Wendy Tapper

Storytelling is a superpower. Steve Jobs said: "The most powerful person is the storyteller." Unfortunately, most people don't know how to tell a good story. So they are at the mercy of those who do. Let's change that: Here's 5 principles for telling an amazing story: 1. The Hook This is THE most important part of your story. It's what gets people invested enough to come along on the journey. A great hook does two things: • Plants a Seed of Intrigue • Compels the Audience Forward Best way I've found to accomplish both is through Open Cognitive Loops. But, before I break down how to Open Cognitive Loops, let's talk about the second principle: 2. The Image The power of story is that it unlocks something inside each of us: A blank canvas upon which your words can paint. Each brush stroke must be placed with intention. Each detail crafted with care. Get this part right and you can design worlds and characters in your audience's mind that they feel more connected to than the drab reality of their day-to-day lives. 3. The Lesson Have you ever told a story that started strong but petered out midway 'cause you couldn't figure out how to wrap it up? So instead, it just ends on a blech note with something like: "Yeah, I guess you just had to be there." Oof... I feel ya. We've all been there. The problem? You committed the most deadly of Storytelling Sins: You told a Story without giving it MEANING. When most people tell a story, they're simply reciting events in a chronological order and then leaving it to the audience to imbue it with meaning. Great storytellers don't leave this to chance. They tell you exactly WHY this story is so important and WHAT they want you to take away from it. Here's an example from a story I told the other day about my cat nearly dying: “The next morning we were scheduled to put him down. I remember feeling so impotent and shallow because I’d put a dollar value on the life of a loved one. Now, I get it… Sparta is just a cat. But that’s not the point. Because it’s about the larger truth: I wasn’t in a position to help if my dad, or my partner, or my siblings, were ever to fall sick. I resolved at that moment, money would never again be the reason I couldn’t help a loved one in need.” Alright, so what should you do if you're not sure what the meaning of your story is? Easy... Don't tell it. Seriously. A story without meaning is just a list of events. Nobody's life has ever been changed by a list. 4. The Two Journeys Every great story has a character striving to achieve a goal. Frodo must destroy the Ring. Harry must kill Voldemort. Luke must redeem his Dad. You must get a loaf of bread from the grocery store. (not all stories are epic) Now, within the struggle to achieve these goals, our character is actually on TWO journeys. 1. The External 2. The Internal The stories I listed above are The External. These are easy to visualize and the one that most of us think about when it comes to storytelling. However, The Internal struggle is the journey our character must go through in wrestling with who they are in relation to the world. THIS journey is the one that imbues our story with deep resonance. Without it, if we merely focus on The External struggle, we end up with a Michael Bay movie like The Transformers where everything is blowing up and yet nobody gives a shit. Let's take a step back to my Sparta-story... The External struggle is that Sparta is dying and needs surgery I can't afford. The Internal struggle is realizing I hate myself because I've put a price on my loved one's life. The key to telling a great story lies in your ability to resolve both the External and Internal Journey. If you can master this, you can make an impactful story out of anything... Even something so small as picking up a loaf of bread from the grocery store. 5. Closing Loops At the beginning of this post I said that great stories plant a seed of intrigue and compel the audience forward. To accomplish this I said we Open Cognitive Loops. But I didn't tell you what an Open Cognitive Loop is... Instead, I showed you (by opening one). Seriously, go back and look to see how I did it. See, an Open Cognitive Loop is simply a question that needs answering. One of the ways to keep your audience on the edge of their seat and invested in the story is to keep opening and closing cognitive loops until the very end. But the truth is, ending your story is often the hardest parts. So here's a trick: Next time you find yourself meandering lamely towards an ending and can't figure out how to wrap things up... Use these words: "I share this with you because..." And then tell them exactly why you shared it with them. This is called The Tie Down. It brings everything full circle and gives a sense of closure (which is a story in and of itself for another day). Here's how it works in real time: I share these five principles of storytelling with you because I believe every single one of us has a story inside... A story with the potential to change the world if only we knew how to tell it better. I believe Storytelling is a Superpower... And I can't wait to see what you do with yours. Yo, if you want more stories about business, investing, and personal development, give me a follow @AnthonyVicino .