A modern and actionable guide to the fundamentals of writing compelling, well-crafted, authentic stories in any medium, with lessons illustrated by novels, plays, films, music, video games, and TV, and writers from Shakespeare and Dostoevsky to Quentin Tarantino and Eminem. Daniel Joshua Rubin unlocks the secrets of what makes a story work and then teaches us how to understand and use each principle in our own storytelling. Rubin’s writing is the writing we all aspire to: insightful, encouraging, filled with attitude; the examples are relatable, contemporary, and fresh. For anyone interested in how story works, this is a guide that turns the traditional writing manual on its head, drawing from a world of diverse voices and sources. The next go-to manual for everyone who has a story to tell, no matter what the media.