Developing stories

Disciplines > Storytelling > Telling stories > Developing stories

Description | Discussion | See also

Description

Involve people in work or other action whilst simultaneously telling them the story of what they are doing and how this fits into the larger stories of the world.

Tell them a fragment each time you talk with them, building the story and its connections to external events and other stories.

Discuss with them the characters that they would like to be and the roles that they thus take.

Engage them in heroic development, encouraging them to act in grand ways that build the narrative.

Lead them towards a satisfying conclusion, where all necessary actions are completed, all loose ends are tied off and they reach the final stage of heroic accolade.

Example

A manager who is seeking to change the organization tells his people that they are secret warriors in a mission to build a new tomorrow. He offers them roles of secret agents, truthsayers, and so on. They tell their story, individually and together, as it develops, all becoming excited as it reaches towards a satisfying climax.

Discussion

Stories may be told not just after the event but as they are being created. Like an episodic TV series, this keeps people engaged and interested.

By taking heroic 'roles' the people involved are encouraged to act 'above and beyond' their normal duties. Humdrum normal working becomes exciting and interesting as they feel they are a part of something grander.

See also