Stories: why they stick
Lesson 12 of 16 in the course “Speak with Confidence”. Free, with animations and a quiz.
63% vs 5%
Stanford professor Chip Heath has run one exercise in his class for years: students give one-minute talks, and a few minutes later they’re asked to recall what they heard. 63% remembered a story; only 5% remembered any individual statistic. That’s even though the average talk had more than two statistics and less than one story. Facts matter, but stories are what hold them up.
Stories sync brains
In 2010, Princeton neuroscientists led by Uri Hasson recorded the brain activity of a woman telling a story and of the people listening. The listeners’ activity mirrored hers with a slight delay. And the stronger the match, the better people understood the story afterwards. When you tell a story, listeners literally live through it with you.
The story spine
Improv teacher Kenn Adams created the “story spine”, which Pixar storytellers came to love. Every day. But one day. Because of that. And then. Until finally. Ever since then. Six lines and you already have a start, a turn, a build-up and a takeaway. In the trainer the steps are on screen: glance at them and lead the listener forward instead of listing events.
Details bring a story to life
“I was really nervous” is something listeners understand but don’t feel. “My palms were so sweaty my phone kept slipping” is something they see. One precise detail (a place, a sound, a line, a time) beats five adjectives. Mira doesn’t say “we argued about money”. She says: “At 11:40 pm a text came in: ‘You owe me 14.70.’” The room laughs, because everyone has had that text.
No want, no story
“I went to the shop and bought bread” isn’t a story, it’s a report. A story starts when the hero wants something and something gets in the way. Listeners start rooting for the hero and waiting to see how it ends. Before telling a story, answer three questions: who’s the hero, what do they want, and what stands in the way. In stories about you, the hero is you, and that’s fine.
Check yourself
- What did Chip Heath’s student exercise show?
Correct answer: Stories are remembered far more often than numbers. 63% of listeners recalled a story, while only 5% recalled any statistic. - Mira says: “I went to the shop and bought bread.” What’s missing for it to be a story?
Correct answer: The hero’s want and what gets in the way. Without a goal and an obstacle, listeners have nothing to root for: it’s a report, not a story. - What did Princeton neuroscientists find in 2010?
Correct answer: The listener’s brain mirrors the storyteller’s brain activity. Listeners’ activity followed the storyteller’s, and the stronger the match, the better the understanding.