When I started writing, I thought storytelling wasn’t for me.
Perhaps I could learn how to share tips in my writing.
But storytelling?
It seemed too difficult. Too elusive. Too magical.
And it’s true that there’s magic in storytelling. Because stories transplant readers into a different world.
A recent brain-imaging study reported in Psychological Science reveals that the regions of the brain that process the sights, sounds, tastes, and movement of real life are activated when we’re engrossed in a compelling narrative. (…) When a story enthralls us, we are inside of it, feeling what the protagonist feels, experiencing it as if it were indeed happening to us (…).
~ Lisa Cron (from: Wired for Story)
Reading a story might feel like magic.
But telling a story is not as complicated as I thought. Even I was able to learn the basic techniques for telling a good story.
Shall I show you?
1. Plunge your reader into the action
We live in an impatient world.
We’re used to instant gratification. Order a book via Kindle, and you can start reading it now. Search for information on Google, and find your answer straightaway.
In former times, you may have started a book with a long description to evoke an atmosphere. These days, that’s a risky approach because it’s harder to keep readers captivated. For a low-risk approach, plunge the reader straight into the action.
Here’s how Sally Hogshead starts her book “How the World Sees You:”
I stood alone on stage, paralyzed. Seconds ticked by, each more excruciating than the last. The spotlight had seemed so luminous a moment before, now it burned me with its bitter circle. I’d let everyone down.
It was in this moment that I learned how to be boring.
Hogshead uses her own story of being paralyzed on stage as a child to explain how we learn to blend in, to avoid criticism, to be boring. The story sets the tone for the book in which Hogshead invites us to unlearn boring and to learn how to fascinate our audiences.
But Hogshead doesn’t start with the back story of how she came to be on the stage. That comes later. She starts in the middle of the story—with the spotlight on the moment she froze.
2. Keep the pace
Want to keep readers engaged after your first paragraph?
Focus on the action in each of your following sentences.
“Action” doesn’t mean thriller-type action. You don’t have to chase, fight, shoot, and run. Action can be subtle, too. For instance, Damon Young starts his book “Distraction (The Art of Living)” with a story about his newborn son:
When my son was a newborn, I often found it easy to soothe his crying. All I had to do was gently tap his back and say shhh into his ear. Without fail, he would begin to quieten down. His banshee cries would turn into tiny sobs and eventually he would fall asleep on my shoulder, a little snuggling bundle. At other times, I would sing to him in Arabic scales, with as much depth and vibrato as possible. He would immediately unball his fists, stop crying and stare at me with huge, unblinking blue eyes. The reason for this, I read, was that babies can only give their attention to a couple of things at once. If they are crying, they are crying. If they are listening to their father trying to sound like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, then that is their world.
Action verbs are dynamic, describing what’s happening rather than what simply is. In the above paragraph, almost every sentence includes an action verb: to soothe, to tap, to quieten down, to fall asleep, to sing, to unball, to stop, to stare, to give attention, to cry.
Non-action verbs describe a state of being, such as: to believe, to love, to prefer, to seem, to need, to want, to feel, to be.
If you use too many non-action phrases, the pace of your story slows, and readers may get bored. So, to focus on the action of your story, pay attention to your verbs. Use action rather than non-action verbs to keep readers captivated.
3. Create suspense
Cliffhangers hint at what’s coming without giving away the story. This is a powerful way to keep your audience captivated, too.
For instance, Cal Newport starts his book “Deep Work” with the following story to illustrate that people who “can work well and creatively with intelligent machines” will flourish in the new economy:
As Election Day loomed in 2012, traffic at the New York Times website spiked, as is normal during moments of national importance. But this time, something was different. A wildly disproportionate fraction of this traffic—more than 70 percent by some reports—was visiting a single location in the sprawling domain. It wasn’t a front-page breaking news story, and it wasn’t commentary from one of the paper’s Pulitzer Prize–winning columnists; it was instead a blog run by a baseball stats geek turned election forecaster named Nate Silver. Less than a year later, ESPN and ABC News lured Silver away from the Times (which tried to retain him by promising a staff of up to a dozen writers) in a major deal that would give Silver’s operation a role in everything from sports to weather to network news segments to, improbably enough, Academy Awards telecasts.
Almost every sentence above is a mini-cliffhanger, raising a question in your mind. You read on because you want to find out the answer: What’s different? Why does the traffic spike? What happens to this baseball stats geek?
When an author raises questions, readers want to know the answers. That’s how you keep them hooked.
4. Ground the reader
Focusing on action doesn’t mean you ignore describing where a story takes place and who it’s about. Without a little context, your story remains vague and you leave readers floating.
Here’s how Twyla Tharp starts her book “The Creative Habit:”
I walk into a large white room. It’s a dance studio in midtown Manhattan. I’m wearing a sweatshirt, faded jeans, and Nike cross-trainers. The room is lined with eight-foot-high mirrors. There’s a boom box in the corner. The floor is clean, virtually spotless if you don’t count the thousands of skid marks and footprints left there by dancers rehearsing. Other than the mirrors, the boom box, the skid marks, and me, the room is empty.
In five weeks I’m flying to Los Angeles with a troupe of six dancers to perform a dance program for eight consecutive evenings in front of twelve hundred people every night. It’s my troupe. I’m the choreographer.
The description of the dance studio is probably more extensive than you need for most stories.
But the details have a function—to make you feel what it is like to create a piece from scratch. The empty room symbolizes the blank page, and the terrifying feeling of having to create something beautiful out of nothing. This story introduces Tharpe’s explanation of how creative habits help overcome the fear of starting from nothing.
For readers to immerse themselves into your story, give them a quick idea where your story takes place and who it is about. Sometimes you want to give a sense of “when,” too.
5. Make a client your story’s hero
In her book “Do Story: How to Tell Your Story So the World Listens,” Bobette Buster shares her advice on storytelling. But she isn’t the hero of the book. She lets her clients take center stage:
Some time ago, a young American woman, DJ Forza, approached me to ask for advice. She had recently been invited to give a TEDx talk in Zug, Switzerland. She had been asked to share the journey of how she came to undertake a Ph.D. in Citizen Diplomacy. As delighted as DJ was to have this opportunity, she was equally, like so many, terrified of the prospect of public speaking. In the course of our discussions, I witnessed DJ take another journey – to becoming a confident and successful storyteller. She did so by employing all ten of my principles of storytelling. I will share with you now our process.
At the heart of a client story is transformation—how a client learns, solves a problem, gains a new perspective or turns a failure into a success story. And by sharing such client success stories, Buster turns herself into a trusted guide—someone we’d love to learn from.
Client stories provide a smart way to boost your credibility and sell your services.
6. Bring yourself into your story
Some marketing experts suggest potential clients are not interested in our stories. Donald Miller, for instance, writes in his book “StoryBrand:”
This is not a book about telling your company’s story. A book like that would be a waste of time. Customers don’t generally care about your story; they care about their own.
But I beg to disagree.
Yes, potential customers want to see themselves as the hero in your story. But they’re also interested in understanding who you are.
Especially if you are a small business owner, service provider or freelancer, it’s your stories that set you apart from your peers, it’s your stories that help you connect with your audience and pull them closer to you, and it’s your stories that allow customers to get to know you and trust you.
For instance, here’s how productivity coach Pierrette Abeel shares her story on her About page:
I’m embarrassed to say there was a 10-year period when I didn’t take a vacation. 10 years!
Then one day things got worse.
A friend called but I let voicemail pick up and kept working. Her message was simply, “call me.” I planned to get around to it. A couple days later she called back, I hesitated but answered this time. She called to tell me her husband died. #[email protected]?
I still tear up remembering how I let down a friend who needed me. How had I let my business take over my life?
That friend always encouraged me to find the silver lining. So her tragedy set me on a journey to take a hard look at my life and turn things around.
I studied with some brilliant business minds like Jack Canfield, Dave Crenshaw and Angelique Rewers. I implemented what I learned, created business systems and automated what I could.
I gradually transformed from an overworked zombie to having success without sacrificing what’s important to me.
Your stories make you human, and when you dare to show your vulnerabilities, you connect with your audience more deeply.
7. Keep your eyes open for good stories
Good stories are everywhere.
You can find them in your neighborhood, during your vacation, in everyday life, in newspapers, on social media.
For instance, Irene Ras starts an essay about mindfulness in “A Book That Takes Its Time” like this:
Last Spring, in one of the busiest squares in Amsterdam, a giant bird’s nest was perched on the top of a bus shelter. It was big enough for two people to climb into it, with a soft, furry cushion inside and a lovely view of the clear blue sky. It was created and installed by the Netherlands Forestry Commission and street furniture maker JCDecaux to remind city dwellers to stop and appreciate the wonders of nature.
Below the nest stood two park rangers, inviting passersby to climb up a rustic wooden ladder into the nest. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and anyone who felt like relaxing and enjoying the moment was welcome to sit or lie down in the big nest, they explained. “It’s an energy boost,” said one ranger name Erik. He hoped that as many people as possible would climb up there, chill out, and recharge their batteries.
Karin, an onlooker, tweeted, “Cool promotion by the Department of Forestry. A mega-size bird’s nest.” The department tweeted back, with the question “Did you climb in?” Karin’s response, “Afraid not. Had to rush off to an appointment.”
Sometimes we just have to stop, and pay attention to the stories that are waiting to be shared.
What story will you tell next?
Books mentioned in this post:
- Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence
by Lisa Cron—an excellent guide to storytelling
- How the World Sees You: Discover Your Highest Value Through the Science of Fascination
by Sally Hogshead—this book helped me understand my strengths (and position myself as a irreverent writer)
- Distraction (The Art of Living)
by Damon Young—an interesting perspective from a philosopher on why we get distracted
- The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life
by Twyla Tharp, highly recommended if you look to establish a creative habit like writing
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
by Cal Newport—a plea for more focus on doing important work
- Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen
by Donald Miller—a good introduction to turning your marketing pitch into a story
- Do Story: How to Tell Your Story So the World Listens
by Bobette Buster—one of my favorite guides on storytelling
- A Book That Takes Its Time: An Unhurried Adventure in Creative Mindfulness
by Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst—a wonderful book on mindfulness and creativity, including essays and creative activities
by Lisa Cron—an excellent guide to storytelling
by Sally Hogshead—this book helped me understand my strengths (and position myself as a irreverent writer)
by Damon Young—an interesting perspective from a philosopher on why we get distracted
by Twyla Tharp, highly recommended if you look to establish a creative habit like writing
by Cal Newport—a plea for more focus on doing important work
by Donald Miller—a good introduction to turning your marketing pitch into a story
by Bobette Buster—one of my favorite guides on storytelling
by Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst—a wonderful book on mindfulness and creativity, including essays and creative activitiesRecommended reading on storytelling techniques:
How to turn a marketing pitch into an engaging story
How to energize your audience with your mission
How to share 150-word stories in your blog posts
I’m so glad you disagree with the guy from Storybrand. I disagree, too. I’m fascinated by the stories of the small businesses and owners I meet online, and I’m sure most people are.
At the same time, I realise I don’t share much about myself with my readers. I find myself wondering why that is 🧐.
I think it’s a fear of sharing the wrong thing. So now I am going to spend some time thinking about what could be ‘wrong’ and why I think that.
When I started writing, I also struggled with the idea of writing about myself. I thought my life was too boring and uninteresting for readers. I felt confused about what I could share. But I’ve found that even in a simple life like mine, there’s things that I can share with readers. No heroism required!
Writing about myself still doesn’t feel natural to me (it’s safer to share tips!), but it’s becoming a little easier every year.
On a possibly related note, I came across an interesting article recently suggesting that “other people view our vulnerability more positively than we do:” https://digest.bps.org.uk/2018/08/02/the-beautiful-mess-effect-other-people-view-our-vulnerability-more-positively-than-we-do/
Hi Henneke, I love #5. I just had a new client practicing on social media something I taught her. That could be the next post for me. How she didn’t know about it and then how she put it into use and how it worked for her.
Thanks for the tips here Henneke! Always informative when I come by here. Have a wonderful day ahead.
Sounds like a great case study, Lisa! 🙂
One day I will tell you what I think of this post.
(Just practising my cliffhangers ;-))
Uhm, … now I’m thinking … do I really want to know? 😉
Thanks for your insight into storytelling. When it comes to sales copy and business writing in general, I was always taught to put the readers’ interests first. But I can see that if I’m holding the reader’s interest by telling a story, my story is suddenly relevant!
Also, thanks for the list of great books to read.
Yes, reader’s interests come first … I agree. But, as you suggest, your story might be very relevant to them; and it’s a good opportunity for readers to get to know you.
Enjoy the books! 🙂
Hi Henneke, What a great article! Perfect timing too… thanks. I’m right there at that point you described where I’m wondering if I can learn to tell a good story. These are amazingly simple and actionable tips. You rock!
I found that if you keep stories short, it’s much easier than it seems. There’s no need to write a novel to entertain our readers, and many storytelling books make storytelling sound needlessly complicated—at least for business purposes.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Jeff. I appreciate it.
I like your point that people do care about your story as well as their own, because that’s the place of intersection…if they think you resonate well together. You don’t trust people you don’t know.
Yes, that’s it … we need to find out whether the people we might want to work with will resonate with us. It feels safer to work with people we feel we know.
Hi Henneke,
Great post, as always. I loved Bobette Buster’s example, so well done and so subtle. Will definitely keep that in mind. And I also agree to disagree to an extent with the Storybrand guy, it has to be a healthy balance, how else would I feel connected to whoever is writing and ‘selling’ me their knowledge and ideas.
Thanks for always finding new inspiration for these wonderful blogs!
Yes, I agree with you on the healthy balance!
The examples in Bobette Buster’s book are even better, but they were a little too long to use here. I highly recommend her book.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Mariken.
Hi there!
I write fiction and am a copywriter as well.
To me, writing a story and NOT putting yourself deep in the mix is a big mistake.
Without your own insight, experiences and emotions being embroidered into your character’s fortunes and misfortunes, your story will be left slightly superficial and without the depth and pizazz that will hold your reader until the end.
Don’t leave anything out.
After all…it’s only fiction. Right?
So what, if the reader speculates about you as an author.
People are curious animals with a glutenous appetite for more about their surrounding world.
Satisfy their hunger… Quench their thirst…Give your reader a reason to read more of your work.
As for copywriting, I’m a bit more selective about how much of myself I add in.
Business is a different animal. But, remember your readers are still human, with the same basic needs, wants and desires as anyone else.
They want their goals met and their businesses to prosper.
What better way to supply your reader (potential customer in this case), with both, than to give them a great conversational story, enhancing their product’s features and benefits?
It’s a home-run for the business. It gains a new customer.
And it’s a great experience for the customer. Their Wants, needs and desires have been fulfilled…All because, I cared enough for both the business and the customer to give them more than just a good sales pitch.
I gave them something that would stick in their minds.
I gave them a real story.
Charlie Tisserand
09/25/2018
Yes, you’re right. Even when writing sales copy, you can include stories. For instance, I like how the copywriters of J Peterman weave stories into their product descriptions.
Thank you for stopping by to share your thoughts, Charlie. I appreciate it 🙂
I do love plunging readers into action via my travel stories posts Henneke. I leave readers no option; dive in or skip the post. Usually a dash of humor, or perhaps some wild experience, but either way I dig leading in with action to weave tales. I think of Lee Child and George R.R. Martin as legendary plungers in this regard. The first line of a chapter moves the story along instantly.
I have never read anything by George R.R. Martin, so I can’t comment on his writing. But I fully agree with you on Lee Child. He’s a master of story pacing. A great example to study.
Thank you for stopping by again, Ryan!
When I was 15, I performed magic shows with a friend of mine. Our magic included levitating a woman, sawing a person in half, and making a woman disappear. Everyone was amazed because they didn’t know our ‘secret’.
Your tips, Henneke, reveal how writers create their storytelling magic. To non-writers, a captivating story is magic. And, it’s not easy or everyone would be best selling authors. But, using your tips will help improve our personal stories.
Thanks for the great article!
Sounds like you performed some great shows. What a story!
I think it’s much easier to write short stories for blog posts (or conference talks) than writing a full-length novel.
Good to see you again, Bill 🙂
I just loved this post. Thank You for sharing with us. A big hug.
Thank you, Luciano. I appreciate your compliment 🙂
I was definitely amazed with the story of a business local to our new home an hour away from our last town. I’d gone into a large hardware, to try finding a paint registry for this house, to match paint for a small patching job to one wall. They explained that if the paint choice was too old, they would not have the record of the color formula because the business had burned to the ground ten years ago. I was amazed. The owner began telling how it was, how cans of soft drink had remained, all still stacked in their original display, but with all the wrapping burned away, and how local people had responded in care and concern. Such a story! And all I’d wanted was a paint color number!
Yes, we do take interest in another person’s pain, success, desires, etc.
If we are human, if we have not buried our impulses to keep up with the tyranny of the urgent.
I love this post! So much work has gone into it and it is such a wonderful source for your older works, too. Thanks!
Ha yes, the tyranny of urgent … we can’t give in to that!
Moving house, saying goodbye to an old home … there are so many stories in that, too. Even a story about finding matching paint.
I hope your move is going well. I much appreciate you taking the time to stop by. Thank you.
My take on this post: I feel like I’ve been writing without properly navigating the waters. Now I see buoys and markers, and have a better sense of where I’m headed. Being in the moment, teasing people’s curiosity, allowing the story to unfold naturally and keeping the reader’s attention – all great tips. Thank you so much.
I love your metaphor of buoys and markers!
Thank you for stopping by, Kenneth. I appreciate it.
Henneke,
Good post and 7 good examples of how to get your reader involved and interested in what you have to tell them. Well done.
Thank you, Dave. I appreciate your compliment 🙂
Henneke – Thank you for differing with that all too common view that people are only interested in their own story!
I get the “make it about them” idea. That’s great advice. But if you make it ALL about them what have your really contributed?
People are hungry for anything that gives their story context and meaning, and that’s why we have to tell our story.
Yes, it’s about finding the right balance between talking about them (mostly) and about us (less so), isn’t it?
If we don’t tell our own stories how can we connect?
Thank you for stopping by Jeff. Always good to “see” you and get your feedback!
True, true and very true! I like your suggestions.
As a coach (on emotions and spirituality) I love to use storytelling – in the practice, but also in my blogposts. If your permit me, here is one: http://www.lovebybreakup.com/9-ways-i-dealt-with-loneliness-after-breakup/
Yes, that’s a great way to share a personal story to bond with your readers. Thank you for sharing. Loneliness is such an important topic.
This is a great read; storytelling is so important! Whether you’re in a B to B or B to C environment, your audience is comprised of people. And people love stories.
Yep, so true: people love stories.
Thank you for your comment, Dawne! 🙂
I really appreciate the links to the books mentioned. I thought the title of Lisa Cron’s book sounded familiar, so had a look on my kindle and sure enough there it is – unread. So I shall go and read it. Thanks for another interesting and helpful post. {Have ‘screenshotted’ the list for later.}
I hope you’ll enjoy Lisa Cron’s book. I liked it. Happy reading!
I can see that if I’m holding the reader’s interest by telling a story, my story is suddenly relevant!
Also, thanks for the list of great books to read. Thanks for providing your story to us, keep up the good work.
Most people far rather read a story then a few dry facts, so it’s a great way to keep your reader’s attention. Happy storytelling, Suraj. And thank you for stopping by 🙂
Great writers learn from others who have done it well. I’ve read a number of books on fiction writing over the last several years that have been really helpful in developing my own storytelling approach. Stories are an important weapon to have in our arsenal, in which we teach moral lessons, keep an audience engaged in what we’re saying, and convince others to pursue a course of action. As someone trying to persuade others, you can have all the facts you want, but if you can’t tell a story people won’t listen. Great read, Henneke.
I’ve also learned a lot from fiction writing (as well as from non-fiction narrative writing).
Thank you for stopping by, Rebecca!
No proof but I see storytelling is much effective in sales copy as well as SEO copywriting.
What story does is it breaks the value indigestible parts. I feel it the best way to educate a reader about almost anything.
Your article is great. Keep it up.
Yes, I’ve seen storytelling used effectively in sales copy, too!
Thank you for stopping by, Aayush. I appreciate it.