Story Arc
Tell a story in three moves: set the scene, build tension, then show the turn and how it ended.
What & why
Listeners engage with stories more readily than with bare facts. Research on narrative transportation (Green and Brock) suggests that when people get absorbed in a story they accept more of its message and notice fewer faults in it. Across many studies, though, stories shift beliefs only a little, and figures often do more to show how big or common a problem is. The clearer benefit is understanding: stories are usually easier to follow and remember than essays.
Before & after
These are fictional teaching examples, not accounts of real events.
“We had a problem with our app and we fixed it.”
“Setup: Our online shop's biggest sale of the year started at nine, and I was the only developer on call. Conflict: At ten past nine the checkout crashed; every minute cost orders, and my first two fixes failed. Resolution: Then I spotted a discount code stuck in a loop, switched it off, and orders flowed again after forty minutes. We lost some sales, but we now test every promotion under load before it goes live.”
See it in action
An original teaching example. The situations and results are fictional.
Tell me about an object you almost gave away.
I put an old coat in the donation bag while clearing a cupboard. I had not worn it in years, but I kept picking it up and wondering whether to put it back.
Just before tying the bag, I felt something stiff inside a pocket and worried I had left important papers there. I stopped and checked, expecting an old bill or perhaps a receipt I needed.
It was a postcard from my grandfather. He had sent it during a trip, and I had forgotten that I carried it in that coat. I kept the postcard, returned the coat to the bag, and finally let it go. I had been holding on to the wrong thing.
How the answer works
- Setup
- Introduce the people, setting, and relevant expectation or goal.
- Conflict
- Show the problem, disagreement, fear, mystery or choice that puts the outcome in doubt.
- Resolution
- Show the turning point and how it ended; in a talk, also what changed or what it taught.
Why it works: The hesitation over the coat is part of the setup, and the ending comes back to it. The stiff pocket is what raises a question. Finding the postcard answers it, and the last line says what the moment taught without forcing a grand moral.
When you’ll use it
Case studies and customer success stories
Opening presentations with compelling anecdotes
Explaining project challenges and solutions
Farewells and award speeches that show how an experience changed you or a group
Honest stories about something that did not work out, and what it taught you
Pro tip
Set the scene, build tension, then show the turn and how it ended.
Questions & answers
What is a storytelling arc in business presentations?
How do I create a compelling storytelling arc for business content?
When should I use storytelling arc versus other presentation structures?
Learn more
Put it into practice
Practice Story Arc
Work through examples, then test your understanding in a short quiz. Your progress is saved as you practice.