Storm
Writing School
Helping you write the best stories you can write through probing study of craft. Sign up for the Starter Kit course to determine what’s holding you back from being the writer you want to be.
Your Story Deserves
to Be Told Well
Stories have unique power to transform people, to expose them to new modes of thinking, to make them more empathetic, to give them hope and and ease their suffering. Story craft helps you tap into that power.
Engage Readers
The first step in getting through to readers is to fill a story with tension and make it hard to set down.
Move Readers Emotionally
But if you want to really move the readers, you have to know how to reach them emotionally.
I Can Help
Writing is a social activity; sometimes, you need others to help you create the best stories you can. I specialize in helping writers make their stories engaging and emotionally moving.
Classes/Coaching
The ever-growing number of online video courses provides a more hands-on explanation of story craft than a craft book can offer. And I offer personalized coaching as well.
Editing
It is hard to beat personalized feedback on something that you’ve already written. Click through for information on the kinds of editing offered and my rates.
Articles
The blog offers a robust library of resources on everything from line-level craft to story essentials to writer attitude. Read a few articles to get a feel of my approach
Get Started
Sign up for the free Starter Kit, which will orient you to the emphasis of Storm Writing School, and aid you in identifying areas of greatest need. You’ll also have the option to receive my biweekly newsletter.
Meet Your Instructor
My name is TD Storm. I taught in a public high school for 15 years before getting my MFA in writing from Pacific University and moving on to work with adults. I’ve won awards for both my teaching and my writing. My work has appeared a number of journals and anthologies, including Black Warrior Review, Copper Nickel, Short Story America, Jellyfish Review, and Literary Hub. I currently teach and edit both here in my online school and through the University of Wisconsin.
Check out the video below to meet me.
A Teacher’s Approach
Teaching is my passion and my vocation. I’ve been doing it for 20 years, so I don’t come to it as an afterthought. It’s on my mind with every story I read, and I’m constantly thinking and re-thinking about how best to illuminate successful story craft.
Know What You’ll Get
It’s just me here. All the craft knowledge you see on the site is from me, and when you sign up to take a class or work with me, you won’t get farmed out to some other editor or teacher.
Challenge + Empathy
I’m tough but compassionate. In my editing, I’m honest and constructively critical. But I’m not here to bully you or impress you with my knowledge. I'll be hard on you because I believe your story deserves to be told well.
Your Writing Remains Yours
I want you to tell your story. I’m not interested in changing your style or your voice. I’m interersted in making your story as powerful as it can be. I always encourage dialogue, and I approach authority—even my own—with healthy skepticism.
What People Are Saying
"Tim Storm is a master teacher who uses brilliant tactics to help his students internalize concepts. Tim’s goal is to teach writers to be skilled creators, equipping them with what they need to know in order to conjure meaningful, satisfying stories. In his courses, Tim’s every sentence resonates with careful craftsmanship, tuned for graspability, down to each individual word."
Tricia Wagner
Author, Where Fish Can Breathe
“I am always amazed that Tim can take gut-level issues and raise them to literate, reproducible consciousness. Tim always takes the time to listen, learn someone’s voice and their intentions, and help them say what they want to say in the most effective way. He respects the writer’s voice and goals so no one ever sees his footprint in the work. It’s evident that he truly loves to help people make their work better.”
Teria Robens
Author, What the Mirror Sees, winner the 2015-2016 African American Arts Alliance of Chicago’s Black Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Literature-Fiction
“Nothing gets past Tim Storm. Working with editors over the years, sometimes you want to test your crafting abilities and let a crazy sentence fly—abstraction, too much telling, piling on unnecessary details—and you can, for the most part, get away with it. Not with Tim. This guy’s got a heck of a head on him. He sniffs out everything. Astute, rigorous, and generous; and it’s all in service of improving the piece and strengthening your voice.”
Josh Cook
Book Critic, Minneapolis-Star Tribune