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rwatkins's review against another edition
2.0
I don't usually write reviews for non-fiction that I read, but I have a couple main points to explain my lower rating for this book on improving writing skills.
Many aspiring writers will get more from this book than I did, personally. It is a writing tool aimed at writers who prefer entertainment/extras mixed in with the more serious content of improving outlining and plotting skills. There are a lot of similes, metaphors, witty commentary and sidetracks, some within parenthesis and some without, throughout this book. Readers who find this to be entertaining, valuable in breaking-up the more serious writing content being laid out, and still educational, may enjoy this book.
For me, it was just filler. It made me weed through a bunch of time-wasting setup and unnecessary explanation before getting to the pearls of wisdom. Navigating to the sections I was interested in wasn't user-friendly, as there could be pages and pages of filler material before getting to the main points. I found the quips and commentary and extras to be distracting, not helpful, in understanding the writing tips presented. There was far too much of it, in relation to the actual useful information on writing provided. I'm in academics, where I'm used to boring, but beneficial, presentation - and finding what I need when I need it is valuable to me. This book is not that, as it aims to try and entertain at least as much as it does to help writers write better. I would rather all the time, energy and page space be dedicated to more and more writing guidance and tips. For me, it was just filler.
Next, this book is focused almost entirely on inner character development. If that is not something you need help with, this book will not offer much value. I did not get that from the title or blurb, which promises "brain science" and an alternative to plotting and pantsing. There is minimal, if any, actual brain science in this book. There is no alternative to plotting and pantsing provided, but instead a style of plotting that focuses first on character development and then plot development secondarily. I was expecting story-telling tips rooted in the foundation of neuroscience and there is none of that. It's a book about how to do better character arcs, and not one I found to be very effective or detailed in that venture.
Many aspiring writers will get more from this book than I did, personally. It is a writing tool aimed at writers who prefer entertainment/extras mixed in with the more serious content of improving outlining and plotting skills. There are a lot of similes, metaphors, witty commentary and sidetracks, some within parenthesis and some without, throughout this book. Readers who find this to be entertaining, valuable in breaking-up the more serious writing content being laid out, and still educational, may enjoy this book.
For me, it was just filler. It made me weed through a bunch of time-wasting setup and unnecessary explanation before getting to the pearls of wisdom. Navigating to the sections I was interested in wasn't user-friendly, as there could be pages and pages of filler material before getting to the main points. I found the quips and commentary and extras to be distracting, not helpful, in understanding the writing tips presented. There was far too much of it, in relation to the actual useful information on writing provided. I'm in academics, where I'm used to boring, but beneficial, presentation - and finding what I need when I need it is valuable to me. This book is not that, as it aims to try and entertain at least as much as it does to help writers write better. I would rather all the time, energy and page space be dedicated to more and more writing guidance and tips. For me, it was just filler.
Next, this book is focused almost entirely on inner character development. If that is not something you need help with, this book will not offer much value. I did not get that from the title or blurb, which promises "brain science" and an alternative to plotting and pantsing. There is minimal, if any, actual brain science in this book. There is no alternative to plotting and pantsing provided, but instead a style of plotting that focuses first on character development and then plot development secondarily. I was expecting story-telling tips rooted in the foundation of neuroscience and there is none of that. It's a book about how to do better character arcs, and not one I found to be very effective or detailed in that venture.
herrmannhimself's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.0
Nothing new, just reworded advice you’ve probably already heard—just more obnoxious.
The writing exercises could be worthwhile for newer writers just beginning to learn.
If it works for you, that’s awesome. It doesn’t for me, i just won’t be like the author of this book and claim that all other advice or way of writing is bad.
The writing exercises could be worthwhile for newer writers just beginning to learn.
If it works for you, that’s awesome. It doesn’t for me, i just won’t be like the author of this book and claim that all other advice or way of writing is bad.
drblockbooks's review against another edition
5.0
For me, this is a 5-star craft book. For others, I'm sure it won't be.
Much of Cron's book is about things you've heard before about story structure and what entices people to keep reading. (On that note, I feel like the subtitle of this book is a bit misleading as there isn't a ton of "brain science" discussed. I was expecting citations to all sorts of fMRI studies and psychological studies, but basically the book is devoid of those things.)
However...
This book contains a method for developing a novel-length story that is new to me. I tend to write with minimal outlining, so Cron's method -- which is a form of outlining, but not what you'd think of as a traditional numbered outline -- was intriguing. The best part is that she includes a case study of an author starting with a basic idea and fleshing it out using her method. I can see the usefulness of Cron's method and intend to apply it on a future book.
So, if you are a writer or want to be one, I recommend reading this book. You may hate it or think it is stupid, but it is important to expose yourself to this technique, which to me seems helpful.
Feel free to comment on this review and let me know what you thought about this book after you read it.
Much of Cron's book is about things you've heard before about story structure and what entices people to keep reading. (On that note, I feel like the subtitle of this book is a bit misleading as there isn't a ton of "brain science" discussed. I was expecting citations to all sorts of fMRI studies and psychological studies, but basically the book is devoid of those things.)
However...
This book contains a method for developing a novel-length story that is new to me. I tend to write with minimal outlining, so Cron's method -- which is a form of outlining, but not what you'd think of as a traditional numbered outline -- was intriguing. The best part is that she includes a case study of an author starting with a basic idea and fleshing it out using her method. I can see the usefulness of Cron's method and intend to apply it on a future book.
So, if you are a writer or want to be one, I recommend reading this book. You may hate it or think it is stupid, but it is important to expose yourself to this technique, which to me seems helpful.
Feel free to comment on this review and let me know what you thought about this book after you read it.
a_bit_of_light_reading's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
authoraugust's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve read this countless times now. Best book for writers I’ve ever picked up.
the_badger's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book and find it helpful.
The advertised science is not present, you really must suspend your disbelief and I tried.
There are some bold statements in the book, like plotting and pantsing are both wrong.
Cron presents her way as the right way to write. But I don't think there is such a thing.
What she offers here is more of a rephrasing of what you probably already know.
What good points are there, they are buried under bloated writing in meandering chapters with little structure and could have been stated clearly in a fraction of the pages.
There are whole realms of great novels that do not fit the scheme she presents.
Last point that should have been a bit of a red flag to me: She's not a fiction writer, but writing about it.
The advertised science is not present, you really must suspend your disbelief and I tried.
There are some bold statements in the book, like plotting and pantsing are both wrong.
Cron presents her way as the right way to write. But I don't think there is such a thing.
What she offers here is more of a rephrasing of what you probably already know.
What good points are there, they are buried under bloated writing in meandering chapters with little structure and could have been stated clearly in a fraction of the pages.
There are whole realms of great novels that do not fit the scheme she presents.
Last point that should have been a bit of a red flag to me: She's not a fiction writer, but writing about it.
witzelsucht's review against another edition
2.0
The content about developing a character-driven story is good and interesting. The "brain science" is a barely-there gimmick. The author's quippy writing and lengthy case study of her friend's inane dognapping novel get old very quickly. A mixed bag to be taken with a pinch of salt, like all writing books.