Make Stories More Moving With Myth

Written by

Patti Sanchez

Everyone’s a storyteller these days. From political candidates to pop singers, communicators of all kinds are embracing storytelling techniques to connect with audiences and convey their ideas in a more memorable and engaging way. Yet long before it was trending on Twitter, storytelling was hot in Hollywood, where the art of crafting compelling narratives was perfected by screenwriters. To learn what makes great stories work, I sat down to talk with Christopher Vogler, a veteran story analyst who counsels creators like Darren Aronofsky, Helen Hunt, Will Smith, and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop on how to fine-tune their scripts to heighten audience appeal. His book, The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, inspired key concepts in Nancy Duarte’s Resonate and influences our everyday work. In it, Chris reveals the magic behind movies that move us the most and lays out a roadmap for creating resonant stories using universal concepts from the “hero’s journey.” Check out these brief interview bits for a taste, and then buy the book to guide your own writing journey.

Part 1 –  What makes story work and how it affects our minds and bodies

Part 2 –  The role of a mentor and why they’re more appealing with less ego

Part 3 –  Why storytelling in live presentations helps a speaker steer the audience

Part 4 –  If corporations are people, what does their journey look like?

Part 5 –  How the hero’s journey applies beyond story to the struggle of daily life