How can you improve your storytelling skills by understanding the brain?

We all love stories. We grew up reading stories, watching stories unfold in movies and we are wired to see a beginning and an ending. So when you weave a story begin with setting the context, the story as a whole and wrap it with a closure and lo behold, you have a story to be remembered. Story should carry a takeaway message that can be remembered and valued and again repeated in other forums. The brain works in mysterious ways 😊

Personal narratives that we can empathize with must always be the foundation of a story. When we feel a connection to another person's experience, our brains feel plugged in because it feels like something we have faced or could probably encounter in the future.

When you hear a story that resonates within you, your brain releases chemical substances like oxytocin and dopamine, which can make you feel happy, sad, or indifferent. What the brain does is connect with the story's characters and emotions as if they were your own. Have you ever read a book or listened to a story that brought tears to your eyes? What happens is that your brain tries to relate to the story as if it were your own. This is what makes storytelling a powerful trigger for emotions.

Humans process facts one-at-a-time. Each fact we hear goes through a critical thinking filter (some more fine than others 😊). We assess each 'fact' to question whether it seems plausible and whether it matters to us. Fact: There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes in the world. Ok...what am I supposed to do with that? But, we process stories as a whole. We'll suspend judgment until the end of the story, then evaluate it by asking whether it "makes sense". Do the characters act as we might expect? Do we 'get' why you told me this story? Sharing a story, rather than a fact-a-lanche, provides the context your audience needs to be able to integrate that fact with their own experience in a way facts can't on their own.

Stories are powerful because they have the ability to evoke both emotions and contemplation. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, renowned author of "My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey," has illuminated the profound truth that, “Most of us think of ourselves as thinking creatures that feel, but we are actually feeling creatures that think.” It is a common misconception that advocating for stories means disregarding data and factual information. In reality, effective communication seamlessly integrates feelings through stories and rationality through data and facts. It is a harmonious union of the two, rather than a choice between them.

The brain's inherent affinity for storytelling stems from its need for structure, which is crucial when conveying important values, principles, or fundamental perspectives. Just as a well-structured story captivates our attention and ensures comprehension, it serves as an ideal vessel for embedding and preserving these essential messages, leveraging our emotional and empathetic responses to make them more relatable and enduring. In essence, storytelling harnesses the brain's love for narratives to effectively communicate and perpetuate vital ideas.

While structure is an important aspect that is needed by the brain to process it is even more impactful if it ties into the emotions and the best way to do that is to begin the story where the audience lives. Use words and a setting they are familiar with so that the listener can more easily relate.

Structures are essential to assimilate the message behind the presentation/story but also to get the will to do something about it. We are wired to expect the message to be delivered in a logical order and in a way that generates impact/emotions. In that sense, emotion will depend on the audience's concerns and that's why hierarchical level in a company will be the prime trigger to adapt the order of delivery.

Connecting empathy and structure is always an adventure, but this seems to happen naturally when we enter into an authentic storytelling space. The "authenticity" is key, however - in that manipulative storytelling isn't able to achieve this. It can create structure and some brains will yield to that structure, but not in a sustainable way. We need to feel that empathy in order for the structure to take.

The brain needs a clear and coherent structure to follow a story. This is because the brain is constantly trying to make sense of the world around us, and stories provide us with a framework for doing this. Tips for creating a clear and coherent structure for your story: Start with a strong premise What is your story about? What is the central conflict? Develop well-rounded characters. Who are the main characters in your story? What are their goals and motivations? Create a logical plot. What happens in your story? How do the events build on each other? Use foreshadowing and suspense to keep your readers or listeners engaged. Provide a satisfying resolution. How is the central conflict resolved? What are the consequences of the resolution?

Let's see this with an example: In the not-so-distant future, artificial intelligence will forever change storytelling. AI will know you better than you know yourself.. in fact, it already does. This AI-driven revolution will craft personalized narratives for each and every single one of us. AI will delve deep into your psyche, predicting your desires and emotions with uncanny precision. Brace yourself for a future where every story is a journey tailored to the very core of your being. What will the consequences be? Only time will tell

While novelty is an essential element in a story, there needs to be some familiarity as well. Novelty triggers dopamine (happy hormone) while familiarity triggers oxytocin (love hormone). Too much novelty will make your story overwhelming and too much familiarity will make it boring. Writers should strive for balance.

We are all a sucker for dopamine! Remember how your favorite team lost a big game? Or how they won a major trophy? That's because your brain loves these stories and incidents and releases dopamine like it's free, this is why you always remember stories like these along with the emotion you felt the first time.

Our brains love novelty and surprises because they make things more interesting. Think of telling a story like seasoning a meal – adding unexpected twists or cool facts spices it up, making it engaging. But here's where AI differs: AI can help create stories and predict what might be surprising, but it can't truly feel emotions or have personal experiences. It's like a chef who knows which spices to use but can't taste the meal. So, while AI can assist, it can't replicate the depth of human emotions and experiences because it can't actually experience them firsthand. Balancing surprise in storytelling is still an art best done by real storytellers who understand the nuances of emotions, and how it affects reader's interest.

One thing I have found useful in my journey of shaping storytellers is the power of observation. But the real key to success is the secret sauce of documentation. Documenting your observations through videos, photographs, illustrations, words and even sounds helps to create a tangible memory of a story.

Watch out for bias in storytelling. Tell me if this sounds familiar: Tim has strong political beliefs that align with a particular political party. He finds an article claiming that a policy implemented by the opposing political party had disastrous consequences. The article lacks credible sources and evidence, but it confirms Tim's negative opinions. Without critically evaluating the information or seeking alternative viewpoints, Tim shares the article. His friends like and share the post, further amplifying it across the platform. Here confirmation bias perpetuates Tim's bias and also contributes to the echo chamber effect, where people are surrounded by like-minded individuals and rarely exposed to diverse perspectives.

To me, storytelling in business can't be about fiction but more about how to create impact in our communication and how to make it memorable. Towards the same, I feel stories in business should have a combination of facts, context and emotion. Facts - to build credibility and trust Context -so it's relatable and relevant Emotion - so it appeals to the human side and has the impact to be memorable Instead of saying a phone has 16GB of memory, say that it can hold 10,000 images or 10 full HD movies of 2 hours.

It is far to easy to fall into the confirmation bias trap where we latch onto things that align with our beliefs. This relates to my earlier point that many are lazy and do not bother to research the truth or look at the other side or alternative view. Social media has only exacerbated this by developing algorithms that surface material that feeds our bias.

One thing I have found helpful is that capturing and holding the audience's attention is you keeping them in a conversation with you. It's about understanding what matters to them. Your story needs to connect with their needs and interests, it's like you are speaking their language. Plus, showing that you know what you're talking about, and being honest builds trust. Making them feel something – whether it's inspiration or a challenge is how you make your story stick and keep your audience interested.

When we listen to or read a story, our brains are constantly trying to connect the story to our own lives and experiences. We look for similarities between ourselves and the characters, and we try to learn from the events of the story. If a story is not relevant to our lives, it is less likely to capture our attention and keep us engaged. There are a number of ways to make a story more relevant to your audience. One way is to choose a topic that is of interest to your audience. Another way is to use characters that are relatable to your audience. You can also make the story more relevant by setting the story in a familiar time and place, or by including themes that are relevant to your audience's lives

We learn from stories because they engage our emotions, provide context, and offer relatable examples, making complex concepts easier to understand and remember. They also stimulate our imagination, leading to deeper learning.

Think of how a child learns about honesty through the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." When learning is enjoyable, it triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. Dopamine enhances attention, motivation, and memory formation. Human brains are wired to learn through storytelling. Our ancestors passed down knowledge through stories, songs, sayings.. Why? They are surprising and emotionally charged, the perfect combination!

The brain learns from stories. This is because stories are a powerful way to communicate information and emotions. They can engage our senses, activate our imaginations, and help us to make sense of the world around us. Stories teach us about different cultures and perspectives. When we read a story about a character from a different culture, for example, our brains are able to learn about that culture and to understand the character's perspective. This can help us to become more open-minded and tolerant of others. Overall, stories are a powerful way to learn about the world around us, to develop our empathy and compassion, and to become better people.

An example of this is a personal experience I had: I once heard the story of a young woman who always wore a smile, no matter the challenges she faced. Her positivity was contagious, making everyone around her feel better and happier. This story really resonated with me because I wanted to be happier in my own life. So, for two weeks, I decided to follow her example and maintain a positive attitude no matter what. It wasn't always easy, but I noticed that people around me started to respond more positively, and I felt happier too. This showed me firsthand how stories can inspire change and shape our actions and emotions.

This really resonates. I have been catching up on my non fiction reading recently and I can say that the books that really hit home and I vividly remember them (and also enjoyed the most) were those that told stories and added the human angle. I have pretty much forgotten the others that just recounted lessons and provided yet another framework to apply.

Think of your brain as a big bookshelf, and each story is a different book on that shelf. Let's say you have a story about your best friend's surprise birthday party. You could tell it once, and it's like putting that book on the shelf. But if you want to remember it really well, you might tell it a few more times, like taking the same book down from the shelf and looking at it again. Now, when you want to make a point or leave a lasting impression, you can share a story about how your friend's face lit up when they saw the cake. It's like taking that book, opening it to the most exciting page, and showing it to someone to make them feel the same excitement. That's how stories help our brains store and share memories.

Imagine in our brains we have two folders: Absence makes the heart grow fonder AND Out of sight, out of mind Which one is it? They are opposites and yet, we all may have given advice using these same words. By using existing knowledge, like sayings, you will be given strength to your message.

I actually demonstrated this point in my TEDx. The first thing I spoke to the audience was a string of 8 numbers they broke into a story about a coupe of characters. Later I polled the asked the audience if the remembered the numbers and no one could. However when I asked them what the occupation of one of the characters was almost everyone remembered.

Stories help us retain information that we might otherwise forget. Have you ever watched a presentation on a less-than-fascinating topic? You'll likely remember the personal anecdotes or jokes the speaker shared more than the actual subject matter. I can recall numerous quirky (and not so quirky) tales from my middle school teachers, but I remember less about the actual academic lessons. It's worth noting that for much of human history, the written word wasn't accessible to the everyday person. Much of our folklore, moral lessons, and knowledge were passed down generationally through the power of oral storytelling alone!

Stories stick in our minds because they come with emotions and vivid imagery. These elements work together to create lasting memories.

The butterfly effect: This is the idea that a small change in one place can have a big impact on another place. It's often used to describe complex systems, like the weather or the economy. But it can also be applied to our personal lives. For example, a small act of kindness could have a big impact on someone's day, and that impact could ripple out to touch other people's lives as well.

“For most people, they need context for what is being shown. What does the data mean? A lot of good storytelling falls within this prism of coherence, or the structural integrity of ideas wherein each added idea builds on and reinforces related concepts. Coherence helps us focus and cut through the noise.” “Whether it’s through words or actual visuals, stories that set a rich scene help us process them faster and become more engaged. That’s also why incorporating visuals such as art and charts, when possible, into your storytelling will make your narrative stronger and stickier. “ “Having a two-way synchronous conversation increases reflection, raises a sense of primary relatedness in our brains, and builds connections”

Understanding how the brain processes information can indeed help improve storytelling skills. The phrase "Cells that fire together, wire together" is often used in the context of neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. When applied to storytelling, it suggests that when you create vivid mental images through storytelling, it can enhance memory and engagement because it strengthens the neural connections associated with that story.

While we narrate a story we connect with the characters in our story and a hormone is released in the brain which is associated with empathy which in turn helps us build relationship with our audience. It is also said that while we narrate story people remember information, twenty- two times more than facts alone. How we tell our stories controls our mood and self-image. It can uplift us and change moods. A reasonable amount of positive emotion and optimism allows us to cope better with adversity and meet the obstacles we face. Good storytelling can remind how it helps in effective goals achievement, which in turn increases self-esteem and motivate them to aim for success again.

Además de la estructura, el contenido y el discurso, hemos de tener en cuenta el lenguaje con el que contamos la historia. El impacto de las palabras que usamos activa y predispone a nuestro cerebro de forma positiva o negativa, afectando a la historia que van a escuchar. Mientras que las palabras de acción positiva recrean reacciones beneficiosas y liberan dopamina, la hormona de la recompensa y placer, abriendo nuestra mente; las palabras de acción negativa crean sensación de alerta, segregan cortisol, la hormona del estrés y te hacen tomar distancia mentalmente. Dependiendo de qué quieras activar en el cerebro de quien recibe tu discurso usa más palabras de connotación positiva o negativa, para ser coherente con tu historia.