The Science of Storytelling

Award-winning journalist Will Storr also wrote Selfie, The Heretics and The Hunger and the Howling of Killian Lone. As expected from an experienced, acclaimed storyteller, Storr proves uniquely qualified to explain the power and value of narrative. He posits stories as the lingua franca of the mind, fundamental to the way people operate in the world. He examines how humans create reality in their stories. He suggests that – whether you realize it or not – you view your life as a narrative that you construct based on who you are at your core.

Storr sets out to inform and inspire writers and would-be writers in all forms. He addresses the psychological and even spiritual aspect of storytelling more than the scientific, but his title is only a handy hook on which to hang his complex appreciation for how story affects people’s emotions and mental processes. Hanging a rational framework onto such a mysterious journey is not an easy task, but Storr explores how story moves people and how everyone builds a world of stories for himself or herself. While not all of his framework holds up, Storr succeeds in creating a gripping narrative about how narrative grips you.