Telling Good Stories Angie Albright

Why do we tell stories? Why do we blog? For the same reason humans have since they could utter sound or use sticks to write on clay. Why do you blog? You have a story to tell. That story might be your own, your organization’s, or your company’s.

Why do we tell stories? “For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness.” James Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues”

What is myth? “A myth is something that is “’more than true.’” Myths are stories that are universal, that are true for all humans regardless of culture or time period.” Linda Seger, “Creating the Myth”

What is myth? “Myths are stories of our search through the ages for truth, for meaning, for significance.” We all need to tell our story and to understand our story, which includes passages from birth to life to death. Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

Where do we find myth? Movies Books, stories Our friends and family Television – sitcoms, dramas, reality tv And... wait for it... Blogs. Your blog. Your story. Your life. Your clients. Your customers. Your business. Your mission. All of these stories in whatever form resonate with us because the hero’s journey story is our story.

Examples of the hero’s journey Gilgamesh The Odyssey Wizard of Oz Star Wars Ferris Buehler Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? Gone with the Wind The Help Horrible Bosses Every political candidate Shrek Survivor Sully the Pilot Story of Jesus Story of Buddha Super Bowl Olympic athletes Your kids You

I. Departure Stage Departure – hero departs on the adventure –The Call to Adventure –Refusal of the Call –Supernatural Aid –The Crossing of the First Threshold –The Belly of the Whale How can we apply this to the sales process? To a nonprofit mission? Stages of the hero’s journey myth are adapted from “Hero’s Journey: Summary of Steps” – Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI), Maricopa Community Colleges

II. Initiation Stage Initiation - hero is being initiated into the new world: –The road of trials – juiciest stories of the tale –The meeting with the goddess –Woman as the temptress –Atonement with the Father – center point of the journey –Apotheosis –The ultimate boon Where is the customer in the sales process in the initiation stage? How does the organization’s mission enter the initiation stage of its story?

III. Return Stage Return – hero returns back into the “real” world and assimilates into old life –Refusal of the return –The magic flight –Rescue from without –Crossing the return threshold –Master of the two worlds –Freedom to live How is the sales process resolved? How is the mission “sold”?

The Cast Archetypes Definition: Symbols (including characters, images, and themes) that have a universal meaning for the entire audience.

The Cast Common Archetypes Wise old man Good mother Shadow figure Trickster Animals Scapegoats From: Seger, “Creating the Myth” and Bedford St. Martin’s World Literature glossary

You as the Hero You are on the hero’s journey! What stage of the hero’s journey are you telling? How can you structure the story in a way that maximizes the universal nature of your story? Who in your story fits an archetype? What events in your customer’s story or your nonprofit’s activities demonstrate the hero’s journey? Add depth to your stories by playing up the archetypes.

Story Ideas