How to tell a great story

The history of storytelling goes back thousands of years. Cave dwellers used pigment to paint on walls with their hands to create stories and myths. The ancient Greeks carved their language into walls to tell how history was moving forward.

Creative words of wisdom
Marcjon Nimmo
December 19, 2023
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What makes a great story?

Every great story has some core fundamentals that you could and SHOULD bring into your own brand story. While brand stories are often seen as just taking about your business, what you do and who you do it for. The reality can be a lot more creative! 

To give you a starting point we have pinched some material from the best storytellers on the planet - in our option of course - PIXAR. Here's a few things to think about when creating your own brand story and note that if it makes you laugh, cry, angry or any other powerful emotion you are heading in the right direction.

3 key components

  • The Protagonist. The protagonist must want something badly enough to take action toward it.
  • The Antagonist. Something must be keeping your protagonist from getting what they want.
  • An Inciting Action. Your protagonist must have an emotional arc where they learn something or grow as a person as a result of their journey, which will lead them to get what they want in the end.

6 piece story structure

  • Once upon a time.
  • Every day.
  • One Day.
  • Because of that. This can happen many times over!
  • Until finally.

Have you seen the movie UP? 

Let's give it a go. Once upon a time there was a couple who loved each other deeply. Everyday they would talk about going on an adventure. One Day the lady passed away. Because of that the old man decided to leave and go on an adventure. Because of that he took a camp scout with him. Because of that the adventure didn't go according to plan. Until finally the old man realised they the importance of loving the people in your life.

Now, your business might now have a tear-jerking story like this one, but I'm sure you can fill in the gaps using your own journey thus far to create something that can connect with your audience. Stories were mostly written with children in mind. They were created to teach basic life lessons. Maybe you can teach your audience some lessons about the value you bring to them?

What makes a great story?

Every great story has some core fundamentals that you could and SHOULD bring into your own brand story. While brand stories are often seen as just taking about your business, what you do and who you do it for. The reality can be a lot more creative! 

To give you a starting point we have pinched some material from the best storytellers on the planet - in our option of course - PIXAR. Here's a few things to think about when creating your own brand story and note that if it makes you laugh, cry, angry or any other powerful emotion you are heading in the right direction.

3 key components

  • The Protagonist. The protagonist must want something badly enough to take action toward it.
  • The Antagonist. Something must be keeping your protagonist from getting what they want.
  • An Inciting Action. Your protagonist must have an emotional arc where they learn something or grow as a person as a result of their journey, which will lead them to get what they want in the end.

6 piece story structure

  • Once upon a time.
  • Every day.
  • One Day.
  • Because of that. This can happen many times over!
  • Until finally.

Have you seen the movie UP? 

Let's give it a go. Once upon a time there was a couple who loved each other deeply. Everyday they would talk about going on an adventure. One Day the lady passed away. Because of that the old man decided to leave and go on an adventure. Because of that he took a camp scout with him. Because of that the adventure didn't go according to plan. Until finally the old man realised they the importance of loving the people in your life.

Now, your business might now have a tear-jerking story like this one, but I'm sure you can fill in the gaps using your own journey thus far to create something that can connect with your audience. Stories were mostly written with children in mind. They were created to teach basic life lessons. Maybe you can teach your audience some lessons about the value you bring to them?

Workshop stories: Why is my past important?

“What’s that got to do with you?” or “How does this affect the future of our business?”.

Good brands make more money

The brander in me could only stare into the sky, smile, and appreciate the genius that is branding.

What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Static and dynamic content editing

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila! A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila! A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila! A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

"A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!"

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.