So, let’s take a little closer look at those magic ingredients that, put together and mixed with the right hand, shapes into a Story.
First, you need a Plot. The plot is what unfolds in the story. Something is supposed to happen; whether it’s new houses to be built or a ring to be thrown into the doomsday mountain, thus preventing the world from collapsing, or someone finding their way home.
The plot can be retold chronologically or more complexly with flashbacks and/or flash-forwards. The Russian fairy-tale researcher Vladimir Propp (himself a fairly interesting story, I might add!) has been of great significance to narratology as a field. Propp argues that in a fairy tale, various “typical actions” can be distinguished. That is, actions that are the same in different stories. These typical actions are called “functions.” One such function could be “the villain causes harm to a family member” (misdeed).
I could add, that as this step might seem self-explanatory given the context, this is where I find the first stumblers in corporate storytelling. They try to fit in their new commercial campaign,or their really generous sales offers on the new product line – but they simply do not have any plot and so CAN NOT make a story out of it.
Start with the plot. If you have one, you may proceed on the storytelling-path with your project. If not, go find one. Or use another method.
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