Why Story Power
I read an article this morning in one of those big-time business magazines about āhow to create an unforgettable origin story.ā It was kinda forgettable. It contained lots of dos and donātsā¦ ā¦be honestā¦ ā¦donāt just list a chronology of eventsā¦ ā¦include specific detailsā¦ ā¦describe a vivid momentā¦ ā¦and so on, and so forth. But…
A self-proclaimed ārespectfulā reader reacts to yesterdayās email about Bill Russell and dominating presenceā¦. āThis one was a bit self-serving – donāt you think?ā Hereās what I thinkā¦ Oh no! The jig is up.Iāve been exposed.My evil scheme is foiled. Oh waitā¦ ā¦check thatā¦ Thatās not what MEthinks. Thatās what HE thinks.Ā Turns out he…
When basketball great Bill Russell died on Sunday, I spent a couple of hours reading about him, watching videos, and searching for his quotes. He said lots of memorable things. But hereās the quote that stood out, the one I included in yesterdayās Monday Mash-Up: āWhat distinguishes a great player is his presence. When he…
The meeting with my new friend, Erica, was rollinā, rollinā, rollinā along. We agreed to promote each otherās businesses. We discussed ways we might work together. We hit it off. But when I asked Erica if sheād like to join my daily(ish) email listā¦ ā¦we went from rollinā to reelinā. We went from āYes!…
On my 14th birthday, Mom and Dad gave me two 10-packs of Maxell XLII-S cassette tapes. Yes!!!!!!!!!! Greatest birthday gift ever. Back in the early 80s, before CDs or MP3s were a thing, cassettes were THE thing. Affordable. Portable. Swappable. Indispensable. High-fidelity cool I raided my friendsā record collections and taped my favorite albums. I…
Hereās a question sure to prompt furious debate: Which show is better:Breaking Bad orBetter Call Saul? If you donāt know these shows, stick with me. Thereās a heaping helping of storytelling how-to below… …and you don’t need to know diddly about the shows to dig in. If you do know the shows, cast your vote. Which…
A few days ago, when I offered website mini-makeovers to the first five people who requested them, I got an email from a subscriber who wanted my helpā¦ ā¦but needed, first, to point out for her siteās “shortcomings.” She wrote: āMy caveat…we are a small organization and pay an independent web designer to do our…
Shark-attack stories are in the news. East coast. West coast. Sharks are attacking from sea to shining sea. Two attacks off the same Long Island beach yesterday. And earlier this summer, a swimmer in California nearly died. He described what happened on the morning news: āI was bitten ferociously by a shark right across my…
Fifteen years ago today (June 29, 2007), Apple released the first iPhone. The rest is… …you know. Here’s the thing about Apple: The company makes great technology, but what really sets it apart is the storytelling. So many great, story-powered ads. My favorite? One called “Bounce” — a 2019 ad for AirPods (ear phones). I…
A few weeks back, I stumbled across an article by a so-called “storytelling expert” who droned on and on about something called Freytag’s Storytelling Pyramid. Freytag was a 19th-century German playwright. And, unless you’re a glutton for punishment, I have good news for you: You don’t have to know anything about Freytag or his pyramid…