1. Create a picture association. People relate to pictures in very different ways to words. Pictures can be absorbed and read at very different levels. There has been a lot of study to look at people's eye movements in relation to pictures and which elements of a picture they go to first.
2. Create a word association. If the important part of a story is to get people to remember particular points then using certain key words that evoke an emotion each time they are used can be very powerful. If for example you have 3 key concepts that you need to get across, can they be reduced to simple words or phrases and how can you build a story around them?
3. Start at the end. A trick often used by Hollywood. By starting at the end and then going back to provide an explanation of how the characters got there.
4. When, Where, What, Who, Why, How? Ask these questions and fill in the gaps. Goes well with no. 5
5. Use Mind Maps. If you haven't used Mind Maps before then learn how to do so. They are great for creating ideas and then finding the links.
6. List of characters, emotions, place, time. This is another way to find different elements of a story.
7. Look at storylines of films/books/TV and substitute different elements. Most stories have already been written. Whether it is in great classics or soaps, stories remerge, reworked and with new names but often the same outcomes.
8. Create a journey. Most stories are about journeys from A to C via B. They are journeys of discovery about self, about others, about power and frailty, about selfishness and selflessness. It is the settings that change.
If you would like help finding your stories, get in touch.
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