storytelling in public relations (Part 1)

Do you know what the most important thing in comedy is?  TIMING!!

Well, that joke is a lot funnier when placed in the right context and delivered by a gifted comedian and storyteller.  Point of fact, all great storytellers began their lives as listeners and observers to some capacity, picking up on the subtle differences between the deliveries of their forbearers.  They were craftsmen and women, wordsmiths and masters of rhetoric.  Today, they are the ones you see at parties, relentlessly charming five and six guests at a time through witty repartee and an uncanny ability to pull attention in the direction of their choosing.  Easily comparable to dancing, seduction, or a storm, storytelling can be as intimate, as gratifying, or as violent an experience as you let it be.  Most intriguing is that no two people tell a story the same way.

In this post, I’d like to start by taking you through a few basics of plot structure, leading into part two on how you as a communicator can use storytelling to create more memorable and persuasive content.  If you are new to the marketing communication industry, storytelling can be a terrific way of delivering better pitches, writing more understandable press materials, and of course helpful in group interaction.  The trick is to start with the basics.

In any worthwhile story, your objective will usually consist of three tasks: To be engaging in the beginning, form a connection with your audience in the middle, and either delight or terrify towards the end.

Beginning… Middle… End.

Recalling your first lessons in elementary school, plot structure (or a series of events that form a drama or story) can be divided into five basic parts:

1. Exposition- The exposition will include any background information needed in order or for the audience to form a bridge between their own attitude and beliefs to those of your characters, representing you or your organization.  Here, you are providing the context necessary for you to properly engage your audience.
2. Rising Action– Conflict begins at the “Inciting moment,” when your protagonist is placed into a series of gradually increasing dramatic events.  Usually the most lengthy part of the story, the rising action requires pace and timing in order to form a connection with your audience. NOTE: The best storytellers are able to read their audiences level of engagement using the rising action and instinctively change their story in a way that will compel them to continue listening.
3. Climax- This is the turning point of the story; the pay off for having made an engrossing connection with your audience.  The climax is usually determined by an important event, discovery or decision made by your protagonist.
4. Falling Action- The falling action if your metaphorical exhale, gradually decreasing in intensity.  After successfully transitioning through the first three parts, the falling action allows your audience to regain its composure having been changes by the effects of your climax.
5. Resolution- The resolution or “denouement” reveals the moral or your story.  It’s the moment of reflection marking the end of your story, and in some instances the beginning of the next.  Notably, some of the best stories leave a more open-ended resolution allowing the audience to continue engaging even after your delivery.

Some may argue that the five-part plot structure is restrictive, making for a routine and subsequently predictable story.  And in most forms, I would agree.  However, I have found that in oral presentations, it isn’t the structure that makes for an interesting story, but the content and delivery.  If anything, the ability to follow along makes for a more interactive experience, allowing listeners to be guided by their own preconceptions.

Instead of ending this post with my own tips for effective storytelling, I thought I would let one of the greats of National Public Radio give you his two cents on what it takes to be a great storyteller: Host and Producer of one of my favorite shows “This American Life,” Mr. Ira Glass.