See a photo of Suzanne, her bio, and Part 1 of this Q&A.
Q&A with Suzanne Henry, Questions 3 and 4:
Q: What people or entities have been most influential to you in your story work and why?
A: In 2002 I took Robert McKee’s Story seminar, which is basically a
3-day screenwriting workshop. But, it delves deeply into storytelling and why certain things work and other things do not. My biggest epiphany about storytelling came from this event. McKee [pictured] is adamant that some change must occur to a person for a story to be a real story. If you only have beautiful scenery, events, and trials, and lots of characters (even particularly well-developed characters), you have shared a series of anecdotes. Unless someone changes (he calls it “something happens”), then, really, nothing happened. And, when I think of every movie, book, or cocktail conversation that stayed with me over the years, the stories that show how someone evolved is what made it a memorable story.
Q: How important is it to you and your work to function within the framework of a particular definition of “story?” (i.e., What is a story?) What definition do you espouse?
A: I follow Robert McKee’s definition of story (something has to happen to someone that causes a change) and Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey (the monomyth). I believe the storytelling “template” is actually rather simple. But, it is sharing details one hasn’t heard before, sharing a change that resonates with today’s world, and including unique twists and turns that make the “template” come alive. I also believe the most compelling stories are about people (or animals that mirror human qualities — I don’t want anyone accusing me of not saying Watership Down isn’t a good story!). So, for businesses or nonprofits seeking to use storytelling, they must remember they need to share their causes, products and services through people — how they helped them, changed their lives, etc.