Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing by Larry Brooks

Mar 26, 2011 K.M. Weiland rated it 5 of 5 stars

Larry Brooks has long been one of the most respected writing instructors on the Web. Those familiar with his site are already aware of the quality information he churns out week after week and won’t be surprised to learn that his recently released book on “mastering the six core competencies of successful writing” presents more of the same. I read many how-to writing books every year, and I glean something from almost every one of them. But not many offer truly revolutionary ideas about the craf...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Sarah Hipple rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-writers

This book came highly recommended for anyone who wants to write a book. And, I have to say, that I did think there were some really useful pieces of information in here, and it was definitely worth a read for anyone who wants to write a book. That's why I went with 4 stars in the end.

I feel like I need to rate two completely different aspects of this book. I will give the positive first.
This book gets 4-5 stars for the fact that Larry Brooks breaks down very important elements of books and analy...more This book came highly recommended for anyone who wants to write a book. And, I have to say, that I did think there were some really useful pieces of information in here, and it was definitely worth a read for anyone who wants to write a book. That's why I went with 4 stars in the end.

I feel like I need to rate two completely different aspects of this book. I will give the positive first.
This book gets 4-5 stars for the fact that Larry Brooks breaks down very important elements of books and analyzes what they are, why they work, and how you might get them to work for you. He gives some good examples which really help clarify what he means and see the principles he's espousing in action, and he gives some very helpful lists/tips.

Here's my negative:
This book gets 2-3 stars for the tone of the book and the extraneous info, especially in the first few chapters. For the first few chapters, I kept reading and thinking, "Wow, he just told me a lot about how helpful this book is, but I still have no idea what it is that's helpful." He spends a lot of time building up his methods/analysis (which are good) and I spent a lot of time thinking "TELL ME ALREADY!"
And then there's his attitude towards organic writers/"pantsers" (for those less familiar with writers, that's writers who fly by the seat of their pants and write as they go along.) He rightly says that it will take an organic writer more drafts and much more time to get everything into place. I totally buy that, but his implication is that he just can't understand why organic writers don't just plan because it's so much simpler. I actually marked a quote that gives you an idea of how derisive he can be about this:

First pansters don't want to hear about it. For some reason the very notion of planning out major story points before you actually begin working on the manuscript is judged as either offensive or unworkable. At least for them. This is, in my view, much like someone claiming they can't fly in an airplane ... because they've never set foot in one. And so they choose to drive.

I really don't like this attitude and, predictably, I don't pre-plan in the fashion he thinks is so very helpful. But I honestly don't know my world and characters nearly well enough to plan things out until AFTER I've started writing, no matter how much brainstorming and character mapping I do before starting. But for my second draft, much of what he says about story structure is very helpful for my editing. And a lot of what he says about writing is helpful during the planning phase too. I just could do without the condescension.

One disclaimer: this was my gym book, so I read it in short segments over the course of several months, and perhaps that kept me from making the connections that made this very, very wonderful for others but merely quite useful to me.

My writing blog: http://sarahhipple.blogspot.com/(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Marcy Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing-books

This book is a planner's dream and a pantser's nightmare. Near the end, Brooks writes, "Even if you hate the notion of outlining, you need to realize that it doesn't hate you. There is no downside to outlining that isn't a figment of your imagination" (264). I lead with that because I think it's important for writers to realize that, even though Brooks gives tips for how "organic" writers (his term for writers who write by the seat of their pants) can use his methods, he does advocate a very det...more This book is a planner's dream and a pantser's nightmare. Near the end, Brooks writes, "Even if you hate the notion of outlining, you need to realize that it doesn't hate you. There is no downside to outlining that isn't a figment of your imagination" (264). I lead with that because I think it's important for writers to realize that, even though Brooks gives tips for how "organic" writers (his term for writers who write by the seat of their pants) can use his methods, he does advocate a very detailed system of planning.

He structures the book around what he calls the "six core competencies" that every writer needs to master in order to succeed.

PART ONE - What Are the Six Core Competencies...and Why Should I Care?
PART TWO - The First Core Competency: Concept
PART THREE - The Second Core Competency: Character
PART FOUR - The Third Core Competency: Theme
PART FIVE - The Fourth Core Competency: Story Structure
PART SIX - The Fifth Core Competency: Scene Execution
PART SEVEN - The Sixth Core Competency: Writing Voice
PART EIGHT - The Story Development Process

This book is worth buying for the section on story structure alone. A lot of books on plotting or book structure talk about the three act structure, and that's a helpful starting point. However, in terms of Act 2, we're often just told to make sure the tension escalates or that each conflict is bigger than the last. We definitely should do that as writers, but so many of us know that advice and still write middles that sag or feel like a series of loosely connected events.

Brooks breaks down Act 2 into two halves, with each half serving a specific purpose within the story. The halves are separated by a middle plot point (a shift in the POV character's thinking and actions). Midway through each half, you also have the "pinch points" where the focus is on the antagonist. When followed, this template helps build a strong Act 2.

I think there are better books available for teaching character development (e.g. Jeff Gerke's Plot vs. Character or Brandilyn Collins' Getting Into Character), but this book provides a solid, quick overview that will at least get you headed in the right direction for creating three-dimensional characters.

The section on scene execution is the weakest.
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Apr 28, 2012 Deanna Knippling rated it 5 of 5 stars

Right. As much as I want to be inspired as a writer, I also want to use the analytical side of my brain. That's right. I write from BOTH sides of my brain. I use pantsing and plotting techniques: I outline, then I abandon the outline as I go, then I re-outline, etc. I analyze other people's stories. I break down where movies let me down and try to work out how I would fix that. I abandon my analysis when things work for me and just say, "Good job." I cry, I laugh, I make disgusted faces, I shive...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: craft-business-of-writing

I went into this book having read the other reviews, so I knew what I was getting. I agree whole-heartedly with a number of things other people have said:

~It drowns itself in metaphors and analogies.

~The author comes off as being hugely egotistical.

~The first 10 -15 % of the book is an infomercial (which seemed unnecessary as I’d already made the purchase).

~In terms of writing craft, there isn’t anything new (which the author freely admits).

However, when all of the above was set aside (unread by...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Story Engineering by Larry Brooks.

Larry Brooks's story architectural blueprint shows writers how to transfer screenwriting techniques to the craft of novel-writing. I read some reviews from others who complained that Larry's concepts were hard to follow. Before I read the book, I was among the masses who shy away from any kind of story structure. Why? Because I could not comprehend it. His book explains the process of building a good story in easy to follow steps. I agree one hundred percent wit...more Story Engineering by Larry Brooks.

Larry Brooks's story architectural blueprint shows writers how to transfer screenwriting techniques to the craft of novel-writing. I read some reviews from others who complained that Larry's concepts were hard to follow. Before I read the book, I was among the masses who shy away from any kind of story structure. Why? Because I could not comprehend it. His book explains the process of building a good story in easy to follow steps. I agree one hundred percent with the author that as writers we can either figure out our story's architectural blueprint as we write, draft after draft after draft or we can develop the blueprint before the first draft and avoid the countless revisions. We cannot avoid or ignore that all good stories have to have structure. How we come about that structure is up to us. We can do it the hard way or the easy way, but if we hope to ever become published, one thing is certain: our novel will have to have structure.

I was a die-hard panster who avoided any kind of structure, blueprint, map, outline or whatever you choose to call it. Once Larry's book explained the process I was able to make necessary & significant changes to my story in a time saving manner that drastically improved my story. I had written many good scenes for my book and in my head I knew how I wanted my story to play out for the readers, but I could never manage to get the scenes and sequences in the right order or the order that would have the most dramatic impact. Now, I know what needs to be done, why it needs to be done and most importantly, the order in which it needs to happen.

Whether you are a plotter or a panster; a plot driven or character driven writer, you have to understand the fundamental dynamics of story structure. You can call it or name it whatever you want, but if you do not know how to build your story it just will not work. Story Engineering teaches you just that: how to build your story, layer upon layer. Most every other book I have read has taught me theory or other helpful points, but none have been able to do what this book does. Other books and writing instructors have shown or told me what needs to be done, but this is one of only two books (the other- The Plot Whisperer by Martha Alderson)that I have read that also shows exactly how to do it and the exact order to do it. Beginning or completing your novel will still be hard. This book will not write your story for you, but the process will suddenly become much clearer. After I read this book, I asked myself, "why in the he-- hasn't anyone put it together like this before?

Larry uses many easy to follow examples from popular books and films like, Thelma and Louisa; Mystic River; Harry Potter; The Titanic; Silence of the Lambs, Shutter Island; Gone with the Wind; Da Vinci Code; and several others. Once I understood the six core competencies, I began to recognize them in the work of others as I read bestsellers and watched films.

The six core competencies are equally important. They include concept, character, theme, structure and scene execution and voice. For me, it was finally understanding story structure and scene execution that allowed my novel to come together. I finally knew not only what to write, but more importantly- what order to write it. Story Engineering by Larry Brooks, introduces a basic four part sequential story model that you will find as the proven story structure of virtually every successful novel or film.

In addition, this books shows you the mission and function of each story milestone from the first plot point to the resolution. Larry also gives examples from major motion films and best selling novels. You will begin to recognize when each milestone should occur. Once you have an understanding of the necessary milestones you will begin to recognize them in every book that you read and every movie that you watch. You will know that the timing of the milestone is not optional.

I probably own every book on the craft of writing (and I have started purchasing books on the craft of screenwriting) and I can unequivocally attest that this is one of the top two or three of all time. My bookshelves are lined with books to aid writers and I turn to them often. Each book generally helps me in a limited specific area- dialogue, plot, characters etc. Story Engineering by Larry Brooks is the one book that gives me the tools to develop and create a working story. It doesn't just tell you what something is, it shows you why-with easy to understand examples.

I have read this book twice and it is full of notes and highlighted areas. I turn to it any time something is not working for me. It improved my first story and I began the second one using this method from the beginning and I am closer to my final draft in a significantly shorter amount of time. I highly recommend Story Engineering by Larry Brooks to all writers, published or unpublished. You will not be disappointed.(less)

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Feb 05, 2012 Laura Kreitzer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-a-series, own-book

Good information, but so repetitive and wordy that I became stressed while reading. The content seems to be geared toward more advanced novelist, but the presentation was clearly meant for newbies or idiots. I say idiots because of how repetitive Brooks becomes. I wished he would have just got to the point in every section. By the end, I was skimming to find the good stuff. If this was redone for authors and, well, people who don't need to have concepts repeatedly drilled into their brain, I'd k...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Rebecca Berto rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: novelists & screenwriters

Shelves: best-everrr

Finally, a guide that makes it clear how to lay out a novel and how to plan without having a brain aneurysm (I'm actually going to be a planner and it isn't scary anymore!). I don't know how he has made the process seem so straight-forward, but he has. Don't get me wrong, I've got many weeks ahead of me in re-structuring my manuscript (MS), but now I look forward to it! He's cut down my stress significantly and narrowed the time it would have taken me to fix up my MS.

Larry drills in his "6 Core

...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Jeanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfic, writing

The good:

*Some very interesting, useful explanations of story milestones, with a couple good examples of what he's talking about. It made me think about story architecture in a different way, and I liked a lot of what he had to say. Good food for thought, even when I disagreed.

*A number of good questions to ask yourself about your story and to help you when you're trying to plot it out. I made a copy of the character checklist, for example, to help me flesh out my characters (which I struggle w...more The good:

*Some very interesting, useful explanations of story milestones, with a couple good examples of what he's talking about. It made me think about story architecture in a different way, and I liked a lot of what he had to say. Good food for thought, even when I disagreed.

*A number of good questions to ask yourself about your story and to help you when you're trying to plot it out. I made a copy of the character checklist, for example, to help me flesh out my characters (which I struggle with).

The bad:

-Brooks's apparent conviction that his milestones are set in stone. It will be a miracle to get published if you don't follow them within about 2% of where he places them.

The ugly:

-Endless, endless (did I mention endless and eternal and infinite?) self-advertising and self-congratulation for how incredibly awesome and life-changing and all-powerful his ideas are. And how you will never get published without following them all. Honestly, if you're going to sell your idea (which makes sense--you gotta convince your audience sometimes), advertise in the first chapter or two, and then let the method speak for itself. Instead, what it really felt like was this book was a vaguely edited transcription of a series of lectures, each of which began with exactly the same spiel about why this method is awesome. A reasonable format for lectures or workshops, and a terrible format for a book.

-Also incredibly endless metaphors. Apparently writing is like golf, tennis, cooking, sex (yup, seriously), flying an airplane, and about a gazillion other tasks--all at the same time. And it isn't sufficient to use one metaphor when twelve will do.

My favorite moment was when he drew attention to the concision and precision of his own writing. I seriously had to re-read that passage to make sure I had read it right. Now, I'm long winded, but at least I recognize it. Him, not so much.

Okay, I guess that last bit was rather harsh. And I'm sorry about that. It's just that the book had such potential. Really, it was interesting and useful, but it's hard to recommend to an aspiring writer because it's so stinking loooooong, and not in a good way. By the end I was skimming probably half of it. And almost skipping entire chapters.

This sort of thing really kills an editor like me because we see how a good idea falls so badly from grace through such a fixable issue. Tragic.(less)

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Jul 31, 2011 Steven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bottom-Line-Up-Front: STORY ENGINEERING is a great tool that, with some patience on the part of the reader, provides sound guidance for growing a concept into a well-structured first draft. If structure is your only concern, I recommend skipping this book in favor of Brooks's STORY STRUCTURE--DEMYSTIFIED, which consists mainly of the structure portion of STORY ENGINEERING, not quite cut-and-pasted, but pretty close.
Brooks's guidance on structure was most useful to me, so I'll focus on that in th...more Bottom-Line-Up-Front: STORY ENGINEERING is a great tool that, with some patience on the part of the reader, provides sound guidance for growing a concept into a well-structured first draft. If structure is your only concern, I recommend skipping this book in favor of Brooks's STORY STRUCTURE--DEMYSTIFIED, which consists mainly of the structure portion of STORY ENGINEERING, not quite cut-and-pasted, but pretty close.
Brooks's guidance on structure was most useful to me, so I'll focus on that in this review.

The book contains incredibly useful information for the novelist struggling with how to structure a growing pile of scenes, where to put what, and why. It all makes perfect sense once the reader slogs through Brooks's endless metaphors and analogies.
STORY ENGINEERING has gotten my novel writing on track, helping me to go from a stack of index cards consisting of scenes I couldn't figure out where to place in the story, to a solid structure of story milestones that act as a skeleton to hold the novel upright while I fill in the connective tissue with the talking, fighting, loving, and traveling my characters do on their own.
While I don't necessarily agree with Brooks that his structure is "non-negotiable" if an author intends to sell his work, this book is a terrific reference for anyone who struggles with structure. It won't write your book for you, but it will lay out a possible route to the desired destination: a finished first draft.

Now, a couple of critical comments: The structure portion of the book could have been half its current length and still covered the necessary information. It's FULL of Brooks's heavy-handed pontificating about his method and why you simply cannot be successful as a novelist unless you follow it. He says it and says it again, and again, and again, using endless metaphors until I end up shouting out loud, Monty Python-like, "Get ON with it!" In fact, as a personal tool, I condensed the book to one page showing the author's recommended structural milestones, then used the Scrivener program's corkboard to create index cards for each. I now have an invaluable template as a starting point for planning the direction of my plot and the distribution of scenes already written. It's quite helpful, and I'm grateful to Brooks for pointing me in that direction.
I only wish I didn't feel that his finger had been poking me in the sternum from cover to cover. (less)

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Jul 28, 2011 TL Jeffcoat rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, favorite-books, writing

Are you a seat of the pants writer like me? Then read at your own risk. This book is the anti-pantser and it might just change the way you write a novel. It did me. I've completely abandoned pantsing.

What is pantsing you ask? It's when a writer sits down and starts writing without really knowing the details of their story. Usually just the beginning and the ending and a few key things. They let the story unfold as they write it. There is nothing wrong with that, and this book admits it's a longe...more

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Feb 06, 2012 J. Kendrick Allen rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Writers

Recommended to J. Kendrick by: http://www.storyfix.com

Shelves: writing

The "six core competencies" model put together by Brooks struck me as being comprehensive yet simple when it comes to the technicalities of writing a story. Story Engineering provides an in-depth look at characterization, concept, theme, plot structure, scene execution, and writing voice. True to its name, Story Engineering applies a scientific mindset to the development of a novel and gives an excellent foundation without proposing a formulaic fill-in-the-blank methodology.

My only qualms with t...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Dee Bibb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Story Engineering Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing by Larry Brooks is a terrific guide for anyone looking to improve their written stories. This book gives you, the writer, the tools needed to make your story successful.

In this book, Larry Brooks tells you what the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing are and explains each of them in detail. Throughout the book he uses different books and movies as examples of how the competencies were used and whether they were used...more

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Apr 16, 2012 justscribbling rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, writing-reference, read-in-2012

Larry Brooks describes the Six Core Competencies as a model that encapsulates all facets of fiction writing. He groups them up into six competencies (categories): [Story] Concept, Theme, [Story] Structure, Character, Scene Execution, Writing Voice. They are interrelated, overlaying/underlaying each other, working together, working off each other, etc, etc, etc. In order to write a great story (and have a chance a publishing career), a writer must ensure all six must be executed with some level o...more

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Jun 23, 2011 Linda Adams rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: outliners only

I got this book because it had been presented it as being something new in dealing with writing structure that hadn't been done before. It also looked like it might use business metaphors for the writing process, something I would be able to relate to. Instead, I got a book that gave basic writing elements like characters a fancy name but didn't present anything new. The "compentencies" seemed more like a marketing buzzword to sell a concept. And indeed, that was what the book was really about:...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Jerry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: writers

Shelves: writing

This was an all-around great book on writing. The main drive behind this book is that that are six core competencies to writing. To succeed at writing you have to nail each competency. Fail in any one and your story will suffer, if not die. He goes about showing you how to ensure you get these competencies right. He draws a line between "pantsers" (fly by the seat of your pants) and planners. He makes a strong case for planning.

None of the concepts introduced are earth-shattering; you've seen al...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Amanda Rudd rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: writers, novelists, screenwriters

Recommended to Amanda by: Gene Lempp

What I like best about this book is that it discusses/explains/describes a vast number of concepts and ideas that I already knew about to some extent or another but could not for the life of me talk/think about in any useful concrete way. By being as explicit as humanly possible, and using a vast (and often amusing) number of analogies and metaphors, Brooks is able to give writers a concrete way to consider the essential elements of plot structure.

Occasionally, I found myself disagreeing with so...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Adam Collings rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing

Before I read Story Engineering, I though I knew how to write a novel. I was wrong. Story Engineering opened my eyes to things I didn't know that I didn't know. Larry Brooks' 6 core competencies show you exactly what you need to develop in order to become a publishable author.

The section I found most helpful was on story structure. Now I know the shape that publishers expect a story to fall into. It doesn't restrict your creativity as some might think, I have found, as Larry suggested it would,...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Cherry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Four stars because it's super helpful and has opened by eyes to a more structured style of writing, one that will save me from hours of countless frustrating drafts. For that, I thank you Larry Brooks.

I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 partly because I have yet to try all the 6 core competencies and test out whether they work for me or not personally and also because of how tedious it was to read this book.

On the tedious note, when I picked up this book I really just wanted to know what the...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing-resources, nonfiction, read-in-2013

The stars in this review are for the section on story structure. That's the only part I liked.

The rest of this book was repetitive and the endless analogies made me want to tear my hair out. He also seems obsessed with the film Top Gun. If you're looking for examples of authors tackling these "core competencies" well, read Donald Maass's books instead.

I also found it ironic that Brooks repeatedly bashed "your high school creative writing teacher" (we get it: you're superior!) on all except one...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Jacob rated it 3 of 5 stars

As an engineer who is interested in stories and how they're written, I couldn't NOT read this book. The angle is a really good one, and I believe that a lot of storytelling could be done better if it were viewed from an engineering standpoint, because there really are similarities and certain things humans look for in narratives that cause the story to be bad if they're missing or done poorly. The author, Larry Brooks, lays out a fairly clear breakdown of storytelling into four elements to inclu...more As an engineer who is interested in stories and how they're written, I couldn't NOT read this book. The angle is a really good one, and I believe that a lot of storytelling could be done better if it were viewed from an engineering standpoint, because there really are similarities and certain things humans look for in narratives that cause the story to be bad if they're missing or done poorly. The author, Larry Brooks, lays out a fairly clear breakdown of storytelling into four elements to include in a story and two skills in writing/storytelling. Although I don't have a lot of experience writing or reading books on how to write, I believe his system is a pretty good one.

Ironically, it's his writing that drags this book down from four or five stars to three. The two biggest problems are that he repeats certain things A LOT (such as the difference between those who plan their stories before they write and those who just write organically), and I didn't really like his attitude (to paraphrase: "if you don't include all of these elements and execute them well, your work won't sell because all the major published authors include the elements and write them well"). He may be more right than not, but I've read a decent number of books where the author still doesn't have a good grasp of these elements so I think it's even rarer than the author believes to be very good. Brooks could have said once that not following the accepted wisdom about how stories work creates a significant risk of not getting published and continued with his information. He could also have spent less time arguing against people who write the story without planning.

There was one section I disagreed with -- the chapters about writing "voice", or narrative style. In contrast to Brooks, I think voice can be learned. While I agree that having a voice that is essentially transparent is pretty safe because it allows the reader to concentrate on the story, it's okay to develop a distinctive voice or writing style as long as you're careful not to come on too strong. And his advice about dialogue is way off the mark. He suggests that you pay careful attention to make your dialogue feel real, but what he should be saying is that you need to pay careful attention to make your dialogue read well. His example of bad dialogue writing actually seems more real than his good example, but that's the point: what's real is frequently not what's interesting or engaging. A lot of authors don't figure out that in writing you want to write something engaging that "feels real" without actually writing something "real".

This would get two stars because it's painful to read, but the actual advice and the engineering approach are such good ideas that I'll give it three. I just wish their potential had been realized better.(less)

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Aug 16, 2012 Mo Tipton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: want-to-buy

If you've read and enjoyed Robert McKee's Story, you'll get a lot out of Story Engineering, because it's essentially the novel writer's version of McKee's book. As much as I used to resist structure in years past, I've come to realize that I'm more creative (and a helluva lot more productive) when I establish some sort of framework, and this book provides that framework, down to ballpark page counts for specific milestones, for writing a novel.

My only complaint is that the author spends far too...more

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Jan 10, 2013 David Fuller rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: writing-and-publishing

This warrants a longer review, but for now, I'll say, this book is a godsend for writers whether they know they need to study structure or not.
But as a committed "pantser" for many years, I found I could revise and revise and improve and improve a draft, but not reconcile what I was discovering about my novels with a final version. I could solve micro problems like description, setting, character motivation, and the all-important "tension on every page" with varying levels of success, but it di...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Hollins rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: writers, aspiring writers

Shelves: non-fiction, reference, writing

Read this through Amazon Kindle's Lending Library and I'm so glad I did. I've been looking for a book on writing, but I've been hesitant to buy one because I wasn't sure which one would help me the most. I got to rent this one for free, but I would have gladly paid the eBook price to buy it.

In the past I've been an 'outliner' but even my outlining was a bit 'pantsy' (a 'seat of the pants' writer) because I've often struggled with story structure. I didn't even realize I was struggling with story...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Darcey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: help, writing

I enjoyed this, taking notes as a did - for someone who struggles with sagging middles and ever getting to the end, the firm outlining structures, as well as examples from known pieces of fiction and screen plays was very useful. Brooks is vehemently opposed, one might say, towards organic writing; he does address it, but his comments are certainly not as supportive as they could be. Still - this was a trove of useful information for a new writer, or one who's moved beyond the flinging words at...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Mindi Rosser rated it 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever wondered how a captivating story is constructed? I learned the Six Core Competencies to novel/screenplay writing from master storyteller, Larry Brooks. Whether you are a reader or a writer, you'll enjoy my take on this book.

If you would like to watch the video version of my review: http://youtu.be/uxy4-a794Q4

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Six Core Competencies - One tidbit from each.

Concept - Not simply an idea. It is an idea that has beenevolved to be compelling and capable of sustaining an entire novel.

Ch...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-writing

I loved and hated this book. The advice it gives I genuinely believe is good advice. The ideas I can believe in. Larry Brooks suggests the use of ‘six competencies’.

Despite this being a book about how to write fiction I shall review as the book suggests I write.

Concept: What if I did indeed know how to plot my ramblings and somehow could make it into a story worth reading?

Theme: My impression from this book was if you follow the instructions then you can write a good story. But you have to do as...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Laura Ritchie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, writing, fabulous

I have only found a couple books on writing over the years that gave me more than just a few gems of useful info, but I have to say that this book was pure gold!!! If you are writing fiction, it is a must-have. I learned so much about story structure, character building, scene creation, theme... the list goes on and on.

Those who do little or no pre-planning before starting a story will be terrified of the ideas here, but I already used simple outlining to put my stories together. This just takes...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars

On the one hand, this book kind of stinks, because apparently, Brooks thinks he needs to advertise for his method and the book every few paragraphs, which...if you weren't interested, you wouldn't be reading, would you? Right to the very end of the book, he's pushing his method of story execution and pointing out that not planning ahead of time will sink your novel or screenplay. Um, if I made it to page 270, I didn't need to be reminded of that for the two-hundred sixtieth time; clearly, I'm in...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Ty rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book puts the craft of writing in easy to understand terms with a well thought out formula. The science of writing can be taught and a solid framework be put into place before the art of the writer can effectively take over and produce the novel.

The author--Larry Brooks--is very fond of metaphores and analogies, and the premise of the book is that, whether you outline or discovery-write, in order to be an effective story, the tale must have specific foundations in place. The overarching me...more

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title link	preview: Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9912752-story-engineering?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349126976l/9912752.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9912752-story-engineering?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing by Larry Brooks[/url]

Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing

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