Are you concentrating on "writing well" instead of creating a story?
Here's the secret: The story is what creates beautiful writing, not the other way around.
Here's the thing: if your story isn't working, it's not that you don't have the talent. It's that almost everything you've been taught about writing is wrong — starting with what a story really is, and what actually hooks readers. Get that right, and you unleash the hardwired, unparalleled power of story. Yours.
I've spent my career decoding what is actually captivating us when we read, what we're hardwired to hunt for in every story.
The shocking thing? It's not what we've been taught it is. It's not the beautiful writing. It's not the plot, either. They're the surface. What actually grabs us — what hooks and holds us, what we come for — is beneath the surface.
What rivets us is not what someone does. It's why they do it. It's a multi-layered "why" that lies buried in the one place the writing world tells us to avoid: backstory.
Right now you may be thinking of giving up, or at least taking a nice long nap and starting again when you're rested, or when the time is right, or when Mercury is out of retrograde — which basically translates to a week from never.
Don’t do it.
My goal? To help you overcome the beloved writing myths that are holding you back, so you can dig deep and unleash the power of story. Yours.
For over 20 years I've worked with writers at every stage — from those just finding their voice to seasoned authors.
Many have gone on to land agents and deals with publishing houses including Atria Books, Algonquin, Random House, Crown, Spiegel & Grau, HarperAlley, Blackstone, and Keylight Books. Others have self-published with confidence and clarity. For me, the joy is diving into the world a writer is creating and helping them build the layers that bring it to life. It's such an honor and — I have to say — wildly fun.
“When I decided to attempt my first novel, after 20 years in journalism, my first call was (obviously) to Lisa Cron. Lisa's method isn't about writing one book, it's about using the process of writing that book to deeply understand every aspect of storytelling. It's thanks to Lisa's brilliant (and fun!) coaching that my debut novel got a starred review in Publishers Weekly and my second (with a star from Library Journal) was an instant national bestseller. There is literally no better story coach on this planet.”
— Paul Bradley Carr, The Confessions, Atria Books
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“A Reader’s Manifesto: 15 Hardwired Expectations Every Reader Has for Every Story”
We don't turn to story to escape reality.
We turn to story to navigate reality.
“Using brain science, Cron busts the myths of good writing to help you find the real story behind all that plot and metaphor.”—The Writer
