Island a best book of 2017).