Power to you: Principles of a good storytelling
Nura.A, OnaStories Executive Learner
Here at OnaStories, we believe, much like Tyrion Lannister, that a good story matters (no, Bran’s story does not fit our standards of a great story). We as humans are natural storytellers, we do it every day of our lives, we seek compelling stories in the news, on TV shows, music and in our idle day to day gossip. Stories intrigue us, they move us and they make us take action. So in a world that is jam-packed with digital and traditional content all clamouring for our limited attention span how can we tell good, meaningful and impactful stories?
One of the best storytellers of our time is Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind Humans of New York (HONY). Brandon initially began his journey taking portraits of 10,000 New Yorkers to map out the city.
Today he has traveled the world extensively documenting the lives of thousands of people across the globe. Through captions, videos, and books Brandon managed to unite people through a good story. During his recent visit to Rwanda, he interviewed survivors of the Rwandan Genocide culminating in his final post with President Paul Kagame.
Today HONY has 22 thousand patrons on Patreon that always eager to donate to the subjects of HONY posts. This is the power of a good story, to unite for good, to transcend misconceptions, and tap into our innate need to help one another.
Positive, long-term impact is the goal of the stories we tell. At OnaStories centring the Tanzanian and African story is our ultimate goal. To tell stories in a way that captures the attention of fellow Africans and can move us to action. At the UN-Habitat in May we showcased the principles of great storytelling in an increasingly digitized world and the importance of increasing importance of incorporating tech like VR ad AR.
The following are some of those principles:
1. Audience centered
A good story keeps the audience front and centre. What appeals to the audience is the will inform what kind of story to create and how to share it.
2. Great stories are universal
Most humans share similar experiences and emotions, tap into that and amplify it.
3. Purpose-driven
Why should the audience care? Why does this story need to be told? Encapsulate the answer in one sentence it is the guiding star.
4. Platform-specific
All platforms were not created equal. What is the best medium to tell the story? A book? Instagram post? YouTube video? Adapt the story for different platform.
5. Consistency
Consistency breeds an attentive and invested audience. Once the content is compelling consistency is the next step to sustaining and growing a following.
6. Future-proof
The digital landscape is changing rapidly, adapting stories to fit the ever-evolving digital world is crucial. New formats, mediums, and tech is a necessity.
