Turn your information into a story that resonates

T U R N Y O U R I N F O R M AT I O N I N T O A S T O R Y T H AT R E S O N AT E S

PA T R I C I A M C M I L L A N

– G E O R G E B E R N A R D S H A W

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

W H AT W E ' L L C O V E R

• Why stories

• What makes a story resonate

• Turning your information into a story

• Delivering the story

N A R R AT I V E A N D E V O L U T I O N

Telling stories

Logical narrative

Reading and writing

Years

0 25000 50000 75000 100000

WE ARE ALL STORY GENERATING MACHINES. IT’S HOW WE PERCEIVE

THE WORLD.

W H Y S T O R I E S ?

ATTENTION

UNDERSTANDING

INFLUENCE

Curse of knowledge

Resistance

– H A N N A H A R E N D T

“Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it.”

Hannah Arendt in 1969, (AP photo).

B I G S S T O R Y T E L L I N G

W H A T M A K E S A S T O R Y R E S O N A T E ?

The Fly ing Carpet , V iktor Vasnetsov (1880)

Patterns, not formula

– C Y N T H I A K U R T Z

“A story is a recounting of events during which you wonder what is going to happen, and then you

find out.”

3 T H E M E S T H AT R E S O N AT E

SURVIVAL V DEATH

EMPOWERMENT V POWERLESSNESS

CONNECTION V ISOLATION

S U R V I VA L V D E AT H

T H E I R S T R U G G L E T O S U R V I V E B E C O M E S O U R S

E M P O W E R M E N T V P O W E R L E S S N E S S

H E R F I G H T A G A I N S T I N J U S T I C E B E C O M E S O U R S

C O N N E C T I O N V I S O L AT I O N

H I S N E E D T O G O H O M E B E C O M E S O U R S

S O M E T H I N G H A S T O B E AT S TA K E

SURVIVAL V DEATH

EMPOWERMENT V POWERLESSNESS

CONNECTION V ISOLATION

Anger

Sadness

Fear

– K E N D A L L H AV E N

“Story: n.: A detailed, character-based narration of a character’s struggles to overcome obstacles

and reach an important goal.”

An example of story structure applied to The Wizard of Oz

F I N D I N G T H E S T O R Y I N Y O U R I N F O R M AT I O N

S M A L L S S T O R Y T E L L I N G

S T O R Y E L E M E N T S

• Theme: Why do we care?

• Setting: When and where?

• Character: Who is the hero?

• Something unexpected

• The character’s important goal

• What’s at stake?

• Obstacles and struggles

• Enemy? Allies? Mentor?

• Resolution: Is it a happy ending?

• A point: How has the world changed?

• Sensory details: Help the story stick

THE MORE OF THESE YOU WORK IN , THE

MORE COMPELLING THE STORY , BUT THERE ’S A TRADE-OFF IN STORY LENGTH . NOT EVERY

STORY NEEDS ALL OF THESE .

W H Y S T O R I E S ?

ATTENTION

UNDERSTANDING

INFLUENCE

Curse of knowledge

Resistance

W O R K E D E X A M P L E

• Themes: Survival v death (saving endangered creatures and habitats) + Connection v isolation (beautiful footage)

• Setting: Qld, starting 20 years ago

• Character: Richard Fitzpatrick

• Unexpected: 1 Pb of jellyfish video. Using documentary footage for science

• Important goal: Contribute to understanding and preservation of ocean creatures and animals

• Obstacles: Accessible storage solution; Richard’s time is taken up responding to requests for his footage

• At stake: Valuable footage is not accessible and at risk of being lost. The Qld Govt needs it to save turtles on Raine Island. Jamie Seymour needs it to develop anti-venom for box jellyfish. Others need it too.

• Advisers: RDSI, QCIF; Allies: Jamie Seymour

• Resolution: Accessible storage - yay!

• The point: Footage now available. Richard can spend his time on research

• Sensory details: Images, “It’s saved our butts already”

A F E W M O R E T O P I C S

The Deluge , Gustave Doré (1866)

T H E S T O R Y I N T E R V I E W

CAN YOU REMEMBER HOW IT STARTED?

HOW DID THE IDEA COME ABOUT?

WHY IS THIS WORK IMPORTANT?

WHAT PROBLEM WERE YOU FACING?

WHAT HAPPENED?

WERE THERE CHALLENGES?

HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THEM?

WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?

D E L I V E R Y M O D E S A N D M E D I A - L O T S O F O P T I O N S

IN PERSON

VIDEO

SLIDEDOC

WRITTEN

DELIVERED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA ,

WEB , OR TRADITIONAL

MEDIA

– H E N R Y D AV I D T H O R E A U

“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.”

T E L L T H E T R U T H

N E V E R B E FA L S E O R M I S L E A D I N G

– B R E N É B R O W N

“Maybe stories are just data with a soul.”

Photo by Andrea Scher

www.patriciamcmillan.com