Thread by @ItsKieranDrew

Storytelling is the most powerful skill you can learn.

And every great story follows the same format.

Here’s an effective framework for you to create an incredibly compelling tale with your content:

The best businesses don’t sell products or services.

They tell stories that transform their audience. And they're loved for it.

If you’re writing online, you can do the same.

This is the StoryBrand framework 👇

Every story in a nutshell:

“A character who wants something encounters a problem before they can get it.

Then, a guide steps into their life, gives them a plan and calls them to action.

This action helps avoid failure and ends in transformative success.”

The Character

This is your audience – and the most important rule of the story:

You are not the hero. Your reader is.

Instead, you’re the guide.

Yoda to Luke. Gandalf to Frodo.

Too many writers focus on themselves and never gain traction.

Don’t lose sight of this lesson.

What They Want

If you want to tell a powerful story, you need to identify the ONE big ambition of your reader.

Strength comes from specificity.

We all desire 2 things:

To survive and thrive.

So, define exactly how your content helps your reader do both.

The Problem

Problems have layers, but most focus only on the external.

Your audience will love you for solving internal problems because they dominate our thoughts.

External problems trigger internal states.

Here're examples:

Need more money – External
Feeling trapped in 9-5 – Internal

Struggling with bad habit – External
Feeling like a failure – Internal

Can’t get laid – External
Low self-worth – Internal

Drill down to the core and you’ll find the story your reader wants to be told.

Go Deeper

A great tale tackles a problem bigger than the individual.

These ideas unite us. They’re philosophical.

• Money – Everyone deserves freedom
• Habits – Realising our potential
• Dating – Finding the one

Try this:

(within your niche)

Everyone deserves X

The Villain

Ever seen a good story without a bad guy?

Me neither.

We need our Hans Gruber. Voldemort. Sauron.

There are 4 rules behind every great villain:
1. Root cause (anger = result. Government = Cause)
2. Relatable
3. Singular (specificity!)
4. Real

To find yours:

The villain triggers the problem.

Apple’s wild success came from villainising the complexity of computers.

Bitcoin against centralisation.

Trump vs haircuts.

A villain unites against a common cause. This is incredibly powerful.

Yoda

There're a million gurus online, but not many guides.

Here’s how to separate from the noise:

1. Empathy

Make your reader feel seen, heard and understood.

2. Authority

Show how you can help. Stats, results & testimonials.

The Plan

The story’s coming together. Next is the plan to get results.

Your content is the journey from A to B.

And to tell the best tale you need to talk about this from two angles:

1. Avoiding failure.
2. Achieving success.

Failure

Heard of prospect theory?

Avoiding loss> Achieving gain.

Identify the biggest pain point or you’ll never grab attention.

i.e. being stuck in your 9-5.

But fear is like salt.

Use too much and ruin the meal. Don’t overdo it.

Success

You might work with words, but your job is to paint pictures.

Show what success means. Tie it into a big desire:

• Status
• Wholeness
• Reaching potential

Never presume your audience knows how the story ends. Tell them.

"Happily ever after"

Every great story finishes with transformation.

And every great business tells a tale of new identity.

Look at your favourite creators:

• James Clear talks about greatness
• Naval talks about freedom

Tie your story to a transformation and your reader will be hooked.

Plato once said, “Those who tell stories rule the world”.

Never has this been more true. Stories are powerful and the internet is only getting busier.

So, run through the framework. Identify each stage.

And then write the story your reader wants to live.

If you enjoyed this thread and you're interested in online writing and storytelling, give me a follow. I write multiple threads a week on both.

@ItsKieranDrew

The best story to tell is the one you're writing every day.

So I put together a short e-book to help you find what makes you unique online.

Get it here for free:

writersniche.carrd.co

Still here? Fantastic.

If you know anyone who'd benefit from storytelling with their business and writing - I'd appreciate it if you shared this thread.

Just click below and up you go.

https://twitter.com/ItsKieranDrew/status/1484182948576301064

TL;DR:

If you want an engaged and motivated audience, tell them the story they want to hear.

• Identify the core desire
• Dig deep to find the problem
• Attach it to a villain
• Guide them with a plan
• Paint a picture of failure and success
• Offer transformation