What do I mean by that?

Writing takes on many forms, from novels to screenplays to marketing copy and everything in between. But at its core, lies story.

Okay, not always.

The Exceptions

Here’s the disclaimer bit that appeases the scholars who argue about rhetoric and composition.

Yes, there are forms that are strictly fact-based and shun all narrative technique. Things like instruction manuals, hardcore science texts, the majority of math texts, some academic writing, reference works, technical documents, and basic journalism that provides the five W’s and not much else (aka, news summaries).

But those are special cases. The types of writing most people never aspire to write. I mean, who sets out to write instruction manuals that no one reads (except my husband)? There’s a reason Ikea provides pictures instead (though that too is wrought with issues—most of the time I can’t figure out what that line drawing dude is doing.)

There is a place for non-narrative writing, but it is limited and not what we are talking about here.

Scholars Agree

Most scholars argue that story is the way humans communicate and make sense of the world. I fall into that camp. Strongly.

Why? Because story can inform, inspire, persuade, entertain, express, motivate, and fulfill so many other functions. And it can do no matter the form.

Stories are how we share our history, our memories, our pet peeves, and joys. It’s how we connect with each other on the most basic level.

Even our brains are designed to operate within the framework of stories. There are a host of neurotransmitters that fire with each tale we hear, tell or watch.

This explains why all effective writing has a narrative spine, no matter how it appears. It can feel like expository on the surface, but often has a story arc at its center.

What This Means For You

Learning narrative techniques will strengthen your writing no matter what form it takes.

Understanding narrative, pairing it with writing mechanics (the how to write stuff), and the neuroscience of story (how stories work in the brain) will help you write in a way that connects more deeply.

Here are some examples of how:

• If you knew how to eliminate barriers to building empathy, you could connect better. The neuroscience of story can help with that.
• If you want to make a stronger argument, you could frame analysis as a problem, show escalation, add a turning point, and then reveal the resolution. That’s story structure in the form of rising tension and payoff.
• You could write essays, reports, sales copy, and even arguments by creating sequences of expectation and realization, which is narrative in nature.

Narrative works in all forms if you choose to use them.

How Theory Complicates It

Many writing books and courses adhere to the old method of rhetorical modes: narration, description, exposition, and persuasion. They define each of these and silo them.

But stories don’t work like that. They use a mix of these elements. The parts are not independent, but supportive to each other.

Many writing books, coaches, and classes like to dissect the parts and not the whole. But all this does is complicate the matter. It would be like learning about each ingredient for a recipe, but never making the dish or the technique to put the ingredients together in a meaningful way.

Do you need to know how each element works? Of course. But not in isolation.

You need the what, why, and how.

That’s a holistic approach that lets you adapt the elements to different needs and forms of writing.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

Different types of stories need different structures and approaches. But they all draw on the same story models. They all function using the same techniques (outside of those exceptions listed above).

The biggest difference between screenplays and emails is the level of complexity. And that while that difference is enormous (screenplays are dense with complexity), you can break them apart and show how each part works within the framework of story and narrative technique.

That’s what I mean by “The forms may change. Story never does.”

It’s that the essence of story can be found in all levels of writing.

Knowing how to write effective stories leads to better writing across the board, from sales copy to novels.

The Impact

The biggest reason to rely on storytelling in your work comes down to how it’s received. People (readers, audiences, viewers, etc.) remember stories 22 times more than they do facts alone.

22 times more.

That’s huge.

Writing in a narrative structure also helps in better understanding of the material, which means your point is easier to follow and remember.

But That’s Not All (cue cheesy infomercial voice)

Knowing how to write using narrative techniques helps your readers not only experience your writing but respond to it emotionally. And that is critical for creating a connection built on empathy.

Learning narrative technique helps you craft stories designed to elicit specific responses—both hormonal and neurological. This allows you to tell a story that will cause narrative transport, which is the goal of writing. We want readers to fully immerse themselves in our stories and lose themselves in the process.

The Wrap Up

Narrative (or story) is a universal pattern of language and thinking that we use every day to organize our time, experiences, and causal events. We also use it to assign significance.

It’s how we process our lives.

This story pattern makes its way into all forms of writing (except the bits above). We can’t help it. It’s how our brains work. How we work.

That’s why you find it everywhere. In essays, editorials, blogs, novels, short stories, podcast scripts, documentaries, films, sales pages, testimonials, advertisements, videos, and every other form of communication…even some of the supposed exceptions noted above.

There are some instruction manuals built with humor and story elements to make them more accessible. Manufacturers realized no one wanted to read the instructions otherwise. For example, a Patagonia jacket had a washing instruction that said, “”We made this jacket to survive a hurricane. It can probably survive your washing machine, but maybe don’t wash it with your keys.”

That’s using narrative to be more engaging.

Old video games used to do this too. They’d tell you to “use the A button to leap over that pesky, suspiciously hungry monster” instead of “use A to leap.”

It’s why Ikea uses pictures. It’s a form of visual storytelling.

Narrative works. No matter the form. Which is all I’ve been saying.