Great art tells great stories

It begins with a single word, one canvas, a note, or maybe a single frame of film, and it ends with a story for the ages. 

Before you begin, think about the story you want to tell. 

I. The Making of Great Stories

1. Great stories tap into the human experience. They examine our common circumstances, such as birth, emotions, relationships, and conflict. They do so, however, from the unique perspective of the storyteller. This makes stories simultaneously universal and personal as well as familiar and eye-opening. 
2. Great stories have a purpose. They exist with the intention of entertaining or educating or persuading or all of the above. They exist to share something new with the audience. 
3. Great stories have memorable characters to whom the audience forms an attachment. Villains or heroes. Underdogs or overdogs. Great stories allow their audience to see into the world of another individual, sometimes human and sometimes not, and consequently feel as they do. 
4. Great stories are focused on a theme. They have a message they want to share with the audience and every element in the story contributes toward conveying that message.

II. Tell a Story that No One Can Forget

Storytellers use their own understanding of the world as inspiration. They draw from their own lives as well as the experiences of their peers and family members. 

Storytellers also make careful decisions. They weigh the pros and cons of the elements they include in their work. Questions they often ask themselves are:

• How do I want my audience to feel? 
• What do I want my audience to think?
• What larger idea am I trying to convey to my audience?
• What do I want my audience to do as a result of having experienced my story?
• How am I going to achieve my desired outcome?

III. Stories with and without Words

While many stories are told through words, they may be related by all forms of art and media. 

Literary

Literary arts allow the storyteller to use words when relating their stories. Often, this happens in narrative form. Narratives should include a setting, characters, plot, conflict, and theme. Narratives follow a pattern of beginning, middle, and end, though these do not always have to follow this order. 

However, literary arts can also tell stories through poetry and essays. Literary stories can be fiction or nonfiction. They can be written and they can be spoken. 

Visual

Stories can be told through all forms of visual art. This includes, but is not exclusive to painting, photography, collaging, and sculpture. 

Visual arts do not rely on a traditional story arc. Instead, visual arts use imagery to represent a moment, a central idea, or an emotion. The audience infers the story by  putting together the pieces of information provided by the storyteller in that imagery.

Performing 

Dance, music, acting, miming, and so on. Through performance, the artist tells a story. There may be words or there may just be musical notes or movements of the body. Because there is such diversity within this genre, the possibilities of communicating are limitless. 

Film

Film combines literary (the script), performing (the acting), and visual arts (the imagery)  to tell a story. Within each frame, the filmmaker provides the audience with all the elements needed to illustrate a point. 

IV. Why Does Storytelling Matter?

Stories allow us to share common experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Because of this, they can teach lessons, change minds, and affect change in the world. 

"Storytelling is also the gateway to truth-telling, which helps inform our opinions, decision-making and self-views. Sharing our stories allows us to come together, declare what our values are and act on them. Without storytelling, we would not have the layers of history that impact our present and influence the future."

—Wendell Pierce