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Hmmm, not an easy question to answer!  Defining storytelling seems to work against its defining tenets.  We refer to the dictionary when we want to win an argument by referring to the authority of the compilers.  If you ask for a definition of “story” online, you’ll see the problem. 

The word comes from the same root as “history” and bizarrely “storey”.  So, we could say it is an account, real or imagined, of something that happened in the past.  (Apparently, storey comes from stained glass windows.  Each part of the window told a story and the ones above were at a higher storey!)

This is all very well but not particularly helpful.  Let’s try approaching the question by eliminating things that are not stories. 

I don’t remember where I first saw these four writing styles.  (Yes, I know many stories are spoken.  They’re similar to writing as not all spoken words are stories.  We can at least see a way towards clarity by considering written words.)

Theoretical

This post is written in this style.  At its best theoretical writing is clear or at least aims to clarify some point.  It depends on the logical development of an argument.  The downside is that it can be tedious and boring.  However, especially in a business context, stories can segue into theory.  A story captures attention and passes attention to the theoretical or teaching content.

Technical

People are more likely to read technical than theoretical writing because they have to.  Technical writing shows us how to do things and how to improve performance.  This will cover instruction manuals and recipe books, for example.  Whilst an instruction manual is under an obligation to explain things, recipe books are more likely to include stories and theoretical material. 

Transformational

This is where stories come in.  Transformational writing aims to change lives.  This is the most readable form of writing.  Stories are easier to remember and have an emotional impact. 

Transcendental

This material is written as poetry, songs, prayer, and spiritual writing.  Some poems tell a story although I’m unsure whether this makes them easier to read!  However, there is a huge overlap between these two styles.

Transformational writing (and speaking) is the most accessible, sometimes aided by transcendental forms.  We most likely see art at home in these two styles, whilst science is at home in the first two.  However, I’ve argued in previous posts that the boundaries between art and science are permeable, all four styles overlap.

I think the four styles help us appreciate what is not a story but there’s more to it.  I see storytelling with three storeys.

Storey 1:  Anecdotes

A lot of what we might loosely call storytelling involves anecdotes.  These are unconsidered experiences relayed to others.  Something happens on the way to work and we immediately offer those who will listen to an account.  Most storytellers keep an account of their experiences each day.  These will be anecdotal.  It takes work to turn them into stories.  They are the raw material for stories but must be edited, combined and retold in various ways to qualify as stories.

The issue here can be seen in the written memoir.  The first draft is unlikely to be a story and more likely to be a long anecdote.  This may be why publishing can be fraught.  Once the effort of remembering is over and the memoir is on paper, it can feel like the job is done.  What if it’s just begun?

Storey 2: Stories

Stories are, according to Matthew Dicks, genuine stories when they describe a transformation or a realisation.  I’ll delve into the meanings of these terms in future posts.  A story has an endpoint and starts at an opposite point.  (The opposite point is not necessarily far away in time and indeed many stories benefit from starting close to the end point.  So, if the protagonist becomes brave, the story starts when they are a coward but close to when things change.)  The story is the journey from start to finish. 

The long memoir will usually need to be edited before it is published.  There are likely to be several drafts and the early ones will normally be carried out by the author before it is shown to a potential editor.  Yes, editing is a drag.  But we edit with the reader in mind, so reading it isn’t a drag for them.

Storey 3:  Narrative

A business narrative is where a sequence or selection of stories embody a business.  The narrative will evolve, gaining new stories, using old stories in different ways and losing stories that no longer work.  The narrative itself evolves but at any given time, its stories form the identity or brand of the business.

A memoir is perhaps a narrative made up of linked stories.  An alternative to publishing the whole thing is to craft each story, build a portfolio and find more unexpected stories as you go!

This is the tenth in a sequence of posts about business storytelling.  The first post was Marketing: Art or Science?  The last post was Data and Statistics and the eleventh post will be Transformation in Stories.

To try out one of your business-related stories and receive feedback from me plus a few other business owners, please comment below to arrange an informal conversation.  I run these sessions free of charge on the second and fourth Thursdays.  Visit my website to find out about the Telling Stories Autumn meetings.

Minerva tells me she has been inspired by a need for some stained glass action!  I knew this would not end well.  Everyone looks glassy-eyed.    And what happened to the third storey?