DadviceStorytellingA good story can’t wait to be told. Sometimes it has to be found, worked on, and whittled into a shape that can be digested by an audience.  Some stories we have been telling for thousands of years and at the hands of a master craftsman it is received not just by our mind and ears, but by a very primal part of ourselves deep within.  It is why we love the stories crafted by Homer and Shakespeare.  It is why the stories of the Buddha, and the Bible are so powerful to us.

We have been telling stories to each other from the moment we learned to communicate.  We’ve drawn them on walls, carved them in stone, written them on paper, and published them on blogs.  I am a huge fan of good storytelling.  Last year my boys and I finished reading the ancient Greek myths.  Now we are plugging away through Norse mythology riveted each time we read the acts of heroes and plots of villains.  There are times that I am amazed that stories concocted thousands of years ago hold my boys enthralled.   So many of us these days take the time to tell stories both personally and professionally that I thought I might write a little bit on what makes a good story.

Christopher Booker wrote a book called “The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories” if you really want to dig into this I recommend that book as a starting point.  In the book he  goes into detail about the 7 basic plots we have used for our stories since ancient times which are:

  1. Overcoming the Monster
  2. Rags to Riches
  3. The Quest
  4. Voyage and Return
  5. Comedy
  6. Tragedy
  7. Rebirth

These plots fuel the stories that we love.  They are the stories we love to watch, listen to, and tell.  If you take a moment you can find them in your favorite movies, TV shows, and books.  To break it down let’s look at the plots briefly.

Overcoming the Monster – The world is out of order something big and powerful has shifted the balance of power largely in its/their favor.  In this plot the hero must overcome great fear or summon up great strength to overcome the monster and set the world right.  Examples: David and Goliath (The Bible), Luke Skywalker and the Empire (Star Wars), Maximus and Commodus (Gladiator), or Beowulf and Grendel (Beowulf).

Rags to Riches – This is the great “American Dream” story.  Climbing the ladder from the bottom rung to the top.  There is usually an element of a strong work ethic along with a little bit of luck along with learning how to manage the change in status.  Examples: Annie, Cinderella, Joseph (and the coat of many colors), Aladdin, or Pygmalion.

The Quest – This plot makes great movies.  The protagonist(s) must go and overcome obstacles to reach a goal or treasure.  Examples: The Iliad, Hercules, or The Hobbit.

Voyage and Return – Ripped from the normal and thrust into a world that is foreign and unusual a hero must find a way back to their normal life again.  Examples: The Odyssey, Alice in Wonderland, The Never-ending Story, Quantum Leap, or Back to the Future.

Comedy – The hero just can’t seem to get out of  his/her own way.  Only through a series of humorous series of misadventures that must be played out to their most extreme possibilities can the protagonist(s) find resolution.  Examples: Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, or The Pink Panther and Inspector Clouseau.

Tragedy – These are the morality plays.  The stories of what happens when we can’t control our flaws and/or egos.  Examples: Hamlet, Pandora, King Midas, or Macbeth.

Rebirth – In this plot doom and gloom is looming large and a total victory seems to be at hand.  Only through a series of fortunate or chance events does the protagonist with the power to turn the tide experience a change that turns back the tide and leaves the world a better place often to their own doom.  Examples: Darth Vader (Return of the Jedi), Scrooge (A Christmas Carol), Javert (Les Miserables), or Samson (The Bible).

Now that we know the stories we need to tell them. Which brings me to Ira Glass. He is one of the best storytellers out there.  Each week on This American Life he chooses a theme and brings you a series of stories on that theme (fans of TAL I know you are smiling right now).  He (and his team) is so good at telling these stories that Shotime made a TV version of the show.  I’m sure you could ask Ira Glass why This American Life as been so successful and I am sure he would have a good answer for you.  Since I don’t have access to him I’ll just have to give you my opinion. I think it is because they tell real stories, about real people using elements of great storytelling that have been around for ages.

Some day I would love to be a storyteller of the same caliber as Ira Glass.  I think it is important to be able to pass on knowledge, wisdom, and entertainment in an entertaining and informative fashion.  I think that is why I am driven to write like this.  For those like me who are interested in telling stories here is a series of  YouTube videos in which Ira Glass discusses the art of storytelling:

http://youtu.be/loxJ3FtCJJA?list=PLqXl9dtzhWVQQx0pvgSvcr0DxS1hmASvR

Now let’s get out there and tell some great stories together!

 

(Originally posted on DiaryDad.com)