Using Social Media To Tell Great Stories

Mike Sowden

I was giving my talk at lunchtime.

I figured everyone would be hungry.

I thought I’d have a little fun with that.

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Pointless sadism?

Definitely not. That’s not my style.

No – this was purposeful sadism.

(That’s my style.)

What I was doing…was making everyone wish my talk was over.

Thanks to Laurence “Finding The Universe” Norah for the photos. I told him what I was

going to do with them. He laughed. Feel free to judge him accordingly. Totally his fault.

When we desperately want something to end, the importance of endings is easy to see – the “Thank God That’s Over” school of storytelling.

But what if the story / journey is fun? Why wouldn’t we want to keep it going, for ourselves and for our readers, for as long as physically possible?

Because if we did that, we’d forget what endings are for.

WHY WE NEED ENDINGS

•Scarcity: today matters because tomorrow everything will be different, forever.

•Life-affirming: when things will end soon, you’re more aware of Now. Endings focus emotions (and a lack of endings dissipates them).

•Endings let you begin again (& everyone loves beginnings).

Endings Make Everyone Care More.

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The Future Of Online Storytelling

…“excellent „lean-back‟

devices, optimised for deeper

reading experiences.”

http://bit.ly/175lFqe via http://bit.ly/1fqVcOr

Latitude: “Future of Storytelling, Phase 2”

http://latd.com/2012/08/15/what-audiences-want-study-uncovers-possible-futures-for-storytelling/

1. Audiences want to befriend characters (real & imaginary) – personal connection.

(Where should bloggers draw the line between personal & private?)

2. Audiences want persistent parallel worlds (sense that a story is playing out in real-time).

3. Audiences want the kind of immersive, compellingly constructed narratives seen in the best popular entertainment (book, film, tv / fiction, documentary).

4. Audiences want different perspectives on the same story.

http://fortydaysofdating.com/

5. Audiences want ‘second screens’ to allow discussion & depth (eg. the way Twitter

is a platform for public real-time discussion / reckless spoilers as a tv show is aired, or for commentary on a political debate).

6. The ‘Real World’ is A Media Platform. Think QR codes on landmarks or in shop

windows (see right).

7. Real World Products Should Enhance Stories (eg. naturally placed affiliate links

that serve the audience – but do stories specifically built around real world products cross a line?)

Marvel totally owns all rights to these images. Totally. The kitchen sink, everything.

Love you, Marvel! I‟m bigging you up in this section of the talk. Please Be Nice To Me.

The Power Of Brand CollaborationIf you know who the guy on the right is…

It’s probably because of the guy on the left.

http://lightmovescreative.org/

Laurence (Finding The Universe), Daniel (Canvas of Light), Dustin (Skinny Backpacker)

https://maptia.com/

Gathering together the world’s stories on one beautiful map.

Marvel Civil War (2006-2007)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_War_(comics)

Multiple titles. One story. (Massive engagement.)

Could bloggers collaborate like this around a single story?

Serials are hot.And always have been.

Left: The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens.

Social Media is

perfect for

Serialized storytelling

but not all social mediaplatforms were created equal.

Facebook & Google+ are highly visualHence the amount of inspiring quotes

or my version – uninspiring quotes.

OK, I’m done now, yes.

How Is Twitter Used To Tell Stories?

Popular method: turning brands into characters.

Yet bloggers often ignore this diversity

The same content is duplicated(or identically promoted)

across all platforms.

And if it’s the same content on Facebookand Twitter…

…why would a blogger’s fan on Twitterlook at that blogger’s Facebook page?

And vice versa.

Zero Incentive To Explore.

How about breaking up a story

scattering it around the web(in a form that plays on a

platform’s natural strengths)

and presenting readers with

a journey?

And what would happen

if lots of bloggerscombined their journeys

to serve

One Huge Story

(like Marvel’s Civil War)

that hooked an

insaneamount of people?

http://mikesowden.org/feveredmutterings/

http://writingpadd.com/ Coming soon…

find me at…