7 storytelling principles to intrigue, enlighten, and influence

Whether we realise it or not, we are storytelling and story-listening creatures. 

In Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari tells us that we make sense of the existence in front of us from story creation. Every social construct, including Peugeot, Capitalism, and the United States are in a sense ‘fictions’ that we create to make sense of the world, which are then passed through generations. So stories are not just to entertain, rationalize, or plain vent; in fact, people move through their lives learning from the stories of others.

But some stories just suck. 

Being able to create and deliver a strong story can prop you up in so many areas of your life: from dates, to job interviews, to sitting at the bar recalling the time you drank too many tequila sunrises and ended up in a field chasing sheep with a can of spray paint.

Fortunately, storytelling is a trainable skill. In Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling writer and key contributor to The Moth, Matthew Dicks, outlines the principles you need to take into your next story.

1. Mark the right moments

Our stories mainly came from life’s most explosive talking points⁠—the awful first dates, the time we met so-and-so celebrity or our last holiday. But how do we locate those hidden moments in our lives that make a great story? 

One recommended strategy is called ‘Homework for life’. This involves noting down (could be in a calendar, spreadsheet, or notebook) one thing at the end of every day that made this particular day different from every other. You will find that life slows down by doing this exercise, and you start to feel like your days are fulfilled with story-worthy moments. 

‘First’, ‘last’, ‘best’, and ‘worst’ times always make good stories too. For example, your first pet, worst kiss, best car, or last cemetery visit. 

2. Include a 5-second transformation

Bar stories may be entertaining, but the stories that stick are the ones that are built around a ‘five-second’ moment of change. This is the ‘final act’ moments of your story that turn trivial tales into something memorable.

For example, the time someone helped you out after you spent an entire day being an asshole may have changed your perspective on how you deal with difficulties. Or the time you bumped into triplets at separate times in different places may make you realise how small the world is. 

Aristotle, master storyteller and expert of pretty much everything he got his hands on, used to hate anecdotes. This is because they capture where something unique happens but we’re still essentially the same afterwards. A story sits with us when you no longer feel or think the same afterwards. There must be a point to your story, otherwise, why tell it?

3. Tee up the conclusion

Although every story follows a beginning, middle, and end structure, you should try to ‘tee up’ your story with a simple line that succinctly explains the end - or how you got into the situation you’re about to discuss. 

Think of the movie Fight Club, in which the opening scene follows a bead of sweat as it trickles down towards the barrel of a gun, which is inside the narrator’s mouth. Or think about those Facebook videos that start with the ‘big reveal’ to capture your attention and stop you scrolling, before elaborating on the story behind the big reveal.

Starting at the end prompts a ‘first point of tension’, which should be retained throughout the story. 

4. Retain tension 

Writer William Archer once said that ‘Drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty.’ And to retain tension towards a point of value, you need to ask what is driving uncertainty at every point in your story. 

To assist this, realise that every story has an emotional core, which is how the storyteller feels about the events that they are describing. What troubled you? What motivated you? What were the physiological effects on your body during the situation?

If the audience is not concerned about the people in the story, nor are they being given something to wonder about, then you aren’t leaving them with enough substance to keep them gripped.

5. Keep in mind that size matters

People are giving their most important resources in life⁠—their time and energy⁠—to listen to the words spilling out of your mouth, so you better make every second worth it. 

A story should only be as long, or short, as it needs to be. Often, the shorter and more impactful the better, but if it’s definitely worth ten minutes, then it should be ten minutes. I have a theory that the HBO mini-series Chernobyl made such an impact because it was so easy to digest, and didn’t drag out over six seasons. But also, the end of Game of Thrones felt ‘rushed’ because of the way it crammed multiple huge battles and character shifts within a three-episode span. 

Telling stories within the right time-span is tricky, so experiment with length to see what works. 

6. Trim the fat

If the details don’t serve to build character or develop narrative, then they are inessential and need removing. Nobody needs to know what shoes you were wearing or that your Aunt’s name is Jean unless it adds to the tension. By keeping only what’s essential, you allow the existing details to shine. 

You should even kill your friends or family. Wait, that came out wrong... let me explain: if there were certain individuals that were present, but not important within the story, then the audience doesn’t need to know they were even there. 

It’s not lying or embellishment⁠—this is a story. You’re there to entertain and lead people to that aforementioned ‘five-second moment’ of realisation or transformation.

7. Listen up

You can’t just break into a story repeatedly and randomly without context. You need to question why it’s relevant and who the message is for. A huge part of telling a great story is being a great listener with great timing.

Listening gives you a chance to also see how other people tell their stories, and you can then assess how they are constructed and what makes them more, or less, memorable. 

The End

Stories are a powerful to create real connections with the people around you. We’re all susceptible to a powerful story, and absorb them in endless forms and formats both online and offline every single day. 

Stories that stick are hard to come by. But storytellers aren’t born, they’re created; and if you put in the reps, it’ll become one of the most essential skills you’ll ever master.