How do you apply good story structure to different scenarios?

1 Know your purpose

Before you start telling your story, you need to know why you are telling it. What is your main goal or message? What do you want your audience to feel, think, or do after hearing your story? Your purpose will guide your choice of story elements, such as theme, plot, characters, and tone. For example, if your purpose is to persuade your audience to adopt a new strategy, you might use a story that shows the benefits and challenges of the strategy, and how you overcame them. If your purpose is to inspire your audience to take action, you might use a story that demonstrates your passion and vision, and how you made a difference.

2 Choose your format

Depending on your scenario, you might have different options for how to tell your story. You might use slides, videos, podcasts, articles, or social media posts. Each format has its own advantages and limitations, so you need to consider how to best use them to convey your story. For example, if you use slides, you might want to use images, graphs, and bullet points to support your story, but avoid too much text or clutter. If you use videos, you might want to use sound, music, and editing to create a dynamic and emotional story, but avoid too long or boring scenes. If you use podcasts, you might want to use voice, tone, and pauses to create a conversational and intimate story, but avoid too many distractions or interruptions.

5 Use the right techniques

In order to make your story more effective and appealing, you should employ the right techniques to enhance your story elements. Show, don't tell: use sensory details, dialogue, and action to show rather than tell your story. This will enable your audience to visualize and experience the narrative, making it more believable and relatable. Additionally, the rule of three can be used to create a pattern, rhythm, and impact in your story. Contrast can also be employed to create interest, tension, and surprise in the story. Lastly, humor can be used to lighten the mood and make the story more enjoyable and memorable. However, be careful not to offend or alienate your audience.

6 Get feedback

Finally, the best way to improve your storytelling skills is to get feedback from others. Ask for honest and constructive feedback from people who are similar to your target audience, or who have expertise or experience in storytelling. Listen to their opinions and suggestions, and use them to refine and polish your story. You can also learn from other storytellers by reading, watching, or listening to their stories, and analyzing their techniques and strategies.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?