Answers · By Sun Yi, creator of the Myth Sandwich
What are the most common storytelling mistakes?
Short answerSun sees the same 5 mistakes a lot, and you'll probably make them too. That's okay.
Too vague or too big
- No five-second moment. If you can't describe the room, who you were with, and whether it was day or night, there's no moment yet.
- Saying "I was so broke" is vague. Say you ate ramen for two weeks after treating friends to dinner.
- Too big a story. Your whole life is a biography. A story is one small, specific slice.
Forced or messy
- Forcing a lesson or tying it to your business makes it feel forced. Zoom in on the moment and see where it goes.
- Too many lessons means too many pieces of content. Pick one lesson and cut the rest.
- Not killing your darlings. If a sentence doesn't support the lesson, cut it, because it just confuses people.
No movement
- No transformation. There has to be a change from old you to new you. Without that change, there's no story.
Try itPick one story in Story Bank and write down the room, who was there, and the time of day.
This answer comes from Sun Yi's Story Bank Library.
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