The Laws of Storytelling
A friend of mine is wrapping up her BA in preparation to attend law school, and as her senior thesis, she’s writing a paper that compares narrative storytelling conventions in literature and entertainment to the structure of courtroom presentations. Her background is in the entertainment business, and she believes that the past fifty years of courtroom dramas and pervasive media have conditioned juries to expect a much more packaged presentation of the legal facts and issues than many lawyers realize. Interesting thesis – your mileage may vary.
That said, as part of her research, she’s distributed a questionnaire to various creative and writer types she knows, and somehow I got ahold of one. Below are my (straight and prosaic) answers to some of her questions. If anyone out there wants to take a crack at this, you can post some thoughts in the comment field or mail them to me and I can pass along to her.
What is the role of a storyteller?
To give us a new way to look at the world and/or demonstrate patterns and hidden meaning of commonplace events.
How does a storyteller impact the performance quality?
By providing a logical flow to the story, good use of language, setting up conflicts, providing unexpected solutions.
When do you accept the story as real?
When the details of the story are familiar and common to my own experience.
What sets good stories apart?
Convincing voice or point of view, pivotal events set up properly in advance, at least one character the audience can relate to, intriguing setting, good use of external materials (history, science, philosophy, etc.)
How can you draw out the emotion you need from the audience?
Create a character they can relate to, then put that character in a situation involving a difficult choice.
What do you do to prepare the audience for the ending?
Several ways. Create a subplot that complements the main plot, and whose resolution has something in parallel with the overall theme; embed details early in the story; make reference to historical or other factual events whose meaning parallels the meaning you are trying to convey; suggest a pattern that will either be continued or broken.
How do you recognize a good story?
Can’t stop reading or watching – even if you know how it’s going to turn out.
What factors create the dynamics of the story?
Character interplay, use of language, pace.
How do you develop a story to make it believable?
Accumulate familiar details into the description, perhaps with some fresh insights about them – get the audience nodding their heads and saying, “yes, this writer is describing a world that I recognize.”
7:56:45 AM 
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