How to Craft Your Story
Everyone has a story. We’ve already gone over it. You were there!
(If you weren’t there, you can catch up on the action right here - Everyone Has a Story)
I’m convinced that you are convinced at this point, and can already see the next question coming, “Okay, I get it, but how to I tell my story?”
I’m really glad that you asked! That’s exactly what I’m going to be discussing. See, crafting your story isn’t as difficult or mythical as many writers and creatives would like you to think. It’s actually about realizing what you have and then formatting into a consumable piece of content.
There are three things to consider as you begin to put your story together.
Message
Conflict
Call to Action
Let’s examine each of these a bit more closely.
Message
When I’m putting together a story or a message for an article or video, I start with the story itself. I’ll select a memorable experience and examine it from a personal development standpoint. What can I learn from this experience? What did I learn? What could I have done differently, or what will I do differently next time?
Taking this approach allows me to craft content that is interesting and impactful. That’s where my message comes in. I like to create things that help or inspire people to change or develop on a personal level so my message always revolves around that approach.
Conflict
It’s the age old truth. We are inspired and challenged by conflict, but we never want to experience it. Embrace it and inject it into whatever you are working on. Telling stories about difficult times and how you failed, overcame, or grew through them will always be impactful to people. We’ve all experienced difficult situations, sharing those with others will inspire trust and build a rapport with our audience that will help our message be heard in a clearer, more authentic voice.
Call to Action
This is what you would like from your audience. Not what you want them to give you necessarily, but what you think their next step should be after consuming your story. Would you like to have a conversation with them? Would you like for them to share the piece with their network or would you like for them to do something else?
You have the opportunity with each piece of content you create to enact some sort of action. It might not always work and many times it will be ignored, but it is still important to include so those that would like to engage best know how to do so.
So!
What are your thoughts? What else would you like to see included in this or what questions do you still find yourself asking? I’d love to chat via email or in the comments!
Don’t forget a couple of things:
I launched my podcast, The Unashamed Creative Show, and am always looking for topic or guest ideas, so don’t hesitate to shoot me a message about that! You can check it out here or subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, Sticher, Soundcloud, etc.
The Creative Journey e-book is available for download here. It walks through some of the foundational steps to living a creative, fulfilling, enriching life. You should definitely check it out and let me know your thoughts!
Thanks all! I’ll see you in the comments...