Comments on: Literary Consultant Lisa Cron

By: Martijn van Heeringen

Martijn van Heeringen — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 22:40:59 +0000

Hello Lisa, just want to say I read Wired for Story and it was yet another very good book on writing. Many of the things you mention that drive a story are not new and can be found in many other books on writing, like the Reader’s and Writer’s Digest series. But the approach from how the brain perceives story give it many new sharp insights, that will help me getting my second draft in the right direction. I liked how many writers rules (delay of info, show vs tell etc) are put in new light. And, most of all, it was fun and easy to read! I left a positive review on amazon.
Regards
Martijn

By: Dale Harcombe

Dale Harcombe — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 22:08:35 +0000

Thanks Lisa for your comments on my blog and on ‘was’ and the passive voice.

By: Lisa Cron

Lisa Cron — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 17:25:25 +0000

Hi Chris: Thank you so much! And it’s true — reading is about feeling — and the reason is so simple: it’s because life is about feeling. Trouble is society has mistaken “feeling” for something auxiliary, frivolous, or sentimental, rather that what it actually is: the basis of every decision we make. Emotion stems from the meaning and value we assign, well, everything that has the potential to affect us. Stories are our way of creating simulations, allowing us to experience how it would feel to walk in another’s shoes as he or she navigates a specific problem, so we might have a sense as to how we’d react in that situation. Stories give us new insights into the world, ourselves, and our own experiences. After all, we’re always looking for ways to achieve what every living organism is wired for: survival. Yikes, I got a little carried away there — must be the Sunday morning caffeine rush. Meanwhile, good luck with your writing!

Hi Dale: Thanks! BTW, I love your blog, and your take on “was” — it’s so easy to slip into the passive voice without quite realizing it, but being on the lookout for something as simple as “was” makes it so clear, and so much easier to extrapolate the larger point.

Hi Jill: I LOVE what you say here, “I wonder if when it comes down to it, we are most similar in how we feel, and least similar by our circumstance?” How true is that — and what really knots it up nicely is that so often those universal feelings are triggered by such vastly different circumstances, depending on the value and meaning the person (or protagonist) has assigned to them. The pleasure in a story, I think, can be in untangling the knots and really feeling the “why” behind the meanings the protagonist has read into the situation. Which so often (as in life) is very, very different than what it seems like on the surface. Here’s to giving your readers a different pair of shoes to walk in so they can experience it for themselves!

By: Jill B

Jill B — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:34:21 +0000

Thanks Lisa and Dara.
This is a great interview. I’ve taken Lisa’s classes and learned so much, and yet have so much more to learn. The lesson for me today is, “What do I want my readers to walk away thinking about? What new perspective do I want to give them?” Not that this is a new concept, after all, I’ve taken a few of your classes, but somehow, this time, I understand that it’s “OK” to want my words and ideas to make a difference in society. So, cut out the poetic prose and tell the story. Give the reader a different pair of shoes to walk in. Give them ample opportunity to live in a different circumstance and feel it. I wonder if when it comes down to it, we are most similar in how we feel and least similar by our circumstance?

By: Dale Harcombe

Dale Harcombe — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:43:10 +0000

You really nailed it. Story and character are all important and the two are intertwined.

By: Chris Taylor

Chris Taylor — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 23:50:33 +0000

Hi Lisa

Anna Jacobs passed on your link and I’m so glad she did. Your insights are so spot-on. As an unpublished writer, your words of advice really resonate with me. Reading is all about feeling. I think every writer should have that posted above their computer!

Thanks again for sharing.

By: Lisa Cron

Lisa Cron — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:44:55 +0000

Hi Ann: Thanks! Story is the world’s first virtual reality — and what I love is that neuroscience is proving that we think in story, that it’s how our brains are wired to make sense of the world. I’ve even heard it said that we developed language so that we could tell stories. Story is innate, which is what makes it so hard to actually “see” — ironic, isn’t it? I think that’s why it’s so insanely easy to get caught up in the words, and what made Flannery O’Connor say, “most people seem to know what a story is until they sit down to write one.” Although, given the success of your books, I have the sense that when you sit down to write, you know exactly what a story is!

Hi Anna: Thank you, that means so much coming from you — your long list of successful novels is inspiring! Ninc is such a fabulous site, with such great advice, interviews and insights, I feel honored (and humbled) to be here.

By: Anna Jacobs

Anna Jacobs — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:07:00 +0000

What an excellent summary of the importance of story. I’ve passed on the blog URL to friends, who will also appreciate it, Lisa.

Thanks for visiting Ninc! Come again soon.

By: Ann Lethbridge

Ann Lethbridge — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 01:46:42 +0000

I love this insight. You are right, of course, sometimes a writer (or me anyway) gets so caught up with the words we lose sight of the goal, to draw the reader in until they forget who they are and become part of our story.

Thank you for sharing your ideas. I found them enlightening and helpful.