Writing: The Craft of Story

Course details

In this course, author Lisa Cron digs into the craft of writing a compelling story based on what the brain is wired to respond to in every story we hear. Whether you're writing a story from scratch, or revising your story for the umpteenth time, this course offers practical how-to advice, then illustrates it using before-and-after examples. Discover how to craft a first page, zero in on your story's point, create empathy, find a character's secret goals and inner issues, translate generics into specifics, write for suspense, create cause-and-effect connections, build momentum and tension, and deftly implement setups, payoffs, flashbacks, subplots, and foreshadowing.

Learning objectives
What is a story?
Hooking your reader
Feeling what the protagonist feels
Being specific
Creating suspense and conflict
Writing flashbacks and subplots

Concepts

Introduction

Crafting stories
What you should know

What Is a Story

Explanation - What is a story
Example - What is a story
Story check - What is a story

Hooking Your Reader

Explanation - Hooking your reader
Example - Hooking your reader
Story check - Hooking your reader

All Stories Make a Point

Explanation - All stories make a point
Example - All stories make a point
Story check - All stories make a point

Feeling What the Protagonist Feels

Explanation - Feeling what the protagonist feels
Example - Feeling what the protagonist feels
Story check - Feeling what the protagonist feels

All Protagonists Have a Goal

Explanation - All protagonists have a goal
Example - All protagonists have a goal
Story check - All protagonists have a goal

Uncovering Your Protagonist's Inner Issue

Explanation - Uncovering your protagonist's inner issue
Example - Uncovering your protagonist's inner issue
Story check - Uncovering your protagonist's inner issue

Being Specific Rather Than Vague

Explanation - Be specific rather than vague
Example - Be specific rather than vague
Story check - Be specific rather than vague

Suspense and Conflict

Explanation - Suspense and conflict
Example - Suspense and conflict
Story check - Suspense and conflict

Cause and Effect

Explanation - Cause and effect
Example - Cause and effect
Story check - Cause and effect

What Can Go Wrong, Must

Explanation - What can go wrong, must
Example - What can go wrong, must
Story check - What can go wrong, must

Setups, Payoffs, and the Clues in Between

Explanation - Setups, payoffs, and the clues in between
Example - Setups, payoffs, and the clues in between
Story check - Setups, payoffs, and the clues in between

Flashbacks, Subplots, and Foreshadowing

Explanation - Flashbacks, subplots, and foreshadowing
Example - Flashbacks, subplots, and foreshadowing
Story check - Flashbacks, subplots, and foreshadowing