How can you tell a clear and creative story?

As a former journalist, we were trained to not bury the lede. In other words, tell your intended audience what's most important without obscuring it with distracting information. That is great advice for stories, proposals thesis statements or conversations. If your purpose isn't clearly conveyed at the beginning, you are probably wasting everybody's time.

Your purpose should be 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 for your target audience. Use words so simple that a third-grader would understand it.

Effective stories have the following in common: - they illustrate change - they align with your audience’s worldview - combine familiar with new - use tension - are true and subtle Answering the following questions about your audience will help you tell more effective stories: - What stories does your audience tell themselves about the world? What does status, success, significance, … look like for them? - What stories could you tell them to support that worldview ? - What change are they looking for? - How can your stories illustrate that change?

Remember-- if you confuse you lose. One of the biggest mistakes I see companies of all sizes make is they don't talk about how they're solving their customer's problems. Instead of talking about your product/service features, reframe that to lead with how this feature solves xxx problem. For example, if you sell sneakers: Your audience cares more that you're helping them comfortably workout more than they care about the materials the shoe is made of. Make your customer the front & center Hero, and have your company be the trusted and knowledgeable Guide helping them be successful.

To tell a clear and creative story, you need a clear and creative purpose. A common practice for this is to communicate the whole purpose in a 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. For example: "I will show you [how] I helped [who] with [what].

Limit your scope. Instead of going wide on 5 plot lines, go deep on 1. The 5th Harry Potter is 800 pages but only has 5 plot lines. You don't need more than that. Avoid scope creep and it goes a long way to keeping your story clear.

There are a lot of frameworks for telling good stories. These can be helpful (Storybrand, or Pixar are great examples). I also don't believe "beginning a middle and a end" is helpful advice. That's like saying a Car needs "wheels, an engine and a steering wheel." That doesn't tell you how to build a car. A structure can be very simple. It's a character who has a problem and overcomes that problem. In a business setting it might be: "IT professionals have so many tools they feel overwhelmed, but our product turns 20 different tools into 1 simple to use platform." Focus on who first, who are you talking to. What makes them... them! Then dig into that pain point: what keeps them up at night, what gets them up in the morning?

Get Organized! When your storyboards, shot-lists and script outlines are put together in a comprehensive and easily accessible way, it makes for efficient and effective storytelling. Get to the punch! If it’s not supporting the overall story, it does not belong. This applies to for editing as well. Organize your footage as much as possible. Once your media is properly displayed, the storyteller can “grab and go” playing with the structure/different kinds of shots to see what pushes the narrative the most.

Yo creo que es mejor desestructurar. Desordenar. Cambiar la estructura. Romper el molde con sutileza. Sorprender al lector con un orden aleatorio. Un comienzo que es el final, un giro que empieza, un final abierto. No tengas miedo. Las reglas están para romperlas.

How you construct your storytelling/stories will define the impact that you will be making. Always keep the core principals - or layers as I call them in my storytelling model (the sprout model) - this will guide your story. Be sure to know the impact you want to make, the people that you are telling the story to, set starting context and direction, move into the main event and what in particular it is you are addressing, then bring clarity, conclusion and a lasting impression to the end point ... not forgetting to nurture the story with creativity, energy and perspective.

It’s all in the details! Your story should take the reader along the experience lane. It should make them feel present as if they’re breathing the characters! If the characters wounded or heartbroken the details should be presented as such that the reader feels through the lines. The essence lies in immersion and that is where the details come to show!

Adding these sorts of descriptive details creates an immersive experience for your reader. This heightens their emotional connection to your writing meaning they're more likely to keep reading, more likely to understand, and more likely to retain the information.

People love hearing details, give it to them. Instead of saying: => The soft breeze was blowing. Say: => When she looked up, the soft breeze moved the hair strands from her face. Reminding her of her lover! See, the massive difference.

Paint a vivid picture by describing what the characters see, hear, smell, taste, and feel in key moments. Specific sensory details make the story more immersive and memorable than vague abstractions. When describing settings, hone in on telling details that convey the essential mood and atmosphere. Choose details that act as symbols, subtly supporting the theme or character development. When describing characters, use sensory details to evoke their inner emotional landscape, allowing readers to connect with them on a primal level. You can also use figurative language to make your descriptions more evocative. Ensure these stylistic choices enrich the narrative without overshadowing the story’s own voice and integrity.

Utilising the senses is an ingredient I consider in my unique storytelling framework. This really can lift the experience of the audience and incorporate different types of creativity within your storytelling. You can do this physically, or through the words which elicit a focus on the senses. Either way, the senses are an important way of inspiring a reaction on the human body and a great way to enrich your storytelling!

A lot of writers make the mistake of believing that dialogue has to be realistic. No, it doesn’t dialogue has to have purpose, it has to hit, and it has to add to the character. I mean, if you examine a lot of popular fiction… there’s not “um’s and “ah’s…” (unless it adds to a character). There also needs to be purpose behind the dialogue, because conciseness is key! If it doesn’t need to be there and it doesn’t progress the characters or story, then chop it out!

Adding dialogues also helps in creating a sense of relatability and visualisation for the audience. They feel as if they are a part of the conversation. But one needs to be careful and match the tone with your story and purpose. Don’t add dialogues randomly as that can take away focus from main message.

Dialogues are an effective means of expressing character, moving the plot along, and building reader rapport. Including dialogies makes your story more relatable to a wider audience and increases audience interest, all of which are beneficial traits for any storyteller. Among the traits of dailogues are the following. Dialogues can be a useful tool in character development. Maximise the affective resonance of conversations. Assign distinct voices to your characters. Make sure conversations have a relevant context. Instead of expressing feelings relationships, and disagreements directly, use dialogue to illustrate them. To sum up, I would argue that dialogues are crucial to effective storytelling.

Add dialogue- say it as it is instead of narrating them. I learnt this from Andy Harrington. Instead of saying "My dad told me that I am a good boy", do this "You're a good boy, son" by mimicking the voice of your dad. Relive the moment- include stage play.

Pregunta. Implica a la audiencia. Incita al diálogo. Invita a la conversación. Si cuentas historias con verdades absolutas tu público pensará que no tiene nada que aportar. Abre posibilidades y ofrece espacios en los que poder aportar.

Meditate, or at least find your happy place. Lie there and think: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳? What if this happened? What if this hadn't happened? You have no idea how many doors this method opens!

The most conventional business communication media are predictable and unexciting. Does it need to be a deck? A memo? A long email? Can you shoot a video? Can you write a mini-script? Can you draw a telling cartoon image? Try to deliver the story creatively with fun and surprise.

Imagination is the secret sauce to great storytelling. Don't just think of something happening, think of the effects it's having on the environment. Instead of thinking: => We sat under the moonlight, in peace. Imagine: => We sat under the moonlight. Everything was silent just the music of night insects echoing our ears. Moonlight fell on the railing, making it shine like a bright star. And that's how you use imagination to make your stories stand out!

The Four Golden Rules of Storytelling: 1. Now begins a story. 2. Never reveal everything you know. 3. Always leave the audience wanting more. 4.

Here's an example: I wanted to describe my business journey and for my 46th birthday I created a post in which I meet at the age of 23 and me today. The conversation between "the two of us" caused very nice comments. especially since I was very honest.

Your story needs to flow naturally, as your message unfolds. It doesn’t have to be a straight line from A to B. Some of the best stories start with, “A funny thing happened on the way to…”

Start by crafting your unique story. What makes you, you? What are some experiences you've been through that could be worth sharing with the audience? What are some great lessons learnt from your ups and downs in life? A personal story that ends with a positive value to the audience will never go wrong.

Know Your Audience: Tailor your storytelling style, language, and content to your intended audience. What works for children will differ greatly from a story aimed at adults. Revise and Edit: The first draft is just the start. Revising and editing are where much of the creativity actually happens. This process allows you to refine your story, tighten your narrative, and enhance clarity and engagement. Feedback is Gold: Share your story with trusted peers or mentors and be open to their feedback. Fresh eyes can catch inconsistencies, suggest improvements, and help you gauge the emotional impact of your story.

Maintaining consistency is a tip less talked about. Make sure you keep the tone consistent. For example: If the setting is casual, if your surrounding is your friends and family members, you're not going to speak British English and twisted lingo. Just capture the moment and write it in consistency or else a paragraph of your story would be posh, while other would be a 12 year old boy speaking to his guy friends about his hobbies.

Say it with me... Be Brief, Be Brilliant, Be gone! Be Brief: Keep it short and sweet but impactful for your audience. The last thing you want is for your audience lost in the sauce. Bullet points are your best friend! Be Brilliant: Use descriptive language to paint a picture appealing to the senses. Be Gone: Always leave 5 minutes before they want you to go. Leave them wanting more.