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)

This book is a must for every person that wants to write a good story. Before you waste your time writing something that will lead you nowhere, you should read Lisa Cron's book. It absolutely opened my eyes and helped me understand what the right approach is when it comes to storytelling.

Read the two and three star reviews before buying. The boil-down of this book is that you need to know your ending and pre-story before you begin. This is owing to wanting to take the protagonist on a journey of transformation. A journey that begins with what the author calls a disbelief, born of a pre-story (a series of experiences). The protagonist is forced to overcome this disbelief by your plot and reach your at least somewhat pre-ordained ending. The books is incredibly verbose. The first 80 pages make the same point over and over and over again; a feat that is continued throughout the book on other topics. You really could boil this book down to 100 pages at most, and there would be nothing missing. It is written in the manner of a room temperature soccer mom, with endless reams of terrible forced humour. As another reviewer puts it, the author also seems to be talking down to you, the humble reader, despite there being nothing in this book the moderately well-versed won't know. As also pointed out by others, the book also bills itself as using "brain science". It does, but very sparingly. There is no attempt to explain why the brain science is useful, or why her claimed genius method works. The answer is: We are evolutionary beings, with a physiology and psychology that rewards us for overcoming the same and similar challenges as our ancestors. When reading a good book, the body undergoes responses as if the book was real, giving the reader potent cognitive and emotional rewards. That's what a good book is.

Yes, the actual 'science' is thinly presented, but this book gets five stars for providing what few others do--a clear, specific explanation of what constitutes a compelling story and specific steps to develop and integrate those elements. The claims ala science distil to: - The human brain evolved a capacity to simulate various risk and opportunity scenarios, allowing us to step into them in our imaginations. Stories allow us to sharpen our insights and skills in areas threatening areas, including social navigation. We get to try out various strategies and tactics without incurring the real-world risks. - This capacity evolved because it improved survival (those who did it better survived to pass along their genes). - Saying we're "wired for story" means our attention favors inputs that fit the pattern of a story. We may momentarily pay attention to a movement or sound (or a string of them in a James Bond film), but we are riveted by a story. Cron's definition of a story is "someone grapples with a problem they can't avoid" and changes in the process. (p. 30) - In the presence of such a story, the protagonist becomes our 'avatar' and 'portal.' A story that contains the required elements activates brain systems that evolved to enable us to simulate the other's interior experience. Our minds are compelled to 'try on' the role and to experience the situation. Cron's definition of story may seem narrow, but it's one that's relevant to this irresistible-mental-simulation thesis. She introduces the metaphor of the 'third rail' that provides electricity to power a train's engine. Without that rail, a train is just an immobile collection of hardware. In a story, the third rail is the protagonist's 'worldview' and particularly an unresolved inner issue (usually reflected in some self-complicating misbelief). A disruptive event or situation forces the protagonist to struggle with an unavoidable, "escalating problem"--the 'difficult goal.' Throughout the story (a novel, in this case), the protagonist reflects on what has happened and is happening, evaluating what it means and what she should do next. She's looking at it through the misperception(s) that arise from her unresolved inner issue. Her reactions trigger more complications and conflict. Over the course of grappling with the escalating problem and (if she's not to be a tragic failure) frequently examining her past experiences and beliefs, her worldview changes. She learns. She changes. Cron guides the writer through the prework required to develop the protagonist and other contextual elements an organic (non-superficial) plot can spring from. One of Cron's most helpful topics regards how to tell where to start telling your (protagonist's) story. The scene card is a very useful tool for directly applying Cron's insights on story effectiveness. I added it's components to the Document Notes panel in my scene template in Scrivener 2 for Mac [Download ]. She also has some specific suggestions for Scrivener users. Another reviewer speculated that a raw beginner may not be prepared to recognize how helpful Cron's principles and process are. Perhaps one must fumble through an assortment of misdirected writing programs or become sick of the aimless, endless wandering of pantsing before gaining the required perspective. If it is possible to shortcut the millions of bad words one must write before consistent good writing comes within reach, this is one clearly lit path.

Brilliant book for any writer.

As an educational resource, this book is insulting. Cut out all the waffle, and the valid information could easily be condensed into a twenty page handbook.

Seriously, buy this book. I can't believe how much it's changed my writing. I carry it everywhere with me - it's pages are folded and underlined and I'm on my second full read-through. If you're struggling to figure out why your story isn't quite working, this book will help you! I've recommended it to other friends who write and they've felt the same.

The best book on creative writing I've read so far. This book really does help you find the story within your story: the things that make the story matter, that make your reader care and FEEL. I can highly recommend it to anyone writing fiction. And now I'm off, for another leisurely reread while I do some drafting.