The Storytelling Code
This book distills everything about storytelling into 10 essential rules. Whether you need to tell a story to a client, a boss, a friend, or a stranger, this book will help you craft it.
Part 1. Shape Your Story
Rule 1. Know Your Goal
Everyone has a story to tell. We all tell stories every day. A story is an ideal way to succinctly provide information that is relevant, compelling, and, most of all, unique to you.
Why this story? Before you create your story, you need to establish your goal. The goal is crucial because if you don’t know why you’re telling a story, your listeners won’t know why they’re listening. It might seem counterintuitive, but to begin crafting a story, think about the end. Not the end of the story itself, but the effect you want your story to have on our listener. When you’re finished speaking, what do you want your audience to understand? What do you want to achieve by telling this story? Decide on the most important outcome, and make it the singular goal of your story. If you can accomplish only one thing, what will it be?
Rule 2. Use Plot
Universal Stories. An event is not a story. The story is how we make sense of the event, how we explain it to ourselves and to others.
The Plot Arc. Every story is built around the same structure. The plot arc is the spine of every story in the world. A plot arc is a problem followed up by a solution. On the way from the problem to the solution the plot arc passes through the following points:
The Beginning. Here, we set the scene
The Introduction of a Problem.
The Failed Attempt(s).
The Solution.
The Ending. The situation is resolved, and loose ends are tied up.
Embrace the conflict. The essence of a story is a problem plus the desire for a solution. If you have a problem, but you don’t really care about solving it, then you don’t have a story. A story needs conflict; it needs a problem.
Five Classic Narratives.
The Origin Story. This story shows the journey you went on to create something new. It’s a great story to use when you need to explain your business model to potential investors.
The Started from the Bottom Story. This story shows how you started out as an underdog and manage to triumph despite the odds. It’s a good structure to use to show an interviewer how you overcame adversity or challenges.
The Starting Over Story. This story shows how you suffered a setback but managed to persevere, and it’s a good story to show how you’ve grown and developed as a person.
The Overcoming a Monster Story. This story shows how you overcome a specific, overwhelming obstacle through tour ingenuity. It’s a good way to show others how you are able to problem-solve in a difficult, high-stakes situation.
The Quest Story. This is a story about how you set odd in search of something specific that you need. It’s a great way to show your passion and your desire to grow.
Pattern-Making (and Breaking). Our brains re always searching for patterns. Finding a pattern makes us happy because patterns appear to make sense of the chaos in the world around us. Audiences love patterns because they serve as guideposts throughout the story. While patterns are a great way to build trust with an audience, they’s are also a way to create shock and delight when the pattern is broken. In comedy, this is known as the rule of threes: do something twice and then the third time break the pattern to get the biggest laugh. Five ways to break your pattern:
Subtly. It will still hold meaning even if you don’t directly call out that this is what you’ve done.
Suddenly. This is where you catch your audience completely off-guard.
Humorously. You must surprise your audience with something non-sensical.
Tragically. Often used in dramatic stories.
Call Back. You don’t break the pattern until the end, calling back to your earlier setup.
Time and Tension. Stories can proceed chronologically, but it does not always have to be the case. As the story proceeds, the tension rises. The listeners want to know if you make it.
Rule 3. Gather Your Best Material
Infinite Stories. Creating an actual story can be intimidating: there are countless stories to be told, and endless ways to tell each individual story. As long as you’re getting your message across. there is no wrong way to tell a story.
There is no wrong way to tell a story as long as you are achieving your goal.
You have to create a story before you can determine if it achieves your goal.
Instead of thinking if your story is ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ask: ‘Is my story achieving my goal?’
Gather Your Material. The story you find interesting will also be interesting to others. 10 Story prompts that can help you launch a story - they all have a conflict baked into them:
a time you were wrong
A time you should have said something but didn't
A moment you didn't understand at the time
A family tradition
A moment when everything changed
A moment when you decided to quit
A difficult conversation you had
A time when you tried really hard but didn't succeed.
The first time something occurred
The last time something occured.
Craft Your Story. First, decide if you want to write or to speak it. For either method, set a timer for 30 minutes. Do nothing but write or talk your story. Just work until the timer goes off. Just remember: creating is not editing. The goal is to have a complete rough draft.
A note about details: try to be as specific as possible with your words, use sensory details. The less specific you are, the less people can truly envision what you’re telling them.
Fact vs Fiction. Your job as a storyteller is to cut as close to the truth as you can. Stories need to be true to you. We’re all entitled to our own version of events. Don’t lie. Tips about truth in your story:
If you don’t remember an exact detail and you are assuming something, say so.
Do a little research when needed.
For dialogue, it’s understood that you weren’t recording people as they spoke.
Humour often comes from exaggeration, but focus on your emotions and reactions instead of events.
Don’t lie.
Tweak it. The same story can be told many different ways. Tweak a story for different audiences depending on what your goal is.
Rule 4. Make Your Point
Less is More. You need to cut your stories down to their most essential aspects to ensure you maintain your audience’s attention. Five strategies:
Graph your story onto the plot arc.
Examine the beginning carefully. Ask yourself: Is this the best place to begin?
Ax anything that excludes your audience. It can be insider jokes or jargon when you speak to the newbies.
Practice. Practice. Practice. Read your work out loud to another person and it will help you realize what needs to go.
Look at your ending. It should be concise and not break new ground.
Grab their attention. To grab the listener’s attention right away it’s important to cut back your story to its most essential parts, but it’s also important to imbue those parts with sparkling, clear details. The best details are unique and surprising.
Use all five senses.
When you introduce a character, give us a single detail about him that shows us who he is.
Illustrate how you are feeling.
Don’t be afraid to get weird.
Stay small.
Remember that the engine of the story is the plot. Detail can pull us ins but plot will keep us there.
Don’t be a cliché. Cliché is an image or phrase that is overused, which makes it meaningless. The irony is that they used to be effective before everyone started using them. A cliché is
the first thing you think of
the easy way out
not reflective of your voice or point of view
the enemy of a good story
Examples: ‘You only live once’ / ‘It’s always darkest before the dawn’ / ‘it felt too good to be true
A plot cliché is a way of telling your story that you’ve seen hundreds of times before.
An ending cliché is when the ending of your story is both obvious and something we’ve seen before.
The subconscious Rules of Storytelling (by H.P. Grice, a British philosopher)
Quantity: Be as informative as possible and give as much information as possible but no more.
Quality: be truthful and do not give information that is false or is not supported by evidence.
Relation: Be relevant and say things that are pertinent to the discussion.
Manner: Be clear, be brief, and as orderly as you can and avoid obscurity and ambiguity.
Rule 5. Wow Them in the End
Finishing strong. The ending isn’t the solution. The ending is the resolution. A solution is an action, and the resolution is how you feel about the action. The ending isn’t where the story stops; the ending is what the story means. Choose the ending depending on your time frame, your audience, and your goal.
Great endings:
Zinger. A memorable twist or punch line that catches the audience by surprise.
Callback: an unexpected and meaningful echo of a theme or image from earlier in the story.
Fast Forward: a satisfying leap forward in time that reveals the surprising effects of the story we just heard.
Full circle: Arriving back where the story started with a new sense of purpose or wisdom we gained during the story.
Set up your ending. No matter which ending you choose, the foundation of that ending must be placed earlier in the story. Whatever your goal is in telling your story - whether it’s to entertain, inform or persuade - your ending should ensure that you achieve that goal.
Part II. Tell Your Story
Rule 6. Anyone Can Do This
Yes, even you. A great performance will never make up for a shoddy story, but a great story told by an inexperienced performer can still resonate with an audience.
10 simple ways to build your confidence.
Understand that stage fright is natural and necessary. If you’re not scared, you don’t care.
Turn nervousness into excitement. They are the same physical feeling with different labels.
Know that the audience is on your side. They will forgive almost anything as long as you handle it gracefully.
Don’t worry about messing up. You can’t really message up because no one knows what you are going to say next.
Watch other performers and study what they do.
Prepare for the physical space.
Pay attention to your hands. Let your hands move the way they normally do as you speak.
Keep your feet still. Don’t sway and don’t wander around.
Don’t worry whether the audience likes your story. Focus on your message. Remember that no one can tell your story other than you.
A note on “-isms”. Mannerisms are physical manifestations of nervousness that people do unconsciously only when they’re presenting in front of a group of people. It’s important to practice performing in front of people so you can figure out if you have an “-ism” and what it is.
Rule 7. Vulnerability is Power
We’re all nervous. Honesty is necessary for good storytelling. Honesty requires vulnerability, taking a risk of being judged. Without honesty, the audience isn’t able to trust you. To be vulnerable is to be exposed, but it’s also to be seen.
Share why you care. Presenting the problem that you need to solve is certainly a key aspect of the plot arc, but sharing WHY you care to solve the problem is also a crucial element.
Rule 8. Respect Your Audience
Who are you talking to? One of the keys to a successful story is thoughtfully tailoring it to fit your audience. Five things to consider:
Demographic
Environment. It will determine how loud you will need to be and whether you'll need to project your voice.
Expectations
Biases
Other speakers
Once you’ve sized up your audience and environment, there are a few tricks you can use to get an audience on your side right away:
where were they before they arrived?
what time of day is it?
What are they wearing?
Where do they need to go next?
What do they want from you?
Eye to Eye. You can’t rely on the audience to GIVE you their attention; Sometimes you have to TAKE it. In order to get an audience on your side, you must show them that you are:
confident: body language; getting right into the story
clear: show the audience that you have a point to make and you know what it is. Be clear about what’s happening, what’s at stake, and what obstacles you face in getting what you want. The audience will fall into your hands.
creative: show them your inner voice, let them see who you are, and have fun with them.
Speak their language. People trust you more when you use their style of speaking
The Elephant in the Room. It’s your job as a storyteller to acknowledge any elephant in the room where you’re telling your story (e.g. room is too hot). If there is a mistake the audience is aware of - you should immediately acknowledge it.
Rule 9. Always Be Practicing
Stories get better with time and effort.
Practice also serves as exposure therapy.
Practicing tips:
Figure out the weak spots that need work
Gain confidence so you know what to say next
Gain the flexibility to discover new angles to your story
Work your ending and develop depth in your story
Make the story your won
Practice effectively:
Be sure to memorize the first line, the last line, and all the plot points in between.
If you are reading the story, print it in a new font. It will help you read it with fresh eyes.
Record your story and listen back to it.
Write down your story from memory and then tell it without looking.
Practice in front of a friend and ask for honest feedback.
If you don’t practice, you might be great. But only through deliberate practice can you guarantee that you will be great.
Rule 10. Get Ready
Final Preparations:
Go over the key points of your story without notes.
Decide what to wear.
If you are planning to read your story, prepare your pages.
Give yourself some cues.
Visualize your body language.
Imagine the audience’s reaction.
Visualize how you think you’ll feel when the story is over.
Envision the moments just before you tell your story.
Practice a breathing exercise.
Anticipate your tics.
REMEMBER YOUR GOAL
10 Storytelling pitfalls and how to avoid them
Letting the great idea get away. When you get inspired, stop everything and note it down.
Not taking time to work it out. Set aside 30 minutes to draft it.
Sticking with the first draft. Set aside a pocket of time for editing.
Not adding detail. Include at least one concrete detail for each person or place that you will bring up during your story.
Starting slow. Tell your listener immediately why you care about the story, and they’ll care, too.
Ending fast. End the story with meaning.
Not practicing. The more you practice, the more you improve.
Doing it alone. Ask others to help
Fixating on being good. Worry instead about saying what you came to say.
Letting self-doubt win. Don’t let the moments of self-doubt convince you to stop putting your story out there.