Hello Empowered Wayers!
Stories are the latest marketing technique.
“Tell a story that hooks your reader,” advises one popular marketer.
“Your buyer is looking for an emotional reason to buy. A story gives it to them.”
All true statements, but why do stories work so well? Is it because we’re gullible and easily drawn into the message? That may be true, but there are other reasons based on neurology and evolution.
The story is the best way to hook your reader because their brains are wired for it.
We are Wired for Story
Lisa Cron is a story consultant for Warner Brothers, an instructor at UCLA Extension Writer’s Program, and the author of, “Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers From the Very First Sentence.”
Each chapter shares a Cognitive Secret and a Story Secret. For example, in the first chapter, Cron explains that:
Cognitive Secret: we think in stories, which allows us to envision the future.
Story Secret: from the very first sentence, the reader must want to know what happens next.
As you can imagine, Cron has a fluid writing style and shares many stories about her clients and experiences. She believes that:
Story…was crucial to our evolution — more so than opposable thumbs; opposable thumbs let us hang on; story tells us what to hang on to.
Cron focuses on the latest research in the field of neurology and evolutionary science to support her theory that we are “wired for story.” (Side note: the book was published in 2012, so the research isn’t current.)
A compelling story anesthetizes the part of the brain that knows it’s a story. As you read, you feel as if you are part of the action. Brain studies have discovered that the same regions of the brain that process physical sensations are activated when we are engrossed in a story.
There are two key concepts every writer must use
Because you (and your reader) are bombarded by an overwhelming amount of information, your brain developed the skill of casting you as the protagonist or hero. Every data bit is sorted from this perspective and your brain edits the experience to fit your existing persona.
The result is that through the story, your reader can experience a different life or perspective without having to live it. Your reader is always asking, “what does this story have to do with me?” When you connect with your reader through a well-crafted tale, they will feel as if they are part of the story.
That’s the high-level overview of the process.
The granular view includes two key concepts for writers:
Story allows your reader to experience intense or meaningful experiences without having to live them. It’s almost like a dress rehearsal for the future.
Readers always have the expectation that they will learn or experience something useful. Their subconscious mind is constantly asking, “What’s in it for me?”
When the story is used well, it provides information to the reader about how to navigate the world, in a way that slips past the inner critic. Your reader becomes part of the story and experiences many of the same transformations.
Share your favorite articles that use story well
Substack and Medium are filled with excellent writers who understand the use of story to illustrate a point, teach a lesson, or entertain. I am always on the lookout for these writers, so I can learn from them and become a better storyteller.
Think about when you are captivated by a story. Could you feel your attention becoming laser-focused and your mind still as you fell into the story?
One example is the following article by Michael Thompson. Notice how you feel as you absorb more details, get drawn in deeper, and wonder, “what’s next?” After I read this article, I felt compelled to watch the video to see if I agreed with Michael (I did). That’s powerful storytelling!
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What are some of your favorite articles that use stories to captivate, energize, or educate?
The takeaway
I was at the airport the other day, renewing my Global Entry card. As I walked through the terminal, people were streaming out of customs. Families, couples, and a few single travelers.
I noticed one family that was struggling with their large suitcases. The mom was exhausted, the dad forging ahead, and it was up to the slightly older sister to help her younger brother. I gave her a thumbs up and she smiled at the acknowledgment. She even began dancing a few steps next to the suitcase, which made me laugh. An older couple saw this exchange and they smiled.
This quick story could be used to show that one act of kindness expands as other people notice it. Or it could be a feel-good story.
However I decide to use this story, I know that your mind could see the terminal, feel the exhaustion of the travelers, and the joy of the girl. You were drawn into the experience without having to live it. And hopefully, you felt that it was worth your time to read it.
Use the story to hook your reader and invite them into your world. As Jon Haidt, a psychologist at NYU-Stern says, “The human mind is a story processor, not a logic processor.”
Your reader’s mind is wired for the story. You are the creator who sparks their synapses anesthetizes their inner critic, and immerses them in your world.
To your prosperity,
Kathryn
P.S. If you are a writer and you have a specific process to create your stories, I would love to host you as a guest on the Empowered Way podcast. Let me know if you’re interested in the comment section below. :-)
How to Write so Your Reader is Hooked