452: Pivot, Payoff, and the Geometry of Story — Interview

DIY MFA Radio

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Steven James. We’ll be talking about his multifaceted storytelling framework, and his book The Art of the Tale.

Steven James is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of eighteen novels that have won or been shortlisted for more than a dozen national and international awards. His thrillers have been praised by Suspense Magazine, Booklist, and the New York Journal of Books and received starred reviews from both Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, who called his work “thought-provoking” and “riveting.” He has also written two award-winning books on the craft of writing, Story Trumps Structure and Troubleshooting Your Novel. When he’s not writing, he teaches storytelling at events around the globe and hosts the weekly podcast, The Story Blender.

You can find him on his website or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

In this episode Steven James and I discuss:

• The importance of what is, not what appears to be.

• Giving readers what they don’t know they want.

• How plot isn’t about events, but about the collision of desires.

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/452