Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First SentenceThis guide reveals how writers can utilize cognitive storytelling strategies to craft stories that ignite readers’ brains and captivate them through each plot element. Imagine knowing what the brain craves from every tale it encounters, what fuels the success of any great story, and what keeps readers transfixed. Wired for Story reveals these cognitive secrets—and it’s a game-changer for anyone who has ever set pen to paper. The vast majority of writing advice focuses on “writing well” as if it were the same as telling a great story. This is exactly where many aspiring writers fail—they strive for beautiful metaphors, authentic dialogue, and interesting characters, losing sight of the one thing that every engaging story must do: ignite the brain’s hardwired desire to learn what happens next. When writers tap into the evolutionary purpose of story and electrify our curiosity, it triggers a delicious dopamine rush that tells us to pay attention. Without it, even the most perfect prose won’t hold anyone’s interest. Backed by recent breakthroughs in neuroscience as well as examples from novels, screenplays, and short stories, Wired for Story offers a revolutionary look at story as the brain experiences it. Each chapter zeroes in on an aspect of the brain, its corresponding revelation about story, and the way to apply it to your storytelling right now. |
Contents
COGNITIVE SECRET The brain uses stories to simulate how we might navi | 166 |
The Road from setup to Payoff | 185 |
Meanwhile Back at the Ranch | 200 |
tº The writers Brain on Story | 219 |
Endnotes | 239 |
Acknowledgments | 251 |
Other editions - View all
Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers ... Lisa Cron Limited preview - 2012 |
Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers ... Lisa Cron No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
A. S. Byatt actually answer Antonio Damasio backstory begin believe body language brain Caroline Leavitt cause and effect cause-and-effect trajectory chapter characters cognitive secret conflict Da Vinci Code Damasio David Eagleman Deb's emotion everything that happens exactly external goal fact fear feel fiction flashback Fred Gazzaniga George give going hard hardwired human idea inner issue insight internal J. K. Rowling Jennifer Egan keep look main storyline Marco McClane means metaphor Michael Gazzaniga mirror neurons movie need to know neuroscientist never novel payoff person Pinker plot pretty problem protago protagonist reaction reader reason reveal Rita Scarlett scene sense setup someone specific Steven Pinker story question STORY SECRET story's subplots sure talking tell tellus tend theme there's they’re thought triggers trouble turn versus what's happening who's wonder words writer wrong York