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Dynamic Story Creation in Plain English: Drake's Brutal Writing Advice
Are you tired of writing flat stories? Do you long for someone to tell it like it is?
That’s where I come in.
Dynamic Story Creation takes an in-depth look at the physical and invisible layer behind stories—the stuff readers expect but don’t know they expect.
You’ll learn about Theme, Motifs, Allegories, Reversals, the Cycle of a Protagonist, and how to fulfill a reader's emotional needs. Trust me. Readers are needy buggers. Trust me, if you don’t give them what you want they will give you 1-star ratings and hate-tweets.
Dynamic Story Creation has it all—meaning you’ll walk away with everything you need to craft an enjoyable story people want to read.
It's yummy writing advice served inside a warm slice of slightly-offensive pie.
That’s where I come in.
Dynamic Story Creation takes an in-depth look at the physical and invisible layer behind stories—the stuff readers expect but don’t know they expect.
You’ll learn about Theme, Motifs, Allegories, Reversals, the Cycle of a Protagonist, and how to fulfill a reader's emotional needs. Trust me. Readers are needy buggers. Trust me, if you don’t give them what you want they will give you 1-star ratings and hate-tweets.
Dynamic Story Creation has it all—meaning you’ll walk away with everything you need to craft an enjoyable story people want to read.
It's yummy writing advice served inside a warm slice of slightly-offensive pie.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
335 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 14, 2016
74 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Maxwell Alexander Drake
42 books97 followersMaxwell Alexander Drake is an award-winning Science Fiction/Fantasy author, Graphic Novelist, and Playwright. He was also the Lead Fiction Writer and game story consultant for Sony’s massive online game EverQuest Next as well as writing for the Shadowrun game. He is best known for his fantasy series, The Genesis of Oblivion Saga. Drake teaches creative writing at writers’ conferences and fan conventions all around the world and is the author of the Drake’s Brutal Writing Advice series.
He is currently developing an animated TVMA show called Fiend Folly. Find out more about this show at www.FiendFolly.com.
For more, please visit www.MaxwellAlexanderDrake.com, or his writing training website www.DrakeU.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @MaxwellADrake, Facebook /MaxwellAlexanderDrake, or Instagram /MaxwellAlexanderDrake.
He is currently developing an animated TVMA show called Fiend Folly. Find out more about this show at www.FiendFolly.com.
For more, please visit www.MaxwellAlexanderDrake.com, or his writing training website www.DrakeU.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @MaxwellADrake, Facebook /MaxwellAlexanderDrake, or Instagram /MaxwellAlexanderDrake.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 18, 2016
As an author, this book rang my gong on several levels.
First of all, the conversational tone was a good thing for it. At first I wasn't sure, but I ended up liking it. Drake does himself a favor by putting a pretty clear statement at the beginning that everything is just his opinion. I appreciated that, actually.
But the meat of it is that I felt Drake really understands the part of story structure that isn't always spoken about. (He calls it the invisible layer). I went into this book looking for help on improving my own story flow and structure, and have been frustrated for a little while that I'm missing a few little pieces in my own work that I couldn't quite figure out.
Through applying what he discuss in this book (and I also really enjoy KM Weiland), then I instantly realized what I've been missing. I've been frustrated over this dilemma for awhile, so now that I'm restructuring with Drake's analysis in mind, I'm pretty excited to be writing again.
The other thing it has going for it is the number of books that he analyzes to prove his point. He uses A New Hope throughout the whole book for consistency, but then brings in other examples. That helped a lot. I'm trying to analyze movies/stories/books now and can see that he's right. It all fits and applies.
I'd definitely recommend this for a writer at any level. But I think new writers in particular can REALLY benefit from this. I wish I'd had a lot of this information two years ago :)
First of all, the conversational tone was a good thing for it. At first I wasn't sure, but I ended up liking it. Drake does himself a favor by putting a pretty clear statement at the beginning that everything is just his opinion. I appreciated that, actually.
But the meat of it is that I felt Drake really understands the part of story structure that isn't always spoken about. (He calls it the invisible layer). I went into this book looking for help on improving my own story flow and structure, and have been frustrated for a little while that I'm missing a few little pieces in my own work that I couldn't quite figure out.
Through applying what he discuss in this book (and I also really enjoy KM Weiland), then I instantly realized what I've been missing. I've been frustrated over this dilemma for awhile, so now that I'm restructuring with Drake's analysis in mind, I'm pretty excited to be writing again.
The other thing it has going for it is the number of books that he analyzes to prove his point. He uses A New Hope throughout the whole book for consistency, but then brings in other examples. That helped a lot. I'm trying to analyze movies/stories/books now and can see that he's right. It all fits and applies.
I'd definitely recommend this for a writer at any level. But I think new writers in particular can REALLY benefit from this. I wish I'd had a lot of this information two years ago :)
April 12, 2017
This book held a lot of really helpful information in understanding theme, the hero's journey basics, and how you can use these tools to craft your book. It's given me a ton of ideas on how to craft the stories in my head. Fantastic information for beginners and great for all levels really to get a new perspective.
May 10, 2020
Great instructional book on the craft of writing, I got a lot of fantastic advice from this book. He approached theme in very unique way that I really appreciated. I've read a lot of how-to books and this is one that I've re-read my notes from several times. If you're setting out to learn how to write a compelling and excelent story I'd really reccomend this book.
Here are just a few of my favorite quotes.
"Stories are not a series of events, but about how the events affect the characters in the story, and by extension, the reader.
The character is an extension of the reader. When you create a character, you’re really creating a shell for the reader to become. In reality, what you force your characters to experience, you’re forcing your readers to experience.
The reader wants emotional gratification.
If a story is created by fulfilling built-in, subconscious expectations of a reader, then a scene must do the same thing, just on a smaller, more individual scale.
Not talking about the chronology of the events.
Talking about those built-in, subconscious expectations readers have, and how a story must meet those invisible reader expectations in a very specific order. When it comes to chronology of events, you can start a story at the end, the beginning, in the middle or any number of ways."
Here are just a few of my favorite quotes.
"Stories are not a series of events, but about how the events affect the characters in the story, and by extension, the reader.
The character is an extension of the reader. When you create a character, you’re really creating a shell for the reader to become. In reality, what you force your characters to experience, you’re forcing your readers to experience.
The reader wants emotional gratification.
If a story is created by fulfilling built-in, subconscious expectations of a reader, then a scene must do the same thing, just on a smaller, more individual scale.
Not talking about the chronology of the events.
Talking about those built-in, subconscious expectations readers have, and how a story must meet those invisible reader expectations in a very specific order. When it comes to chronology of events, you can start a story at the end, the beginning, in the middle or any number of ways."
June 23, 2024
To quote the author: Life’s too short to read poorly written books. DNF.
I hit he statement “Life’s too short to read poorly written books,” at the 12% mark and decided I had finally run across a statement I agreed with in this bloated opinion piece. So I’m quitting before I fall even further behind. Ahead is a ship that already sank.
The 12% I read could be edited down to three pages with room to spare for the conversational tone. But he has to tell two pointless stories, make a joke about his mother, and relish in being hard on you for your own good to make every banal point that has been made in every other book to address the same subject.
What it managed to say by the time I gave up: Writing is hard. Publishing is harder. It takes years of work and pays little. Set your expectations accordingly. Great for a blog post. Annoying to have paid money for.
Drake claims this is a how to book but he hasn’t gotten there yet if it is. At best he has written an example of how NOT to write fiction and acknowledged doing so.
I hit he statement “Life’s too short to read poorly written books,” at the 12% mark and decided I had finally run across a statement I agreed with in this bloated opinion piece. So I’m quitting before I fall even further behind. Ahead is a ship that already sank.
The 12% I read could be edited down to three pages with room to spare for the conversational tone. But he has to tell two pointless stories, make a joke about his mother, and relish in being hard on you for your own good to make every banal point that has been made in every other book to address the same subject.
What it managed to say by the time I gave up: Writing is hard. Publishing is harder. It takes years of work and pays little. Set your expectations accordingly. Great for a blog post. Annoying to have paid money for.
Drake claims this is a how to book but he hasn’t gotten there yet if it is. At best he has written an example of how NOT to write fiction and acknowledged doing so.
December 26, 2018
If you're looking for a good self-help book, then this is the book for you? I've been slowly writing my own novel in my spare time as more of a hobby than anything I would ever want to publish. The act is merely an exercise in me getting something off my chest that I've been meaning to do for some time. The advice given in this book makes a lot of sense, and much of it I employ myself. Other advice, rarely, that's given in this book appears to be poor. I've heard many popular authors, who are quite popular, including one that I know personally say that you should write using your speaking voice. That if "it sounds good, it is good". That's something Maxwell disagrees with strongly that I disagree with.
All in all the book was worth the read but more from a motivational point of view than any knowledge gained about story creation.
All in all the book was worth the read but more from a motivational point of view than any knowledge gained about story creation.
February 1, 2022
Found it difficult to follow his train of thought writing. Even though he wrote this for fiction writers and I am a nonfiction writer I know some of the techniques are the same. For some reason, I found his synopsis worth buying. I continued to hope to leave with something. Maybe it would be better if I read this another time. I felt there was something there but it was just out of reach. I kept re-reading passages, doing some freewriting to see if I could grasp what he was providing -- that didn't work. I did highlight in the Kindle version on my e-reader. The next step is to print the highlights and see if I can grasp them this way. I've never had this feeling of reading, not understanding, and still feeling it was important. Unique feeling, for sure.
January 6, 2018
I wish I had this book when I started writing a decade ago!
I won't spoil the book for you, but I will say this--if you plan to write a fiction novel, be it traditionally published or indie published, get this book and commit it to memory.
Drake covers the various act-structures, and dives even further to explain the necessary elements that turns a story into a bestseller. If you want your readers to not only enjoy your stories, but go nuts in love with them, then buy the book.
My only disappointment is that it isn't available in audio book format so I can play it every single day while I work, eat, drive, and game until I can recite it in my sleep.
I won't spoil the book for you, but I will say this--if you plan to write a fiction novel, be it traditionally published or indie published, get this book and commit it to memory.
Drake covers the various act-structures, and dives even further to explain the necessary elements that turns a story into a bestseller. If you want your readers to not only enjoy your stories, but go nuts in love with them, then buy the book.
My only disappointment is that it isn't available in audio book format so I can play it every single day while I work, eat, drive, and game until I can recite it in my sleep.
December 4, 2023
Practical tools and to the point advice
I’ve read loads of books on the craft of writing and thought I’d pretty much understood what storytelling entails. So I don’t know why I picked up this one as well. But I’m really glad I did because it helped me finally figure out the story I’ve been working on and which I was stuck over and plan the structure out. I also found the way he gives examples from well known stories to illustrate his points all the way through very helpful. I can now go away and start writing. Why he even got me to write this review which I rarely do! Highly recommended.
I’ve read loads of books on the craft of writing and thought I’d pretty much understood what storytelling entails. So I don’t know why I picked up this one as well. But I’m really glad I did because it helped me finally figure out the story I’ve been working on and which I was stuck over and plan the structure out. I also found the way he gives examples from well known stories to illustrate his points all the way through very helpful. I can now go away and start writing. Why he even got me to write this review which I rarely do! Highly recommended.
December 9, 2024
An interesting concept marred by typos
I picked up this book after watching the author's podcast with Marie Mullany. What clinched the purchase was a writing guide written by a YouTuber who had written more than a slender novel/volume of short stories. Unfortunately, the text was littered with typos: who's for whose, Princess Lea for Princess Leia, morn for mourn etc. I wouldn't have minded so much if I had only paid a few quid but I paid top dollar and I'm entitled to point out shoddy work.
Ultimately, the author makes a dog's dinner of it, which explains the three stars I've given him. My rating? Interesting, but Save the Cat is easier to digest and better written.
I picked up this book after watching the author's podcast with Marie Mullany. What clinched the purchase was a writing guide written by a YouTuber who had written more than a slender novel/volume of short stories. Unfortunately, the text was littered with typos: who's for whose, Princess Lea for Princess Leia, morn for mourn etc. I wouldn't have minded so much if I had only paid a few quid but I paid top dollar and I'm entitled to point out shoddy work.
Ultimately, the author makes a dog's dinner of it, which explains the three stars I've given him. My rating? Interesting, but Save the Cat is easier to digest and better written.
February 5, 2017
I picked this up last year at his booth at Gen Con after attending one of his seminars. It really dissects the need for a theme. And it shows his astounding love for circular writing. I mean, wow. Get a room I didn't find his advice given in a brutal way, just straight to the point. Most of what he says is inherently known (if not, read some more fiction), but it really brings it to the front for you to analyze it and dissect what you're already writing.
Spoilers: He's lies to you! heh. You'll get it. What I picked up in this book will be helpful in rewriting and writing and editing.
Spoilers: He's lies to you! heh. You'll get it. What I picked up in this book will be helpful in rewriting and writing and editing.
March 6, 2018
I think this is a great book for new and aspiring authors. Drake has a great sense of humor that clearly translates into his writing and into this book. It made the read very enjoyable. My only complaint is that he really, really harps on the invisible layer. I'd say half the book is dedicated to this subject. As an aspiring author, this will be a great learning experience. As a more seasoned aspiring author, it became a little tedious. But other than that, I would definitely recommend this book.
November 25, 2022
An easy-to-read reminder of the psychology and hands-on craftwork behind the hero's journey and better storytelling. I wish more storytellers would read this. Or anything on craft. Apply the information as appropriate to one's styles & preferences, but the ability to learn from others is one of the advantages of being human. In a world where publishing has become a race to deliver minimum viable products as quickly as possible, it's refreshing to read a book that focuses on writing better, not faster.
May 19, 2020
Excellent!
Drake explains story structure by using examples readers are bound to be familiar with. He paints theories in simple language while skillfully drilling them into writers’ brains. This book is useful for any writer, regardless of experience or genre.
You’ll be sure to dog-ear and return to its pages time and again. I have a feeling it’s going to sit by my computer for a very long time to come.
Drake explains story structure by using examples readers are bound to be familiar with. He paints theories in simple language while skillfully drilling them into writers’ brains. This book is useful for any writer, regardless of experience or genre.
You’ll be sure to dog-ear and return to its pages time and again. I have a feeling it’s going to sit by my computer for a very long time to come.
December 12, 2021
Explains dynamic story creation
I liked that this book explored theme- how to choose it and how to use it to develop a story. The author uses two vehicles throughout the book to explain story creation invisible layer (the theme) and physical layer (setting, characters etc). If you want to gain a greater understanding of using universal themes to create your story this book is a must read.
I liked that this book explored theme- how to choose it and how to use it to develop a story. The author uses two vehicles throughout the book to explain story creation invisible layer (the theme) and physical layer (setting, characters etc). If you want to gain a greater understanding of using universal themes to create your story this book is a must read.
November 26, 2022
Brutal, Practical, & Next Level
Drake has a gift. While his tone might throw some people off, I find it refreshing. He does not attempt to feed your ego, rather he teaches you what it means to be a writer. What you will need to know if writing is going to be more than just a hobby and the skills that go along with it. Fantastic! If you want a book on writing craft, this is it. Off to read the next book in the Brutal series.
Drake has a gift. While his tone might throw some people off, I find it refreshing. He does not attempt to feed your ego, rather he teaches you what it means to be a writer. What you will need to know if writing is going to be more than just a hobby and the skills that go along with it. Fantastic! If you want a book on writing craft, this is it. Off to read the next book in the Brutal series.
April 21, 2019
THE MAN’S AN OPINIONATED PAIN IN THE BUTT, BUT HE’S RIGHT!
I LEARNED MORE FROM HTIS BOOK AND HIS OTHER BOOK POINT OF VIEW THAN I DID ANYWHERE ELSE. I KNOW NOW WHY MY STORIES SUCKED, AND THINK I MAY BE ABLE TO FIX THEM...maybe??? Lol
I LEARNED MORE FROM HTIS BOOK AND HIS OTHER BOOK POINT OF VIEW THAN I DID ANYWHERE ELSE. I KNOW NOW WHY MY STORIES SUCKED, AND THINK I MAY BE ABLE TO FIX THEM...maybe??? Lol
November 6, 2022
A good read
A great book for aspiring wordsmiths. Goes into depth about theme.. the invisible layer of stories vs the physical layer. It’s an easy read with plenty of examples to help explain things.
A great book for aspiring wordsmiths. Goes into depth about theme.. the invisible layer of stories vs the physical layer. It’s an easy read with plenty of examples to help explain things.
January 22, 2023
Entertaining and educational
As a new, would be, writer I found this book to be extremely helpful. Drake explains the elements of story in a way that make sense. I look forward to the next book.
As a new, would be, writer I found this book to be extremely helpful. Drake explains the elements of story in a way that make sense. I look forward to the next book.
October 28, 2024
This is a great book for anyone who wants to write great stories that stick with the reader. I would say that after Save the Cat Writes a Novel, this was the second most important book I've read on how to write great novels.
September 11, 2018
Essential reading if you want to write fiction. That's all there is to say.
September 22, 2019
This is the best book I've read on writing craft, hands down. I highly recommend it to everyone wanting to create stories no matter where you are in your career.
August 24, 2020
In typical Drake style, he delivers a powerful discourse that will help authors/writers shift their mindset and write stronger story narratives that will sell better.
February 7, 2022
Definitely Worth A Read
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it helped me figure out a plot that I had been stuck in for quite some time.
The book b
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it helped me figure out a plot that I had been stuck in for quite some time.
The book b
March 19, 2023
This is the best book on writing I've read so far
October 4, 2017
This was a really good book about fictional writing
January 3, 2017
Dynamic Story Creation in plain English by Maxwell Alexander Drake delivers on what it promises right up front. Drake tells the reader this is his opinion and there are parts you will agree with and there are parts that will infuriate you. He explains his goal is to get you to think about your own writing and how to make it better. And for me he did all of that.
I have a background in technical writing and dabbled in storytelling through short stories and writing for RPGs. But, I struggled with understanding some of the concepts that make writing stories work. This book helped me with gaining a better understanding.
I have already started applying what I learned from my reading and have seen an improvement in my writing.
I have a background in technical writing and dabbled in storytelling through short stories and writing for RPGs. But, I struggled with understanding some of the concepts that make writing stories work. This book helped me with gaining a better understanding.
I have already started applying what I learned from my reading and have seen an improvement in my writing.
October 30, 2016
First off, love the snarky tone/voice. Overall: this book is an editing disaster (typos and misspellings all over, imperfect grammar, etc.), but it's so brilliant on how to understand and integrate theme that all is forgiven. The author's grasp of storytelling is unique and deft enough that it outweighs (and, unusually, mismatches) the line-level issues. After reading dozens of nonfiction books about story/writing in college and over the past few years, I have yet to find anything that comes close to how well this deals with theme. Excellent/standout read. Instantly useful to current project.
January 18, 2017
Great work on the craft of writing. takes on McKee and other classical writing authors and brings them into the contemporary commercial publishing world.
Recommend for anyone trying to learn the basics for story creation.
Recommend for anyone trying to learn the basics for story creation.
May 7, 2024
Concise, written in normal English. One of the few times I've been convinced the Hero's Journey is not some formula to follow step by step. Excellent writing advice.
January 12, 2018
I stumbled upon the author at Comic Con this past summer, catching the tail end of a session he was holding. He was a captivating speaker, and seemed to be speaking sensibly, so I picked up his book later that day from his booth.
As someone who is a reader and not a writer, I found this book quite interesting. And as someone that doesn't read a whole lot, I appreciated that the author made his points using the storylines from movies, rather than books (good for me, as I tend to see more movies than read books). I found his analysis of stories to be understandable and sensible, although a bit repetitive. Also, as someone that enjoys non-fiction more than fiction, I felt the author's message could have been laid out in a bit more of an organized fashion and more concisely, but that's my left-brain speaking, and I guess story creation is a right brain activity for the most part.
Anyway, I have a better appreciation for storytelling now, and can see the patterns in the stories I see in movies, and I'll be looking for these patterns in future fiction books I read, rare as they may be. If you are interested in becoming a writer, this seems like a good book to read through quickly, although one might want to search for other books on this topic, in case there are better ones out there.
As someone who is a reader and not a writer, I found this book quite interesting. And as someone that doesn't read a whole lot, I appreciated that the author made his points using the storylines from movies, rather than books (good for me, as I tend to see more movies than read books). I found his analysis of stories to be understandable and sensible, although a bit repetitive. Also, as someone that enjoys non-fiction more than fiction, I felt the author's message could have been laid out in a bit more of an organized fashion and more concisely, but that's my left-brain speaking, and I guess story creation is a right brain activity for the most part.
Anyway, I have a better appreciation for storytelling now, and can see the patterns in the stories I see in movies, and I'll be looking for these patterns in future fiction books I read, rare as they may be. If you are interested in becoming a writer, this seems like a good book to read through quickly, although one might want to search for other books on this topic, in case there are better ones out there.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews