rhyslindmark's review against another edition
3.0
I expected more from this. Mostly just rationalizing existing story structures with loose psychology research.
nicolewall1776's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely killer. A critically valuable resource for anyone who wants to write fiction that people will actually read. The advice in this book is direct, specific, thorough, and ruthless, but written in a style that's funny, engaging, and relatable. It's given me a lot to think about; my copy now has underlines and notes on almost every page. I can't recommend it enough, and I expect I'll be reading it again before long.
ckoldfield's review against another edition
5.0
A must-read for new writers. Has a lot of overlap with Story Genius — which was also great — so if you're only going to read one, I'd pick this one (though it won't hurt to read both!).
nonameless's review against another edition
5.0
"What makes a person a writer is writing. Everyday. No excuses."
I'm a writer with a Bachelors of Arts in English, and this is the best craft book I've ever read. It doesn't lollygag with different writing routines/styles. It dives right into the story itself, discussing what makes a story work, what doesn't, and what you need to do so you don't drop the ball. Cron doesn't pull her punches, and I'm extremely grateful. She's clear and uses examples from science and stories to back up everything she's saying. A story is incredibly hard to master, but it can be done.
If you're wallowing in first draft purgatory, if you can't seem to get any steam for your stories, if you just want to improve your writing, read this book. It will not disappoint.
I'm a writer with a Bachelors of Arts in English, and this is the best craft book I've ever read. It doesn't lollygag with different writing routines/styles. It dives right into the story itself, discussing what makes a story work, what doesn't, and what you need to do so you don't drop the ball. Cron doesn't pull her punches, and I'm extremely grateful. She's clear and uses examples from science and stories to back up everything she's saying. A story is incredibly hard to master, but it can be done.
If you're wallowing in first draft purgatory, if you can't seem to get any steam for your stories, if you just want to improve your writing, read this book. It will not disappoint.
thetomatowriter's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure how well-backed the science to this is (the person who leant it to me said it wasn't as strong as it could be), but it made a lot of sense to me and was very helpful! Explained the points super well and made me consider the importance of various elements of story in ways I hadn't before. Probably one of my favorite writing help books that I've read this year.
txlxu2's review against another edition
3.5
Easy listen. Some interesting tidbits about brain science. Would refer back to if I were to do some narrative writing.
mjex19's review against another edition
2.0
Did you go to high school? Then you probably don’t need to read this book
nanc's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
So informative!