Unlock the Secrets of Engaging Storytelling: Wired for Story Shows You How to Use Brain Science to Capture Readers from the Start

Client Kindle: Premier livre sur le storytelling pour ma part: je l'ai dévoré et en ai fait ma bible pour un temps. Mais avec le recul, mis à part certaines idées originales, ce livre est plus destiné pour apprendre les bases. Il remplit très bien son rôle dans ces cas là, mais paraîtra probablement basique pour un storyteller expérimenté.

France on Sep 29, 2023

Easy peasy: This is a superb book, simply the best I've read on this topic, entertaining, insightful and incredibly helpful in my writing.

United Kingdom on Aug 15, 2023

Greg: Everyone writes for different reasons and may look to other authors for skills and techniques that will help them write the story that currently remains only a dream. This book offered me exactly what I needed to rework my novel in a manner conducing to captivating a reader by how our brains are wired. I continue to reference it with each chapter I rework. I’m grateful to have found the right book to inspire me with skills needed to understand not just myself as a writer but the needs of the readers that compel them to remain enthralled with a story until they’ve finished it and then hoping for a sequel.

Canada on Jan 19, 2022

Dr.C.J.Singh.Wallia: WIRED FOR STORY
By Lisa Cron

Reviewed by C J Singh (Berkeley, California)

Excellent Primer on Novel-Writing

In Berkeley, California, we happily have access to four independent bookstores that display literary novels and creative-writing craft books. Browsing, I picked up two books by Lisa Cron on using "Brain Science" for writing fiction. The jacket quote by Caroline Leavitt rivetted my attention: "I'd never consider writing a novel without Lisa's input, and neither should you." As a longtime fan of Leavitt's novels "Is This Tomorrow," " Pictures of You, " "Girls in Trouble," I looked up Stanford Continuing Education where Leavitt regularly teaches online courses. As a Stanford Alumnus (Psychology PhD), I've taken several on-campus and online workshops on fiction-writing. While still at the bookstore, I promptly signed up for Leavitt's soon-to-begin course that uses two coaching books: Cron's Wired For Story and John Truby's The Anatomy of Story. I'm familiar with Truby's book and its nine excellent exercises. See my detailed review on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/review/R29NU7U6LAHGBV/

Here's my review of Lisa Cron's "Wired For...

United States on Mar 07, 2020

Wikileaker: This blurb for this book makes some bold claims:

"a revolutionary look at story"
"recent breakthroughs in neuroscience"
"Wired for Story reveals these cognitive secrets"
"ignite the brain's hardwired desire to learn what happens next"
"what fuels the success of any great story and what keeps readers transfixed"
"aspect[s] of the brain, its corresponding revelation about story, and the way to apply it"

Wow! Sounds exciting, doesn't it?
Well don't be. Take my word for it that this book fails to live up to these grandiose claims.

That said, I must add that the advice given in the book isn't wrong or inapplicable. The book does have some value, but only for the beginner struggling to craft his very first story. In other words, for someone who knows next to nothing about story creation and writing execution. The information is very basic and is no more than what you would find in the many many other books that have been published for novice storytellers and writers. Without all the brain science hype.

The few examples of neurological research cited in 'Wired' are superficial gee-whiz Mr. Science factoids, like "when the hero realizes he's...

United States on Apr 22, 2019

Spicerlife: This book is incredibly useful and practical and has inserted some very useful facts and considerations into my brain. I won't give it 5*s as I reserve those for sock puppet reviews of my friend's books. Never trust a five star review I say. The author knows her stuff, writes clearly and as engagingly as a text book can be. I may come back and give her 5* if I get my book deal, or amend it to 1* if I don't. Really, a good buy for all but the most skilled and talented writers. I'd like more examples from great literature in the second edition

United Kingdom on Mar 08, 2017

JCR: I read this book as a screenwriter, with a couple of independent movies under my belt and a stage play. So I'm not a total beginner, but at the same time I haven't produced anything of significance yet. This said, I really took away a ton of insights from this book. The whole neuro-science stuff is actually quite weak and mostly relies on pop-scientists and TED-orators like Steven Pinker and Malcolm Gladwell. Science? Not really.

Still the book is a REALLY good introduction to the craft of story-telling. I've only read a handful of books on the topic yet, still it feels like this is the one I've taken away most of yet. And yes, I've read STORY by McKee. She disagrees with McKee on some points, for example, why you shouldn't write a character's backstory too extensive(ly?). She argues, quite plausible to me, that if you start inventing stuff for your characters, that is not directly relevant to your story (e.g. your protagonist having played the piano for 12 years), it will eventually end up in the story, although it has no right of being there. Actually it's a distraction and a danger. But you fell in love with the idea of your character playing the piano so much - it...

Germany on Jan 08, 2013