Yes, You Can Be a Story Genius!

If you’ve been a Seekerville regular for a while, you may remember a post from a few years ago by Seekervillager Mary Curry entitled, “Story: Your Brain on Drugs.” Mary based her post on Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence, by Lisa Cron. If you haven’t read Mary’s blog, be sure to check it out later, because it contains some fascinating insights into why we love stories so much—and why they matter.

Lisa Cron has since published another book, Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel (Before You Waste Three Years Writing 327 Pages That Go Nowhere). After coming across this book recently, I devoured it, highlighting dozens of passages that not only reinforced points from Cron’s previous book but also (re)opened my eyes to several vital aspects of storytelling.

It starts with “what if . . . ?”

Maybe you’ve played the “what if” game and come up with a general premise for your story. What if a girl is swept up in a tornado and lands in a magical place threatened by a wicked witch? What if a small, furry-footed creature is called upon to destroy a powerful ring before an evil lord uses it to take over the world?

Intriguing ideas, to be sure. But are they stories yet? Not until we know something about the central characters and have been given a reason to care.

That’s why I agree completely when Lisa Cron states: 

“Ultimately, all stories are character driven—yes, all stories.” 

Why? Because a story really isn’t about what happens. It’s about how the central character makes sense of what happens. And if the author hasn’t made the reader care about why any of this matters to the protagonist, there goes another book slammed shut and tossed aside.

What every story must have, according to Cron, is “the third rail”— kind of like the powered rail that drives a cable car or subway train. Cron explains the “third rail” in terms of the protagonist’s internal struggle to achieve a goal or strong desire while at the same time remaining true to the fear that is keeping her from fulfilling that desire. 

In other words, it’s the emotional power source that keeps driving the story forward. So, if you want your reader to stay connected to the story, then every action, description, and plot point must somehow connect with that “third rail.”

We care about Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz because we can relate to her frustration and discouragement when everyone seems too busy to pay her any attention. We care about Frodo in The Lord of the Rings because on some level we know what it’s like to feel small and insignificant, to be compelled to accept a task seemingly beyond our abilities or our courage.

Does your story make a point?

But again, story isn’t about what happens. The things that happen in your story should ultimately make a point—the overarching theme, or, as we’ve discussed here in Seekerville before, the Moral Premise. “The point,” Cron writes, “is what is borne out in the protagonist’s inner struggle.”

One of the first things you need to know about your story, then, is what your protagonist wants. Keep digging to discover the answers to the following questions:

• Why does your character want this? In other words, what will getting it mean to her?
• What is the misbelief that is keeping her from getting what she wants?

A misbelief is a belief that feels right to your character because of something that happened in her past. The belief may even be considered a universally accepted truth, until carried to extreme. Whatever the belief, it has skewed the lens through which your character views her world, and not in a positive way. 

How the character overcomes her misbeliefs is what your story is all about.

So the real story actually begins long before page one of your novel. As you dig deeper, Cron recommends actually writing out the scene where your character first forms her misbeliefs. While the scene may not appear in your novel except in brief references or flashbacks, the insights gained will flesh out your character’s background and help to ensure her actions and decisions are consistent with who she is.

Cron’s book walks you through the full process of discovering your story—far too much to cover in a single blog post—but here are a few of the important steps:

• Identify three key turning points in the story that will help you develop the escalating arc.
• Figure out the one thing that will catapult your protagonist into action at the beginning of the story.
• Make a list of obstacles that could keep your protagonist from reaching her goals.
• Sketch out the scope of your story—the time frame covered, the external plot and internal struggles. Beneath each “what,” always be asking yourself “why?”

Being a “story genius” takes time.

To thoroughly work through each step presented in Cron’s book will take a significant amount of time and brain power. I confess, I haven’t gone through the entire process yet, but reading Story Genius with my own wip in mind definitely gave me some new insights. When I’m ready to start my next book, I’m planning to implement even more of Cron’s techniques.

Lest anyone think this is going to transform me from pantser to plotter, though, don’t count on it! No matter how much preplanning I may convince myself to do, when it comes to actually writing the story, I’ll always leave room to be surprised by my characters!

Question: Writers, think about the story you’re working on right now. Readers, think about the book you’re currently reading. Can you identify what the protagonist wants most (dig deep here!) AND the misbeliefs keeping her/him from achieving it?  

Today’s giveaways: Writers, would you like your own copy of Lisa Cron’s book? I’m giving away one copy today! Also giving away a copy of my historical romance Castles in the Clouds (Flowers of Eden, book 2), recently named a finalist in the 2017 Selah Awards and the 2017 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards. Just mention your interest in the comments to be entered in either or both drawings.

About Myra: Award-winning author Myra Johnson writes emotionally gripping stories about love, life, and faith. Myra is a two-time finalist for the prestigious ACFW Carol Awards and winner of Christian Retailing’s Best for historical fiction. Originally from Texas but now residing in the beautiful Carolinas, Myra and her husband love the climate and scenery, but they may never get used to the pulled pork Carolinians call “barbecue”! The Johnsons share their home with two very pampered doggies who don’t always understand the meaning of “Mom’s trying to write.” They’re also currently harboring their younger daughter and family (six in all plus a kitty!) as they transition toward their next missionary calling. With grandkids underfoot ranging in age from 14 down to 3, there’s never a dull moment! 

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