How-to Craft a Great StoryIts not too late to become a better

storyteller

Part II

mr.Michael.Kurz@gmail.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-kurz/9/b59/2a0

Once upon a time

There was a young and beautiful girl named Scheherazade

Every day she was watching her father, a vizier of Sultan Shahryar of Persia, who's duty was to provide

the Sultan with a virgin to marry him and just being executed the very

next morning.

One day her father couldn't find another virgin anymore.

Because of that, Scheherazade offers herself as the next bride and

her father reluctantly agrees.

That night Scheherazade begins to tell the Sultan a story, but doesn't end it. The Sultan, curious about

how the story ends, postpones the execution in order to hear the

conclusion. Every night, as soon as she finishes one story, she

immediately starts a new one.

Until finally, after One Thousand and One Nights, the Sultans dies and Scheherazade is free again.

Ever since the Power of Storytelling is universally known

In this presentation you will learn how to craft better stories and

communicate ideas to an audience in the most effective way.

Storytelling is not a discipline, its rather a technique and art form to draw people into something and

convey a message.

If you tell a story well, people will

come. Damian Lewis

Whoever tells the best story shapes the culture.

Erwin McManus

A definition of story Story begins when an event, either by human

decision or accident in the universe, radically upsets the balance of forces in the protagonist's life,

arousing in that character the need to restore the balance of life. To do so, that character will conceive of what is known as an "Object of Desire," that which

they feel they need to put life back into balance. They will then go off into their world, into themselves, in the

various dimensions of their existence, seeking that Object of Desire, trying to restore the balance of life, and they will struggle against forces of antagonism

that will come from their own inner natures as human beings, their relationships with other human beings,

their personal and/or social life, and the physical environment itself. They may or may not achieve that Object of Desire; they may or may not finally be able to restore their life to a satisfying balance. That, in the simplest possible way, defines the elements of story - an event that throws life out of balance, the need and

desire to restore the balance, and the Object of Desire the character conceives of consciously or unconsciously that they can pursue against the

forces of antagonism from all of the levels of their life that they may or may not achieve.

- Robert McKee

The task of story design is simple.

Hook, hold and payoff the audience's interest.

The Hook Does my story immediately hook or engage the

audience and builds curiosity?

Hold Does the protagonist's constant pursuit of his or her

desire hold the audience interest?

Pay-Off Does the story climax close all of the audience open emotions and answer all of the audience questions of

cause and effect, of why and how?

There are various forms of story told in different types of media

*Each medium offers own characteristics and possibilities (e.g. presentation, actions, interactivity) and faces consumer behaviors (e.g. attention spam, lean in vs lean back mode)

Since Aristotle novels, screenplays, games, even ballets have a simple overarching 3-act structure in

common

Act 3Act 2Act 1 II EndMiddleI IBeginning

*This 3-act structure can be found not just in whole screenplays, but in acts, sequences and scenes

A story should have a beginning, a middle and an end,

but not necessarily in that order.

- Jean Luc Godard

Which doesnt mean you cannot be creative anymore.

A story is a journey. A change from an old status quo to

a new one through action and conflict

Act 3Act 2Act 1 II EndMiddleI IBeginning

Risin

g Ac

tion

Exposition

Climax

Faling Action

ResolutionBeginning of the story where characters and setting are introduced

Where the main character faces a series

of conflicts

Events leading to the end of the story

End of the story

The most exciting part of the story; Where the central question posed by

the story is answered

Story design is built from an inciting incident, when things went out of balance, to the climax when

balance is restored.

Risin

g Ac

tion

Exposition

Climax

Faling Action

Resolution

Inciting Incident or Plot point (= an event or moment that begins a storys problem)

Nice, but whats in it for you?

Story design is teaching us the most effective way to involve an

audience.

Through stories we are able to communicate in a way that

resonates, creates excitement and conveys an idea in a way that

people can remember and pass on.

In Short:

Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.

Robert McKee

Nancy Duarte shows us the way how to incorporate stories into presentations

Here you can see the basic story structure of presentations made by the greatest

communicators of all time.

The structure takes the audience on a journey that evolves around the story design of our

3-act structure:

The Status Quo = ExpositionObstacles = Rising & Falling Action

What could be = Resolution

What is (Old world/Status Quo)

What could be (Future)

Gap

What is (Obsticles)

What could be What could be New World description (Resolution)

What is (Obsticles)

What is (Obsticles)

Inciting Incident or Plot point (= an event or moment that begins a storys problem)

Like in every good story overcoming obstacles leads to a transformation which

paints a picture of the new bliss.

Source: https://www.ted.com/speakers/nancy_duarte

The most popular story structure is Joseph Campbells monomyth" also know as

The Heros Journey

Road Back

Resurrection

Return with the Elixir

Ordinary World

Call to Adventure

Refusal of the Call

Meeting the Mentor

Crossing the Threshold

Test, Allies & Enemies

Approach the Inmost

Cave

Ordeal

Reward

Ordinary World

Special World

1

2

12

11

10

6

5

9

8

7

3

4

Source: Campbell J. The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Source: http://thewritingcafe.tumblr.com

Road Back

Resurrection

Return with the Elixir

Ordinary World

Call to Adventure

Refusal of the Call

Meeting the Mentor

Crossing the Threshold

Test, Allies & Enemies

Approach the Inmost

Cave

Ordeal

Reward

1

2

12

11

10

6

5

9

8

7

3

4

Limited awareness of

a problem

Increased awareness

Reluctance to change

Overcoming reluctance

Committing to change

Experimenting with first change

Experimenting with first change

Final mastery of the problem

Final attempt at a big change

Rededication to change

Consequences of the attempt

Attempting a big change

Luke dreams of joining the academy but feels he is going nowhere on his uncles farm

R2D2 plays a portion of Princess Leias call for help.

Luke refuses to follow Obi-Wan

R2D2 plays the entire message, revealing that Luke holds the plans of Death Star. Obi Wan gives Luke his fathers lightsaber

and tells him of his heritage

Lukes aunt and uncle are killed, so he is free

They hire Han Solo and Chewbacca to join their allies and escape the Stormtroopers

Ob Wan teaches Luke how to use the Force. The ship is captured by the Death Star the find

themselves inside the enemys stronghold

Dressed as Stormtroopers they discover the princess, and attempt to rescue her

The power of the Evil Empire is destroyed

In the final battle, Luke hears Obi-Wans voice and uses the Force to make an impossible

shot that destroys the Death Star.

Obi-Wan sacrifices himself to help the team to escape. The

Death Star follows them to destroy the Rebels base

In the trash compactor, Luke is

pulled underwater by a creature but is rescued by his

friends

Source: http://justinswapp.com

To unfold a story using Campbells structure is not just possible for epic stories like Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings, but can also be used for short stories/ads with limited time.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N8axp9nHNU

Nevertheless there are Commonalities and Distinctions

between unfolding a story for a novel/featured film

or a short film/ad.

Time is what differentiates a short film/ad from a novel/featured film

most.

Condense

Put your emphasis on a key moment rather than try to tell a whole life

story from birth to death

Show dont Tell

Life is one fucking beauty contest after another

Actions speak louder than words

Having less time to establish a character means characters have to

be defined by the actions we see

What is true for all stories

True for all stories are the basic elements that shape action

The Story Whats the essence of the story

The Protagonist Who the story is about

The Setting Where and when the story

takes place

Create Universal Appeal

Hollywood is well known for stories with an universal appeal even

though there is a tendency toward spectacle over substance

Drama is Conflict

A protagonist needs an antagonist, which in a business context can be a competitor or a game changing

technology.

Overcome obstacles

Your protagonist must have a goal and something or someone standing in the

way of that goal.

Characters have to change & evolve

A transformation can be both inside and outside

Make it personal

Barack Obamas political career was launched by

building empathy with the book

Dreams from My Father

Be Original

The future isnt a place that we gonna go, its a place that you get to

create

Make them laugh

Your audience loves to get physical

Even the best storytellers start with a blank paper.

If you catch yourself staring at it for too long, the Story Spine is a narrative tool to make up stories and has

already been used by Pixars greatest minds.

The Story Spine - A creative exercise to develop high-level structural ideas

Once upon a time there was ___(introduces the protagonist). Every day,___(sets the scene before the trigger or catalyst). One day ___(introduces what happened the trigger or catalyst that sets the story in motion). Because of that, ___(explains the response to what happened). Because of that, ___(repeat as needed to trace what happened). Until finally ___(.until the story reaches a climax or turning point). Ever since then___(resolves the story and describes what things are like now)

Source: http://www.aerogrammestudio.com/2013/03/22/the-story-spine-pixars-4th-rule-of-storytelling/

Ready? Let it out, because

There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you.

Maya Angelou

Thats all Folks mr.Michael.Kurz@gmail.com

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-kurz/9/b59/2a0