Storytelling Upgraded for the Age of Short Attention Spans

Browse, scan, and delete. That is how the 21st Century human mind has been programmed for optimization. We make our decision to expend brain energy within a millisecond. If our curiosity is not instantaneously titillated, we quickly move on to greener pastures.

Joel Brokaw, a New York Times best-selling author/collaborator and former showbiz PR man, believes that the art of storytelling is one of the best strategies to make our information stick.

He is also a believer in brevity. Trim the fat. Eliminate any fluff or padding that is not essential.

1) You may have an important message to drive home, but presenting it in a compelling story form (“once upon a time”) will stimulate imagination and curiousity. People would rather read or listen to an entertaining story than to be lectured at. Good storytelling can help us quickly find common ground despite our differences.

2) If your first line is a throwaway, your information will be thrown away. Instead, it should pique interest to continue reading and even raise eyebrows. Make the reader decide, “I want to know more.”

3) Give it the feel of a conversation with your reader, so it is inviting, authentic, and heartfelt. Keep your language simple and clear. Stay far away from vocabulary pyrotechnics that can distract and halt your reader in their tracks. Try to avoid cliches, unless they are intended for dramatic or comical benefit. Helpful hint: Read your story aloud to a neutral party, preferably a person who doesn’t know you so well. Are they tracking and attentive to your words? Their reaction, both in words and body language, will tell you if you are on the right track.

4) Be your own best self-editor. Be concise and consider the bare essential information the reader needs to know to engage and stay engaged. Give them the background they need, but don’t pad it. Helpful trick: Set a strict word limit to your story, and it will force you trim the superfluous (300 words is an ideal target). Also, put it aside for at least 24 hours and edit/rewrite it with fresher eyes the next day.

5) Like a symphony consists of movements, structure your story so that builds into a crescendo. If you can layer in suspense and surprise, laughter, and tears, all the better! If you can make the reader question, “What would I have done in that situation,” you have really succeeded.

6) Be clear on your intention. For what purpose do you want to share the fruits of your life experience? Be honest, fearless, and inviting with your reader, warts and all. Stories about how you overcame a misfortune or worked through a hard time are often more beneficial than ones only of rainbows and roses. Try to pull something over on them, they will smell a disingenuous rat. You don’t have to please everyone. But if one person says, “I really enjoyed your stories,” chances are others will feel the same.

7) Stay clear of non-essential and esoteric cultural references, which may give your story a limited shelf-life. If you can’t, explain why it was particularly relevant at the time. Aim for timeless universality whenever possible. Will someone reading your story 10 or 20 years later relate to what you’re talking about?

8) People love photos or illustrations. Choosing an appropriate visual image to accompany your story can have immeasurable benefit in setting the table, increasing curiosity, and establishing a tone.

9) Keep writing. Make it a habit. Acclaimed concert pianists and star athletes still must practice every day. Keep a diary or journal, write on scraps of paper, do whatever it takes. You will be surprised how your skill increases with regular exercise.

10) Let your imagination run free. Do not let the expectations of others or your own self-doubt box you in. Be generous and gentle on yourself and allow yourself multiple chances to rewrite and hone your material into the best it can be. Sometimes, the greatest idea can come out of nowhere when you least expect it. When asked the secret how he wrote so prolifically, novelist James Michener once said, “I only write the first line and then take dictation after.”