The Science of Storytelling, Because People Want to Empathize
October 30, 2013
Good storytelling affects us emotionally. At Backflip we experience this everyday as we work to tease the emotion out of an interview or shot. The best part is that more and more studies are being done that support this and tell us a little bit about why it works. It boils down to the fact that as humans we want to empathize. We put ourselves into the stories we encounter and get emotional along with those in the story.
What is one way to encourage someone to [INSERT ACTIVITY HERE]? Simple! Tell a story where the viewer can empathize with a character who can overcome their struggle by ([INSERT ACTIVITY HERE] or [HELP FROM THE ACTIVITY]). Example: Want to encourage donations? Tell a story with a character who has overcome her struggle because of the direct influence of the organization you want donations for.
It’s simple when you see it written down. It’s much harder to write a story that will actually work in this manner. That’s where we can help 😉 Check out our portfolio to see examples of this style of storytelling.
For more reading on this topic check out this series of articles from Fast Company.
