This is a collection of reviews covering three of the writing craft books I’ve read/listened to so far in 2026 🙂 Enjoy!
Review of Story Genius by Lisa Cron
Description:
“Following on the heels of Lisa Cron’s breakout first book, Wired for Story, this writing guide reveals how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a riveting story.
Story Genius is a foolproof program that saves writers from penning hundreds of pages only to realize that something’s not working and they have to start again. Informed by story consultant Lisa Cron’s science-based insights into how story structure is built into the architecture of the brain, this guide shows writers how to plumb the nitty-gritty details of their raw idea to organically generate a story scene by scene.
Once writers reach the end of Cron’s program, they will have both a blueprint that works and plenty of compelling writing suitable for their finished novel–allowing them to write forward with confidence.”
My review:
I am giving this book a rating of 4 out of 5.
Fantastic advice and writing exercises! Definitely a useful writing tool, and a book I’ll undoubtedly reference as I continue to work on my own novels.
Overall, an enjoyable read (aside from the occasional emetophobia-triggering description). Although, the advice started to become repetitive by the end of the book.
Also, I didn’t enjoy the story used as an example (no offence to the writer!), but I’m pretty sure that had to do with the sad storyline, along with the unlikeable protagonist and the fact she didn’t like dogs.
I’d highly recommend Story Genius for anyone aspiring to improve their own novels, as well as for budding editors (since understanding the structure of a story is fundamental to fiction editing).
Read in: January 2026 – February 2026
Format: Paperback
I’m including the date and format in which I experienced this story for transparency, since whatever is going on in the world (and a reader’s private life) at the time of reading, along with a book’s reading format, can impact an individual’s enjoyment of a story.
Disclaimer: I purchased this book. All opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced by the author or publisher in any way. This book review does not contain affiliate links.
Review of How To Make A Living With Your Writing by Joanna Penn
Description:
“Do you want to make a living with your writing? Do you want to turn your words into multiple streams of income?
I’m Joanna Penn and I left my corporate job a decade ago to become a full-time author entrepreneur. In this completely updated Third Edition, I’ll explain how I make a living with my writing and share tips from other writers on how you can do it too with practical, actionable advice that you can implement for yourself.
If you love to create and you’re ready to learn fresh skills in a fast-changing environment, this book will give you lots of ideas on how to make money with your words.
Each chapter provides ideas you can use to research each opportunity in more detail and questions to guide your thought process. Sometimes it’s just about knowing what’s out there in order to find what’s right for you.”
My review:
I am giving this book a rating of 5 out of 5.
An absolutely brilliant resource for authors!
Packed with advice and information, this book is bound to support any author who wants to take writing seriously as a career. The insights shared by Joanna Penn are invaluable, and I’m incredibly grateful that she’s invested her time and effort into creating so many useful resources for aspiring author-entrepreneurs.
For those interested in learning more about what it takes to set up and run a successful author business, I suggest visiting Joanna Penn’s website, The Creative Penn, and listening to her podcast, The Creative Penn Podcast, where you’ll discover a collection of resources (some of which are completely free!).
I 100% recommend this book to all writers interested in making a living from their craft. In fact, I listened to this as an audiobook, but I’m tempted to buy the paperback or eBook version so I can return to it to use as reference in future…
Read in: February 2026 – March 2026
Format: Audiobook
I’m including the date and format in which I experienced this story for transparency, since whatever is going on in the world (and a reader’s private life) at the time of reading, along with a book’s reading format, can impact an individual’s enjoyment of a story.
Disclaimer: I listened to this audiobook through my Spotify ‘Premium Individual’ account. All opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced by the author, publisher, or Spotify in any way. This book review does not contain affiliate links.
Review of Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J. Cohen
Description:
“Writing the Cozy Mystery is a concise writing guide that describes step-by-step how to write a winning whodunit.
Do you want to write a cozy mystery but don’t have a clue where to start? Or perhaps you’re already writing a series, and you need tips on how to keep your material fresh. Writing the Cozy Mystery is a handy reference guide that will help you develop your characters, establish the setting, plot the story, add suspense, plant clues, and solve the crime.
This award-winning second edition contains examples from the author’s Bad Hair Day Mysteries along with writing exercises, marketing tips, advice on how to maintain your series, and special considerations for cozy authors. You’ll find everything you need to know in an easy-to-read, clear manner to write your own mystery and to refresh a long-running series. Recommended for cozy writers, mystery fans, and creative writing classes.”
My review:
I am giving this book a rating of 5 out of 5.
As someone who’s more experienced at reading mysteries than writing them, I found this audiobook exceedingly well thought out and packed with helpful advice.
This book delved into the details of what makes a cosy mystery story fun for readers, along with exploring the many considerations to keep in mind when crafting a compelling mystery series. I found the advice both accessible and actionable, with plenty of resources provided for aspiring cosy mystery writers.
I’m considering buying the paperback or eBook copy of this book, to allow me to use it as reference when I give writing mystery stories a go – so I don’t miss anything out and make sure readers thoroughly enjoy whatever I create!
Read in: March 2026
Format: Audiobook
I’m including the date and format in which I experienced this story for transparency, since whatever is going on in the world (and a reader’s private life) at the time of reading, along with a book’s reading format, can impact an individual’s enjoyment of a story.
Disclaimer: I listened to this audiobook through my Spotify ‘Premium Individual’ account. All opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced by the author, publisher, or Spotify in any way. This book review does not contain affiliate links.