The Secrets of Story: Innovative Tools for Perfecting Your Fiction and Captivating Readers

by Matt Bird

The Secrets of Story is a revolutionary and comprehensive writing guide for the 21st century, focused on clever ways to get an audience to fully identify with an all-too-human hero. Authors will learn to how to cut through pop culture noise and win over a jaded modern audience by rediscovering the heart of writing: shaping stories that ring true to our shared understanding of human nature. Providing conversational advice that spans multiple disciplines - from fiction to film to creative nonfiction - Matt Bird's insightful techniques allow characters to come alive and stories to reach a new level of appeal.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Crafts, Reference, Film, Adult

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[K.M. Weiland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this might be my new favorite writing guide. Deeply practical, slightly anti-authoritarian, and ruthlessly insightful, it's a very real look at what goes into creating a solid and entertaining story. No vague truisms here. The author gets down under the hood with clear thinking and solid technique. It gave me quite a few new gems to think about it.

[Lou Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read dozens, if not hundreds, of books on writing (though not, ironically Stephen King's ON WRITING yet). I can count the ones I think have been truly worth the investment of time it takes to read them on the fingers of one hand. But I found Matt Bird's The Secrets of Story to be densely-packed with practical, useful, helpful, implementable advice. Recommended!

[Spencer Orey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a thoughtful diagnostic checklist of a writing craft book. I found the section on structure to be helpful and also usefully wrong in a way that got me thinking about my writing pieces that aren't quite working and how to fix them.

[Nelson Zagalo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Matt Bird fez um mestrado em guionismo na Universidade de Columbia, pelo qual pagou 60 mil dólares, passado um ano, quando se apresentou num estúdio para fazer o seu primeiro trabalho de escrita, pediram-lhe para realizar uma tarefa e ele entrou em pânico. Nunca tinha ouvido falar sobre “introduções de personagens” em séries de televisão, não fazia ideia sobre o que era suposto fazer. Passados alguns anos, escreveu o livro “The Story Secrets” (2016) para, segundo ele, explicar como se fazem essas introduções, e para dizer que o mestrado da Columbia não tinha passado de uma “ilusão”, um “acampamento de fantasia”, mesmo uma “fraude”. Antes de falar sobre o que é o livro de Bird, quero falar sobre o que é um mestrado, já que o que aqui se discute faz parte dos grandes equívocos sobre o Ensino Superior.
...
... continuar a ler no blog:
https://virtual-illusion.blogspot.com...

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

New best writing book? I've given five stars to a few, but usually more of an A for effort, or bonus points for going in different direction than the standard stuff. I think this is the best practical writing book I've read.

I could probably come up with a list of writers who should be forced to read it.

One of my favorite quotes: Just because your heroes have baggage doesn't mean they should take it out of the overhead bin during the flight. (p. 94)

Author's background is screenwriting, so there's a lot of emphasis on writing lean, but I don't think anything here applies exclusively to screenwriting, and pretty much every SFF writer working today could stand to write a hell of a lot leaner.

This is the guy from the old Cockeyed Caravan blog if you're familiar with that.

[Jon Ureña · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on writing I've read in a couple of years. It's oriented towards those that have read about narrative structure and the remaining aspects of writing stories, and have learned many rules about what works and doesn't. The author, someone with plenty of experience in the field by the looks of it, dismantles many misconceptions and contributes many new techniques based on careful observation.

I'm great at working with details but generally terrible with the big picture stuff; knowing this, I wrote for myself a manual that turns every phase of writing a story something that I can work on with a detail oriented mindset: first you concentrate on your reasons for writing that story to see if they are sound, then you move on to developing the concept, then the premise, then the characters, the setting, the individual plot points, the general structure, etc. That way I can make sure that everything works, at least for my standards. This book gave me around 270 new notes mostly about testing the concept, the premise and the characters. Many of those points were very enlightening. But there's also plenty of interesting stuff on revising the manuscript and dealing with readers, for example.

If you have read other books on writing and think you understand the basics well, you should read this one.

[Rachel (Into a Story) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Tell a great story if you want to live.”

Great advice for storytelling, whether through words or film. There was a lot of information here and I will have to go over it a few more times. It’s already been so helpful to my WIP!

[Henry Stradford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Au contraire!

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great, practical advice in here, but I am knocking off a couple of stars because the irony of a poorly written writing book is so distracting. The phrase “au contraire!” is used approximately 54 million times in this book, give or take a few. Au contraire! I may be exaggerating, but it is hard to focus on the good info when the phrasing and language is so awkward.

[Xina Uhl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped reading after one of the many ridiculous claims by the author. Just because he went to some fancy school does not mean he has anything particularly interesting to say. I found him to be smug as well. Did not finish.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars.

I listened to The Secrets of Story because Audible offers it for free to those with a membership, and I really liked Matt Bird's later book The Secrets of Character.

Overall, I thought this was a helpful read that teaches writers why successful stories, in particular TV shows and movies, make the choices they do. If I could sum up this book, it'd be with: You know the saying 'You need to know the rules in order to break them'? This is the book that tells you those rules. Based on the nature of the advice and examples, however, I would say that this book is far more suited to screenwriters than novelists. That's the author's background, so it's not necessarily a criticism, but it makes the novel less universal than it sells itself as. Luckily, I'm doing a play/screenwriting course this semester at uni, so it's actually good timing.

Halfway through I was tempted to go with only 3 stars, as the author sometimes comes across as overly rigid. More than once too he speaks very authoritatively about why 'the audience' disliked X movie for Y reason, when what he really means is 'I, the author, Matt Bird' disliked X movie for Y reason. Curiously, I don't remember the writing coming across as occasionally abrasive in The Secrets of Character; I'm not sure if that's because he loosened up in the meanwhile, or if this was a symptom of how the audiobook was read.

But, in the end, I felt the good advice outweighed these passages, so 4 stars it is.

[Allie Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a heap of books on writing craft previously but I learnt SO much from this one! The title is fitting because the author presents many helpful 'secrets' about story - centering around how to make your story more appealing and interesting psychologically. There's a huge focus on the experience of the audience - how to make them feel emotions and care about your characters and be hooked on your story.

There are sections on irony and subtext which we don't see too much of in many other writing books - along with helpful examples of how to do this, citing examples of popular movies. The author also advises on common problems such as what to do if your characters start to get minds of their own! (His answer: ideally the writer would shut down all other options available to the characters, beforehand, forcing the characters to do as they were told)

The book is aimed at screenwriters but I'm a novelist and I feel this book applies equally well to novel writing. A fascinating, insightful, must-read book on story craft!

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

122 piece nugget meal, please

This book made me fat with knowledge. I just couldn't stop devouring its nuggets of story-craft-know-how. There is so much to sort through. This book will require you to keep coming back for more useful bites of truth that will make you and your stories stronger. There is a lot of spice and very little rice, and even the rice has a memorable flavor. Ok, in all seriousness, if you want to write better stories--read this book. If you want to raise your awareness about why you love Game of Thrones, or why you hate Game of Thrones--read this book.

[Camille Dent · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5*

I listened to this on audiobook during my work commute, and it was captivating! I looked forward to turning it on each morning and evening in the car, and I learned something from it every day. I even replayed some chapters and learned something new the second time too! It is technically "intended" for screenwriting, but the concepts are applicable to all writing, especially in an era where all fiction is heavily influenced by film! I loved his approach of evaluating story through a very human and character-driven perspective and letting that build your story's structure rather than the other way around, and I'll definitely be returning to this resource as I continue to write.

[Michele Cacano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be referring to this for ages. Very useful information and ideas. A lot to digest, but so much really changed the way I look at story building.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has fantastic advice for writers. The author is a screenwriter, and some of the advice works better for scripts than for novels, but most of it applies to both. I went back and forth between the audiobook and the Kindle book and enjoyed both.

I may end up rereading this book; it's so much to take in, so I know a lot of it didn't "stick." But here's some of the best advice I remember from it:
*The four-quarter story structure is so helpful. (It's basically the same as the three-act structure you often see in other places; the second act is broken up into two parts for the four-quarter structure.) I have gone back to this section over and over and will continue to as I outline.
*This is a small piece of advice, but it stuck with me: Take out the "Yesses" and "No's" in dialogue. I went back and searched for "Yes" and "No" in my manuscript, and sure enough, in most cases I could take them out, and my dialogue was tighter. Example: "Do you like my shoes?" "Yes, I love the bows on top." Take out the "Yes," and you have dialogue that goes at a faster pace with less redundancy.

I docked it a star because it's long, pedantic, and tries to set itself above other books on writing. Does it belong alongside other great books on writing? Probably; I haven't read that many, but it really is good. I don't think, however, that it's as revolutionary as it makes itself out to be. And even if a book is revolutionary, I'd prefer to come to that conclusion myself!

I'm sticking with four stars, because a book doesn't have to be revolutionary to contain excellent advice. This book's advice is fantastic for writers--and hopefully if you read it, you'll enjoy the tone more than I did.

[Syd Markle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess you could say I’m a wannabe. But I’m tired of just wanting to be something and ready to take action. I was a few weeks into a shiny new creative writing habit when I started to wonder why my writing was so flat. I was struggling to muster any interest in my own ideas. That’s the moment I came across Matt Bird.

His book not only gave me a map of the world but a compass to find my way through it. With super clear structure, and examples to illustrate his points, The Secrets of Story, unlocked my writing. It’s as if introducing a few containing rules (or secrets) allowed me to be more creative than I could be with no rules at all.

Now, when I sit down to write I think it terms of problems I want my heroes to solve and the journey they will take to get there. Their voices are stronger, and my writing is crisper. I’m thinking about the concept, the theme, and the hook of my story. What is the big question my story is answering?

And most of all, I no longer dread sitting down to my blank page, because Matt Bird told me the secrets that make writing fun again.

[Layla · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some great points and yeah, a couple points Bird makes here that I found annoyingly dubious as both a reader and writer and one in particular—that bit about how the plot should never slow down to let characters apologize to each other?—just so wrong.

But no one should blindly follow all the writing advice out there all of the time, not just because that’s impossible but because most writers worth listening to—including this guy!—encourage writers to be self-critical while also following their gut when they’re most inspired. Altogether the chapters are a bit weirdly organized—you’re getting into the constraints of sub-genres after the particulars of dialogue and characterization, which seems a little backwards, but whatever.

[Carina Pereira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this an audiobook.

I thought this was directed for novel writing. Instead, it was a guideline on writing movies/series. It was still a worthy read, with many useful tips and interesting movie references.

[Sydney Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Many points I’d not thought of before or points rephrased for a new meaning. And they have a podcast! This is going to go on my — listen again with new writing project— list.

[Nefeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only problem with this book is that it has so many information that you need to read it at least thrice , before you learn at least half its secrets !

[Shawn Inmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a writer, I have read dozens of craft books. Most are well-intended and have a few helpful nuggets scattered throughout.

Then there's "The Secrets of Story." It is the best book on writing I have ever read. Here's a confession. I read this book a number of years ago, when I was an early-stage writer. I got a few things out of it, but much of it whizzed right by me without leaving a mark. Skip ahead four years and a dozen novels later, and when I picked it back up again, I was stunned.

Matt Bird uses real-life examples to make his points, which, this time around, allowed me to hold my own work up to the same light.

If you are considering becoming a writer, there are better books to get you started. Maybe "Bird by Bird" by Ann Lamott or "On Writing" by Stephen King.

If you are already a writer, with some grasp of the basic concepts of motivation, conflict, structure, etc., then I think this is the best book you could buy. I like it enough that I have bought it in both audio and paperback.

[Meagan]

A super applicable, nuts-and-bolts sort of writing craft book. It even comes with a checklist. It's definitely more on the "craft" than "art" side, but in my opinion, there's room for both. The author is primarily a writer for film and television, and that shows a lot in his examples although he does (successfully) point out how his ideas apply to other kinds of writing too. Many of his points are not common-sense things you could figure out on your own but more like interesting tricks of the trade that are kind of the opposite of common sense. A worthwhile read for any serious fiction writer.

[F.C. Shultz]

Solid writing advice. Practical. The most important thing I took from this book is that writing with an audience in mind is not the same thing as writing to market.

One note: As with most writing books, some examples are from books or movies that are disturbing, and though this one stays away from them for the most part, there is one causal reference to a specific type of murder that is still unsettling me.

All that said, planning to check out his other book The Secrets of Character.

[Betsey Matharu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the Audio version of this book and decided that I need to get the paperback version to take the full advice in the amazing book. It is definitely worth more than a single listen.
So many nuggets and gems in this book that I can now see fiction in movies and books in a whole new light...I can see why some books are more successful at telling stories than others.
I think when the paperback arrives, I will skim through it and mark it up with the thoughts that came to mind as I listened.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this skews toward screenwriting sometimes, the writing advice here is so valuable for novelists and other writers of fiction too. An actionable list of components of a great story held up against famous stories to show examples is a helpful way to structure the book, and I'm looking forward to digging into the supplements.

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read over 150 books on writing (I teach it as well as attempt to do it), and I found this book to be particularly helpful. Bird cuts through a lot of the BS and gives solid, practical, usable advice. The examples he uses are clear and accessible. I will definitely be listening to it again. I recommend reading the book and checking out his website.

[Rachel Brune · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommend this more for the screenwriter than the novelist, but had some interesting thoughts. Definitely jarred some ideas out of my head!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tips & inspiration

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!! Such helpful pointers. As someone who likes to write and doesn’t have formal training, this was amazing!