Story Genius gives novelists an alternative to winging it and plotting it. Lisa Cron explains 
her blueprint method of drawing out the essentials of a story idea to turn it into a full-fledged novel.
There’s some good advice in this book. Lisa Cron certainly has the writing background to lend credibility to the methods outlined in Story Genius. I can’t say that I agreed with everything she says, however. For example, plenty of writers are able to craft perfectly compelling books by “pantsing” it or “plotting” it. And, aren’t story cards a form of plotting it? Do ALL protagonists HAVE to change by the end of the book? That’s certainly not correct all of the time. But, to be honest, I did find some of what Ms. Cron says to be a tad confusing, so I can’t be sure.
Some of the information here is repetitive and somewhat tedious. Reading about someone else’s novel-writing process becomes boring fast and a little too genre-specific to benefit everyone. Like I said, there’s some good advice here and it’s definitely worth the read, but I don’t think it’s the “revolutionary guide” the back cover would have us believe. I was excited to have the opportunity to read and review this book, but it fell short of my expectations.
3 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton
eBook Review Gal received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.