Scan barcode
A review by mariebrunelm
The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller by John Truby
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This is one of the most influential books about writing. It explores in detail how to structure a plot through the journey of the main character and how to build the world around them rather than the other way around. With books giving writing advise and exercices, I like to read them first in one go (over several days of course) and then go back more slowly as the need for each chapter arises, and see how I can use them in my own projects. So I haven't actually started to put this book to the test of my own writing.
Being a foundation for many writers, some elements of these books were familiar to me because I'd read about them second-hand, so to speak. But there was a lot to discover still, and especially how Truby rejects the three-act structure in favour of... 22 steps. Yes, as in twenty-two. I did have a little shrink back but do no fear, fellow writer, we are allowed to use only 7.
All in all, I'm interested to see how I can use this book to help me in the part of writing I struggle with a lot: plot. Team Gardener here.
One thing I would reproach the book with but it's actually not really its fault: I wish it didn't focus as much on the American way of writing a story, which is stupid because that's exactly the point of it.
Being a foundation for many writers, some elements of these books were familiar to me because I'd read about them second-hand, so to speak. But there was a lot to discover still, and especially how Truby rejects the three-act structure in favour of... 22 steps. Yes, as in twenty-two. I did have a little shrink back but do no fear, fellow writer, we are allowed to use only 7.
All in all, I'm interested to see how I can use this book to help me in the part of writing I struggle with a lot: plot. Team Gardener here.
One thing I would reproach the book with but it's actually not really its fault: I wish it didn't focus as much on the American way of writing a story, which is stupid because that's exactly the point of it.
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia