Cheat Code to Storytelling

Cheat Code to Storytelling

I often get the question:

‘Armani, how can I become a better storyteller? I’m not creative.’

And to be honest, that is a pretty good question.

Creativity is an ambiguous terms as it is.

So how can someone who is overly logical, be creative?

One of the bigger mysteries in life.

Let’s use an engineer as an example.

The engineer has spent the last 4 years in undergrad being drilled with numbers, statistics & patterns.

Then, the engineer enters his professional life where now he is drilled further with numbers , statistics & patterns.

numbers

At this point, they see life thru black & white lens.

Where facts & logic are king.

Creativity don’t pay the bills homie!

Rational is the only way to go & emotions are for the weak.

But that’s a sad mindset to possess because this logical engineer is leaving a major gift on the table.

‘And what is that?’

The art of storytelling.

But after reading this post, the overly logical engineer (or any other profession for that matter) will have a cheat code to hack into writing stories for days.

This cheat code will help the engineer build the fundamentals & become mentally tougher at the same time.

Does this seem too good to be true?

Well, there is only one way to find out.

By entering the world of storytelling.

The Art of Storytelling

Storytelling is an art form.

Artists use paint to create their masterpieces.

Storytellers use words to create their masterpieces.

You must leave your logical mindset at the door when you are thinking about compiling a story.

‘Does that mean I can only write about fiction?’

Nope! That simply means you have to write with some enthusiasm.

You can’t be writing like a robot.

Leave your black & white thinking & enter the unknown of the gray.

The beauty about viewing storytelling as an art is that it mentally helps you loosen up.

It allows you to bring out your inner child rather than being such a stiff guy.

And when you bring out your inner child, you bring out your creativity.

When you bring out your creativity, you bring out your inner artist.

street art

Storytelling has been regarded as an art form for many years.

But as the digital world has taken a rise, too many people are busy CONSUMING stories rather than producing it.

When you consume all day, you forget about the origins of any subject & just aimlessly take in content like a sponge.

‘Should I stop consuming stories?’

Nope consume stories, but add producing to your arsenal as well.

Up for the challenge?

‘Yessir.’

Great, then you are ready to go to the next step.

Basic Elements of Storytelling

To write a story, you need a character, conflict & resolution.

No need to over complicate it.

The character will be the protagonist of the story.

There are multiple perspectives out there for your protagonist, but the two most popular are 1st & 3rd perspective.

People read the story due to the conflict.

The conflict allows for tension. And with the tension, you are able to hook the readers.

Doesn’t matter if your pet dying & you are suffering from depression or you just stubbed your toe.

Find a conflict.

The last part is the resolution.

With the resolution, you are able to leave the reader at peace.

There are many stories where their is a cliffhanger. And in those cases, there is not resolution…yet.

But for the sake of simplicity, our story will find a way to include the resolution at the end, not the beginning of another story.

Now that you know the 3 elements, let’s get to the cheat code.

The Cheat Code to Storytelling

‘You kept me waiting long enough Armani! What is this damn cheat code you keep referring to?’

The cheat code that I am referring to is…..

*drum roll*

Writing about yourself.

‘Writing about myself? That’s your idea of a cheat code?’

By making yourself the main character of your story, you will be able to exercise your storytelling muscle AND have fun at the same damn time.

Benefits of Using Yourself as the Protagonist

In many ways, this is a highly effective way to journal.

If you are new to journaling, I highly recommend you give it a try.

It allows you to make sense of hazy thoughts & gain clarity.

By the time that you make sense of the ambiguous you come out feeling much more confident.

Therefore, using yourself as the protagonist builds mental clarity for your life.

Think about it..

-You have the character: Yourself.

-You have the conflict: Whatever dark moment you are currently going through.

-You have the resolution?…

Well, for the resolution, that’s up to you.

Once you begin writing in story format, you unlock your creative brain.

And once you unlock your creative brain, you are able to think outside of the box.

Whatever dark moment you are currently going thru, force yourself to find a resolution!

You don’t want a story without an ending, you know?

And once you start seeing yourself from a bird’s eye view, you will see a lot of resolutions that you initially overlooked.

bird's eye view

Bonus: You can also write about stories of conflicts that you have already overcame.

Go on and write about it. As you do, you will have a chance to exercise your storytelling muscle AND make sense of a former memory.

This is a great way to subliminally work on your gratitude.

What Else Can You Write About?

Once your storytelling muscle has been exercised, you are going to begin seeing life differently.

‘How?’

You will not be as rattled by a conflict.

Rather, you will start seeing conflicts as ‘impending resolutions.’

This mindset shift is HUGE in terms of being mentally tough.

Next, through storytelling, you are going to bring out the inner creativity that you have suppressed for so long.

Once the creativity has been unlocked, it will be much easier to write about other characters!

At this point, you have built the foundations of storytelling while you were writing stories about yourself.

You have improved your skill set of character development, building a conflict, introducing a resolution and much more.

Take your talents further & write about an imaginary character.

Start off small & keep working your way up there.

If you have no idea what to write about, try this exercise:

Write about a story of a dragon who wanted to transform into a cow.

‘Well that seems difficult!’

Exactly.

You don’t build muscles at the gym by taking it easy.

And you don’t build your storytelling muscle by taking it easy!

So build the foundations by first writing about yourself.

Once the basics have been worked on, writing about other elements will be much easier!

That’s the cheat code!

Bring Back the Art of Storytelling

It doesn’t matter if you are a logical engineer.

Storytelling is a skill set.

That means it can be learned, practiced & exercised into your existence.

You just need to see the value of the art.

The method of turning yourself into a story will help you:

Become mentally tougher by not panicking in the face of conflicts

Discover your storytelling voice

Make you a creative thinker

You literally have nothing to lose & all to gain.

The art of storytelling will allow you to feel free in many ways.

Now you are not like the majority you who consume stories all day.

But now, you have put on your production cap.

And with the production cap, you will be producing artwork that will hopefully outlast you.

For more tips, tricks & tactics into storytelling, sign up for my free daily newsletter.

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– ArmaniTalks 🎙️🔥

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