Gain a Deep Understanding of the Whole Story Elephant

World-building, character development and conflict applied at the macro and micro levels of Story.

Story Grid’s Science-Based Deep Dive
into the Theory of Storytelling

In this seminar, Shawn Coyne uses powerful storytelling lenses to help you get a better, truer perspective on the whole narrative theory of Story. He blends science and the humanities by introducing philosophers, scientists, and writers from the past and present so we can see Story from all angles.

Story Grid’s approach is based on:

• Cognitive science;
• Evolutionary theory;
• Ancient and modern philosophy, including the works of Aristotle, Plato, Carl Jung, and Joseph Campbell; and
• Historical and contemporary masterworks, with a deep dive into one of the world’s greatest—J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

Demystifying squishy language and giving detailed, precise training.

You probably have a shelf (or six shelves) full of books on the writer’s craft.

And you’ve probably taken a few (or a dozen) courses on writing.

When you look back at all those books and courses, do you ever feel like you’re stuck in that ancient parable about the blind men and the elephant?

Each of the men touched a different part of the elephant, and each came away understanding only a fraction of the whole animal—never the true nature of the beast.

The truth is, each craft book and course has provided a glimpse of just one part of the elephant. No one has shown you the true nature of Story—until now.

The Story Grid Trinity Seminar starts by cutting the Story problem in half.

• The Theory Half – Understanding the Structure and Organization of Story
• The Practice Half – Understanding the Functional Purpose of Story

How do we do this at Story Grid?

Step One: Diagnose what’s not exciting, intriguing, or cathartic in a particular story. In that order. A story must excite the audience first, plant the seeds of intrigue second, and provide catharsis third.

Step Two: Prescribe potent objectively measurable analytic processes the creator can use to create more audience excitement, intrigue and catharsis with succeeding drafts.