How are you going to build your story?
Read It Your Way, Story Genius: Chapt 13-15
Last time we met to discuss chapters 9-12 of Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write A Riveting Novel by Lisa Cron, we started to slowly and creatively build our story blueprint, scene-by-scene, always with our protagonist’s internal desires and misbeliefs in mind.
How did it go for you?
Every August, my creativity slows way down. This August has been no exception. I spent the past two weeks doing very little with any of my creative projects. I’ve been resting, painting, spending time with friends, and prepping for the fall, when I know my creative energy will once again swell and start to brim over.
I think they call these the dog days of summer. These last few drops of heat and light, the lazy lingering days. I’m okay with doing nothing for a little while longer. But soon enough my brain will start crackling, and I’ll want to dive into a novel-sized project again. Something big and all-consuming.
The timing for reading and finishing Story Genius really couldn’t have been better. It’s given me a lot to think about and a lot to play with and practice in the fall when I sit down to really start writing again.
“The point is this: Always make it harder for your protagonist.”
A Story Grows in Spirals
This is our final week with Story Genius, and our final week together as a book club. So, I think I’ll keep this very short indeed.
This book gets a lot of things right about story—where it comes from, how readers connect with story, how to tell a good one. From my own experience, there is a lot of solid advice in here about uncovering your true story—asking why and what next and what if and returning again and again to certain points in your story to layer in more details and nuance until you have a story readers can’t put down.
I think where this book really shines is the way it focuses on uncovering the protagonist’s complicated emotional journey. I loved the tips on how to go deeper into your protagonist’s past to understand their present. And I think I will be trying out some of the organizational techniques and pre-writing exercises presented in this book.
That said, I wish the advice and information hadn’t been packaged under the guise of THIS ONE WAY IS THE ONLY WAY, THE RIGHT WAY to write a book. I get it. You’re trying to sell books and so you have to say that you have secret formula, but the truth is… there is no secret formula. It’s a creative practice. It’s returning again and again to your story to try and uncover more of your protagonist’s soul.
It’s hard work bringing a whole world to life, and yes, I think a lot of what Lisa Cron discusses in this book can move you in the right direction. But her advice is still advice. And just like writing a book happens in layers and spirals, so too does learning how to write a book. You’re layering advice with practice with more advice with more practice, and slowly overtime, with effort, you will grow into an unstoppable force. And maybe your process will look a lot like Lisa’s, but maybe it won’t. As long as your process works for you and allows you to write, finish, and fall in love with stories, that’s all that really matters.
That’s the thought I want to leave with you today.
Your process is your own. It always will be. Take whatever wisdom you want from this book and leave the rest. Now, get out there and write something beautiful.
“Remember, nothing is written in stone; it’s sculpted in clay.”
Final Discussion Question
Share your final thoughts about the things you read and learned in Story Genius. Will you be incorporating any new regular writing techniques from this book? Is there advice in this book you would never follow? Is there anything you are willing to try once? Any last thoughts or commentary you’d like to share?
Final Put It Into Practice
Go out there and write your damn book! No matter how you decide to put the pieces together—I believe in you and your creative commitment!
Thank you for joining me for another Read It Your Way Book Club Experience! I learned a lot! I hope you did too!
I'm willing to try most things once. In the end, I didn't find too much useful from this book, but it's still nice to have read other's perspectives.
Thanks for hosting this book club! <3