Lisa Cron’s Wired for Story encourages writers to come to the page with an understanding of how our brains interact with stories.  

This knowledge ensures that our plot is filled with scientifically supported techniques that compel the audience to keep reading.

You might call the use of neuroscience in storytelling a hack.

But, really it’s about understanding what your brain wants that keeps readers reading.

Wired for Story is about understanding how your readers’ access to your story can light up their neurons and entice their curiosity.

Story has always been a part of our makeup. Whenever we share a thought with another, we tell a story.

Our brains know how to focus on the important and filter out irrelevant noise. Our brains are there to ask questions and seek answers.

So, when we write for our audience’s automatic reading habits, we create a narrative that keeps them active participants in the storytelling process.

Cron’s book contains relevant examples and active checkpoints to help writers apply this knowledge in their manuscripts.

Wired for Story is truly a must-read for every writer.

Today, I have compiled 5 key lessons from the book that you can implement into your work in progress at any stage.

Readers want to know who the story is about as soon as possible. By who, I mean the protagonist’s internal and external conflict.

This is why stories that begin with paragraphs of long “it was a typical morning” scenarios just don’t cut it.

Yes, you may have mentioned the protagonist’s name, profession and hair colour, but that’s not who they are!

The inciting incident (the event that compels the MC to take action) should happen by the second page.

Why? 

Because right from the start, your readers are wondering, “Why should I care about this particular protagonist.”

If the conflict you’ve set up could affect any person without an added layer of meaning for your protagonist then your audience won’t stick around.

As readers, we want to learn what the main character will lose or gain due to this conflict.

And then we want to witness how it plays out.

There’s no need to club your readers over the head with a lesson or universal truth.

But, your main character needs a point of view which influences their decisions and actions moving forward.

And that view often influences the lens through which your story is reflected. That lens is the theme.

The theme gives your plot focus. It will guide your character’s response to every event. 

Have you ever read a book and felt like the MC’s reaction was out of left field?

It could be that the writer didn’t have a theme which influenced the character’s reactions. We need some element of predictability within the story.

When your character has a specific worldview that they’re grappling with, then it’s so easy to determine how they’ll react in any given situation.

It should make complete sense to the reader. Their reaction is unique to who they are not generic.

That worldview – that theme will also highlight your character’s growth throughout the story. It will reflect what your character will learn.

Only after they’ve come to that revelation may their actions change as they become more aligned with the theme you’ve set up from page one.

Readers need to be invested in your story.

Perhaps, that investment is emotional – a reader feels so deeply about the plot, the events or the character’s struggles.

Reader investment could also occur when they feel connected to your main character.

As a reader, I love dropping myself into the midst of a story and finding a tiny part of who I am or who I want to be within those characters

The protagonist’s desires, fears and goals should be clear. You want readers to think, “I’ve been there” or to agree that this situation would be heartwrenching.

In the end, it won’t be the giant battles that capture their attention but the characters whose trials and successes connect with the reader. 

Those characters must be so real to them that their despair and joy are palpable throughout their journey.

There are two types of conflict in play throughout a story: internal conflict and external conflict.

Internal conflict drives your character’s development. It encompasses their fears, misbeliefs, worldviews and goals. 

Readers can recognize a well-rounded character with fears and wants that are so human they connect with their inner turmoil.

But, external conflict can just as easily take over a story. 

The physical conflicts your MC grapples with can overshadow your theme and character development if left to “make your story more exciting.”

Instead, check each event against your character’s internal conflict.

Any external conflict should affect their internal struggles. They aren’t just flashy set pieces.

External conflicts become personal to your characters when they influence them to question their beliefs, change or learn something new.

And, when the external conflict becomes personal to your characters, the reader remains engaged because you continue to show them why they should care.

A character who can introspectively discuss their own fears or a plot that serves all answers up immediately leaves nothing to the imagination.

Think of your audience as detectives.

They wonder what clue you’ve provided them when any new person or object enters the page. They will wonder how it serves your character’s journey.

There’s a fine balance to hit when providing answers throughout your story.

Waiting until the final moment to reveal everything will leave your audience frustrated.

A story without clues feels too easy. There’s no realistic connection between events. 

On the other hand, answering all of your readers’ questions will discourage them from sticking around.

A story that lacks curiosity has no motivation behind it.

Suspense, foreshadowing and unresolved conflicts are your trail of treats that keep readers hooked.

It’s to your benefit to do some outlining in advance.

While you don’t need to know everything that will happen, if you don’t have an end in mind (ie, how will your character change), then how will you sow the clues of your character’s journey throughout the story?

Applying these storytelling techniques will enhance your story and ensure that your readers stick around until the last page.

Reflect on your current work in progress.

Cron’s techniques from Wired for Story will help you determine if you are tapping into your reader’s wants. 

Will your story resonate with them emotionally? 

Will they become active detectives seeking answers to the clues you’ve sprinkled throughout? 

Will they see themselves in the theme and the beliefs presented? 

Will they care about your characters?

Use these questions to write stories that serve your readers and light up their neurons.

If you’d like to read Wired for Story, you can purchase a copy here.

Share a favourite novel that kept you engaged from start to finish.

Can you pinpoint a moment where your neurons lit up? Tell us below.

If you’re looking for further books to enhance your writing craft, read my blog post, 5 Valuable Books to Gift Writers this Holiday.

For more tips, check out 6 Lessons from Stephen King’s On Writing.

Talk soon!

Julia