Photo from Free Stock Pictures Photo8 site
Soaring on the wings of a story
A terrific story about storytelling.
“I continue to learn to let go of the need to control. If we believe we can always choose the right stories and tell them at the right time, we are fooling ourselves. Everyone who hears our stories filters them through the lens of experience. We cannot know the hearts and lives of all our listeners. What we can do is tell with care and love, sharing the stories that touch our own lives, that make us laugh or cry or ponder. Release stories like butterflies, knowing they will fly their own crooked paths and land wherever they will.”
“It doesn’t matter how many writing how-to books you memorize and how skillfully you apply the “rules” you’ve learned from them—if you don’t have a good story, none of the rest of it matters. Yes, the guidelines of good writing are important, but don’t let your story get lost in an attempt to “follow the rules.”
“Brothers and sisters, we are gathered here today to mourn the death of Story. As you may have heard, it’s kaput — or, at the very least, terminally ill, wracked by videogames, wikis, recaps, talkbacks, YouTube, ADD, and the rise of a multiplatform, multipolar, mashup-media culture. … Beginnings, middles, and ends are headed for the attic, next to the box marked VCR Rewinders/Beastmaster Franchise.”
— Scott Brown, Wired columnist, in “Story Bored”
Scott Brown on Why Hollywood Needs a New Model for Storytelling
And here’s the Scott Brown piece referenced above.
“Fortunately for Western civilization, I’ve developed a new model. Allow me to introduce Brown’s Ziggurat (in 4-D!)tm. It accounts for all the time-shredding, symmetry-defying, viewer-inclusive wackiness of New Story. To stress-test this innovative system, we revisit one of our most basic, most fundamental narratives. A classic hero’s journey. The ur-Story.”
“When you look at any content that we have online, we are each trying to tell stories; his story, her story, my story, our story, their story etc. These stories take many forms; poems, lengthy blog posts, satire, case studies and many more meaning that each one of us content creators are in the business of storytelling. Even the great people behind the incredible WordPress blogging platform say that “CODE IS POETRY”. Now that we all agree that content is storytelling, let’s get into it…”
Visual Storytelling: Is Seeing Believing?
“The power of a compelling image is undeniable. Regardless of our left brain attempts to rationalize or make sense of what we’re seeing, we usually feel the effects of visual media first. And most scholars of human behavior will tell us that our decisions and actions are very much determined by how we feel. Images move us, whether we “believe” them or not.”
LIVING IT IS WRITING IT IS LIVING IT
“There are big movements in narrative law: lawyers and law students who are trying to learn how to present evidence and write briefs in a narrative or creative nonfiction form. Narrative medicine is a very big deal: some medical schools have two or three full-time faculty members just teaching narrative writing to doctors and nurses. Narrative science is becoming very popular. What’s happening is, people are beginning to see that is doesn’t just belong in the English department writing program world. Telling a story, which is what creative nonfiction is all about, but at the same time teaching readers or communicating to readers, providing readers information inside the story. That seems to be the big movement sweeping the world right now in the literary community, and in other professions.”
Storytelling and Painting the Picture
“Ever think about what makes a good salesman? Not necessarily the “traditional” salesman selling homes or farm equipment, I’m talking about the person who is responsible for making things happen. You could be a CPA at your firm but you’re still responsible for helping generate revenue. Even the IT guys in back are going to have to sell their process, concept, or need for software at some point.
Think about your current situation. Are you responsible for selling ideas, a product or service? I know this: if you ever find yourself in job transition you better figure out how to sell yourself. Better yet, I’d highly suggest you become good at storytelling and painting the picture.”
Some terrific storytelling.
Five Elements of Social Media Storytelling
“Storytelling is a core competency of any PR professional. Good stories drive coverage, generate awareness and build relationships. But today’s storytellers need more than a good pitch and a receptive reporter. And a good press release needs to be more than a compelling lede and reasoned argument.
We work in an environment that is nonlinear, operates independently of news cycles, uses multiple authors and resides on a variety of platforms.
By viewing social media as another form of storytelling, we can be more effective in mastering the tools that are redefining our relationships and reshaping our stories.”
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Thanks so much for including “Soaring on the wings of a story” in this round-up. Much appreciated!
Happy to have done so Cathryn. Was a terrific lesson in the power of story.
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