Lisa Cron

Following on the heels of Lisa Cron's breakout first book, Wired for Story, this writing guide reveals how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a riveting story. It’s every novelist’s greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page one rewrite. The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot). Story coach Lisa Cron has spent her career discovering why these these methods don’t work and coming up with a powerful alternative, based on the science behind what our brains are wired to crave in every story we read (and it’s not what you think). In Story Genius Cron takes you, step-by-step, through the creation of a novel from the first glimmer of an idea, to a complete multilayered blueprint—including fully realized scenes—that evolves into a first draft with the authority, richness, and command of a riveting sixth or seventh draft. From the Trade Paperback edition.

How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere)

Story Genius

Emma Miller

Becky A

Should be three and a half stars, tbh.

So basically, that very long title seems to be calling out me, personally. Ha. Not that I write tons that goes nowhere, but I do often have to rewrite from scratch or do massive, structural revisions, and character is usually the last piece that falls into place for me. One thing I'm trying to work on this year is leveling up as a writer, and I know I have a lot of room to improve when it comes to characterization, so this book seemed like a good starting place. (Plus, out of the books that were recommended to me, this was the one that was immediately available as an ebook from the library, YAY LIBRARIES.)

So, to start with the aspects I didn't love, I am immediately eye-rolly at anything that claims to be the One True Way and also that Everything You Know Is Wrong, which this book leans into pretty heavily in the first half. I think there are *many* different ways to approach stories, and make them compelling, and you'll have to pry my structure-based outline out of my cold, dead hands. I'm also lol-ing a little bit about the idea that this is based in biology and science because of one study one time. Sure. 

But all of that said, I *do* like a lot of the actual method she lays out to build a story. I particularly appreciate that she starts from figuring out what it is about your vague idea that really appeals to you and makes you want to write it, and working up from there. I also like the idea of building conflict and stakes around the character, and doing that by figuring out what makes the character tick (and what has happened to her in the past to *make* that what makes her tick) is insightful and helpful. I really appreciate the questions that can be used as tools to evaluate plot points as the story progresses to make sure they tie back to the character and are compelling.

At the end of the day, I am probably not going to use this whole methodology to build a story. It simply isn't how my mind works; I build around plot first and foremost, and not on a scene-by-scene basis. I'm probably not going to write out scenes of backstory or character sheets or create scene cards for every scene.

But I *did* sit down with some of the book's very first recommended steps yesterday and it really did help me get a clearer view of my protagonist and the story I want to tell, so I'm going to continue to work with it for awhile, and I will definitely use some of those evaluation tools as I figure out the external plot and delve into writing. 

That is really what I'm looking for in craft books. Not an overall method that I *have* to adhere to, because I already have a foundation of what works for me, but rather, ideas to pilfer to strengthen what I'm already doing. And this book presents plenty to pilfer, even without using its method start-to-finish.

Megan Beth Davies

Outstanding book for both plotters and plantsers, or for pantsers who want to plot. 

It is also great for type A people who want a blueprint on how to write a book, because it literally furnishes you with a plotting blueprint.

What I loved
I really loved the concept of delving into your story's past even before you start writing. This is the first time I have really thought about how much of the internal story happens before the book even starts. I also loved the cause-and-effect blueprint the author lays out for you - I realised that I have a fair few scenes in my story that are just there for the sake of it. Lastly, using the blueprint, the author encourages you to always ask yourself 'why?' in each scene and "and so?" at the end of every scene. It sounds simple, but after doing some re-plotting of my novel with the blueprint, I realised how effective this is.

What fell flat
I honestly skimmed a lot of the part where it felt like the author was saying the same thing repeatedly. This book could have been half the size, in my opinion. The gems are all there, but I felt like I had a wade through pages and pages of chatter and examples. I didn't mind the example too much (basically the author has her friend plot her book using this method as an example), but after a while I started glossing over it as it just weighed the good parts down. 

For some, the methods in this book will be overkill. If you are the type of writer that is turned off by plotting, then the second half of the book definitely isn't for you. The first half however, still has a lot of interesting exercises for you to understand your story better.

If you are about to start writing a book, I would recommend picking this up first.

Sunyi Dean

Not for me. I felt like it was trying to teach intuitive writing, but I already do a lot od that, and the plot cards were too overwhelming. I just don't think that way.

A writing guide that examines how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a story.

How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages that Go Nowhere)

Judy Hudgins

A second read through and a lot of note taking as I am using this in a workshop on character building in March.

Story Genius How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere)

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