I enjoy tinkering with short stories, so am always interested in the process of making my writing and plots better. I’ve got half a shelf of books about writing and am always interested when one becomes available that I haven’t read before. 

What makes ‘the science of storytelling’ different to other books is that Will storr examines the part that neuroscience and cognitive psychology play in helping to understand why humans tell and need storytelling. It seems our brains are hardwired for stories. 

There are lots of references used to illustrate points made - everything from Marian & Geoff (tv show with Rob Brydon) to Gone girl, Mr men, Hebrew scriptures and One flew over the cuckoo nest, to name but a few. I felt these really helped to add a depth of understanding about the craft of writing an engaging story.

I enjoyed the focus on character, which for Will Storr is more important than plot, as a story comes a conflicted protagonist, with flaws, undergoing change. What was also interesting was a section on the use of narratives to foster hate, and how humans love gossip. We use stories to make sense of the world around us.

WIll Storr narrates ‘the science of storytelling’ and I found him affable and enthusiastic. It’s broken down into short sections and I found it easy to return to the parts that I found interesting and thought provoking. 

It finishes with an appendix entitled The Sacred Flaw Approach, which uses what we have learnt in the book to offer a step by step guide to telling a story. I wished at this stage that I had purchased ‘The science of storytelling’ rather than borrow it as an audiobook, as it’s something I definitely would have referred to in the future. I’ll most like have to purchase it to add to the rest of my books about writing.

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