Did you know there are three ways to engage with a story?
This is not just about experiencing a story through different mediums of channels, but rather what we do with a story and how we can use it.
The first way we experience a story is through story-listening - this is when we, as an audience, first encounter a story. Sometimes this looks like research and discovery. Other times this is being in conversation with a friend, reading a book or watching TV. As a narrative strategist, story listening for me looks like being in conversation with stakeholders, reviewing existing materials, and identifying emerging threads.
Then we have storytelling - this is the phase we’re most familiar with. Storytelling is how we recount what’s happened, communicate new information, or paint a picture of a better future. This can also be thought of as a design. It’s intentional. The story told is designed to achieve a specific aim. In narrative strategy, I use storytelling to achieve strategic outcomes. It can often look like a North Star Narrative, a Narrative Bible or a strategy brief.
Then there’s story-living - a term first used in VR and immersive entertainment. But story-living goes beyond themed attraction and is actually experienced whenever you’re fully immersed in your reality . For instance, an organization is living it’s story when their strategy becomes operational. Story-living is what is happening right now, the present that we’re currently in. We can narrate it as we see fit. Or analyze it to see if it aligns with our intentions. In narrative strategy, story-living is when a strategic plan is steward, leading to the desired results.
But wait! These phases feed into each other 😮. The story you are living becomes the story that is listened to, becomes the story that is told and so forth. What’s helpful is to identify what story you’re in, and how you can best engage with it. One of the best ways to start is through some story-listening activities like interviews or reflective writing .