Tim Grahl

Faust meets Fleishman Is In Trouble. Eric Bauer-son, husband, father, and small business owner-is slowly losing his grip on reality. Drowning in debt and a never-ending to-do list, he finally catches a break. To trade the torment of barely scraping by for the riches of Nashville's elite Pinnacle Club, he only needs to keep doing what he's been doing since college. Lie. Playing fast and loose with the truth is the easy part. What's hard for The Shithead is figuring out how to build a meaningful life in a meaningless world.

What if you could look inside a novel and see exactly how it works, like a doctor analyzing an x-ray or MRI scan? In The Story Grid Contenders Analysis Guide to The Threshing Tim Grahl and Shawn Coyne look deep into the heart of Grahl's dystopian action novel set in a grim future where people compete in a virtual world to survive in the real one. What essential actions lie beneath the moves the characters make? How does each scene propel the story forward? Coyne opens the Guide by analyzing the structure of the Action Story, the first and most primal fiction genre. Why have humans shared heroic tales that pivot on life-or-death choices ever since we began gathering around campfires? Why do Action stories persist at the top of bestseller lists? Because they speak to our desire to experience heart-stopping fear and excitement and learn hard lessons vicariously. Coyne's analysis provides the framework you need to satisfy those desires in readers. Then Grahl takes you into his process of crafting a story that works by dissecting the structure of each scene, from inciting incident to crisis to resolution. You'll see the critical choices he made to deepen his characters' dilemmas and surprise readers again and again. There is simply no better way to learn the craft of storytelling than to study a novel scene by scene. This Story Grid Contenders Analysis Guide is a valuable tool for any writer or editor interested in the art and science of storytelling. By showing you the inner workings of this contemporary action story at the macro and micro levels, Coyne and Grahl give you the tools to analyze your own work, diagnose and solve problems, and level up your craft.

1. If you win, you survive.2. If you lose, you and everyone you love slowly starve to death. Years before twelve-year-old Jesse was born, everyday life tipped into this dystopia when firestorms burned through millions upon millions of acres of sustainable farmland. Now there's not enough food for too many people. Leaders from around the globe came together and conceived of the most extraordinary competition imaginable. The results determine who gets what and how much. This battlefield lies within the grid, a virtual world where the people mine credits to stake their claim for their daily bread. When everyone else is living a virtual life honing unreal skills, only the truly gifted have the courage and know-how to be real. And Jesse might be the most gifted competitor in The Threshing. Ever.

"Running Down a Dream is a book about how to do the thing most people want to do but tell themselves is too scary, too hard, too unlikely."- Ryan Holiday, Bestselling Author of Ego Is the Enemy and The Obstacle Is the Way"This book is the secret sauce..."- Barbara Corcoran, founder of The Corcoran Group, author, and Shark Tank investor"Shatters the mold of typical self-help."- Daniel H. Pink, author of, When and Drive"The truth about how to succeed."- Derek Sivers, founder of CD Baby, frequent TED speaker, and author of Anything Your Want"Indispensable "- Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of The War of Art and The Artist's JourneyA Deeply Personal Field Guide to Defeating Your Own Worst EnemyWhen you dream, you envision a magical future...the day when you have heroically slain your dragons and unlocked the creativity and genius buried deep inside. But how do you actually get to that destination? You can analyze the myths of visionary creators-artists, writers, musicians, software developers, etc. who have accomplished the impossible. You'll read about how they went for it, refused to quit, and would not be denied. But exactly how these successful creators went from being fearful dreamers to accomplished artists proves elusive. Running Down a Dream unflinchingly bares the naked truth of creation and shares the practical to-do list to take you from here to there. The good news? You don't have to be an Austen or a Michelangelo or an Oprah to create a work of art. The bad news? There is no glossing over the pain, embarrassment, and financial terror necessary to contend with on your journey to mission accomplished. More good news? What lies ahead for you is the realization of your heroic self. The run is worth it in ways you can't yet imagine.