See a photo of Lisa, her bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
Q&A with Lisa Cron, Questions 9, 10, and 11:
Q: The storytelling movement seems to be growing explosively. Why now? What is it about this moment in human history and culture that makes storytelling so resonant with so many people right now?
A: This is a great question, because the answer is surprising. It’s not that
storytelling is any more resonant at this moment. Storytelling has always been resonant; it’s in our DNA. Story is, in fact, how we make sense of the world because stories are simulations. They allow us to experience things without having to actually live through them, the better to pick up pointers should we ever find ourselves in a similar situation.
What’s different now is that we’re finally recognizing story’s unparalleled power. Until recently story has been seen as entertainment — fluff — and so not really necessary when it comes to the business of life. Wrong!
Turns out that real-life decisions aren’t based on a “rational” analysis of the facts, but on how those facts affect us. Stories put facts into a context that allows us to experience them in action, and so “feel” what their impact would be on our lives.
Look at advertising — does it ever “tell” us what to do? Nope. Instead it puts the product into a context that lets us experience how using it would make us feel – and not feel in general, but feel about ourselves. That’s the secret of all advertising — all selling, actually – it’s not about what’s good about the product itself, or even what the product will do for you. It’s about how using the product will make you feel about yourself.
The scary thing is that even knowing that a story is trying to manipulate you doesn’t trump its power. If it did, would we really have bought half the things we own, starting with all those Beanie Babies in the basement? I’m just saying.
Q: Are there any current uses of storytelling that repel you or that you feel are inappropriate?
A: I could talk forever about the way corporate America tells stories that manipulate us into doing things that aren’t in our best interest, but I don’t think we have that long. If you want a glimpse of what I’m talking about, watch the brilliant HBO documentary Hot Coffee, which tells the chilling true story of the infamous and widely misunderstood “McDonald’s Coffee Case.”
Q: If you could share just one piece of advice or wisdom about story/storytelling/ narrative with readers, what would it be?
A: It’s that all story is emotion based — if we’re not feeling, we’re not listening. What are we feeling? We feel what the protagonist feels. As a result, everything that happens in a story gets its emotional weight and meaning based on how it affects the protagonist. If it doesn’t affect her, even if we’re talking birth, death, or the fall of the Roman Empire — it is completely neutral. And if it’s neutral, it’s not only beside the point, it detracts from it.
That’s why in every scene you write, the protagonist must react in a way the reader can see and understand in the moment. This reaction must be specific, personal, and have an effect on whether the protagonist achieves her goal. It’s as simple as that.