Unlock your inner storyteller

If the idea of telling a story seems intimidating to you, or you’re not sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place.

sto·ry |ˈstôrē | An account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment

By the end of this article, you’ll know the basics of good storytelling, and (hopefully) demystifying this process will make getting started not so scary after all. Let’s dive right in.

This is a great question, and one that’s pretty fun to answer—there are a zillion reasons. But we’ll stick to just three here, for the sake of brevity. 

First, humans are naturally wired to enjoy a good story. It’s been evolutionarily written into our programming, as indicated by  neuroscience . Back in the early days of human history, stories were how we learned to navigate—and not die in—the world around us. Elders told stories to help younger generations what was safe and what wasn’t: what animals were dangerous, what foods were safe to eat, who we could trust.

Why did we use stories for this? It has to do with neurons,  oxytocin , and some really interesting science, but we don’t need to get into the weeds of that here. The gist of it is that, given the way our brains work, we’re more likely to remember a good story than a plainly recited fact. Remembering which red berry was safe to eat and which one would kill you is pretty important, so as humans we’ve relied on storytelling to keep us alive since the beginning.

The way our brains work, we’re more likely to remember a good story than a plainly recited fact.

This brings us to reason number two: Stories are one of the best ways to build connection between people. Just as we need to know which foods are(n’t) toxic, we have an innate need to know who we can and can’t trust. Stories help us relate to one another, and that relatability fosters empathy, trust, and collaboration. 

Think about the last action movie you saw. There was, almost certainly, a high-speed chase scene. And, if the movie was any good, you were likely on the edge of your seat, heart pumping a little faster, hooked on the events unfolding before you.

Part of this might be because of cool CGI explosions or wildly talented stunt performances. But a bigger reason is that the narrative leading up to the chase was designed to help you see some part of yourself in the film’s protagonist. The writers established a sense of familiarity to get you invested in the fate of the hero. The story of their life got you to trust that they have good intentions, so you care about their wellbeing and success.

This doesn’t just apply to works of complete fiction—it’s the same reason so many people love a good memoir, or why Hollywood keeps churning out biopics.

There’s the third reason to tell stories: With a little bit of intentionality around the telling, stories can delight and entertain their audience. And that, in turn, can be incredibly fun, rewarding, and even a little addicting for the person doing the telling. 

TL;DR: People are hardwired to enjoy a good story, and telling one can be just as rewarding as hearing, reading, or watching it. 

Another great question with myriad answers, but let’s stick to three major ones again. 

First, an established setting—every story happens somewhere. The more real that place feels to your audience, the more immersed they’ll be in the tale you’re telling. What are the sights, sounds, smells, and textures that make a particular place come to life? 

If you’re recounting a recent vacation, and have gotten to the part where you discovered your new favorite café, don’t skimp on recreating the atmosphere. Was it hustling and bustling, a people-watcher’s paradise? Or quiet and undiscovered, the perfect place to escape from city crowds and refuel? Were the colors bold and energizing, or muted and calming? These details will help bring your audience there with you, so that by the time you’re describing the food’s flavors and textures, they can almost taste it, too.

Every story happens somewhere. The more real that place feels to your audience, the more immersed they’ll be.

The second thing all good stories have are established characters. This might seem obvious, but it’s worth going over. Remember the action movie’s high-speed chase? It was the character development leading up to it that made it effective. For the threat of the villains catching the hero to matter, you first have to care about the protagonist.

So, how do you get someone to care about the cast in your narrative? Make them relatable. Describe their motivations, desires, fears—the details that a reader or viewer can recognize in themselves. This inevitably connects them to the outcomes of those characters, and once they’re invested in the outcome, you’ve got them hooked.

Sticking with the vacation example, odds are you’re the main character in that tale. And while you could just say “first I went here, then I went here, then I got lost and ended up here,” that gets pretty stale pretty fast. Why did you go to that particular spot first? What surprised you about it? How did you feel when you were lost? Did it flood your brain with anxious thoughts and frustration? Or were you happily along for the ride, embracing whatever surprises you found along the way? We’ve all been lost at one point or another; bringing your audience into your thought process for that familiar scenario will help them empathize and engage with that (mis)adventure.

Remember the action movie’s high-speed chase? It was the character development leading up to it that made it effective.

Once your audience cares about your character(s), you can establish the third aspect of a great story: Tension. Essentially,  tension  is the gap between what is happening currently and what could happen in the future. Creating this gap makes an audience ask questions about the outcome.

Our hero is being chased—will the villains catch them, or will they narrowly escape with their lives? You have to keep watching to find out.

You thought you’d read your map correctly, but instead of finding yourself downtown, you’re off in some neighborhood you don’t even know the name of. Will you come across a delightful spot the locals love, a best-kept secret from tourist guidebooks? Will you wander around aimlessly, frustration building with each step? Will the forecasted thunderstorm roll in before you make it back to your hotel, where you left your umbrella thinking you’d have plenty of time to get back before the skies opened up?

These are the questions that keep an audience rapt, hanging on your every word. They just have to know how it turns out. If you can build a little of this mystery into your tales—and there’s always a way to do it—you’re sure to take your storytelling to the next level.

TL;DR: Good stories hook readers by 1) transporting them to the place they occurred with a well-established setting; 2) creating realistic characters they can see themselves in; and 3) building in moments of tension where they need to know what happens next.

This is the best question of all, and perhaps the simplest to answer.

The first step to storytelling is identifying your intentions: What do you want to say, to who, and why? Knowing your objectives will help you better think about what elements of the setting and characters will be most relatable to your audience, and which details might be more of a distraction.

The most important step, hands down, is to just give it a try.

Next, plan out your narrative arc at a high-level. While you ­could just start writing a stream of consciousness, taking the time to make an outline first will pay off tremendously in the long run. It will help you get all the ideas out of your head, so you can think more clearly about each one. Then you can experiment with their ordering, seeing how different arrangements do or don’t create tension. A great way to do this is with post-it notes or index cards, but a simple slide deck or bulleted list in your favorite note-taking app work just as well.

The most important step, hands down, is to just give it a try. Like all creative endeavors, no one starts out an expert. It’s practicing the craft that makes you better at it. You might love your first story, you might not—there’s no rule that you have to share it with anyone but yourself, so don’t stress. Give yourself permission to play and enjoy the process. Focus on having fun, and the rest of the skills will come with time. If you need help, just head on back to the  Skills Lab  for more resources on specific approaches and techniques. 

TL;DR: Spend a little time planning what you want to say and how, but don’t overthink it—just try it out and see where you end up.