Tales as old as time have been recorded for centuries, and that’s why everything that happens in this world is immortal. Right from the epic of Mahabharata written by our very own Lord Ganesh, to the Crow and Sparrow short story written by a very creative parent – stories live on in our memories.
According to this article by Forbes, storytelling is a must-have leadership skill for the 21st century. Whether you’re looking at data, or at your audience, or connecting with your colleagues, a well-drafted story always does the trick. Let’s learn how to analyze what we’re looking at and weave a great story:
Observation: The Key to Analysis
Stories are made either out of pictures or data. Take out your magnifying glass and analyze what’s in front of you. Look at every detail, every highlight, every colour, shape, character and take notes. This will help you connect the dots.
Imagination: The Key to Setting Context
Time to get creative! Set the context – what could have happened before, what may have happened just then, what can happen after? Think about what can be the background of your story. Weave a backstory for the visual clue in front of you. Here’s when you’ll be able to set the journey – a story must have a problem and a solution.
Perception: The Key to Identification
Now that the backstory is decided, we look at who’s who. Who are the people? What are they doing? What problem are they trying to solve? The characters of your story have important roles to play as the hero and team members. Just as Stan Lee created his League of Superheroes, our hero must have a group of people brainstorming to save the world.
Emotion: The Key to Connection
People remember how you make them feel. Adding an emotional touch to your story will help the audience connect to what you’re saying and will keep them engaged. Ask yourself, what would you feel in that situation? Be authentic and capture the mood.
Drama: The Key to Engagement
Certain elements drive your story forward and keep the audience hooked. For the story to be a great success, do not forget the following:
- A conflict, a dilemma, an awkward situation, or even an error in data. Include intense emotions and you’ve paved the way for a plot twist.
- Every great story needs drama. Then, you choose your hero. Maybe it’s your manager who swooped in and caught the error, or that quiet kid in your class who solved a problem that no one could.
- Batman needs his Robin and Robin Hood needs his army – introduce teamwork into the mix. (While you’re brainstorming about working relationships, read our blog on Strengthening Professional Relationships with Communication.)
- Plots reach their peak when resolutions are found while the stakes are high. Actions have consequences, some wild, some realistic. Choose the ones that you can have fun with!
Elements of a story are pillars that give it structure and shape. Place them in the right order and you will have written a beautiful piece that would live on for centuries. Once you’ve mastered these elements, transforming anything into a story will be as easy as A-B-C.
