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)

By: Lisa Cron

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

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 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.

©2016 Lisa Cron (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Using brain science, Cron busts the myths of good writing to help you find the real story behind all that plot and metaphor." (The Writer)

"In [Cron's] new book, Story Genius, she picks up the...theme...that a protagonist's internal struggle makes the story work, and offers step-by-step advice on how to exploit this truth about neuroscience for richer, deeper, better first drafts.... Cron provides exercises and examples to keep writers on track, always highlighting the fact that emotions engage the brain faster than anything else.... The concepts are easy to understand and they are certainly important. Even if you can't go on a retreat, you should try to find time to do the exercises for your own blueprint." (PsychologyToday.com)

"It's a simple question: 'How do you write an effective, engaging story?' Ask Lisa Cron. An accomplished author and story coach, she has just published her second book, Story Genius. A manual of sorts, it teaches cognitive storytelling strategies and uses actual brain science to help make its readers into better writers." (Creative Screenwriting)

Some interesting and good advice

the book is well written and contains good advice, especially those learning the craft. my only complaint is that it didn't get very deep into the brain science or the craft of storytelling. the author took one critical rule of storytelling and spent the second half of the book demonstrating how it could be applied to create a story.

I would say this book is great for learning important principles. I guess I just want more of it because it was good and going deeper into the craft would likely reveal more great info.

Excellent and applicable!

This is great stuff that really helps you delve into the structure, emotion, and meaning of your story. So insightful. But also provides a clear pathway to story development.

Ingenious

This is the first craft book on writing a novel that makes not only total sense to me, but equipped me with a net of methods to let my story grow organically and authentically.

Helpful For Every Genre

I decided to listen to this audible based on a writer on YouTube. I wasn’t sure if it would apply seeing as I am not writing a novel. It had so much helpful information to be a better writer that I have to listen to it again. If you write novels, this book is something you need to read!

Spectacular storytelling about storytelling

This is the book I've been waiting for my whole writerly life. I'm so pleased I found Lisa Cron and her methods because I'm gonna be unstoppable.

Very Helpful

This book has been incredibly helpful in guiding me on the path of editing the novel that lied dormant in the parts of my brain I struggled to reach and pull forward onto paper.

Elation.

This is the book I should have listened to and then read and then read again back before I wrote my first novels. I should probably be dismayed, chagrined, that it has taken me so long to learn and understand the why of the tenets communicated. But instead I’m simply elated to have finally found the tools to understand how to make my writing more powerful.

This is Gold!

This book gives clear direction on "how to" write that book. I've taken many classes, gone to many writing conferences and walked away with nothing. This won't disappoint.

Useful

If you're looking for a lot of brain science, better read Lisa's first book about being Hard Wired for story. In this book only 8 chapters out of 15 touches upon the it. The book mostly focuses on how to write a first draft of a novel, but the ideas might be applied also to other forms of writing, such as, but not limited to, plays and screenplays.
This work will be very useful for novice writers who dream about writing that first bestseller that crash the shelves, but also experienced writers may find some interesting ideas and reminders .

Excellent narrator

I told the parents of an aspiring young writer to purchase this book to ensure she develops the best story writing process possible. The process is detailed and likely best in book form. Listening to this as an audiobook, though the narrator was the best I’ve ever heard - no, I don’t know her, would probably be better as a book in hand to use as a reference. That said, I listened to this book as I drove back-and-forth to work and I’m not sure I would’ve had time to read it if i hadn’t had the option of an audiobook. I will be buying the paperback version for a reference.