Stories have a rhythm to them. They have their characters, usually the protagonist and the antagonist. They have their devices: repetition, foreshadow, metaphor. They have their climaxes and anti-climaxes. Depending on the type of story, the story might have a moral to it – think Aesop’s Fables – or it might cause a reader to understand a culture, a way of thought, a product, or a service. Yes, stories have a rhythm.
storytelling
You Can’t Rush a Story
Today’s world hurtles at breakneck speed. I’m almost certain that other people thought the same thing in previous decades and centuries, but today’s world is different. Information is at one’s fingertips. People expect to gather information within seconds, not days.
Remove Yourself from the Equation
In Tron: Legacy, Sam asks his father what Quorra is doing when she allows herself to be captured by Clu and his henchman. Sam’s father responds that Quorra is removing herself from the equation. She puts aside her own desires and fears so that Sam and his father can escape.
How I Tell a Story
When I write anything – be it a poem, blog post, or research paper – I am writing a story. I am sharing information in my own way. I am sharing it in order to persuade or to educate. I am sharing it based on my perspective. Thus, I highlight some details and neglect others. I’m not lying; I’m merely choosing the elements that are essential to my story.
Tell Your Audience a Story
People like infographics for a reason. Infographics are fun. They share data without overloading a person (erroneous and misleading though they may be at times). Images and words converge in them, often resulting in a delightful sense of play. Infographics sometimes display humor. They even, at times, tell some sort of story. They aren’t the same-old, same-old bar graphs and pie charts.
Freelance Writers and Writing Coaches
I have the utmost respect for freelance writers. I’ve worked as a freelancer. I sometimes still do, but, lately, I’ve been contemplating how that role intersects with my role as a writing coach.