Episode Description
Tim Grahl runs Story Grid and wrote The Shithead, and he has a controversial opinion: writing is a learnable skill, not magic. In this conversation, we talk about why most writing advice is terrible for beginners, why “write what feels right” is garbage guidance, and how to actually improve your craft systematically.
Some writers hate hearing that good stories follow patterns. Tim doesn’t care. He’s more interested in helping people write books that readers actually want to finish.
In This Episode
Why Stephen King’s On Writing is terrible advice for beginners
What Story Grid actually teaches (and why it works)
The problem with “writing for yourself”
Why scenes need to make readers want to turn the page
How Tim learned to write through systematic feedback
Why most indie fantasy books are unreadable
The difference between talented and skilled
Mental stack: how to avoid overwhelming your reader
Why world-building often becomes procrastination
Craft first, marketing second (but both matter)
Guest Links
Tim Grahl
Story Grid: storygrid.com
The Shithead
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4nqxB59
Kristin’s Links
Services & Content
Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com
Newsletter: Fictional Influence on Substack
YouTube: Nonsense-Free Kristin
Sponsors
Later - Stop living on your phone. Schedule your social media posts across all platforms from one dashboard. Try it free at try.later.com/nonsensefree
Timestamps
[00:00] - Introduction: Writing is a learnable skill (and that makes people mad)
[03:20] - How Tim got into book marketing and then writing
[07:45] - Why On Writing by Stephen King is bad advice for beginners
[12:30] - What’s wrong with Bird by Bird
[16:15] - The “I’m writing for myself” fallacy
[20:40] - What Story Grid actually teaches
[25:50] - Why most indie books fail the first chapter test
[30:25] - Mental stack: How readers process information
[35:10] - The world-building trap (and why it’s procrastination)
[40:15] - Reveal, don’t explain
[44:30] - Why craft matters more than “writing to market”
[49:20] - How Tim wrote The Shithead (and why it almost didn’t happen)
[54:45] - Learning craft systematically vs. hoping it clicks
[59:10] - Why deliberate practice works for writing
About This Podcast
Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.
New episodes weekly.
Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube Music
