Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel by Lisa Cron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a non-fiction title that looks at planning and forming connections between your characters and the reader’s emotions using the craft of writing.
The Cover: The cover is a good fit with the non-fiction genre and the image is fitting for the concept spoken about within the book.
The Good Stuff: This book covers some of the techniques a writer needs to know: Plotting, planning, characters arcs, etc… but it is done an entirely new way compared to other books I have read on these topics. There is some great information in this book and I did find the concept interesting and somewhat enlightening. The author is obviously talented and experienced in this field, and shares a wealth of her knowledge with the reader. I certainly found some insights into new ways of looking at things that I will put into use.
The Bad Stuff: I hate to say it, but I struggled through this book. I struggled because I like to get to the point quickly, but the author seems to waffle on a bit too much for me. I’m not saying it was a bad book, because it wasn’t bad by any means. I struggled because the examples were in a genre I do not read. I struggled because the author tries to make a closer connection with the reader. I struggled because it was too nice and fluffy for me. I can see many readers would love this, but it isn’t for me.
Overall, for a writer, there is value in reading this book. If you write romance or ‘chick lit’ you will probably love it. If it were written using horror or fantasy examples and was more succinct, I would have raved about it. As it stands, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. I’m ranking this one 3 out of 5 golden bookmarks for a worthwhile lesson in connecting with readers.
Want to know if you agree with my review? Grab your own copy from these links:
amazon.com
amazon.com.au
Get it on Kobo
Allan Walsh writes Fantasy and Horror. If you’re looking for something new to read in these genres, why not check out his books here. You can also find his titles available in libraries.
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