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.

When five New Yorkers receive an anonymous, mysterious invitation to the Fifth Avenue Story Society, they suspect they’re victims of a practical joke. No one knows who sent the invitations or why. No one has heard of the literary society. And no one is prepared to reveal their deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers. Executive assistant Lexa is eager for a much-deserved promotion, but her boss is determined to keep her underemployed. Literature professor Jett is dealing with a broken heart, as well as a nagging suspicion his literary idol, Gordon Phipps Roth, might be a fraud. Uber driver Chuck just wants a second chance with his kids. Aging widower Ed is eager to write the true story of his incredible marriage. Coral, queen of the cosmetics industry, has broken her engagement and is on the verge of losing her great grandmother’s multimillion-dollar empire. Yet curiosity and loneliness bring them back week after week to the old library. And it’s there they discover the stories of their hearts, and the kind of friendship and love that heals their souls. Sweet, contemporary stand-alone novel Book length: approximately 100,000 words Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Stories with a Moral is the first comprehensive study of the effects of plantation society on literature and the influences of literature on social practices in nineteenth-century Georgia. During the years of frontier settlement, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, Georgia authors voiced their support for the slave system, the planter class, and the ideals of the Confederacy, presenting a humorous, passionate, and at times tragic view of a rapidly changing world. Michael E. Price examines works of fiction, travel accounts, diaries, and personal letters in this thorough survey of King Cotton's literary influence, showing how Georgia authors romanticized agrarian themes to present an appealing image of plantation economy and social structure. Stories with a Moral focuses on the importance of literature as a mode of ideological communication. Even more significant, the book shows how the writing of one century shaped the development of social practices and beliefs that persist, in legend and memory, to this day.

Developed from a PhD thesis, this book ranges across history, philosophy, sociology and performance to examine the nature of identity in a world where machines are becoming more and more a part of our lives, and of ourselves.

And so the time has come for you to tell the story of your life. How will you do it? A straightforward, linear narrative? Perhaps you will adopt an experimental approach. Do you aim to produce something of great artistic merit? Will you tell the story simply, or do you want to convey something complex and beguiling? Will you be scrupulously truthful, or do you intend to embroider the facts and events? Perhaps you want to present a fantasy version of your life rather than the real thing. Perhaps you want others to admire you and respect you, so you will censor all the unsavory and disreputable things you did. You definitely won't be presenting a "warts and all" account. Or maybe you want people to know exactly who you are, so you will tell it exactly as it is. You will show the world your true self and they can take it or leave it. What kind of audience do you want? Do you seek people of refinement and the highest taste, or are you eager for the masses to crowd in to hear your tale? Are you an elitist or a populist? Do you want to have as large an audience as possible or as select an audience as you can find? Is quality better than quantity? Will you produce a crowd-pleasing thriller, or a high-minded meditation? Perhaps a horror story captures the essence of your life, or a sci-fi, or a western, or a rom-com. It is more tragedy than comedy, or did the laughs and fun times flow thick and fast? There are so many factors to consider. A life is not an easy thing, and its telling is even harder. Come inside and learn how to tell the story of your life.