Musings about strategy and a life in brand narrative
5 Tips to Help You Write Better Stories
With the new year just hours away, it’s time to make a resolution to yourself to improve how you tell your story. I spend a lot of time on this site discussing brands and storytelling. Today we address the most important brand in your life: you.
Whether you’re writing a resume, an email to a colleague or a post to your blog, your goal should be to tell your story in each snippet of prose. Sadly, too many interesting people short-change themselves when they write. They miss the opportunity to convey their character and the essence of their story. Here are five simple things you can do to bring out your brand narrative.
- Use your own voice
I have a friend who is one of the most affable, lovable guys you’ll ever meet. He’s the life of the party and a charming professional. People like being around him. Unfortunately, when he writes, he sounds like a droll actuary (apologies to any actuaries reading this). His sentences are filled with formal, stiff constructions. Reading something from him, you’d never guess what he was really like. There’s simply no good reason to communicate with anything other than your own voice. Make sure what you write sounds like you. Before hitting the send key, read your writing out loud. Is this how you would say what you want to say if the person were sitting in front of you? - Match characters to actions
If you really want to be a storyteller, stop thinking of subject/verb agreement and start thinking about characters in actions. Great storytelling is revealed by action, not exposition. Instead of writing, “the report we wrote was transmitted by Mary on Thursday,” consider: “Mary sent you our report Thursday.” It’s more engaging to follow Mary doing something than it is to follow the track of the report. - Use dialog and quotes
For some reason, business writers shy away from snippets of dialog. I wrote a research report last year that started with a direct quotation from one of the respondents: “The challenge is to develop entertainment that keeps people engaged…” It was a successful technique. The client told me people actually enjoyed reading my document — this from a thoroughly PowerPoint culture. Quotes and snippets of dialog are the hallmarks of good storytelling. Why not use them in your business writing? - Avoid metadiscourse
In the theatre, actors generally avoid breaking the “fourth wall”. That’s the imaginary wall between the stage and the audience. Unless part of the play’s style, breaking the fourth wall interrupts the storytelling experience because it brings the audience back to reality. When you needlessly fill your writing with phrases such as “the purpose of this document is…” or “to summarize” or any other clause that discusses your discussion, you put distance between you and your reader. You also break the fourth wall. Rather than tell us what you’re going to tell us, just say it. Tell me a story. Don’t tell me how you intend to tell the story. It’s not to say that there isn’t occasional need for metadiscourse. Just make it the exception and not the norm in your writing. - Shorter. Clearer. Easier.
Want to tell a really good story? Don’t let the words get in the way. Use short, declarative sentences. Make sure each of those sentences clearly expresses a thought. And make sure all of the thoughts string together in a way that makes it easy for the reader to follow your story. Remember, western audiences prefer linear storytelling. That means each sentence should logically flow into the next. At your best, your sentences should raise questions in the reader’s mind that the following sentences effortlessly answer. When done well, the reader gets to the end of your story with no unanswered questions.
Remember, when you’re not in the room, your writing is a remnant of your brand. Be known as a good storyteller, and make sure your stories reflect your unique way.