Hi, I’m Kim
I’m a story structure expert who helps fiction and memoir writers get crystal clear about their characters so they can access the freedom and flow their writing process.
I’m a global story structure expert and real-time collaborative editor, mentor, and coach who specializes in deep character transformations.
I work with folks writing complex, emotional, character-driven stories who want to create what I like to call a “chef’s kiss” ending readers will never forget.
My obsession is global story structure—especially the internal genres, where a protagonist’s external circumstances collide with their internal misbeliefs to create a meaningful arc of personal transformation. These are the stories that move us most deeply, because they illuminate something true about what it means to be human.
I believe structure isn’t a straitjacket—it’s the tool that allows writers to understand and communicate their story at its highest potential.
Many writers come to me after studying craft extensively but finding themselves more stuck than ever. They’re buried under advice, trapped in perfectionism, and disconnected from their own creative instincts. My work helps writers reconnect with the story expertise they already possess and translate their vision into a clear structural design that aligns theme, character transformation, and reader impact.
My process is highly collaborative. Through real-time story conversations—especially helpful for verbal processors—we untangle the deeper logic of the story together. Again and again, I watch writers move from confusion and overwhelm to clarity, momentum, and excitement about the story they’re here to tell.
Much of my work resonates with deep-thinking and high-masking neurodivergent writers, who often feel both intensely creative and chronically blocked. My approach restores trust in the writer’s own insight while providing the structural clarity needed to move forward with confidence.
I’ve been part of the Story Grid community since the first Love Story Workshop and Editor Certification in 2017. I’m an original member of the Story Grid Editor’s Roundtable (later renamed to Story Grid Writer’s Room) and have appeared on the Story Grid Podcast, where I stepped in for Tim Grahl to interview Shawn Coyne about the power of internal genres.
I’m also the creator of Story Sudoku and Dread-Free Drafting, frameworks designed to dissolve writing paralysis and help writers move from scattered ideas to confident drafts.
Alongside editor Alice Sudlow, I also help serious writers elevate their manuscripts through our Novel Atelier program, where we combine macro-to-micro editorial guidance to support the full journey from story structure to scene execution.
I live in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas with my family. A few years ago we moved from the Washington desert to live next door to my friend and fellow editor Brannan Sirratt, the nonfiction guru.
I’m also writing a stand-up-comedy-inspired novel called Mic Drop, a story about courage on the stage and the page.
What story are you working on right now?
