Tools for Storytelling: Part 1
“Hope! you had a good ….”
So, as you read the line, did you think, wonder, or imagine anything? Did your mind paint any picture for you? try one more time
“Hope! yo…uu..u had a… goo…d ….”
As you read those two-line, did you feel anything different emotionally or still felt the same? Well, this article is an attempt to dig deeper into how the choice of words, grammatical structure, and sentence framing can alter the storytelling experience. Together let’s understand the science behind storytelling.
a). Design your start
Some of the cleverest techniques used by writers, advertisers and movie makers, and storytellers are devising their opening scene. How quickly and effectively you grab the attention of your readers/viewers matters.
The human brain is programmed to look for changes, as its survival instinct. Because change excites the brain and demands attention to what's happenings. to things otherwise ignored. Create a state of doubt and confusion in mind to grab the user’s attention.
For eg:
The below screenshot is from Mile 22 movie. The movie opens with an SUV being driven around the neighbourhood by a couple searching for an address. Constantly bickering and arguing about whose mistake is it. And as the movie progresses you start uncovering unexpected changes and you begin questioning, who are they? why are they here? Well if you are curious to watch the scene, just click here to watch.
Takeaway:
- The beginning may not always be the opening of the story. The narration is supposed to arouse the reader and shock them in anticipation. “Lead them, not reveal”.
- Introduce constant change to wake up the brain and grab attention by making users curious. Cause it’s the change through which the future arrives. Don’t be too predictive.
b). Leave it to the imagination
One of the cruellest and most intelligent things to hook a reader is to keep them in the dark. Keep them hanging in anticipation. For it’s the suspense that makes them want for more. Our brain is programmed to fill in the gaps and ask for explanations for the unknown. For we are more attracted to the unknown than the known, caused it’s the curiosity that killed the cat!
Here is a short guide by Loewenstein in his paper, “The Psychology of curiosity” on how to induce curiosity in humans:
- Pose a question or puzzle
- expose viewers/readers to a series of events to make them assume what’s going to happen but an unknown resolution
- create a sudden violation of expectation that triggers the need for an explanation
- let the possession of knowledge be with other characters and not the reader/viewer.
This is somewhat similar to the story or narrative arc.
Takeaway:
- Don’t lead, let them wander for all those who wander are not always lost. Lay the crumbs for an unexpected change to come, but let them explore themselves.
- Paint an elaborate but imaginable picture for the reader but stop short for them to explore. Lay intentional information gap to be leveraged later. For it’s the mystery the catalyst for imagination.
c). Write in real-world/visual order
As per neuroscientist Professor Benjamin Bergen, we start modelling words as soon we read them. It means that words are the building blocks of readers' imaginary minds as they read. To entice a user, the writer must follow the following:
- Write the story in real-world order as the eyes view an event. For eg.
Read the two following sentences and see for yourself which feel more visually more immersive.
1. Roshan sold his bike to Ram
vs.
2. Roshan sold Ram his bike
Now you can decide for yourself which sounds more immersive to you.
d). Write as visually descriptive as possible, following “show not tell”.
Make the reader experience the good and the bad rather than just saying. Narrate in a way that arouses emotion or a distant memory. The more the sensory input is involved the more realistic the experience is. For eg: The flower smelt nice vs. the white lily by the door reminded me of the fresh garden scent from my childhood.
- Tip: deploy a specific detail, with the sensory information paired with visual information. eg: On the third day as the sun was descending over the horizon. The air smelt of burnt woods as the sky changed to warm hues as if heaven was burning above, hours before the meteor shower.
e). Play with character
Ever read a book and can’t stop thinking of the character. I, for once was hooked onto Godfather by Mario Puzo. So much into it that, I could feel like those characters were real. I could talk to them, and hear them speak even after keeping the book down. The way the character Michael changes and evolves was the turning point in the book.
Tip: Describe the personality of your character as vivid as possible. Create their persona by describing their day-to-day life events instead of just writing about them. Take unexpected turns in events and the revelation of the character's alter ego to create more surprise in the story.
f). Play with time
Let’s play a game. Ready, right? Imagine the scene from your favourite movie, which set your heart racing. Recollecting that, do you still feel that excitement and thrill. Now that you think of it, don’t you feel as if the movie was overly stretched for the time limit to tell what’s going to happen? But, every scene was planned out to seem like an eternity, only to build up the suspense. Delayed gratification is one of the classic ways to make the viewer's mind carve for more.
To watch some of the crazy play of time in the movie. Click here
Well, this is not the end of the list and much more to come on the way. So let's enjoy some good movies and chill :), till then. Ciao! Hasta — La — Vista.
Enjoying the article? Share some claps and do check out Part — II coming soon.
