A review by kareader
Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel by Lisa Cron

4.0

I heard Lisa Cron speak at a writing conference and the way she talked about writing made something click in my brain, which led me to buy this book. Like all books on writing, this one claims to be "the way" but is really only one way of approaching writing. (People don't all think the same way, so why would there be one way to write??) For me, it made sense with how I approach writing and how I tend to come into ideas for new stories. I often struggle with plot but know exactly (or close to exactly) what emotional journey I want my characters to go on. Lisa's methods helped me connect the dots and come up with plot points that pull in that emotional journey. Other reviews have mentioned that the "brain science" is sparse, and I do agree that the title is a bit misleading in that regard. However, her methods do offer a way to connect with the emotional component that will hopefully connect readers to your characters. I'll be pulling what works for me from this book, leaving what doesn't work, and overall I think what I've learned is going to help with my craft.