Storytelling

Motivation an element of storytelling

Find your character’s ‘I wish’ song

“Funny Girl” starts with Barbara Streisand wishing to be a star.

“My Fair Lady” opens with Julie Andrews wishing for a room somewhere.… Read the full article

Storytelling structure: Use chronology

Transform real-life events into narrative arcs with this storytelling template

Beginning, middle, end: A chronological approach is the best way to organize most nonfiction narratives.

That’s the formula Ira Glass uses for the popular National Public Radio program “This American Life.”

“Narrative is basically a sequence of events,” Glass says.… Read the full article

Find the ah-ha moment for storytelling

Ask When questions & other tools

Call it an aha! moment:

Alone in his laboratory on a snowy evening the week before Christmas, Dr. John Monnier observed unexpected peaks on the readout of his gas chromatograph.

… Read the full article

Human interest for all topics

It seems so reasonable to tell human-interest stories to illustrate the need for bone-marrow transplants, the sad results of texting while driving — even solutions for childhood obesity.… Read the full article

Three steps for putting your information in order

So you’ve chosen your organizing scheme. Here are some tips for pulling your story together.

1. Put your info in buckets.

… Read the full article

6 reasons analogy is more persuasive than literal language

Metaphor is more persuasive than literal language: It’s been proven in the lab.

Make that 41 labs over more than 50 years.… Read the full article

Turn policies and procedures into people

Human interest helps fight the 7 dreary P’s

Call them the seven dreary P’s: programs, plans, policies, procedures, protocols, positions and products.

Bring these mind-numbing topics to life by turning them into an eighth P: people.… Read the full article

Why have people fallen in love with this podcast?

It’s been compared to The Sopranos. Before its debut, it ranked No. 1 on iTunes. When its first season was over, fans couldn’t remember what people do who aren’t listening to it.… Read the full article

How small is small?

Mini narratives can be as brief as a paragraph

In The Emperor of All Maladies, Siddhartha Mukherjee shares this tiny tale:

“In 2005, a man diagnosed with multiple myeloma asked me if he would be alive to watch his daughter graduate from high school in a few months.… Read the full article

Bring strategy stories down to earth

Make them more concrete, creative

It’s one thing to make a bio or profile creative. Breathing life into high-level strategy stories — like the company’s mission, vision, business objectives and annual goals — that’s another thing.… Read the full article