If you could have one superpower what would it be?
Ever since I first saw superman, flying was my jam.
But once I started dealing with puberty, mind reading nabbed top spot.
Then, in 2014, I was at a conference. I was very much an adult. And, the question came up as an ice breaker.
Maybe I lost something of the magic of childhood. But, now, I wanted something that could actually exist. Something I could actually attain.
So, I narrowed the question: "if I could have any ability without spending years to achieve it, what would it be?"
My answer: To be the best storyteller in the world.
Storytelling is a real-world power.
It connects people. It unites people. It gets things done. It's the fuel for accomplishing impossible things.
So, whenever I hear about storytelling, I pay attention.
For example, I was recently listening to an interview of Shaan Puri called "How to Master Storytelling". And, this tip struck me:
"The hero doesn't have to win. The audience loves the hero for the way they try."
What an insight!
He mentioned it was from The 22 Pixar Storytelling Rules.
It's a great guide. Worth a full read.
But, here're the ones I love most (paraphrased):
- [Rule 1] We love the hero more for trying than for succeeding.
Our lives are characterized by the struggles we go through. Since we can't control the outcomes, it's the fight that's noble. Stories are really just simulations of life. And, like in real life, it's the hero's willingness to fight that touches us. Not necessarily the outcome. - [Rule 2] Make it interesting for the audience, not the storyteller.
Telling a story is an attempt to deliver a message. If the message isn't received, we've failed. Obviously, we can't force others to receive our message. So, we need to make it something they want to receive. The only way to do that is to always be thinking from their perspective. - [Rule 6] What’s your hero most comfortable with? Put them through the polar opposite.
If the hero's always comfortable, there's no struggle. If there's no struggle, there's no story. Know your hero's comfort zone and make them struggle. - [Rule 13] Give your characters strong opinions. Flexibility kills audience interest.
We decide how much to engage with others by looking at how much their opinions align our own. If someone doesn't have any strong opinions, we don't really feel much about them. Except maybe indifference. And indifference is the fastest way to lose someone's interest. - [Rule 15] Put yourself in your characters' place. Be authentic about how it'd feel.
If the hero's feelings or reactions aren't things we'd experience in their place, we won't be able to put ourselves in their position. If we can't put ourselves in their position, we're not going to care much about how the story goes. As an added bonus, if we can put ourselves in their position, we're willing to suspend disbelief in other dimensions (like living in a world of where superpowers exist).
Bonus points: In the interview of Shaan Puri, he advises that we shouldn't tell stories by saying what happened. Instead, we should show how it felt. - [Rule 16] Make sure what's at risk for the hero is obvious. Then, stack the odds against them.
If nothing's at risk, the struggle doesn't matter. So, giving the audience the context for what's at risk is important. Likewise, if the odds of success are high, there's no struggle. Low odds of success create the struggle. - [Rule 19] Use coincidences to get characters into trouble. Don't use coincidences get characters out of trouble.
We've all experienced unfortunate surprises. We get fired, we get in an accident, someone close to us dies. On the other hand, it's not common that the issues these things cause are resolved by coincidences. Resolving problems with coincidences is lazy storytelling. It destroys believability. It makes an invested audience feel deceived.
I hope you find the pointers as insightful as I did!
Happy storytelling!
