The Power of Story
4 September 2023
If storytelling doesn’t come naturally to you, there are tools that can help. Our dive into the science of story shows that the narrative arc, famously illustrated by Gustav Freytag’s story arc which he created after examining the complete oeuvre of Shakespeare, is one of the most effective ways of conveying facts to non-expert audiences.
The arc offers a map for establishing characters, creating tension and resolving that tension in a tight package. When stories follow this arc, and we experience uncertainty about the outcome of the story, we become engrossed and often we find it easier to take the perspective of the main character of the story.
The arc works like this: in the opening of a story, we are introduced to characters and setting. That’s the flat part on the left. As the story unfolds, we meet new characters who introduce tension and uncertainty into the story—that’s where the line goes up. At the peak of the arc, the central character faces a challenge they may not be able to overcome. As the arc declines, the central character works with others to address the problem, and the flat line at the end suggests their future lives after the story has unwound. Eastern cultures may use a similar but slightly different story structure, which include an introduction and exposition leading to a twist and then a resolution (Kishōtenketsu).
We find it helpful as you are building your stories to actually plot the points of the story on a copy of the arc to ensure that you are not skipping critical parts. For example, organizations often skip that top moment of the climax. This is a moment of uncertainty — and often what makes a story interesting. The uncertainty is seen as vulnerability, and often organizations try to downplay that. Yet vulnerability is what leads to a sense of authenticity.
Authenticity is a hallmark of story building. The sad truth of human cognition is just because a story is true doesn’t mean it will be found true. The verisimilitude of your story, or the appearance of being true or real, is a critical component of your story design. This is why our story building technique spends so much time identifying who the actors are and what makes them tick. You will want to design the frame and presentation of your facts with these actors in mind. It’s not that you should make up information to appease these actors, but by purposefully designing whose story you tell, how targeted specifically for certain audiences.
The arc offers a map for establishing characters, creating tension and resolving that tension in a tight package. When stories follow this arc, and we experience uncertainty about the outcome of the story, we become engrossed and often we find it easier to take the perspective of the main character of the story.
The arc works like this: in the opening of a story, we are introduced to characters and setting. That’s the flat part on the left. As the story unfolds, we meet new characters who introduce tension and uncertainty into the story—that’s where the line goes up. At the peak of the arc, the central character faces a challenge they may not be able to overcome. As the arc declines, the central character works with others to address the problem, and the flat line at the end suggests their future lives after the story has unwound. Eastern cultures may use a similar but slightly different story structure, which include an introduction and exposition leading to a twist and then a resolution (Kishōtenketsu).
We find it helpful as you are building your stories to actually plot the points of the story on a copy of the arc to ensure that you are not skipping critical parts. For example, organizations often skip that top moment of the climax. This is a moment of uncertainty — and often what makes a story interesting. The uncertainty is seen as vulnerability, and often organizations try to downplay that. Yet vulnerability is what leads to a sense of authenticity.
Authenticity is a hallmark of story building. The sad truth of human cognition is just because a story is true doesn’t mean it will be found true. The verisimilitude of your story, or the appearance of being true or real, is a critical component of your story design. This is why our story building technique spends so much time identifying who the actors are and what makes them tick. You will want to design the frame and presentation of your facts with these actors in mind. It’s not that you should make up information to appease these actors, but by purposefully designing whose story you tell, how targeted specifically for certain audiences.
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