What's in this episode:

Like many of us, Ross' journey to writing was a meandering one, starting off with songwriting, moving into film making and now storytelling.

Ross Hartmann tells me about the tools of story rather than the rules of telling a story. There are two sets of tools: dramatic and thematic.

These sets of tools are what make a story both meaningful and engaging. We choose which tools to use that will serve the story, rather than what we're told to write being a beat sheet.

Hartmann discusses too the difference between dramatic irony and dramatic tension. These different approaches serve two different purposes and result in a different type of story.

Dramatic tension is when the protagonist is in active pursuit of something, dramatic irony is when the audience knows something the protagonist doesn't.

Using the analogy of house building, Hartmann's book guides us through how to lay down the foundations of an engaging story. Once the foundation is strong, you can go on to build the walls, windows and interiors.

Even if you're a discovery writer, he encourages you to use a 'story engine' so that a story evolves organically, rather than being plotted ahead of time.

We delve into what a 'beat' is and why it can be confusing! Beats can happen within a scene, but they can also happen within the story as a whole. So how do we understand them and how to use them?

Ross Hartmann is developing a 'one stop shop' for writers writing, formatting and publishing their books. If you're interested in being involved in the Beta programme, email Ross directly at www.kiingo.com/contact.

Links mentioned in the episode:

• The Structure Of Story, Ross Hartmann
• The Story Grid, Shawn Coyne
• The Graduate Movie
• The Silence Of The Lambs, Thomas Harris
• Kiingo, Tools To Help Writers
• Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Associated Blog Post:

• https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/ross-hartmann

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