My review of WIRED FOR STORY, a book on how to hook readers from the first sentence.

Me holding a copy of Wire for Story I ordered online.
Me holding a copy of Wired for Story I ordered online.

All right, wow. There are four seminal books that have made major impacts on my writing, in the following order:

1. Self Editing for the Fiction Writer by Renni Browne and Dave King.
2. A Writer’s Guide to Fiction by Elizabeth Lyon.
3. On Writing by Stephen King.
4. The Elements of Style by Strunk and White.

But it is, without a shadow of a doubt, Wired for Story that takes the top spot now. Cron has artfully and articulately worded what I, as the writer, have been searching for: just how to write a good story. Not how to flower my language, not how to edit, not the mechanics of writing, but exactly how to consciously write a story that interests the reader.

Can I understate how important this book should be in a writer’s arsenal? *Expletive* NO! It’s written with a clear voice, a voice comfortably familiar with the art of the story. Cron’s experience in writing for film and TV shines through with her ability to efficiently get her points across without the muddle. Her use of neuropsychologists combined with select quotes from known word-brain surgeons like Hemingway buttress the foundation, but it is the upper floors of this structure that yield the greatest fruit.

What exactly makes a story interesting? Check. Exactly when to start one in the character’s life? Check. How to write a quick yet nuanced character biography while leaving out the unnecessary drivel? Check. Differentiate between the banal and the important in a scene; description overuse; narration and exposition errors; conflict and resolution misfires and solutions …

Check, check, and checkmate. And on and on it goes, until by the last page you feel like a cyborg perfectly outfitted for war.

My one minor gripe? A few too many grand questions (specifically, but not exclusive to, the end of the chapters summaries), that left me feeling overwhelmed. I prefer things I can answer, not questions that have infinite possibilities and leave my brain trying to find answers to them even though I’ve moved on already. It’s a pitfall I commonly find in How-to books though, one almost impossible to leave out. A side effect of these questions is one has the tendency to re-read the paragraph again and again in some vain hope one will understand the scope and significance of the question.

But what Cron does best is hammer across what is important. She shatters myth after myth (eg: A story is what the plot is about. WRONG. It’s about how the plot affects the characters!). She concisely explains what loses readers, but rewards you with how to capture them. This isn’t one of those books that only points out the flaws, leaving you groping for guidance like a child without a parent. It is satisfying and comprehensible, a panther of a read written by a master in her craft–and there are few storytelling masters that truly share their secrets in a way the layman can understand.

I wrote six detailed pages of notes. Six. I pre-empted the wear those notes are going to receive in my writer’s binder by applying those O-ring reinforcements to the holes in the paper, for I plan on studying those notes like an eager freshman in medical school.

My final thought? The writers who have read this book will have a superior advantage over those that have not. Period.

Wired for Story on Amazon

A note: I first posted this review on the book’s Goodreads page.

Published by

Sever Bronny

The Arinthian Line series (complete): Arcane Riven Valor Clash Legend The Fury of a Rising Dragon series (complete): Burden's Edge Honor's Price Mercy's Trial Champion's Wrath I grew up on Dragonlance and probably spent way too much time playing role-playing games. Then came the video games. But then, Nintendo was life in Toronto of '86. As a matter of fact, much of my youth could be considered "wasted" exploring escapism of one form or another. Now I'm a full-time author living in British Columbia, Canada. I have a wife who taught me what it means to love someone unconditionally. Buddha, my grumpy but rumpled-with-love cat, likes to keep watch from a Lego castle near my desk. (Update: said Lego castle has long been dismantled. Now she basks under a sun lamp). I suppose my favorite sagas are Harry Potter, Ender's Game, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and Game of Thrones. I also love true-life survival tales like Into Thin Air, Shadowdivers, and Perfect Storm. As for movies, I regularly re-watch Bladerunner, Star Wars, Highlander, Aliens, Limitless, Edge of Tomorrow, Interstellar, Lost in Translation, and Margin Call. But I've been most inspired by Harry Potter. Seriously, because if it hadn't been for HP, I'd never have dared. I simply stood on the shoulders of a giant. Thank you for writing that story, Joanne Rowling, it was extremely re-readable. I can only hope to capture my readers' imagination as you have captured mine. When I was a kid, I dreamed I could spread my arms as wings, jump off the ground, and fly. My head was in the clouds (and in many ways, still is). It would be fair to say that my love of fantasy began then, steadily refined by movies, video games, and cozy books. As for me, I enjoy talking to my readers, so if you read one of my books, you're welcome to shoot me an email at severbronny@gmail.com. Throw me a question, comment, or just say hello. I blog at severbronny.com when the mood strikes me, and I'm on social media now and then. I don't publish too often, but you can subscribe to my newsletter to receive a notification when I do release new work (newsletter signup is at severbronny.com/contact). (I was also a musician at one time, having released three albums with my industrial-rock band Tribal Machine.) When all is said and done, I know how fortunate I am to be a full-time author. I think about it often--especially when I recall what it was like working the grind. Thus I humbly thank each and every reader for supporting my work.

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