A storytelling hack that works

“From that moment, everything changed…”

I was half-listening to the radio while cooking last night, and I’d mostly tuned out of the interview. But when I heard those words, I tuned right back in again.

Because “and then, everything changed,” is at the heart of any story. In fact, in my view, “then everything changed,” is what makes a story a full-blown STORY, rather than just an anecdote. If you’re sold on the idea of telling stories as part of your marketing, this is something you’re going to need to understand.

Stories are about change, transformation, decision points, apparently impossible choices, succeeding against the odds - or failing and then regrouping to try again.

Significant change means that what’s at stake in the story must be significant too (a story about how someone chose, say, a different sandwich filling, is unlikely to be moving, involving or to matter to the reader).

So, if you’re wondering about whether to share a particular story, one filter you can run it through is could you say, at the appropriate point in the story, “and then, everything changed”.

If you can’t reasonably say that, then probably the stakes aren’t high enough for people to care.

The story I was half-listening to on the radio was about a Norwegian jazz musician, Jon Larsen, who spent 8 years searching on urban rooftops for cosmic star dust.

After years and years of trying to convince scientists that he was onto something (they all thought you could only find cosmic dust in pristine environments like Antarctica), he finally became the first person to find an urban micrometeorite.

That moment of change is what drew me into the story. I’ve never been someone who’s particularly fascinated by space - but I AM interested in transformation, validation, that moment when someone eventually succeeds in their quest.

This story is one we’ve heard again and again all of our lives, from fairy tales, to King Arthur’s legends, to The Hobbit or Star Wars - the lonely figure who strikes out against all advice from the experts to find the magic ring or holy grail is endlessly compelling.

Here’s my advice if you’re sharing a story, whether it’s in a LinkedIn post, or your newsletter, or as part of a keynote speech or workshop - how can you highlight the moment of change?

Look for ways to demonstrate how high the stakes really are. Does it feel like the change actually matters?

If the answer to that question is “yes”, then you can probably hit ‘publish’ - but if the answer is “no” then you might want to rework the story to emphasise what’s changed and what the stakes are.

For more help with your business storytelling (and your messaging, web copy and clarifying your niche) you might want to check out Unlock Your Message, my immersive week-long 1:1 programme.