Resources for becoming a better storyteller
Recs from story guy Nathan Baugh.
Nathan Baugh offers up “a slew of my go-to resources for you to become a better storyteller.”
Baugh on “copywork”:
Take your favorite storyteller, copy their best work by hand, and tear apart what they do that makes you love it. The tone, the style, the techniques…I find it makes for an amazing warm up before a writing session.
Some of his recs that I also dig below (with his explanations)…
Bird by Bird by Anne LaMott
I’m between this one and King’s On Writing, but I picked Bird by Bird because it delves deep into the mindset of a storyteller. LaMott’s concept of a “shitty first draft” changes the way I build stories. Instead of needing to be perfect, you can iterate.
But, Therefore with the creators of South Park
A simple yet powerful storytelling technique behind South Park's success. They actually filmed it back when MTV was relavent, but you can check it out on YouTube in less than 3 minutes.
The Shapes of Stories by Kurt Vonnegut
Vonnegut argues that stories come in recognizable “shapes” that are repeated throughout history. He identified 8, and a recent scientific research project built on his original theory (more here). Shout out Robbie Crabtree for sharing this with me a few years back.
Related:
Begin with your ending – and other great storytelling advice from Mike Birbiglia
Master storyteller Mike Birbiglia’s pet peeve with how normal people tell stories: Sometimes what people think is a story isn’t a story. My dad will call me and be like: “Oh, I’ve got to tell you this great story. Jim over at the post office has heard of you.” And that’s the end of the story. That’s not a story! People always say you’ve got to have a beg…