The Story Grid Universe: Leveling Up Your Craft

Written by Shawn Coyne

Narrated by Dan Portnoy

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Story Grid Universe LLC
• Release date: Jan 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645010029

Shawn Coyne

SHAWN COYNE created, developed, and expanded the story analysis and problem- solving methodology The Story Grid throughout his quarter-century-plus book publishing career. A seasoned story editor, book publisher and ghostwriter, Coyne has also co-authored The Ones Who Hit the Hardest: The Steelers, The Cowboys, the '70s and the Fight For America's Soul with Chad Millman and Cognitive Dominance: A Brain Surgeon's Quest to Out-Think Fear with Mark McLaughlin, M.D. With his friend and editorial client Steven Pressfield, Coyne runs Black Irish Entertainment LLC, publisher of the cult classic book The War of Art. With his friend and editorial client Tim Grahl, Coyne oversees the Story Grid Universe, LLC, which includes Story Grid University and Story Grid Publishing.