Wired for Story by Lisa Cron

"This guide reveals how writers can take advantage of the brain's hard-wired responses to story to captivate their readers' minds through each plot element"--Provided by publisher.

4.5
I'd give it 5 but I need to see if the tips work out first ;)

Hands down, one of the best reference books on constructing story, especially for fiction authors. She's revolutionary and direct and simple all at once. Highly recommended!

Helpful guide about learning to make your stories more accessible. But, I got exasperated with the conventional scenes that she uses as examples.

I would have liked more examples from classic literature, instead of popular movies. For example, if you're not a huge fan of action movies, when she says something like, “Die Hard is the perfect story,” it's going to be perplexing.

Also, she gives short shrift to avant-garde literature by saying that people only read it to feel smart. I get really excited when an author challenges literary conventions, so I would've liked it if she hadn't dismissed us like that.