I’ve spent hours studying the top 0.2% of storytellers. People like Jobs, Tolkien, and Nolan. Here’s what I learned: *** Start with the end in mind What do you want the outcome of your story to be? • Customer buying a product • Friend laughing hilariously • Reader falling in love with a character • Investor giving you money If you start with the end in mind, the intro and middle naturally funnel to that target. *** Lead with action Most people amble on in backstory for 10 minutes. This is a waste of time. Find the interesting parts of your story, jump right to it, and provide as little backstory as possible. *** Make it emotional People make decisions based on emotion. But it’s impossible to make your audience feel everything. Nail down 1-2 emotions and direct the entire story to amplify those. *** Use data sparingly but intentionally If you use too many numbers, none of them matter. Instead, pick the most impactful and use those to amplify your story. “Numbers tell, stories sell.” *** Shape your story Humans gravitate to structure. Luckily there are tons to wrap around your story: • Hero’s Journey • StoryBrand • Three Act The goal of a story structure is to let the characters shine through. The attached image is the actual plot Christopher Nolan created for Inception. *** Sell the transformation Great storytelling is about change. When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone, he said: “Every once and a while, a revolutionary product comes around that changes the world.” He didn’t promise apps or amazing cameras — he promised change. *** Build a world JK Rowling says: “There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place.” A few tips to create your world: — Use rituals — Create shared language — Define its laws Storytelling is how you introduce people into the world you’ve built. *** Slow down Before your story’s climax, pause to force your audience to lean in. When speaking, stop talking for 3 seconds. When writing, make your paragraphs longer, add more sensory details, and layer on the drama. Force your audience to hang on to every word. *** Build to one moment The entire story should be designed to amplify one moment. But what is the moment about? Change — I once was this, but now I’m this. *** I hope you enjoyed that. If you want to become a better storyteller, try my free newsletter with 27,238 others. 1 storytelling tip each Saturday morning: https://lnkd.in/dRppPN-y
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