As writers, we want to grab our reader’s attention from the very first sentence and keep them reading to the end. But accomplishing that feat isn’t as easy as it sounds. That’s why one of the most-thumbed books in my writing reference shelf is Wired For Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook the Reader from the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron.
The title is pretty self-explanatory, but this excerpt from the book’s introduction unpacks why writers need this book and what it will do for us.
“When a story enthralls us, we are inside of it, feeling what the protagonist feels, experiencing it as if it were indeed happening to us, and the last thing we’re focusing on is the mechanics of the thing.
So it’s no surprise that we tend to be utterly oblivious to the fact that beneath every captivating story, there is an intricate mesh of interconnected elements holding it together, allowing it to build with seemingly effortless precision. This often fools us into thinking we know exactly what has us hooked …
It’s only by stopping to analyze what we’re unconsciously responding to when we read a story—what has actually snagged our brains attention—that we can then write a story that will grab the reader’s brain. This is true, whether you’re writing a literary novel, a hard-boiled mystery, or a supernatural teen romance.”
What’s the book about?
Wired for Story is organized into twelve chapters. Each chapter focuses on one common misunderstanding about how story works, with plenty of non-sciencey explanations for why it doesn’t work and what to do instead.
My writing mentor, an award-winning author and experienced editor, told me that several of the topics covered in this book are mistakes she sees all the time when editing manuscripts. For example, it can be tempting for an inexperienced writer to keep certain facts secret for The Big Reveal. They think this will pack a big punch of suspense. However, as Wired for Story explains, withholding information often robs the story of suspense. This is because suspense is built when the reader is told these secrets early on, thus anticipating the trouble waiting in the wings for the protagonist. (See chapter 7 for more on this.)
Who is this book for?
While it’s a fascinating and helpful reference, Wired for Story is not aimed at beginners. This is not a primer on how to write well, and it will probably overwhelm writers who are just starting out. Therefore, I would say this book is best for intermediate to advanced writers.
I like to think of a good story as having many layers of writing. The base layers are the structure and the basics of good writing. After those are in place, we writers can focus on fine-tuning and improving. That is where this book comes in.
This is not the most useful book for helping you write your first draft. This is a book that helps you edit your manuscript after you have the entire story down. What Wired for Story does so well is to help me uncover my mistakes and figure out how to fix them so that I can make the story more plausible, more readable, and more compelling.
If you are seeking a book to take your writing to the next level, trying to put your finger on why you story doesn’t seem to “work,” or you’re just curious about how neuroscience interacts with good writing, you should add this book to your reference shelf.
Happy writing!
Bio
Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and unconventional soul. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).
She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit lisaebetz.com.
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