What are the Story Energies?

The Story Energies offer a new way to think about and talk about storytelling. By borrowing eight real-life forms of energy from nature—Potential, Gravitational, Elastic, Electrical, Magnetic, Kinetic, Nuclear, and Thermal—and applying them to stories, we can figure out why our favourites feel so vibrant and compelling, and how we can charge our own stories with that vital spark. For a brief intro to the Story Energies, start here: 8 Forms.

Who is Colin Corrigan?

I’m a writer and writing teacher from County Kildare in Ireland. I’ve taught all sorts of writing classes at the University of Michigan, Northeastern University, (the U.S.’s largest creative writing centre) GrubStreet, and (the internet’s oldest creative writing school) Writers.com. I developed the Story Energies as a way to talk with my students about how to make stories feel vibrant and alive without relying on the overused, prescriptive commandments often handed down in workshops.

Is this real science?

No, it’s a convoluted metaphor! But even I’ve been surprised by how helpful this approach has proved to be for illuminating and improving all sorts of stories.

Is this boring?

No, it’s fun! Come join me as I identify the Energies at work in awesome stories from books, movies, TV, and elsewhere (Substack too!), and learn how to harness them to enliven your own storytelling. Subscribe now to get unrestricted access to all new content, plus the full archives.

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Is this popular?

We’re just getting started here, but soon (I hope!) we’ll have a vibrant community of readers and writers, armed with this new vocabulary for thinking about and talking about storytelling. So sign up, comment on posts, contribute suggestions, and share your own work in a safe, creative space.

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