Story Bored? Go Interactive and Non-linear

Do you find long drawn-out stories a bore?

Like most things these days, stories are getting smaller and that means they need to be succinct.  The days of the epic are far behind us in this digital age, at least when it comes to getting airplay, and isn;t that what it is all about?

But what do you do when your story is just too complex to tell in a snippet?

The answer may be to tell the story in a non-linear way.  Or, not to tell the story at all, but let folks interact with your story the way they want to experience it.  Give them a roadmap to a series of short and even shorter sub-stories that they can sample at their own pace, finding those morsels that they are most interested in, without the long, boring narrative.

The buzz words around this approach include non-linear and interactive, and they come in a variety of flavors.

Non-linear Storytelling

The simplest way to describe this form is to say what it is not.  Clearly, it is not linear, and linear simply means the story flows form beginning to end with mounting suspense or interest, culminating in a climax and ending that leaves you feeling like yo had a full meal, dessert included.

When you mix that sequence up, you are talking "non-linear" or not in a straight line.  Now, how storytellers do that is what makes this form so interesting.  Dream sequences, flashbacks, flash-forwards, and even getting into the mind of the character are all techniques filmmakers and novelists have used.  But these can be confusing for some, so let's add another layer, interactivity.

Interactive Storytelling

As the name implies, interactivity involves the viewer or reader in the process of building and experiencing the story.  

When we think of interactivity, though, we might think we are talking about ebooks.  While they may engage the audience in a series of options on each page, most interactive ebooks follow an overall liner format, whereas the reader/viewer moves from page to page in sequence.

Now, suppose we mix that up a bit.  Imagine a mind map of choices, branching off one or more central themes, each with its own short experience. Imagine combining these two types into one.

Non-linear Interactive Storytelling

As we have seen in recent years, television viewers have changed the way they choose to watch their favorite programs, from binge watching, spending hours plowing through an entire season of episodes, to recording and watching only the scenes and episodes they want.

Many of our favorite shows, including the reality types, include a host of characters.  Some we like and want to know more about, while others?  Yeah, we can do without them. Perhaps we fast forward through those scenes. We might want to go back later and replay what we missed, but we might also just forget it altogether.

Imagine we could follow the thread of one character, or one topic without having to watch, or even know about the others.  And imagine we can go back at any time and follow those other paths as well.  That's what we mean by interactive and non-linear.

Going Non-linear and Interactive

We are fully immersed in this dynamic interactive approach to telling our clients' stories.  One tool we are using is Klynt 3.0.  (Check out the sample above and on the Klynt site.)

Klynt is a tool for storytellers, a way of creating an experience for the viewer/reader.  It runs on Windows and MAC operating systems and it allows the creator the ability to layer video, text, images, on the screen and develop links to other story components.  You can preview your results in a browser and export to a web-ready folder that can be loaded onto your website via FTP.

But the tool doesn't determine the experience; the creative mind using the tool does that, and that's where the opportunity lies.  Creating a meaningful experience in a multi-path environment like Klynt requires just as much planning and editing as linear storytelling, if not more.  Each snippet of information needs to stand alone, and yet make sense when linked to others.

Some storytellers are not comfortable handing over the reigns to the audience, letting the viewer decide what is important in the story and what is not, so developing one's storylines on such platform takes practice and planning.

The good news is there is help available on the Klynt site with tutorials and webinars.

So, check it out, and start thinking non-linearly and interactively.  We are.  We believe it is a great way to engage, educate and entertain.

What do you think?

More to come...

Storytelling Comes of Age (Again)

​Petroglyphs of Tassili N Ajjer, Algeria

​We've come a long way from the dawn of man, when images were painted on stone to tell a story, but what has changed?

​Today's walls are digital and despite generations of predominance of the written word, pictures are back.  For many, they are once again the main way we convey meaning.

​While I remain a devoted fan of writing stories, I find myself spending most of my time listening to the stories of others and capturing them as digital portraits, mostly of the moving variety.

One of the hardest things for a writer is to create the voice of the character, that emotion and presence in the mind's ear that breathes life into the story.  Hearing a real voice allows that emotion to flow freely, if the speaker is able to let down his guard and be true to himself.

This is especially difficult in front of an audience or a camera.  It takes courage and self confidence, not to mention a sense of humor.  Why?  Vulnerability can easily lead to embarrassment.  We tend to say things when we are comfortable that we might not say if we were to script it out and prepare ahead of time.​

Ever since I began speaking to groups about using their personal stories to help them in interviews and on sales calls, people have been sending me clips from blogs, journals and other publications about storytelling.  Everybody seems to be talking about it, and that is encouraging for us storytellers who believe there is nothing more compelling, if it is done well. 

So, how do you tell your story well?

Here are three tips that work for me.​

FOCUS - ​Avoid the distractions within your own mind.  Our brains are complex and efficient devices, but they are also ego-driven.  They race ahead to look for things we may want to say, and at the same time, they replay what we just said looking for things we missed or opportunities to jump in with related and unrelated events we could mention.  Turn off your listening device and keep going in the direction you chose.

​KEEP YOURSELF IN THE STORY - The difference between gossip and storytelling is the main character.  The story should reveal something about you that gives the listener a reason to stay engaged.  That doesn't mean you need to divulge family secrets or confess your crimes.  What it means is be the character in your own story and it will be more interesting to you and the audience.

GIVE THE LISTENER SOMETHING TO DO​ - This is the key to success in telling any story.  Keep it short and you will stay in control of the conversation.  In other words, leave the listener wanting more.  You can finish your point, but it should be on a note that leads the listener to inquire, "And then what happened?" or "What did you do?"

Whether you are interviewing for a job or explaining the value of your product to a new prospect, the stories you tell will be remembered more than the facts and figures you toss around.  As we say, Facts Tell, Stories Sell.

​Happy storytelling!

Video Bios

Half the expense in making a video is the shoot, with the other half editing and production costs, including licensing the music or photos.  One way to cut the cost of visiting you at your location to shoot the video, is to have you shoot yourself.

One company we found, VideoBio, advertises an approach that lets you use your computer's video capability to record your bio, and then gives you the tools to publish and share what you record.  There is a monthly fee for this service, but you can get started with a free trial.   But, what if you need help figuring out what to say, or if you want to record in a studio?  Remote coaching and on location shoots are options the company provides, with different prices for each.   

Before you sign up with anyone, however, it helps to have a good idea what you want to accomplish with your videos.  Search the web and see what others have done to get an idea what you want your video to look like, and what message or story you want to share.

Do-it-yourselfers come in a variety of types, each with different skills.  Perhaps you know what you want to say, but you are not comfortable in front of a camera.  Or you have no problem talking into your own camera, but you have no experience editing.  A great way to wind up with a high quality product is to collaborate.  Figure out what you can do with the equipment you have, and hire someone to do the rest.