An objective evaluation of what works,
and what doesn't work, in your manuscript.
The Story Grid Diagnostic was developed by Shawn Coyne during his 25 years of editing manuscripts. It’s a way of evaluating the structure of a story, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and providing concrete steps for making it better.
No matter where you are in your creative journey, the Story Grid Diagnostic will enable you to level up.
As a Certified Story Grid Editor, I have been trained directly by Shawn in this method; a method he still uses with his A-List clients today.
The Story Grid Diagnostic a way of evaluating the structure of a Story, identifying its strengths and weaknesses, and providing concrete steps for improvement.
If you’ve finished your manuscript and are ready to level up, the Story Grid Diagnostic is for you.
Choose your editing service
All fees are in USD and are payable in full before the editing begins.
Fees are subject to change without notice.
up to 80,000 words
$ 2,799
- The Editor's Six Core
Question Analysis - Story Grid Spreadsheet
of Your First Five Scenes - A One-Hour
Consultation Call - Recording of the
Consultation Call - Masterworks
of the Genre - Next Steps
Recommendation Letter
80,000 - 100,000 words
$ 3,299
- The Editor's Six Core
Question Analysis - Story Grid Spreadsheet
of Your First Five Scenes - A One-Hour
Consultation Call - Recording of the
Consultation Call - Masterworks
of the Genre - Next Steps
Recommendation Letter
100,000 - 120,000 words
$ 3,799
- The Editor's Six Core
Question Analysis - Story Grid Spreadsheet
of Your First Five Scenes - A One-Hour
Consultation Call - Recording of the
Consultation Call - Masterworks
of the Genre - Next Steps
Recommendation Letter
Manuscripts over 120,000 words
Many first-time authors generate projects in this range, however I’m unable to accept them because
to edit them would cost too much of my time, and too much of your money.
If your manuscript is more than 120,000 words, I strongly encourage you to get it down to the 80,000-100,000-word range.
Delete irrelevant information, unnecessary backstory and scenes that have nothing to do with your main story.
Listen to the Story Grid Podcast and the Story Grid Editor Roundtable Podcast (current and past episodes), and read the Fundamental Fridays posts on storygrid.com for other ideas to focus your manuscript.
Detailed Services Description
The Six Core Question Analysis: I’ll read your entire manuscript and apply the Story Grid Six Core Question analysis to your work. This is a deep dive into your manuscript, analyzing what works and what doesn’t work.
A Story Grid Spreadsheet of Your First Five Scenes: I’ll create a full Story Grid work-up of the first five scenes of your manuscript. This will give you a black-and-white, close-up view of which scenes are working and which aren’t – and why.
Next Steps Recommendation Letter: Every writer is at a different place in his or her journey. I’ll provide personalized suggested next steps you can take to level-up as a writer. This will include specific Story Grid homework to help improve your skills and your manuscript.
Masterworks of Your Genre, and Additional Resources: One the main things the Story Grid Diagnostic does is help you identify and refine your genre choice. Once that’s done, I’ll provide a list of Masterworks to study along with the Story Grid Genre Cheat Sheet for your genre, so you can learn from the best examples of stories similar to yours.
A One-Hour Consultation Call (conducted via Skype): We’ll discuss your questions and my analysis of your story. You’ll leave the call with a clearer global, big-picture view of your manuscript and its genre.
My Promise to You: By the end of this process, you’ll have a clear understanding of your genre and the level of your manuscript. I’ll provide you with concrete steps you can take to move forward and make your story work.
A Story Grid Spreadsheet of Your First Five Scenes: I’ll create a full Story Grid work-up of the first five scenes of your manuscript. This will give you a black-and-white, close-up view of which scenes are working and which aren’t – and why.
Next Steps Recommendation Letter: Every writer is at a different place in his or her journey. I’ll provide personalized suggested next steps you can take to level-up as a writer. This will include specific Story Grid homework to help improve your skills and your manuscript.
Masterworks of Your Genre, and Additional Resources: One the main things the Story Grid Diagnostic does is help you identify and refine your genre choice. Once that’s done, I’ll provide a list of Masterworks to study along with the Story Grid Genre Cheat Sheet for your genre, so you can learn from the best examples of stories similar to yours.
A One-Hour Consultation Call (conducted via Skype): We’ll discuss your questions and my analysis of your story. You’ll leave the call with a clearer global, big-picture view of your manuscript and its genre.
My Promise to You: By the end of this process, you’ll have a clear understanding of your genre and the level of your manuscript. I’ll provide you with concrete steps you can take to move forward and make your story work.