4 Rules That Make Anyone a Better Storyteller
We’ve all been pinned down, at one time or another, by a friend or acquaintance who thought they were a great storyteller.
Perhaps your vigorous nodding was your way of hastening the end of this narrative lockdown only to have the storyteller mistakenly interpret your gesture as meaning: “Oh, yes! So interesting! Please tell me another one… and another one! I have cleansed my calendar of obligations for the rest of today!”
In my work as a documentarian, I’m always on the lookout for succinct advice that I can share (and employ!) to help improve the storytelling experiences that anchor my films.
The work that is currently the subject of my meditations is “How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth.” My American friends introduced me to The Moth a few years back - and I’ve since enjoyed many episodes of their ongoing podcast. The non-profit organization is devoted to the craft of storytelling. From humble beginnings in a living room in 1997, The Moth has grown to embody over 600 live events every year.
The Moth has rules for its live and recorded events. The reasons are explained well in the book, “How to Tell a Story” but you can probably deduce the reasoning behind each one.
And, when applied, these rules are transformative. Stories are elevated from “…and then… and then… and then…” to something more… inductive.
As I look over my week’s roster of filming Brand Stories and Life Stories (it’s a busy season!), I’m sharing these rules with my clients as a gentle way of encouraging the very best storytelling experience. There’s a lot more to a good tale (watch for future musings on effective introductions), but by borrowing these rules from a venerated organization like The Moth, I think the restrictions are enhancing the creative quality of my clients’ storytelling.
4 Foundational Rules of Moth-style Storytelling:
Moth stories are true and told out loud, in the first person.
Moth stories are not read or recited.
Moth stories always involve stakes and some sort of transformation.
Moth stories are told within a specific time frame.
Bonus feature:
Here are a couple of recent Brand Story and Life Story items that my company produced. How well did these rules work to engage the viewer?
