The Writing Book that Actually Tells You What to Write

Story Engineering by Larry Brooks

As a creative writing major, I've read a lot about writing. There are the craft books, the character construction books, the short fiction writing books, the famous writers about writing books. You can usually get a couple things out of each of them but at the end of the day most of the time you're still wondering what to write and when. I have always been left with the feeling that they didn't really explain what to do.

Story Engineering is different. Brooks condenses all of the sporadic advice to a solid layout of what makes up successful novels and screenplays.



After reading this book I felt empowered and knowledgeable enough to be able to write a novel without the fear of not knowing what to write.

Brooks' approach shows that writing by the seat of your pants and story planning are just different ends of the same spectrum trying to get to the same goals and that writing "organically" or by the seat of your pants is really just using drafting to get through that process.

In his words he lays out the six core competencies:

1. Concept--The idea or seed that evolves into a platform fora story. Best and most empowering when expressed as a"what if?" question. The answer leads to further "what if?" questions in a branching and descending hierarchy, and the collective whole of those choices and answers becomes your story.
2. Character--Don't leave home without one. Every story needs a hero. We don't need to like him (contrary to what your high school composition teacher told you), but we do need to root for him.
3. Theme--Yes, it's like putting smoke into a bottle, but it can be done. Not to be confused with concept, theme is what your story is illuminating about real life.
4. Structure--What comes first, what comes next, and so forth...and why. And no, you can't just make it up for yourself. There are expectations and standards here. Knowing what they are is the first step toward getting published.
5. Scene Execution--You can know the game, but if you can't play it well you can't win. A story is a series of scenes with some connective tissue in place. And there are principles and guidelines to make them work.
6. Writing Voice--The coat of paint, or if you prefer, the suit of clothes, that delivers the story to the reader. The biggest risk here is letting your writing voice get in the way. Less is more. Sparingly clever or sparsely eloquent is even better.

 Brooks tells us that you need to bring a professional level of competency on each of the principles before you will be considered for publishing. Deficient in one and you're out the door.

The rest of the book is him going into detail on each one. He spends the most time on story structure with good cause. It is something not very many books are written on, its a topic clouded with smoke. The most I had heard on story structure was an expanded version of the witch hat without any indication of how to write it, just how to analyze it.

This book is worth the $11.50 on Amazon for just the twenty two pages he spends on structure in fact what I gained in that part I probably would have paid a lot more. For organic and controlling writers a like this layout of structure simplifies and unveils the story writing process.

He looks at the structure from a character stand point in the character section and from the plot stand point in the structure section. It is phenomenal! I've never thought I could plan a story before now. Now I have no doubt that I have every thing I need to get a book done.

I don't want to pull too much from the book to infringe on his copy rights but here is a mini break down of what he talks about in depth:

• Opening Sequence
• Hook Moment
• Set up First Plot Point (different from hook)
• First Plot Point
• First Pinch Point
• Context Shifting Midpoint
• Second Pinch Point
• Second Plot point
• Resolution

It is definitely worth the money and read! So much good information! Sometimes he uses bit too many metaphors but getting through that is so insubstantial when compared to the wealth of confidence and knowledge you will gain with this book!

Go get it here: Link

You wont regret it.
Carly