Resources for Your Storytelling Journey
Guide to Better Storytelling
The guide is packed with information on free events, storytelling tips, examples and coaching sessions. Sign up today!
Let the Story Do the Work
People forget facts- But they never forget a good story! Esther Choy's book Let the Story Do the Work, coming July 2017, is available for pre-order now!
StorySmart Quiz
How long do you have until your audience starts looking at the clock? That's one of the questions on our new StorySmart Quiz. Find the answer to this question and test your knowledge of how to tell a good story!
Online Magazine
An online collection of articles to help you tell everyday stories so you can enhance your social influence, personal persuasion and leadership presence. We curate high-quality writing focused on the intersection of storytelling and social science.
Story Prompting Questions
Asking questions that prompt others to tell good stories is as important as telling good stories yourself. We have started a list of questions for you to use with colleagues, employers, friends, and family. We hope you uncover some wonderful stories!
Telling Family Stories
Inspired by our "Telling Family Stories" blog post. In a family context, the story that a family's collective memory gets to keep means a great deal, especially for the next generation. We have compiled some resources to help your family become better storytellers.
Videos
Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action
What makes a great leader and WHY do we listen? Simon Sinek answers these questions. You can’t turn away.
Andrew Stanton: The clues to a great story
“Toy Story” and “Wall-E” filmmaker shares what he knows about storytelling — starting at the end and working back to the beginning. Please note: The beginning of this video contains offensive language. Start at 1:15 to skip the offensive content.
Nancy Duarte talks at TEDx East
Nancy Duarte reveals her own successes and failures to show that story is eternal. Her research on the arc of a successful and inspiring speech is nothing short of a revelation.
Kurt Vonnegut on the Shapes of Stories
A humorous video where Kurt Vonnegut explains the shape of a story and what story models just never get old.
Phil Kaye: Why we tell stories
A great story told artfully and an argument for simply connecting with other human beings.
Paul Zak: Empathy, Neurochemistry, and the Dramatic Arc
How the human brain connects to effective storytelling—a moving and engaging video with animation.
Books
by Robert McKee
In Story, McKee provides readers with the most comprehensive, integrated explanation of the craft of writing for the screen. Robert McKee’s screenwriting workshops have earned him an international reputation for inspiring novices, refining works in progress and putting major screenwriting careers back on track. Quincy Jones, Diane Keaton, Gloria Steinem, Julia Roberts, John Cleese and David Bowie are just a few of his celebrity alumni.
by Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell, arguably the greatest mythologist of the twentieth century, was certainly one of our greatest storytellers. Campbell reflects on subjects ranging from the origins and functions of myth, the role of the artist, and the need for ritual to the ordeals of love and romance. With poetry and humor, Campbell recounts his own quest and conveys the excitement of his lifelong exploration of our mythic traditions, what he called “the one great story of mankind.”
by Christopher Booker
Seven Basic Plots examines the basis of storytelling in literature, film, and libretto. It provides a comprehensive answer to the age-old riddle of whether there are only a small number of ‘basic stories’ in the world. Using a wealth of examples, from ancient myths and folk tales to classic literature to the popular movies and TV soap operas of today, Booker shows that there are seven archetypal themes which recur throughout every kind of storytelling.
by Robert Cialdini
Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say “yes”—and how to apply these understandings. You’ll learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader—and how to defend yourself against them.
Improving Your Storytelling: Beyond the Basics for All Who Tell Stories in Work and Play
by Doug Lipman
The first steps in storytelling are often easy, because we tell stories informally every day. Once you take storytelling into the more formal contexts of performance or occupational uses, however, you may be faced with challenges you hadn’t anticipated. You need information that goes beyond the basics. Lipman explains how to take your storytelling to the next level.
by Annette Simmons
From “who I am” to “I know what you’re thinking,” Simmons identifies the six stories you need to know how to tell and demonstrates how they can be applied. This revised edition offers a guide to using storytelling in specific business circumstances, including corporate reorganizations, layoffs, and diversity issues.
Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story
by Peter Guber
In Tell to Win, Guber shows how to move beyond soulless Power Point slides, facts, and figures to create purposeful stories that can serve as powerful calls to action.
Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences
by Nancy Duarte
Resonate helps you make a strong connection with your audience and lead them to purposeful action. The author’s approach is simple: building a presentation today is a bit like writing a documentary. Using this approach, you’ll convey your content with passion, persuasion, and impact.
Live Storytelling Shows
To hear live storytelling in the Chicago area, please visit: