The Wall Street Journal's "Bookshelf" section reviewed the above-pictured book in its Thursday, March 26, 2026, edition. The review, by Meghan Cox Gurdon, was titled, "Vehicles of Emotion," and was not very complimentary. Among other things, Gurdon calls Ashton's methods "tiresome." It may be, if you are not a subscriber to The Journal, that the link I have just provided will not actually get you to Gurdon's review; however, it should; I have been informed it will - and you can certainly give it a try.
As far as I am concerned, the value of the review - and perhaps the main value of the book - consists in Gurdon's identification of the three things that Ashton says are necessary for a "good story." They are, in short: (1) Character; (2) Chronology; and (3) Consequence.
Gurdon doesn't spent a lot of time expounding on the importance of these three keys to a "good story," but I, personally, had never really thought about these three aspects of storytelling as the keys to determining whether or not a story is "good." Upon reflection, I do think that "character, chronology, and consequence" define a "good story."
Those who might want to try their hand at writing a good story (I am always tempted to give it a whirl, myself, but have never really done so - at least not yet) could do a lot worse than blocking out those three C's in advance, and then getting to the writing.
If Gurdon is correct about the merits (or lack of merits) of Ashton's book, you now know that you won't have to buy it, as Step #1 in your potential career as a writer of stories.
Just pay attention to the Three C's. That'll do it! Take it from there!
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