"Now just the other day, I…" As soon as someone starts telling me a story, I listen up. Why? Because I am sure they are going to deliver something with impact – otherwise why would they be telling me? And most of the time it’s true: I get to laugh, or be outraged with them, or in some way feel emotionally in tune with the person telling the story.
The same is true for really good copy. I read a good post today over on Scott Young’s blog about 4 things that go into telling a good story. I am always amazed when I read wisdom on an 18-year-olds blog, but never mind that. Here are his 4 points, but if you’re interested, go read the whole post, it’s worth it, campfire picture and all.
1) Start with a Hook
2) Keep it Concise
3) Know Your Point
4) The Purpose of Stories is to Create Feeling
Remember the purpose of a story isn’t to tell someone what happened,
but to create a feeling. The main points of a story aren’t the concrete
facts but the key emotional highlights along the way.
Calibrating your own emotional state while telling a story can be
tricky. The best way to tell a story is to engage yourself in it, but
react less emotionally to the story than your audience. Feel your story
but aim to create a greater emotional reaction out of your audience
than you display yourself. Your goal is to make the other person fully
experience the story with you.