How Story Works
152 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 99 ratingsHow Story Works is a podcast for everyone who loves stories. If you’re a writer, understanding how story works will help you craft better stories. If you’re a lover of stories, the podcast will give you added insight into your favorite tales, and extend the toolset you use to better understand the stories you love. Join NYT bestselling author and story expert Lani Diane Rich as she demystifies stories and storytelling, allowing you to better write and appreciate the stories you love.
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Episodes
The Keys to Character
September 11, 2017 09:00 - 12 minutes - 9.9 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
HSW #24. The Keys to Character
September 11, 2017 09:00The post HSW #24. The Keys to Character appeared first on Chipperish Media.
HSW #23. Writing Vulnerability
September 04, 2017 09:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, story expert Lani Diane Rich discusses how to write vulnerability. The post HSW #23. Writing Vulnerability appeared first on Chipperish Media.
Writing Vulnerability
September 04, 2017 09:00 - 10 minutes - 8.84 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
HSW #22. The Character Triangle
August 28, 2017 09:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, Lani explains the character triangle, and how you can use it to create and appreciate great characters. The post HSW #22. The Character Triangle appeared first on Chipperish Media.
The Character Triangle
August 28, 2017 09:00 - 15 minutes - 12.2 MBShow notes: Download the Character Triangle. View Dr. Brené Brown’s TED Talk, The Power of Vulnerability. Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Att...
Intro to Character
August 21, 2017 14:57 - 10 minutes - 8.69 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
HSW #21. Intro to Character
August 21, 2017 14:57In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, story expert Lani Diane Rich begins the discussion of character - what it is, how it works, and why it's so important. The post HSW #21. Intro to Character appeared first on Chipperish Media.
Final Narrative Units
August 14, 2017 09:00 - 9 minutes - 7.53 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
HSW #20. Final Narrative Units
August 14, 2017 09:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, Lani finishes her discussion of narrative units with a discussion of scenes, acts, compositions and series. Also, she answers listener Julie's question about conflict vs. character arc, and which is which. The post HSW #20. Final Narrative Units appeared first on Chipperish Media.
Beats All The Way Down
July 31, 2017 09:00 - 19 minutes - 16 MBShow notes: HSW_Narrative Units – Beats Narrative reading music: Travel Light by Jason Shaw of audionautix.com Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Common...
HSW #19. Beats All The Way Down
July 31, 2017 09:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, Lani starts her discussion of narrative units with the smallest of them all, beats. The post HSW #19. Beats All The Way Down appeared first on Chipperish Media.
Pacing
July 25, 2017 03:39 - 13 minutes - 10.6 MBShow notes: Download the Pacing Timeline PDF. Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Support this ...
HSW #18. Pacing
July 25, 2017 03:39In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, Lani explains pacing and how it affects stories, for better and for worse. The post HSW #18. Pacing appeared first on Chipperish Media.
Structure & Dodgeball
July 17, 2017 09:00 - 16 minutes - 13.2 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
HSW #17. Structure & Dodgeball
July 17, 2017 09:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, Lani takes on structure and conflict with Dodgeball. The post HSW #17. Structure & Dodgeball appeared first on Chipperish Media.
HSW #16. Structure & Easy A
July 10, 2017 09:00The post HSW #16. Structure & Easy A appeared first on Chipperish Media.
Structure & Easy A
July 10, 2017 09:00 - 12 minutes - 10.7 MBShow notes: Next week, we’ll be discussing Dodgeball. Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Suppo...
Structure and His Girl Friday
July 03, 2017 09:00 - 15 minutes - 12.5 MBShow notes: Next week, we’ll be discussing Easy A. Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. The post HSW...
HSW #15. Structure and His Girl Friday
July 03, 2017 09:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, Lani goes back in time to take a close look at His Girl Friday! The post HSW #15. Structure and His Girl Friday appeared first on Chipperish Media.
Structure & A Few Good Men
June 26, 2017 09:00 - 15 minutes - 12.4 MBShow notes: Next week, we’ll be discussing His Girl Friday. Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★...
HSW #14. Structure & A Few Good Men
June 26, 2017 09:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, it's Lani vs. The Crappy Protagonist as we take a closer look at A Few Good Men! The post HSW #14. Structure & A Few Good Men appeared first on Chipperish Media.
Structure & Tangled
June 19, 2017 11:00 - 16 minutes - 13.5 MBShow notes: Next week, we’ll be discussing A Few Good Men. Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ ...
HSW #13. Structure & Tangled
June 19, 2017 11:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, Lani runs Tangled through the structure analysis machine! The post HSW #13. Structure & Tangled appeared first on Chipperish Media.
The 7 Anchor Scenes
June 05, 2017 10:00 - 14 minutes - 11.5 MBShow notes: The 7 Anchor Scenes Visual: Right-click and Save As to download Next week, we’ll be discussing Disney’s Tangled. Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a ...
HSW #12. The 7 Anchor Scenes
June 05, 2017 10:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, Lani explains the 7 Anchor Scenes, along with examples. The post HSW #12. The 7 Anchor Scenes appeared first on Chipperish Media.
How Acts Work
May 29, 2017 10:00 - 13 minutes - 11.2 MBShow notes: Structure Study Movies: Tangled A Few Good Men His Girl Friday Easy A Dodgeball Ze Frank’s Invocation for Beginnings Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic Nora Roberts Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media pr...
HSW #11. How Acts Work
May 29, 2017 10:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, we dive deeper into structure with a basic understanding of the three acts. Download the mp3 here. Subscribe to the show! iTunes • Stitcher • RSS Show notes: Structure Study Movies: Tangled A Few Good Men His Girl Friday Easy A Dodgeball Ze Frank’s Invocation for Beginnings Elizabeth Gilbert’s […] The post HSW #11. How Acts Work appeared first on Chipperish Media.
HSW #10. Aristotle’s Your Uncle
May 22, 2017 05:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, we discuss Aristotle, the ubiquity of three-act structure, and the water nymphs of creation. The post HSW #10. Aristotle’s Your Uncle appeared first on Chipperish Media.
Aristotle’s Your Uncle
May 22, 2017 05:00 - 12 minutes - 10.3 MBShow notes: Structure Study Movies: Tangled A Few Good Men His Girl Friday Easy A Dodgeball Ze Frank’s Invocation for Beginnings Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic Nora Roberts Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media p...
HSW #9. Stuff Happens
May 15, 2017 06:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, it's time to start wrapping our minds around structure, and the basics of how it works. The post HSW #9. Stuff Happens appeared first on Chipperish Media.
Stuff Happens
May 15, 2017 06:00 - 9 minutes - 7.45 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
HSW #8. How Goals Work
May 08, 2017 06:00In this episode of the How Story Works podcast, we discuss goals, how they work, and introduce another helpful if annoying acronym, ASPA. The post HSW #8. How Goals Work appeared first on Chipperish Media.
How Goals Work
May 08, 2017 06:00 - 13 minutes - 10.8 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
HSW #7. Man vs. McDonald’s
May 01, 2017 06:00In this episode of How Story Works podcast, we discuss the various types of conflict, and get a little clarity on the "now" of a story. The post HSW #7. Man vs. McDonald’s appeared first on Chipperish Media.
Man vs. McDonald’s
May 01, 2017 06:00 - 8 minutes - 7.04 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Protagonist, Antagonist
April 24, 2017 06:00 - 11 minutes - 9.13 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
HSW #6. Protagonist, Antagonist
April 24, 2017 06:00In this episode of How Story Works podcast, we discuss what defines a protagonist and an antagonist, and how to create strong central characters. The post HSW #6. Protagonist, Antagonist appeared first on Chipperish Media.
HSW #5. His Girl Conflict
April 17, 2017 03:30In this episode of How Story Works podcast, we continue our discussion of conflict, moving on into the concept of Central Narrative Conflict, the conflict around which your story structure is based. The post HSW #5. His Girl Conflict appeared first on Chipperish Media.
His Girl Conflict
April 17, 2017 03:30 - 9 minutes - 7.83 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
How Story Works Course Text List
April 10, 2017 23:01 - 71.5 KB application/pdfAs part of the How Story Works podcast, I will from time to time reference existing movies, television shows, books and other sources of narrative as examples of concepts we're discussing. Most of these examples will be movies that are fairly well-known, but sometimes I will reference some less universal examples. As such, I wanted to provide a list of the examples I use in each episode, so if you're interested in engaging with the "texts" of the course, you can. The post How Story Works Co...
The Unbalanced Force
April 10, 2017 03:30 - 7 minutes - 5.78 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. The post HSW #4. The Unbalanced Force appeared first...
HSW #4. The Unbalanced Force
April 10, 2017 03:30In this episode of How Story Works podcast, we begin our work understanding conflict, delve into the differences between narrative conflict and mundane conflict, and visit a bit with Isaac Newton and Harrison Ford. The post HSW #4. The Unbalanced Force appeared first on Chipperish Media.
HSW #3. The “Rules”
April 03, 2017 03:30In this episode of How Story Works podcast, I talk about narrative theory, the role of the "rules," and how to find the balance between free-wheeling and white-knuckling your creative endeavors. The post HSW #3. The “Rules” appeared first on Chipperish Media.
The “Rules”
April 03, 2017 03:30 - 5 minutes - 4.6 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. The post HSW #3. The “Rules” appeared first on Chipp...
HSW #2. What Meaning Means
March 27, 2017 00:30In this episode of How Story Works podcast, I talk about meaning in storytelling, and how to not freak out about it. The post HSW #2. What Meaning Means appeared first on Chipperish Media.
What Meaning Means
March 27, 2017 00:30 - 7 minutes - 6.22 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. The post HSW #2. What Meaning Means appeared first on Chippe...
The Hitchhiker
March 20, 2017 00:30 - 7 minutes - 5.96 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. The post HSW #1. The Hitchhiker appeared first on Chipperish...
HSW #1. The Hitchhiker
March 20, 2017 00:30In this episode of How Story Works podcast, I expand upon the definition of story to include the intended effect of stories, and separate out the differences between story and form. The post HSW #1. The Hitchhiker appeared first on Chipperish Media.
What Story Is
March 05, 2017 19:06 - 5 minutes - 8.19 MBShow notes: Want to get ahead of the game with the texts Lani talks about on the show? Check out the How Story Works Course Text List! Discuss How Story Works on the Chipperish Forum! Support Chipperish on Patreon! Support Chipperish by shopping on Amazon using this link! How Story Works is a Chipperish Media production by Lani Diane Rich, and is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Sharealike license. The post HSW #0: What Story Is appeared first on Chipperish ...