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)

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.

Story Genius is the latest book from Lisa Cron, author of Wired for Story. In Story Genius, Cron takes the basic concept from Wired for Story (that, as humans, we are wired to read stories and listen to them as a way of learning about the world and understanding how other people think). It takes elements of Debra Dixon’s GMC theory, and adds in a plotting methodology similar to the method Jack Bickham outlines in Scene and Structure. No, this is not a book for confirmed pantsters … although it might prompt pantsters to question whether they might actually need to cross over to the dark side and become a plotter. Although Cron isn’t a fan of traditional plotting: Plotters have it backward: the events in the plot must be specifically created to force the protagonist to make a specific really hard internal change. And that means you need to know, specifically, what that internal change will be before you begin creating a plot. I suspect some novelists (pantsters, perhaps) don’t do this, because I’ve certainly read novels where the end didn’t make sense in the light of the information provided. I also suspect some novelists (definitely plotters) take this overboard, as I’ve also read novels where the external situation was too obviously contrived to bring around the inner change, to the point the external situation didn’t make sense. To misquote Yoda, there has to be a balance. Lisa Cron starts by practicing what she preaches: she hooks us with a story. In this case, she refers to those times she/you/I stayed up far too late at night, reading ‘just one more chapter’ until we reached the final page … probably at the same time as the birds woke up to welcome the new day. (At the risk of sounding judgemental, if you’re an aspiring fiction author and you’ve never said ‘just one more chapter’ or stayed up far too late reading, you either don’t read enough fiction, or you’re lying. I’d prefer you were lying.) The most useful part of Story Genius for me was the discussion about plot vs. story. I’ve read other books which talk about plot being the all-important element of fiction, with comments like this: Before there was plot there was story. Story was the narration of events in the sequence that they happened. Plot is story that has a pattern of action and reaction. Plot is more than just a chronicle of events. The listener asks a different question: “Why does this happen?” Ronald B Tobias, 20 Master Plots and How to Build Them Instead of the either/or nature of plot and story, Lisa Cron’s view is that plot and story are intertwined: Story is about the internal struggle. It’s about what the protagonist has to learn, to overcome, to deal with internally in order to solve the problem that the external plot poses. (see the GMC connection?). Cron also says: Here’s the real truth: your novel itself beings “in the middle of the thing” [aka in media res]—the “thing” being the story. What starts on page one is the second half of the story, where the plot kicks in.” I don’t know about you, but reading that was a lightbulb moment for me, as was this: The story and the plot are two very different things. The story comes first, and is born of one person, and one person only: the protagonist. Everyone and everything else will be created to serve his or her story. After explaining her methodology, Cron applies it to a real-life manuscript from volunteer/victim Jennie Nash, novelist, book coach and partner in Author Accelerator (yes, Jennie and Lisa offer Story Genius as an online course as well). This is alternately fascinating and frustrating: fascinating to see the way a writer works and applies the concepts, and frustrating because she didn’t tell us how the story ends (she hinted, but didn’t answer the big question: does Henry live?). [...] I’ve highlighted 59 passages, and that’s in the ebook (which is how I know. Kindle counts them for me). I think I’m going to have to buy the book so I can read it again and highlight with “real” highlighters, and see the sample Scene Card properly—I don’t think it showed up properly in my electronic review copy. Recommended. You may or may not want to follow the methodology, but I’m sure you’ll learn something. Thanks to Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Um... where do I start? Okay, how about: THANK YOU FOR THIS BOOK. After a year and a half of trying to "fix" my manuscript, primarily my protagonist, Lisa Cron's book FINALLY pinpointed my root issue. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Imagine getting similar feedback from fellow writers, agents, and betas, raising your hopes by stating you have an excellent plot, great and memorable characters, and a nifty style of writing, etc., BUT, there seems to be no "theme" and your MC falls flat. *Ouch* Anyway, so I came across this book, STORY GENIUS, who had high reviews and touched on a nerve when I read the [ *Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere ] bit. 'Cause, well, it's been close to that long since I finished my first draft. I bought the book and began reading it, but had low expectations. My expectations dropped even lower after I couldn't read past a few pages at a time... without dozing off. Yep, seriously. (Mind you, I can devour a 300 page book in about 4 hrs or less.) Just something about her writing made my eyes gloss over, and I'd have to go back and reread things, two to three times. I almost quit reading it because of that reason alone, but, I stuck it out and just read a chapter at a time and started to do the exercises she prompts you to do. And, man... if the putting me to sleep thing wasn't bad enough, the exercises were like pulling teeth. So I kinda "skim did them." Like skim reading, only it was halfheartedly completing them. And it took me almost two weeks just to get through 8 exercises! Finally, 8 exercises later and half-way through the book, I got tired of wracking my brain and decided that I wasn't learning anything. So I opened up my latest draft of my MS and was going to just try tinkering with it a bit. And, omgosh... on just the first line alone, I was like: why did I write that? My MC wouldn't think that. AND THAT WAS WHEN I REALIZED that even though the exercises felt like they weren't doing anything for me, stuff I'd learned had sunk in and I'd actually finally grasped what my issue was. I didn't have a clue who my MC really was! I'd initially based my MC off myself, and just kept saying that I'd reveal her personal backstory in book two. But I know now that that was just an excuse because I hadn't come up with anything solid. I couldn't answer things like: what happened to her parents? Why/how does she have supernatural abilities? Why would anyone risk their life for her? Why does everything just happen "around" her? What are her personal stakes? And the list goes on. But once you pinpoint that seed of a backstory--not just any old makeshift backstory, but specific events in your MC's history up to the start of your MS, all guided step by step in the book--ideas just keep manifesting out of the blue, about as quickly as a snowball rolling downhill. Now, not only do I know exactly who my MC is--which is making revisions fun and exciting, and has rekindled that passion I had when writing my first draft years ago--but I've found that missing piece of the puzzle that turns an already good story into a great one. Sorry for the "novel" lol. But, really, you need this book. Highly recommend it! Happy writing! :)

Wired For Story, in my opinion, was one of the better books on writing that I've read in quite some time mostly because of the approach it took. Lisa Cron takes the concepts there and expands on them in a book that takes you by the hand and shows you how to, well, use brain science to "Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages.)" I've recommended Wired For Story to a number of fellow writers as it hits upon one of the main things lacking in many of the stories I've read over the years: the engaging the reader, or as I like to say, let your words on the page meet my imagination half way. Story Genius takes the concepts in Wired For Story and shows one how to go about implementing the strategies. The "blue-print" is there and is easily understood, delving into what gives the story and its various threads meaning. There are discussions about cause and effect and delving deep and narrowing down your main character's problem with clarity, all which helps readers empathize with what you're writing - empathize in the sense that empathy, at its root, is about understanding, with particular regard here to motivations; it's not necessary to "like" a character as it is to have your audience understand their motivations and why they choose to see the world the way they do through schemas. Beliefs--->Attitudes--->Actions. The one, somewhat minor problem for me is Lisa uses protagonist and main character interchangeably and, when dealing with narrative components, they are NOT one and the same. While the vast majority of books and movies have a main character that embodies the protagonist archetype, there are numerous, well known stories that don't (Shawshank Redemption, The Terminator, Big, the recent Sicario, even To Kill a Mockingbird). The difference is a main character provides much of what Lisa describes as perspective and whom we see and experience the story through. A protagonist has a very specific goal and provides the drive towards it. As noted, these two functions are often combined into the same character, but when they are not, confusion tends to follow for some who've been lead to believe only one way exists. An example of this confusion is found when Lisa mentions six year old Scout as the narrator in To Kill a Mockingbird. She most certainly is not in either film or book. The story is narrated by Jean Louise Finch, the adult version of Scout, looking back upon a very particular moment in her youth as Scout, the six year old main character. As such, it's technically the same character, but a different role (think of how it would be cast differently in a play or credited to separate actors in the movie.) Some will argue that "Scout is too young to fulfill the role of main character," but I would point out what the story is actually about, prejudice, and how we the audience are positioned to see and acknowledge our own prejudices through Scout's discovery of her own. Her father, Atticus, isn't the main character for this very reason: he has none. Furthermore, the message and its revelation would have been lost had the story been told from his perspective as a main character because he does not harbor the same prejudices toward their neighbor, Boo Radley, who ultimately is responsible for Scout's own self-revelation of how deeply and innocently prejudices can run outside of the significance of the racial prejudice of the main story itself. Atticus is, however, the story's protagonist; he's given a very specific task in defending Tom Robinson that represents the story's main throughline that ultimately impacts Scout. Secondary to this point is the notion that all protagonists change. They don't. There are those who cause others, and subsequently the world around them, to change. William Wallace in Braveheart comes to mind; he never once gives in to the king, his steadfast nature inspiring Robert The Bruce to change. Brad Pitt recently (within the last several years) eschewed the notion of protagonists who changed, saying, and I'm ad-libbing here, what about the stories of the 70's where people changed the world instead? Take note: if you're writing something that follows these two points of thinking, this book might not be for you. Otherwise, I feel the book does what it was designed to do - though I admit glossing over the last 30-50 pages; as another reviewer pointed out, some points were just too redundant. Also of note, following along with someone else's story being created can be tedious and tiresome - especially if its conceit or genre just doesn't float your boat. While I think one can learn from it as a tool, you're simply not privy to the final product and every point being made is there solely to solely the author's (in this case Lisa's) conviction to their approach - otherwise it wouldn't be there. Ultimately I would justify rating it slightly lower than Wired For Story because I felt myself hi-lighting less often here than in that particular book, but I think that's simply the nature of the game when taking something that felt ground-breaking the first time around and following it up with more of a direct how-to book. Nevertheless, it's a recommended reading for those who wish to learn how to increase reader engagement with their storytelling.

Story Genius completely changed the way I think about writing. This isn’t just another “how to plot your novel” book—it goes much deeper, focusing on what actually makes a story work on an emotional and psychological level. Lisa Cron walks you through the process of developing a story from the inside out, starting with the protagonist’s internal struggle and using that to drive every plot point. Her emphasis on “what it’s about” versus “what happens” was a game-changer for me. Instead of just chasing events, you’re building a story that resonates because it's grounded in real human emotion and motivation. The examples are clear, the breakdowns are practical, and there’s even a step-by-step guide you can follow as you write. It’s not always easy work—Cron pushes you to dig deep into your character’s past and psyche—but the payoff is a much richer, more compelling story. If you’re tired of outlining methods that leave your story feeling flat or formulaic, Story Genius offers a fresh, insightful alternative. Highly recommended for writers who want to create novels that truly connect with readers.

Bought this book in Sept 2024, didn't actually start using it until the following February, and I'm kicking myself for not starting it sooner. I wish I had found this book BEFORE I wrote a dozen novels with blood, sweat, and tears. It would have saved me a lot of bald spots, too. Holy bananas! This book has TRANSFORMED the way I write! This book helped me restructure the first book in my series in a few DAYS, I finished writing it by the end of March, and I've relaunched my series under my new pen name. I just finished setting the entire series up on a rapid release schedule right now, so I'm back to plotting using Cron's book. I've plotted two novels this week (a stand-alone and the first of my new series), and I'm working on the 3rd novel. Once the series is plotted, I'll write them all for another rapid release. I am not pulling out my hair. I am not agonizing over the plots. I am not going through a slump, questioning my choice or my sanity in being a writer. I am having the freakin' time of my life all because Lisa Cron made a repeatable process that helps me discover the heart of my stories starting at the heart of my characters. The stories practically write themselves once I'm done using her method! Booyah! I cannot recommend her book enough. And to get some extra insight, I also recommend her other book "Wired for Story," which dives deeper into why we humans gravitate toward reading stories and how to engineer your stories to appeal to this. Extra tip: Using Theodora Taylor's "7 Figure Fiction: How to Use Universal Fantasy to Sell Your Books to Anyone" will help ensure you weave binge-worthy elements into your stories. Get that book, too! You're welcome!

As a disclaimer, I am writing a musical. I had the 'idea' for a type of musical for over 2 years, including random scenes, sequences, and what the story was supposed to be about. I read the Larry Brooks titles "Story Engineering" and "Story Physics" and took copious detailed notes on them. However, I felt like something was missing, but being an amateur writer who has never written anything significant since writing screenplays in film school years ago, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Alas, within the first few chapters, Lisa expertly hits the nail on the head on what I was missing in my storytelling toolkit to really bring my musical to life. I sat down, and read this with my computer open and a blank Evernote page, and I took copious notes on this book and did every single "What to Do" exercise Lisa asked me to do. And each and every time I sat down with this book intent on getting my musical to come to life better than I imagined it, I would have new revelations that genuinely excited and surprised me. Sometimes it would take 10 minutes, or an hour, or two hours - but this book always delivered. It is admittedly a tad bit light on the actual 'brain science' she claims is going on - I actually think she sells herself short here. There's maybe 5 pages devoted to the science, but what it is, is a damned good craft book on how to uncover a great obstacle for your protagonist to overcome, what events shaped the internal misbeliefs that hold them back from achieving what they want, how to throw a gauntlet of adversaries (situations, people, internal struggles, situations, etc) at them, and ensure it flows logically and is air-tight as you add in subplots and other things. Hats off to Lisa. I'm on the last 20 pages, but I'm amazed so far at what I've accomplished. No joke, I will not even think of writing out another story until I read this book, and go through the progression of pre-writing and brainstorming she asks you to do.

The science portion of this book is limited to the first few chapters. There is not much science to it, but more recognition and explanation on why we as human beings enjoy storytelling. Mostly the evidence is based on the fact that we enjoy stories because of the emotional connection achieved through realistic and relatable backstories, and combined with the need to learn for our survival. The rest of the book 75% is a in depth process that helps you craft the beginnings of your story as you go along. I feel like if you are stuck with how to start your book, this is an amazing read to help your thought process advance in your story by building it on an effective foundation My issue with this book is the outlining method used is too subjective. The book uses another authors work to give an example of what to do and how, and while this is very helpful, it limits anything other than basic modern fiction in the real world, and anything longer than a single book. At first I felt inspired while writing according to this books methods, then frustrated as to how every single action the protagonist makes to relate to their defining backstory moment and be in constant conflict with their misbelief.