STORYSPACE REVIEW STORY WRITTING HOW TO

And the power of secrets, discovery and humour (there’s an interesting comment that humour is not just about entertainment but allows us to deal with difficult or stressful situations). There are short sections on anchoring stories in time and space. To make the story vivid use imagery, visualisation and sensory references. The two aspects of character in stories are considered – archetypes and stereotypes. “The role of conflict in stories is to provide that catalyst through which our protagonist learns the required lesson and prove themselves worthy, by finding the creative and often unexpected resolution”. The narrative arc is mentioned – and the idea that it is not possible to conceive of a story without conflict. The Story Spine from Pixar is illustrated: Gustav Freytag’s pyramid structure is explained: And there’s an interesting illustration of the difference between telling a story and trying to tell about a story. The author says “Story is when something happens, (to someone) and it is described vividly and with emotion”. From page 63 the content starts to feel more practical. The author uses a story about her father to show that the hero is never the storyteller – it is always the audience. You need to focus on finding pivotal moments by looking at patterns and connections. The author explains that to create her business she was encouraged to write a story every week in a blog by noticing what happens around her – stories are hidden in lived experience. There’s good use of metaphor in the section on the golden thread of a story. Determine the resistance (Address distrust and money with promise and possibility) and embed it in the story.Understand the outcomes (What transformation do you offer?).

Get clear on your intention (Think, Feel, Do).

It mentions the skill in converting ordinary occurrences into compelling stories but the offered guidelines are pretty much what we use in all writing workshops (see, for example my list of top tips for persuasive writing ):

STORYSPACE REVIEW STORY WRITTING HOW TO

I expected some guidance here on how to identify and shape great stories. There’s a contemporary reference to the role of viral storytelling in the #metoo movement and other recent social movements. The author observes that even our most personal moments have a universal theme. “The greatest stories are those that cause the audience to discover something in themselves or about themselves that they have never known or long forgotten”. Storytelling, the author argues, is the antidote to the informational approach. It made me ponder how I would respond if asked for mine. I liked the idea of asking people “What’s your story?” when you first meet them. There are mentions of the neuroscience findings about stories – neural coupling, empathic responses, oxytocin release, processing narrative and triggers of better self-awareness. This is illustrated with the impact of stories by Nelson Mandela, J K Rowling, Starbucks and Henry Ford. There are lots of laudable but accepted ideas such as: “ The buying and selling of products is relational, we need to develop trust”. In business, we create organisational culture through the stories we tell. There’s an observation that all cultures tell similar stories and that stories are the natural fabric of our communication and connection.

There’s an explanation of the origin of storytelling in all cultures to create meaning, connect and to teach young people how to live and understand their place in the world. I liked the observation that whilst we are more digitally connected than any previous time in history we are experiencing “ a pandemic of disconnection”.

So storytelling is a key tool for leaders and entrepreneurs. The author explains the value of telling your own story in business as it engages people emotionally, inspires, influences and generates interest. It’s organised into three parts:Ī story or folk tale from around the world starts each chapter – which is a good illustration of the use and power of stories. The Story Advantage – Unleash the power of storytelling to engage, inspire and influence by LJ BloomĪt 140 pages, this 2020 book is a relatively quick read. So here are two storytelling book reviews: The Story Advantage by LJ Bloom and The Story Factor by Annette Simmons. Several people have asked me for book recommendations on storytelling. Most people know that research shows that stories are 22 times more likely to be remembered than facts and figures alone. The image below shows you some of the tools I use in my storytelling workshops. Often as part of persuasive writing sessions. I’ve done lots of training and workshops on storytelling (see this 2017 summary of ideas on selling legal services with storytelling ).

Storyspace review story writting