#ScienceOfStorytelling

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Michaela MayaA tragedy ends with a character failing to alter their flawed way of perception & action. Instead of adapting and changing for the better, they give in, embrace their flaw further and spiral out of control. Usually, this ends in one of three ways: ostracisation, humiliation (=complete and irretrievable loss of status) or death. Other possible endings are: happy ⬆️, deliberately unsatisfying (heroic behaviour fails to reestablish control) and bittersweet. <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/AboutWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AboutWriting</a> <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/ScienceOfStorytelling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ScienceOfStorytelling</a>

Michaela MayaThe "God Moment" is that one blissful (sometimes fleeting) moment where the protagonist has regained control over everything - the happenings of the outside world as well as the process of change he was undergoing inside, on the subconscious layer of the story. They fully embrace and embody their "new and improved" self and succeed. A God Moment is a happy ending for a novel. <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/AboutWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AboutWriting</a> <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/ScienceOfStorytelling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ScienceOfStorytelling</a>

Michaela MayaThe book argues for a character-centred approach to plotting. First, define your protagonist's "sacred flaw" - something that shaped their view of the world + their self & drives their thinking+behaviour. Be specific. Then uncover what made them this way - their "origin damage" (often a childhood event). Now find a "story event" that exposes their flaw and forces them to find a new way to control the chaos around them. Around this, a compelling story arises. <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/AboutWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AboutWriting</a> <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/ScienceOfStorytelling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ScienceOfStorytelling</a>

Michaela MayaSympathy for the devil - how to create a compelling <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/antihero" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#antihero</a>: • deflate reader's moral outrage before it arises • have antihero acknowledge their wrongdoing and suffer for it • paint a tragic past that made them this way • offer an even worse foe as villain • create a world where their actions are good-ish (relatively speaking) • emphasise their humanity & their good sides • make their bad deeds seem justifiable • make them attractive, cultured, polite <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/AboutWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AboutWriting</a> <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/ScienceOfStorytelling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ScienceOfStorytelling</a>

Michaela MayaStories are, in their essence, tribal propaganda. They delineate what is "good"/desired behaviour in the tribe (by which one can improve their status) and what is considered a (punishable, by loss of status/humiliation) moral infraction. They tie the group together, set out which rules to follow and demarcate it from other groups through a shared narrative and shared values. Stories are at the roots of religions and cultures. <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/AboutWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AboutWriting</a> <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/ScienceOfStorytelling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ScienceOfStorytelling</a>

Michaela Maya⬆️ weitere Lektion aus dem Buch über Storytelling, die auch im Leben generell nützlich ist. Ich ziehe wirklich ganz schön viel Erkenntnis aus dieser Lektüre. <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/ScienceOfStorytelling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ScienceOfStorytelling</a>

Michaela MayaWhen we are under threat, our brain's processing capacity increases temporarily - we take in more details and time seems to slow. Storytellers can use this selectively to add drama: the employment of detailed, minute descriptions may help convey that the protagonist is facing a life-threatening situation. <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/AboutWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AboutWriting</a> <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/ScienceOfStorytelling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ScienceOfStorytelling</a>

Michaela MayaOur brains are extremely powerful prediction machines - what we perceive is actually a hallucination of the world that is predicted by our brain and corrected in real time. This is why unexpected change immediately grabs our attention - it could signal a threat or an opportunity. Storytellers employ this by starting their tale at a point where something changes or they hint at a troubling change to come. That immediately draws us into the story. <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/AboutWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AboutWriting</a> <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/ScienceOfStorytelling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ScienceOfStorytelling</a>

Michaela MayaOne thing I actually had never considered before is how much the *word order* in a sentence matters. It's much easier for the brain to visualise a story if it follows a "natural" order. For example: "I handed the cup to Margaret" flows more naturally than "I handed Margaret the cup", because the first one follows the order of the action. Think of it as commenting something live, as it happens. That makes the story feel more real and alive. <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/AboutWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AboutWriting</a> <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/ScienceOfStorytelling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ScienceOfStorytelling</a>

Michaela MayaI'm currently reading "The Science of Storytelling" by Will Storr and it's full of morsels of knowledge. Anyone interested in a daily dose of writing advice? I could share some of the insights below this post with the Hashtags <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/ScienceOfStorytelling" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ScienceOfStorytelling</a> and <a href="https://mastodon.wurzelmann.at/tags/AboutWriting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AboutWriting</a> as I go.

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#scienceofstorytelling