The Power of Storytelling | dragonfly editorial

dragonfly editorial

The Power of Storytelling

If you’re a writer, take five minutes today to listen to this discussion by Ira Glass, NPR correspondent and host of my personal favorite radio show of all time, This American Life. Glass discusses the power of storytelling in capturing peoples’ interest — even in fairly boring material.

Publications coach Daphne Gray-Grant, in her weekly newsletter, Power Writing, summarizes Glass’s points thusly:

Stories and anecdotes are central to interesting writing because no matter how boring the material, the momentum of the form will carry the reader/listener along. (Glass compares hearing or reading an anecdote to being on a train.)

Interesting stories, by themselves, are not enough. They must have a point. Glass calls this the “moment of reflection.” This is the big payoff for the reader or listener. It’s when the writer shows the connection between the story that grabbed your interest and the idea that just might change your life.

Gray-Grant asks her readers this: “This week as you’re writing, ask yourself: Are you telling enough stories? And are you connecting the dots for your reader?”

Are you?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 4th, 2007 at 12:37 pm and is filed under Clear writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply

What do our clients think?

Press Releases

view archives

Latest Comments

  • erika: This makes me happy: //Chicago now recommends a uniform stylistic...
  • Gary A. Hill: I bought my copy of Garner from Powell’s Books. I...
  • admin: I guess if you consider it to be part of the whole...