This is the second blog in a series about storytelling – 5 in 5 days. Everyone seems to get it that storytelling is important, because we’re awash in data and information and can’t remember it all. But we do remember stories. That’s because they are how our brains work. For example, they are why we all feel that it’s safer to drive than fly, even though the statistics prove the opposite. We remember the horrifying stories of plane crashes, and forget the stats. Our brains are constructed that way.
Great Stories Begin with a Meeting or a Journey.
Great stories are all about disruptions to the status quo. The classic ways that happens are either meeting someone new – Romeo and Juliet – or going on a journey – The Odyssey – or a combination of both – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. For these approaches to work, we need to establish at the beginning of the story a sense of what the status quo is. Harry is stuck in a miserable existence with the Dursley family, and we need to experience that for a few pages so that we can appreciate the contrast with the excitement and wonder of the new friends (and enemies) he makes and his trip to Hogwarts.
If your story doesn’t begin with a meeting or a journey, then you need to look at it carefully to see if it has the necessary interest and contrast. Is there a status quo to disrupt? Has something new come along? Have things always been done in a certain way in your industry until a new product, market entrant, or idea comes along to disrupt it? Sounds like the beginning of a story to me.
Next time: the ugly truth about conflict.
I just shared this blog with my Facebook friends because Nick knows what he writes about. You’re a great speech coach.
Thanks, Blythe — great to hear from you!