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I'm utterly enthralled with story structure, but I like to apply it AFTER I've vomited out a zero draft. Hardcore plotters swear this means I'm wasting time and effort on unnecessary rewrites, but I'm not sure how that math pans out - either way you're putting a ton of work into the project, and the only difference is whether it's on the front end or the back end. ANYWAY... SG has always seemed to me like a wonderful way to ensure your next draft hits all the marks. Having said all that, I can easily use SG and other story structure formulas to procrastinate on the actual practice of writing. It's much easier to THINK about the process than to actually Do The Work. Which is why I still don't have a completed manuscript LOLOL 😂

What's your favourite non-fantasy world? I love: -The fashion world of Devil Wears Prada -The music scene of Daisy Jones and the Six -Genovia from The Princess Diaries books

i used to do this as a teen a couple of years ago for YA writers for 20 dollars per 20k words and all i remember is authors needing a damn editor first haha. maybe i was underselling myself but there were cases where i spent days trying to read a draft and had to tell the author (broke both our hearts) that i was unable to due to the sheer state of it. great video hahaha my comment doesnt really add to the video but i wanted to share

Christmas Pints & Proper Snogging: nicolewilbur.substack.com/p/sing-me-noel-pt-five-christmas-pints?r=1odtbd

As both a writer and Fiverr beta reader, I always recommend getting at least one paid beta reader because the notes are guaranteed! Granted, most of my previous paid readers didn't touch on as many specifics as I would've liked, but that's why I love to give my own clients feedback I wish I could hear from the writer standpoint.

I think the problem is knowing if you'll get someone good...

Great video! I might consider this to find someone to read my whole manuscript. Appreciate your tips and glad you had a good experience ❤

Hi, I currently have a novel in with Ana & Josie, so good to hear you had a good experience. I’m due to get my novel back early January

huge fan of using Fiverr for beta readers because they actually get my notes back on time :D although I think I hired them too early haha. Maybe I'll try what you did next time and hire betas AFTER the dev edits.

nicolewilbur.substack.com/p/sing-me-noel-pt-three?r=1odtbd

nicolewilbur.substack.com/p/sing-me-noel-part-one?r=1odtbd

Interesting update. Thanks

You’re the best❤

Premise :- I want to make a fan that will through Cool air even in dessert After Solving Every Problem The Charector Change (WxA=C) Come up With Designing Principle of Water Cooler (FanxHotair = Cooler) Story Playoff Cool air even in Desert Thanks me later

You look so pretty in this video (I appreciate this is not the point 😂)

Thanks for this, Nicole - it resonated throughout! Loving your honesty. Just this afternoon, I gave the first scene of the novel a severe haircut. Similar to your experience, my first scene fell over itself in its effort to make sure the reader understood 'what the character was all about' and thus revealing too much, too soon in a big fluffy cliche-ridden pudding. After its visit to my editing salon, it's reading a great deal better. It's briefer and brisker!

Read the short story, Sing me Noel Pt 1: Season of Plenty, now: nicolewilbur.substack.com/p/sing-me-noel-part-one?r=1odtbd

These are great tips (wish I would've had these when trying to find an agent I must have sent the most embarrassing shit in the early days) - controversially I've been receiving a few queries letters lately that have actual headlines in the letter. e.g. "Book", "Author", "Plot" and it's low-key incredibly refreshing as the person reading the letters. I also wish more query letters specified what phase of development the book is in. It's really hard to know if a book has been developmentally edited, has no editorial passes, has been commercially edited etc.

These classes sound really cool!

This was so useful! I know basically nothing about query letters (I don't even want to look back at what I've sent to agents in the past....) so it's great to have this as a resource. Thank you ☺

SG Sounds like a religious cult. Need to get back to real writer training and, positively, don't send money.

I started reading Shawn before the book came out, when it was posts on the blog. As I'd made my own database for getting an overview of my series, you can see how it was right up my alley. Then I listened to every ep of the podcast for years... Then, like a lot of other writers, I tuned out when Shawn started speaking of 'phears' and avatars and other strange unnecessary terminology. But then, I liked Tim's new RUclips channel where he seemed to be more personal and practical. But /then/ I signed up to get an advanced reader copy of his book which he said followed all their new ideas, and which Shawn apparently loved - and reading it I could see how it followed their structural guidelines... But I really did not like it. It brought home to me that their analytical tools are good, their structural ideas for laying out your story ahead of writing it are good - but writing a good novel still comes down to having engaging and entertaining ideas, and then following through with them in a way that makes sense and fulfills the readers expectations while also being a bit surprising. Tim's book was surprising only in that I kept saying "oh no, he's not really going there is he?" in dread, not anticipation. It was ridiculously plotted and the characters were all either unlikable or paper thin. Given all that, I don't know how much more attention I can pay to anything they have to offer.

Really appreciate your video and thoughts!

I also hate the ma'am. If youre gonna be formal with me, dont shorten the word. The apostrophe gets rid of a d. Call me madame, queen, princess, but no, not ma'am.

Thanks for sharing. Subscribed to your Substack. 😊

Sorry, but not sorry... Tim's announcement left me with a bad taste in my mouth. SG took a lot of people's money and time to learn their system had flaws. They advertised it as being worth the high price because it was unique. Now, they've realized it needs to be more like what's been done for centuries. Um.

I started Story Grid with the same Podcast you did. I loved listening to Tim's story and revisions. I dropped it for the same reasons. I will check them out again.

Love Harry Potter. JK created an incredible world. Still love Jk can’t wait for the new tv show I hope they do a great job. I got everything for the house but Gryffindor. my favorite move was for the longest the chamber of secrets but now it’s the last one live the big epic battle at the end.

I learned SG back in 2019/2020 from the book and a friend. Too formulaic for me. Good writing is art, not science. My question to my friend was 'name me one bestselling novel written using SG'. I never got an answer.

Great video. You should have more views! Struggling with my genre. Would you consider reading my book and telling me what you think the genre is? Paid work obvi.

Part one: nicolewilbur.substack.com/p/sing-me-noel-part-one

i have novellas and im just starting my substack i love your vibe

Woo hoo!!! So many congratulations!!!

Designing Principle = HOW you tell the story. One of the best examples of this comes from the movie, "A Beautiful Mind," starring Russel Crowe. In the movie, Russel Crowe's character suffers from delusions. The story doesn't merely explain his mental issues, but it weaves imaginary characters into the story, giving the audience a sense of what it is like to be someone who suffers from delusions. Here, the Designing Principle might be described as, "Tell the story of a brilliant man who suffers from delusions by actually weaving his delusions into the story in such a way that the audience has trouble detecting what is real and what is imaginary." Yes, the technique in "A Beautiful Mind" is not entirely original, but they add some twists to the screen play that makes the use of the technique more unique. For example, some of his delusions are outlandish and obviously his imagination, but others are more subtle and you think they are real, until you later find out that they are also imaginary. I find when I'm trying to think up a Designing Principle, I think about the movie, "A Beautiful Mind," and HOW the story was told in a unique way. Another fairly good example comes from the movie, "Memento," where the main character suffers from short term memory loss and is trying to solve a murder. The story is told in reverse to give you the feel of what it is like to suffer from short term memory loss. This is a very unique way to tell the story, a unique twist on a murder mystery, but I think the story suffers a little bit because it is slightly difficult to follow.

I’m so excited for these!! I got the email yesterday or the first story and I can’t wait to have a chance to read it!

🙌🙌🙌 congrats!!! Been watching your journey over the last few years and this is so exciting!!! Well done for sticking with it, it’s always amazing to see fellow writers get to the big red “publish” button 🎉🎉🎉

OK, that query letter was _painful_ to listen to LOL! Great summary of tips, though!

Read it here! nicolewilbur.substack.com/p/sing-me-noel-part-one?r=1odtbd

This was brilliant! What a great idea

If a series of Christmas-y short stories (and writing craft talk!) sounds good, sign up for my newsletter! nicolewilbur.substack.com/?

How lovely! Very cool idea

Thanks! I was not only considering getting a developmental editor, but I had heard from someone who mentioned working with a Brando Sando editor (which I think is probably the one you went with). This was very illuminating.

OOOOO I'm excited!! I've been hearing about these Christmas stories since we started our channels haha! It'll be nice to get to read them.

If a series of Christmas-y short stories (and writing craft talk!) sounds good, sign up for my newsletter! nicolewilbur.substack.com/?

Oh my God. I tried watching this and just had to stop after five minutes because she just rambles on and on and on. The lack of presentation skills could have been tolerated had just gotten to some kind of a point. I will just have to look elsewhere for information on how Rowling's story grid works.

I would be careful with evolutionary psychology, most of that stuff is not really scientific.

As yummy as eating ice cream - love it!

Prefer to read your content? Check out my corresponding substack article: nicolewilbur.substack.com/p/rick-riordan-reader-pleasure-and