By Tyler McCune
Do you like stories? I bet you do. Stories are addicting. And there is a good reason why. Human's are hardwired to think in stories. So when you tell stories, make it extremely easy for people to understand what you are saying.
Ready to make your writing less boring? Use narratives and not abstractions in storytelling
How can I make my writing hold readers' attention and be less boring, you ask? Use narrative and create images with your words. And always remember that humans are not hardwired to think in abstractions. Narratives with twists and turns, surprises, and images created with words are the reason why little kids will beg their parents to read and reread such stories each night, but won't ask them to explain the inner workings of quantum physics. Narratives are why your ears perk up when your friend starts gossiping, but your eyes glaze over when they want to debate whether or not.
Narratives engage people, while abstractions can bore
One reason abstractions bore while stories are adored is that there is no drama in abstractions. There are no images that you can sink your teeth into. That is why skilled teachers (and skilled copywriters) will turn abstractions into stories and images. Because otherwise, it is far too much mental work for your student or prospect to read.
To make myself the shining example, here are the story-laced images I've sprinkled throughout this piece:
"Hardwired"—to explain the abstract concept of an innate quality of the human mind.
"Little kids begging for stories"—to explain the abstract concept of craving something.
"Ears perk up" and "Eyes glaze over"—to explain being interested vs being disinterested.
"Sink your teeth into"—to explain a tangible image vs an abstract concept.
Turning the abstract into a story
To drive this point home, let me circle back to the example of Utilitarianism. If you are at all familiar with the philosophy, one of the most common ways it is taught is the "trolley car thought experiment".
Which is, yes, a story-based thought experiment with lots of drama built-in; specifically, drama that comes from you being forced to choose whether to let the trolley kill five people it is on track to hit, or change tracks and only kill one.
Look it up if you're not familiar. 'Tis fascinating.
One more thing before I go: The best way to tell great stories, is to live great stories.
So make today a story worth telling.
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