"Wired for Story," a writer's guide to the reader's brain

By Mayra CuevasThis is the second installment in a series of three posts highlighting books that have helped me during the process of composing my first novel. The first one was “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser. “Wired for Story” by Lisa Cron is a writer’s blueprint to the reader’s brain. Cron explains logically how stories affect humans at a physiological level and how the writer can tap into that experience to create a story addiction in the readers’ mind. Cron backs every premise with scientific research and study citations.In a nutshell, Cron’s message is that our writing must cater to the reader’s brain function, literally. The writer can design a story that will resonate with the reader by connecting with the natural way humans process stories.“Evolution dictates that the first job of any good story is to completely anesthetize the part of our brain that questions how it is creating such a compelling illusion of reality,” says Cron. She quotes a psychological study which reveals the same sections of the brain that process the senses in our daily life activate when we are engrossed in a story we enjoy. The reader is literally living the story.Following are three examples given by Cron of the body-mind-story connection.1. Our Dopamine Addiction Readers stay engaged when their dopamine neurons fire, Cron argues citing scientific research, because it signals that “intriguing information is on the way.” Dopamine is the feel good brain chemical that causes us to repeat behavior.“When we pick up a book, we’re jonesing for the feeling that something out of the ordinary is happening. We crave the notion that we’ve come in at a crucial juncture in someone’s life, and not a moment too soon. What intoxicates us is the hint that not only is trouble brewing, but it’s longstanding and about to reach critical mass,” she writes.Cron explains that readers are hunting for three things on the first page:a) Whose story is it?b) What’s happening here?c) What is at stake?The subsequent rushes of dopamine stream from the elements of intrigue and surprise and are directly related to these three elements. The reader uses them as a “yardstick,” explains Cron, “by which we are then able to measure the significance and emotional meaning of everything” that comes after.2. We Believe Our World Into Existence Cron argues that in order for us to understand the moment where our story should begin, we need to understand the exact moment when the protagonist encountered the inner issue that shaped their world view thereafter.  The story, she explains, does not begin at the moment their world view changed, but at the moment the world view and the protagonist’s desire clashed, “giving the protagonist no choice but to take action.”“We believe the world not as it is, but as we believe it to be,” says Cron. She points neuropsychologist Justin Barret, who argues that “our implicit or ‘nonreflective’ beliefs are our default mode, constantly working behind the scenes to shape memory and experience.” This is true for us and for our protagonist.Like me, Cron is an advocate of outlining. She explains, an outline allows the writer to dig up the protagonist’s past through the use of a character bio to realize the key moments of change.Cron argues that when writers skip the outline, they run the risk of writing stories that don’t build momentum, rendering the first draft useless.She says a valuable character bio pinpoints two things:1) the event in the past that changed their world view and triggered their internal issue that keeps the protagonist from achieving their goal2) the inception of their desire for the goal itself“Thus when you write your protagonist’s bio, the goal is to find those seminal moments and then trace the trajectory of events they triggered, culminating in the particular dilemma your story will revolve around,” she says.While working on my first novel, character bios have helped me understand aspects of my characters that were previously hidden. It is like the concept of karma or cause and effect. We must understand what seeds have been sown in the past that will ripen in the future, what was the intention behind those actions and what will be their ripened effects be. And finally an understanding of the character’s desires versus what their karmic reality is.3. Our Brain is Wired for Specifics    The reader’s brain processes information in specifics, not in abstract concepts, says Cron. She cites neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran, who says “Humans excel at visual imagery. Our brains evolved this ability to create an internal mental picture or model of the world in which we can rehearse forthcoming actions, without the risk or penalties of doing them in the real world.”Cron says the problem with generalities is that “because they don’t tell us specifically what is happening now, we can’t anticipate, specifically what might happen next. So much for the delicious dopamine rush of curiosity that keeps us reading.”Using case study examples, Cron points out several areas where the “specific” often goes missing:a. The reason a character does somethingb. The thing a metaphor is meant to illuminatec. The memory that a situation invokes in a characterd. The reaction a character has to an evente. The possibilities that run through the characters mind as they struggle to make sense of what is happeningf. The rationale behind a character’s change of heartShe also warns that too many specifics can overwhelm the reader; “our brain can hold only about seven facts at a time,” she says.“Wired for Story” is a must read for writers seeking to develop an in-depth understanding of how their readers will experience their story. I highly recommend this book for those looking for ways to harness their creative power by using techniques that will.Do you have a book on writing that you have found helpful? Write a recommendation below and tell us why it helped.