Tim Grahl
@StoryGrid
Publishing veteran with 15+ years experience. CEO of Story Grid and author of The Shithead, Running Down a Dream and Your First 1000 Copies.
"Unexpectedly insightful, strangely therapeutic." Discover why readers call it unforgettable. See More: geni.us/tiLsu?utm_camp…
You have to remove one of these from your story. What do you pick? - A) The protagonist’s best friend - B) The final plot twist - C) The main antagonist - D) The love subplot
You don’t need your villain in every scene. You need resistance. A locked door can be more compelling than a monologue from Evil McBadguy.
The kitchen smelled like her grandmother’s house, full of butter, garlic, and memory. Rewrite this with a negative or ominous valence. Keep the core moment, but change the emotional tone.
My writing routine: - ⏰ Up at 5:30 a.m. - 🐶 Take the pugs out and feed them. - ☕️ Make coffee. - 🏖️ Put a YouTube beach landscape on the TV. - 👨🏻💻 Open Scrivener and get started. What's yours?
Your setting isn’t a background—it’s a weapon. Use it. A cheerful diner during a breakup? A hospital room during a love confession? The right setting changes everything without a word of exposition.
Forget clever comebacks—give me characters lying to each other while screaming the truth with their fists, glances, and silence.
Want readers to gasp at your Climax? Make sure they groan at your Crisis. That’s where the magic hides.
Your book is getting one of these labels. Which do you prefer? - A) A cult classic - B) A mainstream bestseller