The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human, and How to Tell Them Better

Description

SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'If you want to write a novel or a script, read this book' Sunday Times 'The best book on the craft of storytelling I've ever read' Matt Haig 'Rarely has a book engrossed me more, and forced me to question everything I've ever read, seen or written. A masterpiece' Adam Rutherford Who would we be without stories? Stories mould who we are, from our character to our cultural identity. They drive us to act out our dreams and ambitions, and shape our politics and beliefs. We use them to construct our relationships, to keep order in our law courts, to interpret events in our newspapers and social media. Storytelling is an essential part of what makes us human. There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story - from Joseph Campbell's well-worn theories about myth and archetype to recent attempts to crack the 'Bestseller Code'. But few have used a scientific approach. This is curious, for if we are to truly understand storytelling in its grandest sense, we must first come to understand the ultimate storyteller - the human brain. In this scalpel-sharp, thought-provoking book, Will Storr demonstrates how master storytellers manipulate and compel us, leading us on a journey from the Hebrew scriptures to Mr Men, from Booker Prize-winning literature to box set TV. Applying dazzling psychological research and cutting-edge neuroscience to the foundations of our myths and archetypes, he shows how we can use these tools to tell better stories - and make sense of our chaotic modern world.

Will Storr is an award-winning writer. His work has appeared in the Guardian, Sunday Times, New Yorker and New York Times. He is the author of four critically acclaimed books, most recently Selfie: How the West Became Self-Obsessed. He teaches popular journalism and storytelling classes in London. He is an in-demand ghostwriter whose books have spent months at the top of the Sunday Times bestseller chart, selling more than 300,000 copies in 2018 alone.

'Rarely has a book engrossed me more, and forced me to question everything I've ever read, seen or written. It's a masterpiece. I am in awe' Adam Rutherford, author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived 'The best book on the craft of storytelling I've ever read' Matt Haig 'Easily the best book I've read this year' Hannah Fry 'Reading this book feels like cheating. It gives you an unfair advantage over other writers. A fascinating new way of looking at writing and how to exploit the fact that storytelling is hardwired into our brains' Charlie Higson 'A brilliant, accessible and very human book not just for writers but for anyone interested in how the mind works - not least their own. Will manages to be both detached and compassionate on every page, sometimes within the same sentence. That such a complicated book is so easy to read is testament to his clarity of thought and skill as writer. A stupendous achievement' Robert Webb 'A hugely compelling reading experience. Storr's superb exploration of the enduring appeal of the novel offers a smart, fascinating exploration of the science and psychology behind our most sophisticated art form that also works as an effective how-to guide' Alex Preston, Observer 'If you want to write a novel or a script, read this book. It is clear, compelling and tightly shaped around one fascinating and productive idea ... Storr wants to free writers from programmatic, plot-based writing guides, and his approach feels liberating' Sunday Times 'It's like taking the bones from a stockpot and delivering a Michelin starred meal. I am in awe! Rewilded by domestic brain! Damian Barr 'So much more than a book about how to write stories. It's a book about what it means to be alive' Tim Lott 'It's a brilliant book! Evidence-based creativity.' Alice Roberts