Tell Better Stories
6 Great Lessons from the Masters
by Andy Raskin
In my “Storytelling for Entrepreneurs” classes at General Assembly, I always share this list of videos, books, and blog posts by my favorite storytelling experts. If you want to better engage your audience — in business or any context —take the time to absorb their wisdom.
#1. Ira Glass’s Story Manifesto
Incredible, but true: Our modern god of storytelling once kind of sucked at storytelling. How did This American Life’s creator improve? By perfecting this formula: Action + Stakes + Reflection. Read Ira Glass’s Story Manifesto >
#2. Kurt Vonnegut’s “Shapes of Stories”
In this video, Vonnegut plots the shapes of successful stories. His classic story patterns include “Man in a Hole,” “Boy Meets Girl” and what he calls “the most popular story in our civilization — every time it’s retold, someone makes another million dollars.”
#3. Robert McKee’s “Story”
Considered one of Hollywood’s storytelling bibles, Story shows you exactly why some stories are compelling and others aren’t. Fun fact: Before I read this book, my startup’s business plan was ignored by investors; after I read it, we got a term sheet.
If you take away one thing from McKee, it’s that every story needs an inciting incident — a well-crafted event that sets the action in motion. Story on Amazon >
#4: “Sympathetic Doesn’t Have to Mean Likable“ by Jennine Lanouette
We all know stories are more compelling if your audience can relate on an emotional level. But how, exactly, do you make that happen? In this video, screenwriting lecturer Jennine Lanouette shows — through scenes from films like The Wolf of Wall Street, From Russia with Love, and Margin Call — that the secret is showing your character at a power disadvantage. I love this.
#5: William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well”
If you think good writing (in business or elsewhere) requires big words and complicated sentences, Zinsser will cure you of that. He’ll cleanse your communication of “the thousand and one adulterants that weaken the strength of a sentence.” On Writing Well on Amazon >
#6: 826Valencia’s Student Writer Gallery
Whenever I find myself taking my communication too seriously, I head here. Somehow, reading about how Cesar the Dinosaur got stuck in tree sap for 10,000 years has a way of taking the pressure off. Visit 826Valencia.org’s Student Writing Gallery
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About Andy Raskin:
I’m a strategic messaging and positioning coach. I help CEOs, marketers, and sales teams tell clearer, more effective stories, and my clients include companies funded by a16z, KPCB, First Round Capital and other top venture investors. I also lead workshops on strategic storytelling. To learn more and get in touch, visit http://andyraskin.com.
If you’re in San Francisco and would like to register for Storytelling for Entrepreneurs, here are my upcoming classes.
