You’ve finished a draft. Now what?
You’ve got your story - your storyboard. Or a chunk of a storyboard. But now you’re stuck. All the advice you’ve heard from everyone is to finish the first draft, but now what? You’re not sure what level of story you have. Does it work or not? If it does work, how do you make it among the best of its genre? If it doesn’t work, how do you make it work? How do you get it closer to working? How do you level the story up?
Maybe you thought once the first draft was done it would be easier, but now you have this giant pile of scribbles, captions and dialogue that you’re not sure what to do with.
So you do what Stephen King says and stick it in a drawer for a couple weeks.
But when you come back to it with fresh eyes and re-read it, now you know it’s not working or that it’s just not good enough. You still don’t know what to do. So it goes back in the drawer and it just seems easier to work on a new story. But then it will happen again. And again. And again. And before long you’ll be one of those stereotypical writers that writes but never publishes. Starts but never finishes. And your words and manuscripts will pile up without you ever getting over the hump into figuring out how to finish one of these things.
Hire an editor, right?
And let’s say you do try to get some help. So you hire an editor, give them an arbitrary amount of money, send them your draft. And then you wait. And wait. And wait.
Finally, you get some feedback on your story. But it’s impossible to follow. There’s advice on individual scenes. Then kind of vague feedback on entire parts. But nothing concrete. Nothing that points out actual problems with the story and gives you steps towards fixing them.
This is exactly what many writers find themselves in. They have a finished draft and are stuck on what to do next.
If you hire a Story Grid Certified Editor like me, you will not get a dozen pages of random notes on your story.
Instead, I will systematically work on your story with the tools of the Story Grid methodology. After around 30 days, you get on the phone with me. And I am able to give specific feedback on what is working in the story and what isn’t. I help you discover the story you truly intend to write, the story that would resonate with readers and draw on your experience and strengths. I will also provide clear steps on what to do next to improve the story and provide master works in the genre for you to reference.
Most importantly, at the end of the call, you have two important things:
- A concrete picture of the current state of your story.
- A clear understanding of next steps for improving the story.
Finished draft? Or Published?
You don’t just want a storyboard or a draft, you want a finished, working, good comic book.
You want to figure out how to transform you “meh” story into something you’re proud to release to the world.
AND you want to improve as a writer.
This isn’t just about this particular story, it’s about leveling up as a writer. Understanding story in a fundamental, deep way. It’s about not making the same mistakes over and over, and finally making some new, better mistakes that are getting you closer to your goals.
The goal here is to use the process of revising this manuscript to make you a better writer.
So your 2nd draft works.
But then your next 1st draft works too.
And your next.
And you become a writer that finishes books.
How to Get From Here to There
This is where the Story Grid Diagnostic comes in.
The Story Grid Diagnostic is a tool Shawn Coyne developed to take a writer’s manuscript to the next level. It provides a clear picture of where the writing is currently and concrete next steps on how to improve it.
Here is what you get when you invest in a Story Grid Diagnostic:
- The 6 Core Question Analysis
I will read your manuscript and apply the Story Grid 6 Core Question Analysis to your work. This will be a deep dive into your story with what works and what doesn’t work. - A One-hour Phone Consultation
You will talk 1-on-1 with me to discuss your story, my analysis, and next steps for you and your story. This will cover the important elements of the Story Grid process. - First Five Scene Story Grid Spreadsheet
I will provide a full Story Grid workup on the first five scenes of your story. This will allow you to see in black-and-white what is working in your scenes and what is not. - Next Steps Recommendation Letter
Every writer is at a different place in their journey. I will provide the exact next steps you need to take to “level up” as a writer. This will include specific Story Grid homework on how to spend your writing time to improve both your skills and your manuscript. - Masterworks of the Genre Recommendations (Plus, Additional Resources).
Throughout the Story Grid Diagnostic process, I will help you identify and refine your genre choice. Once that is done, I will provide you with a list of Master Works to study along with the Story Grid Genre Cheatsheet for your chosen genre.
Investment: 950 $
My promise to you is at the end of this process, you will have a clear understanding and breakdown of the level of your current manuscript along with concrete steps on what to do next to improve both your writing and your manuscript.
And all of this will be done and delivered within 30 days.
Take Your Story to the Next Level
Are you ready to take your work-in-progress and actually take steps to finish it?
Do you want to work 1-on-1 with a Story Grid Certified Editor… someone who can actually help you in a concrete, understandable ways?
You’re at the point of decision. You can either continue down the path of least resistance, the path you have already been traveling, or you can choose the road less traveled. The path of least resistance will probably result in you getting the same outcomes you’ve always received. But if you want something different to happen, if you want to change the direction of your writing you’re going to have to do something different. Make a new choice, and pursue your new outcome.
Secure your spot in my calendar now: