Writers who have not come across Larry Brooks' StoryFix website have been missing out. The creator of the six core competencies for writers teaches his concepts in a conversational, easy-to-understand style. Readers of his blog have received quite an education. But for those who don't have the time to browse through the archives, there's his new book, Story Engineering.
Brooks explains the "architecture of storytelling". It's broken into the engineering and design of a novel. The six core competencies are:
Concept
Character
Theme
Story Structure
Scene Execution
Writing Voice
Once a writer learns and applies these aspects of storytelling, their craft improves exponentially. In the book's fifty chapters, each of these building blocks are explained, but with a nod to writers' individual style. Brooks even includes a section for "seat-of-the-pants" writers, so they can apply story architecture to their books in a painless way.
Read the opening pages on the StoryFix site.
Two extras for you:
A great article by Brooks defining what "concept" is. If the concept of "concept" seems fuzzy, Brooks explains what it's not, and what it is.
And best of all, here's a free .pdf file, where Brooks lists the six competencies covered in the book, along with a checklist to see if your manuscript is up to the task.
Looking for more book reviews? Check them out right here.
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