Telling a Strong Story John Couper, Ph.D. Communication Impact http://communicationimpact.wordpress.com
Story Strength
Good writing tells a story, which we are hardwired to respond to. One simple measure of story strength is how long it stays with a reader: a strong story becomes part of a reader’s life, perhaps for years, while a weak story evaporates after seconds or minutes. Though writing is more of an art than a science, several useful principles can help improve your writing quickly. This is my overview of central components of a story that can be considered while making the literally thousands of decisions in writing something of any length.
Meanings
The content or significance that we see in words, pictures, etc. A strong story almost always has one or two central meanings, with 2 to 5 supporting meanings that add context, history, etc. There are two main kinds of meaning: Information: meanings that directly describe or explain something. Examples: details about an event; quote; summary of an object. Implication: associations or suggestions that are raised in the reader’s mind by other aspects of the story. “Spreading interactionism” describes the process that creates a network of implied meanings after someone reads one that is explicit. Examples: suggesting a reason for something by placing two in a certain order; choosing a word like “seduction” instead of “romancing” for a negative implication.
Tone/voice
Every story has a “voice”, or writing style, that in itself suggests something about the situation. The impact and implications of the story can be strongly affected by voice, which can even be changed to suggest a change in the sources of the story. Ironic, humorous, or serious writing are each kinds of voice. Examples: Using short, sensory, concrete words in sort sentences to suggest everyday events, compared to technical, specialized words in longer and sentences to suggest complex events or explanations; using personalized or regional language to “place” the reader in the presence of the story-teller or the cultural region.
Perspective
Every story comes from someone: this affects its meanings for the reader. A first-person “I did that” perspective suggests subjectivity and is better at conveying emotional information, while a third-person “they did that” perspective (say, from an observer or “God”) suggests objectivity and is better at conveying factual and complex information. Examples: A story from a reporter who was on the scene, compared to one who gathers a range of information from various sources, compared to one who describes the experience of someone involved without introducing herself or himself.
Focus
How clearly the story emphasizes the meanings that carry the story along. Most writing is full of irrelevant, distracting, or confusing information that loses a lot of the story’s potential impact. The best writing is always focused, even if its information seems disconnected at first. The focus can be direct and stated or indirect and implied. Whether we start with a clear explanation of the focus, introduce it later, have two focuses, or let it emerge gradually depends on the writer’s goals and sense of the readers. Every unneeded word weakens a atory. Examples: a story on a fire that includes details on fire department management can be focused (or not) if the fire itself introduces a report on the reason for the kind of response; a story with unnecessary clauses, adjectives and information is unfocused.