It's becoming conventional wisdom that stories are a superior form of communication for complex information, such as strategies, value of technology products, business knowledge, brand attributes, etc. (Don't believe me? Read these: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.)Here's a simple way to distinguish a story from another form of communication, the essay (which works well in other situations):
| Story | Essay |
| engages the senses | engages the mind |
| concrete, detailed | abstract/conceptual |
| specific | general |
| contains moment-to- moment action. (“Thomas flicked his finger, causing his pen to twirl around his thumbnail until he caught it again.”) | summarized (“Students are often bored in school.”) |
| suspenseful, surprising | linear |
| uses action verbs | “is” |
Wait, you're saying. Don't some stories have the same characteristics as the essays you're referring to?
Yes. But they're rarely good stories.
(Picture by kaliyoda via stock.xchng)
storytelling, narrative, sales, management, change management, branding
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