Invisible Ink

What Hacker News says

1. delis-thumbs-7eSep 2026
   Problem with giving advice on writing is that quite often you end up going against your own advice in the very text you give that advice. But the main point stnds, you should indeed know what you want to say. Tell the audience what you are going to say, then say it, and tell them you said it.

   Few observations: 1) it says for noj-fiction, but I think the trunk analogy is even more prescient in fiction. The Invisible Ink by Brian McDonald basically just hammers on this over and over again: know what you want to say and say it. 2) the author does not say it directly, but it is obvious that he learned to write the right way: by reading. You must read to be able to write. Just going througha few writing manuals won’t do, you must go the woods to find trees kemosabe. Fell in love with an author. Read all types of texts. Good writing is good writing.

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2. farleykrDec 2022
   My personal experience has led me to believe that there’s truly no substitute for reading a lot and writing a lot. But the funny thing is that you may not realize how true that is until you’ve gotten sick and tired of trying to find shortcuts and hacks. You can get burnt out on reading and watching material about how to write well but it can be helpful in moderation. The best resource I’ve found is the Belief Agency YouTube channel. They have a lot of great interviews/shows about how command of the concept of storytelling can improve your communication, written or otherwise. Brian McDonald’s books are great too—-especially Invisible Ink. One more thing I’ve found helpful is to take up a practice that has nothing to do with writing—-gardening in my case—-and see if you can learn some things that shape the way you think about the writing process. All of these things should lead you back to a regular practice of reading and writing though. It’s like an archaeological dig. Most of the time you’re just throwing dirt over your shoulder but once in a while you find treasure.
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3. nobody_nothingJun 2021
   This single best book on storytelling that I've ever read is 'Invisible Ink' by Brian McDonald [1].

   Of all the concepts in my comment above, the one it covers most in-depth is "theme" (the book calls it "armature," but same idea).

   The main argument of the book is that storytelling is an evolved survival mechanism, and that every great story conveys a single piece of survival information (think the morals of Aesop's fables).

   Every other technique discussed in the book is built atop that fundamental truth, and exists to help the storyteller prove that piece of survival information.

   [1] https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Ink-Practical-Building-Reso...

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4. orlandohillOct 2020
   I highly recommend Brian McDonald's three books on screen writing, Invisible Ink, The Golden Theme, and Ink Spots. They're short, succinct, and practical.

   Brian also hosts a podcast on storytelling, You Are a Storyteller. https://writeinvisibleink.com/episodes/

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5. BeetleBMar 2018
   Item 4 is one I've seen elsewhere: https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Ink-Practical-Building-Reso...

   In fact, I recall a Pixar writer said it was one of his favorite books.

   Actually, I found it (same blog):

   https://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2013/03/22/the-story-spine-...

   Apparently the author claims neither he nor Pixar came up with it.

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6. bennesvigMar 2018
   I've read dozens of books on storytelling and Invisible Ink is one of my favorites.
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