Lisa Cron
wiredforstory.com
Before We Began
Lisa Cron was a brilliant story analyst and a popular instructor at the UCLA Writer’s Program. She wanted to write a book for fiction writers, to capture her ideas about how, as she likes to put it, “everything you know about story is wrong.”
Despite her prodigious talent at analyzing stories for agents and studios, she had not written much herself, so she asked if I would help her develop a structure, organize her thoughts, stick to a schedule for getting it done, and pitch the book.
I was thrilled at the request because I wanted to codify my ideas for helping a writer get all the way from zero to “the end” — and here was the perfect test case. She was part of my origin story for becoming a book coach.
What’s The Big Idea?
Lisa big idea is that the human brain is wired for story, and in order to capture peolpe’s attention on the pages of a novel, in business, or in life, you need to understand how the brain functions and to design stories to capitalize on that reality.
Her first book, Wired For Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Reader from the Very First Sentence, explained this idea in depth. She sold it to Ten Speed, an imprint of Random House.
Ten Speed also bought her second 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), which taught fiction writers how to actually write a novel according to these powerful ideas.
And her third book, Story or Die: How to Use Brain Science to Engage, Persuade, and Change Minds in Business and in Life (also from Ten Speed) took the ideas beyond the world of writing into business and life.
The Outcome
Lisa has become a beloved speaker and presenter. She works with writers, nonprofits, educators, and organizations, helping them master the unparalleled power of story, so they can move people to action – whether that action is turning the pages of a compelling novel, or taking to the streets to change the world for the better. Or both! She served for many years on the faculty of the School of Visual Arts MFA program in visual narrative in New York City.
“Lisa Cron has studied the science and architecture of powerful stories for decades. In Story or Die, she translates her knowledge into a compelling storytelling guide for anyone with an idea to spread or a cause to advance. If you want to change how others see the world, then this book will show you how.” —BERNADETTE JIWA, CREATOR OF THE STORY SKILLS WORKSHOP
In Her Own Words
“Every writer, from complete beginners to seasoned professionals, needs someone to do what they can’t do, no matter how experienced: see their own work with fresh eyes. The trick is finding someone who can then pinpoint what’s working, what isn’t and how to remedy it. For me, that person is the indefatigable, insightful, beautifully brutally honest Jennie Nash. While she never pulls punches (after all, you’re paying her not to), Jennie is always encouraging, empathetic and compassionate – not to mention spot-on. She is also quick. All this is why, even though I’ve worked in publishing, as an agent, and taught writing for decades – in fact, my book is about how to write a story -- I turned to Jennie when I wanted to get the manuscript ready to shop. We worked together every step of the way: on the manuscript (including helping me get organized enough to really focus in on it), the query letter, the proposal, and the marketing platform that helped me land the agent I wanted most, who then sold the book to a great publishing house. I couldn’t have done it without Jennie, and I can’t recommend her highly enough. She is a godsend."—Lisa Cron