We all have minds.
Our minds work like the operating systems on a computer. Every functioning person has one, just like every functioning computer has an operating system. The storytelling principles are like the coding languages used to create software we install on those operating systems.
Stories are the install files for the software. They are all built on the same essential code, a code our brains are pre-programmed to decode, and are used to transfer one mind’s experiences to another human’s brain.
And that is what a genuine story will do; transfer one mind’s experiences to another human’s brain, just like an install file will transfer software from one computer to another.
If you decode any story, you’ll find the same essential code, copied and replicated throughout the ages. You can break it down into 5 essential words:
Someone – Show a relatable character
Normally – Show the world their map is built on
But – Show the change to the world that their map doesn’t fit
So – Show the conflict they face in response to the change
And then – Show the journey they take to get what they want
Finally – Show how they change their map to fit the new world
When you follow this structure, their brains are able to download the file, transport their minds through this experience, and come out the other end changed.
Someone
Story is about the experience of change, as opposed to change itself, and so the change has to happen to someone. A story needs a character.
This component of story takes advantage of a unique psychological aspect of being human that scientists call ‘theory of mind’. It is the theory that we are able to reconstruct other peoples’ minds in our own mind. We can imagine what other people are thinking, feeling, believing and wanting.
We are, after all, an extremely social species, who live, not just in the physical world, but also in the social world. Our world is filled with the minds of other human beings that dictate their actions, which in turn can impact on our world. If that person is angry, how will that affect me? How can I have sexual intercourse with this person? How can I get that person to give me what I want? As we ultimately seek control, it is imperative that we are able to predict the actions of others.
In fact, we have even applied this ability to beyond the realm of human beings. We use it to predict what animals are feeling, how a tree feels, why the weather is behaving a certain way. Look at children as they play with dolls and animals, hug inanimate objects and soothe their toys’ emotional distresses. We see minds, just like ours, everywhere.
It even led to the creation of religion. We seek control even over events that we can’t control, like the weather, the seasons and practically any natural event. We wonder, if we are not in control of these, then who is? The answer, is another mind, in the form of spirits and gods. And we must appease these spirits and gods by praying to them, offering sacrifices to them, and entering trance like states so that we may communicate with them.
The power of stories lies in the fact that they activate our ability to imagine another mind. And the more solidly we imagine that other mind, the more powerful the story will be.
We start with being shown clues as to what this other mind is like.
For example, if a film crew were to walk in on me right now, here is what you would observe:
– I am sitting in my bedroom, writing my book on a Sunday morning
– I am wearing a headband, to keep my long hair out of my eyes, and it looks so messy that I will switch to a baseball cap when I eventually venture out of the house to buy lunch from a shopping mall
– My Chinese wife is in our lounge, teaching a small group of children Chinese calligraphy, and anytime I communicate with her I do so in Chinese, despite being English
– My bedroom is tidy enough, the floors are free from debris, despite having a 2 year old, the table surfaces have just a few essential items arranged somewhat neatly, and if you were to open my drawers you’d find them to be surprisingly disorganised
– A quick glance at my iPhone and iPad will reveal mostly productive apps, and a few games, with no social media or news
These clues inform you about me as a character. They can inform you about my personality, cultural shaping, what kind of life experiences I may have had, what set of beliefs I may hold, what I care about and what kind of goals I have.
With enough of these clues, your mind starts to imagine itself as this other person. As they embark on their experience of change, you’ll now be able to imagine yourself as them, and literally feel what they feel.
Normally
As stories are about the experience of change, we must see what the change was from and to.
But more importantly, as stories are about the EXPERIENCE of change, we must see what the character’s maps of reality change from and to.
By providing enough clues about the experiences the character has been through, and what consequences they expect their actions to lead to, we can start to recreate their map of their reality in our own minds.
But as a reader or listener of a story, what is most interesting is when we see a gap in that characters map that they have not noticed themselves. This lets us know that something significant is about to happen.
For example, I have recently been playing a video game called Ghost of Tsushima. The main character is Jin Sakai, a Samurai in 13th century Japan who must help to save his island from a Mongol Invasion.
One scene at the beginning of this game helped to explain a gap in Jin’s map that he would later have to confront.
As the Mongols land on the beach, one of Jin’s fellow Samurai, approaches the Mongol leader face to face and calmly demands a one on one duel. This is the way of the Samurai, the way of honour. The Mongol leader laughs, takes a sip of the wine he is holding, then quickly throws the rest of the wine over the Samurai, and in a split second grabs a flaming torch and thrusts it into the Samurai’s chest. The alcohol quickly burns him to death.
Jin, and the Samurai, have a code of honour. In all their history of fighting in Japan, this code of honour has been held in high esteem. This is their map. But now Jin faces an enemy who does not share this code of honour, and will exploit every weakness honour brings.
Throughout the game, Jin must face the conflict of fighting with honour, or sneaking up on his enemies backs from the shadows, and dishonourably exploiting their every weakness, like a coward.
Without understanding the reason’s for Jin’s insistence on fighting a brutal enemy head on, I would find Jin’s actions to be, frankly, quite stupid. I’d probably quickly lose interest. But instead, the game is full of tiny scenes that reveal what life experiences have shaped Jin’s map and why this is a conflict for him.
When we introduce the someone of our story, we must share enough clues to make their actions seem reasonable. Once we can start to see the reasons for their actions, we can clearly see their current map of the world, and all its flaws that are about to be painfully picked apart by change.
But
The world changes and our character’s maps don’t match it anymore. The beliefs they held, the desires they pursued, suddenly hold no more relevance. They’re confronted with a reality in which they have no purpose, and much worse, no way of controlling. They are lost.
In the film Gladiator, Maximus starts off as an honourable General leading the Roman army to victory against the Germanic tribes. He’s been away for so long. He is tired of fighting. He wants nothing more than to return home to his wife and son who he has been separated from for too long.
This is Maximus’ map of normality. An honourable General, fighting for Rome, with a wife and son waiting for him back home.
But there is danger.
Maximus is very close with the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. So close, that Marcus Aurelius lets Maximus know that he doesn’t trust his own son to succeed him as Emperor, and wants Maximus to take the honour.
Upon hearing this, Marcus Aurelius’ son Commodus secretly murders his father and instantly becomes Emperor. He demands Maximus’ loyalty, but Maximus refuse. So he orders Maximus to be taken away and killed, along with his wife and son.
Maximus is able to save himself, but sustains injuries. He rushes back home, but it is too late, his wife and son have been murdered. Overwhelmed, he collapses. After a while his wounded body is collected by slavers, and he is condemned to the life of a Gladiator.
From an honourable General, longing to be ruined with his loving wife and son, to a slave whose family have been murdered. Changes don’t get much bigger than this. It is too easy to feel sympathy for Maximus. It is too easy to feel his grief, to feel his anger, to feel his suffering.
So
Now our character must confront a reality they don’t have a map for.
In some cases, the character can do nothing but deny reality. It’s easier to hold on to a flawed map than it is to redraw a map.
A good example is the film Catch Me If You Can, based on the real life story of Frank Abagnale who as a young adult was an extremely successful con-artist. It shows him starting his con-artist life posing as a substitute French teacher. Eventually he expands his skills into posing as an airline pilot, and forging cheques.
His actions start to get noticed by the FBI, and the agent Carl Hanratty sets out to find him.
And he does find him, at a hotel. But Frank Abagnale sneakily pretends to be a secret service agent also out to find this mysterious con artist. He manages to sway Carl Hanratty and get away.
But his lies eventually start to catch up with him. Everywhere he turns, he is pursued. He is pursued so much that his fiancé even tries to turn him in.
He manages to escape and flee to Europe where he continues with his lies. But eventually it all catches up with him. He is arrested and extradited back to the US where he is sentenced to 12 years in a maximum security prison.
This is what happens when our character doesn’t adapt to the change and keeps using the same old flawed map; they lose control.
But at some point, a desire forms. The desire to reclaim control.
Frank Abagnale is presented with an opportunity. Whilst in prison, Carl Hanratty, the very person that put him their, visits him and shows him a forged cheque. Frank easily shows how to spot the forgery and even identifies the bank teller who was involved. So Carl then convinces the FBI to allow Frank to serve the rest of his sentence by working for the FBI to help prevent forgery.
Frank Abagnale has a new goal; using his talents to do good.
In most changes, especially big ones, there is an initial denial, and even shock. But at some point, they are able to set a new goal.
For example in Finding Nemo, we are shown Marlin and his son Nemo.
Marlin is haunted by the memories of losing his wife Coral and all their other eggs in a barracuda attack. This helps us feel how important Nemo is to Marlin, but only heightens the pain of what is about to happen.
On Nemo’s first day of school, he sneaks away and is captured by a pair of scuba divers, separating him from Marlin.
So starts Marlin’s new desire; find his lost son.
Therefore
This new desire sets our character off on a journey, normally with twists and turns.
But the twists and turns must be logical, they must follow a chain of cause and effect relationships.
They go here, and meet that person, who helps them do this, which leads them to that etc.
For example, in The Lion King, after Simba’s father is murdered by his uncle Scar and he is forced to leave the kingdom, he collapses in the desert. Vultures start attacking him, which attract nearby Timon and Pumbaa who chase them away, and bring Simba to safety in the jungle.
Simba lives a carefree life, growing up in the jungle with his friends Timon and Pumbaa. But one day Timon and Pumbaa fall into danger as a hungry lionness tries to eat them. Simba comes and saves them, and discovers this lioness is his childhood friend Nala. They reunite and fall in love.
Nala tells him to come home, but feeling guilt for his father’s death he refuses to and storms off. He then encounters Rafiki, a monkey shaman who knew his dad. Rafiki tells Simba that his father’s spirit lives on in him. His father then visits him in the night sky, who convinces him to return home and defeat Scar.
Simba eventually returns home and defeats Scar to take back his kingdom and restore peace and prosperity.
As you can see from that example, one thing leads to another. Simba survives because vultures attract Timon and Pumbaa to his rescue. Simba is called back home because of his encounters with Nala and Rafiki and visits from his father. And so on.
If the Someone, Normally, But and So have been strong enough, then our audience will be fully with us through the twists and turns of the Therefore part. And they will be rooting for our character, because they are so bought into this character, and so want to see them overcoming their struggles, that it would give them nothing but joy to see the character get what they desire.
Finally
A story ends when the character regains control.
In Gladiator, Maximus gets revenge by killing Commodus. He then dies peacefully, and drifts off into the afterlife, to be reunited with his wife and son.
In Catch Me If You Can Frank Abagnale successfully fits into his role at the FBI. He is now able to apply his talents in a good way.
In Finding Nemo, Marlin is reunited with Nemo. They are able to enjoy life happily together.
And in The Lion King, Simba reclaims his throne, and brings peace and prosperity back to the kingdom.
The ending does not necessarily have to be a happy one. But if our audience are to leave the story with a sense of relief, then they must see how the character regains control of their world.
Because that is what people most crave from stories.
A story is a simulation of a change that COULD happen to them. And if that change were to happen to them, they want to know how to regain control. Stories help people learn how to handle situations they have yet to encounter.
Get Creative
The Someone, Normally, But, So, Therefore, Finally can be used creatively. Sometimes parts can be combined. Some parts may have greater emphasis than others.
For me, the magic of understanding the science of storytelling, is in appreciating the art of storytelling. When I see how others have applied these principles in creative ways, that inspires me.
So start paying attention to the stories around you. The anecdotes people share, the books you read, movies you watch and games you play. These are all examples of the creative application of these principles. The more you notice how people creatively apply these, the more creative you can get in applying the skill of storytelling.
