We are 22 x more likely to remember a fact when rapping it in a Story! – Cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner and a growing body of brain science offers even more insight into what’s behind these experiences.
Narratives are always in conversation with each other. Whether in history, science, political campaigns, advertising, even personal relationships. Check Greenpeace’s Storytelling Guide & Checklist.
Good Movements Follow Great Stories – What is Public Narrative and how can we use it?
Get inspired with these great digital stories.
Counter narratives are stories that can challenge or offset the dominant narratives and weaken their power. What are some possible strategies to promote counter narratives?
Below are 13 Strategies for Storytelling, organized by the following categories:
Introducing the Climate Test What makes an effective climate story?
Five principles for narrative communications:
- Unite around shared messages
- Capitalise on key moments
- Build up powerful bonds of reciprocity
- Rule of thirds
- Accumulate multiple stories and messages
“What tiles are to mosaics, stories are to narratives. The relationship is symbiotic; stories bring narratives to life by making them relatable and accessible, while narratives infuse stories with deeper meaning.”
Five principles for narrative communications
All stories employ one of seven plot structures. Choose one of the seven structures to solidify your outline and decide on what details and data points support that structure.
- Overcoming a Monster
- Rags to Riches
- Voyage and Return
- The Quest
- Comedy
- Tragedy
- Rebirth
Infographic of the 7 plot structures –
350.org has a great Digital Storytelling Toolkit for the Climate Movement, a PDF Guide and a Storytellering Community.
The ClimateAdvocacyLab lays out six steps to develop & implement a narrative strategy:
1. Map the current narrative landscape
2. Pick a narrative framework to support your strategy
3. Identify stories that center those most affected & connect with key audiences
4. Test it out!
5. Build in systems to evaluate progress & support learning
Good Energy is a story consultancy for the age of climate change. They offer lots of great resources around Climate Storytelling, i.e. a playbook for screenwriting in the age of climate change and the Climate Storytelling Cheat Sheet.
Principles of Transmedia
Jenkins then establishes his seven principles:
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- Spreadability vs. Drillability
- Continuity vs. Multiplicity
- Immersion vs. Extractability
- Worldbuilding
- Seriality
- Subjectivity and Performance
Storytelling put in practice: The Endless Sea – the 6 Intensifiers to a positive Narrative – Resources
Climate Story Lab catalyses the most compelling media projects being made right now toward big impact.
Great short clip from the Creators of South Park, making a Narrative interesting by using ‘but’ & ‘therefore’ in the storyline:
Narrative Stress Test
Checklist for Using Narrative Strategies for Change by Center for Media Justice
Booktip: Winning The Story Wars
Summary & Review of the book
Harvard Business Review: The Four Truths of theStoryteller
The stories that move and captivate people are those that are true to the teller, the audience, the moment, and the mission.
Laws of UX
Laws of UX is a collection of the maxims and principles that designers can consider when building user interfaces.
To reach as many people as possible with your story, consider these reasons why people share and see some examples…
