Storytelling with Impact | Narrative

Understanding Narrative Transportation Using Manus AI

April 7, 2025/in AI, Artificial Intelligence, Narrative, Storytelling, Technology/by Mark Lovett

In my last post I talked about Embracing Narrative Transportation as a way to enhance the impact of your personal stories. And while I enjoy writing articles about storytelling, I’ve also been exploring AI (Artificial Intelligence) as a way to broaden my research capabilities.

I have to say, it’s amazing to watch these Chatbots in action. They are fast, and comprehensive in their reach, but they don’t replace humans as they still don’t have human experiences that we have, but they are able to locate and analyze information faster than any human.

So I decided to see what some of the latest chatbots had to say about the topic of Narrative Transportation with regards to crafting impactful personal stories. In part one, I asked Manus AI what it thought. Below is the prompt that I used, its initial response, and the output it generated. Warning, it’s a long article, but should you have an interest in AI, it’s an interesting read

Prompt:

I’m trying to understand the topic of Narrative Transportation in depth, as it relates to storytelling in general, but more specifically, how we can use Narrative Transportation to create impactful personal narratives.

Response:

I’ll help you understand Narrative Transportation in depth, both in general storytelling and specifically for creating impactful personal narratives. I’ll research this topic thoroughly and provide you with comprehensive information. Let me get started right away./em>

Output:

Here’s what Manus AI had to say:

Understanding Narrative Transportation: Creating Impactful Personal Narratives

Introduction

Narrative transportation is a powerful psychological phenomenon that occurs when individuals become completely immersed in a story. This comprehensive guide explores the concept of narrative transportation, its application in storytelling, and specifically how it can be leveraged to create impactful personal narratives. By understanding the mechanisms of narrative transportation and implementing specific techniques, you can craft personal narratives that deeply engage audiences, foster connections, and potentially transform beliefs and attitudes.

Part I: Understanding Narrative Transportation

The Concept of Narrative Transportation

Narrative transportation refers to the psychological experience of being completely immersed in a story. When a person is transported into a narrative, they become absorbed cognitively, emotionally, and in the imagery of the story, regardless of the medium (print, film, podcasts, video games, etc.).
The concept was first formally defined by Richard Gerrig in his 1993 book “Experiencing Narrative Worlds,” where he used travel as a metaphor for reading. He described it as a state in which the reader—referred to as the traveler—becomes detached from their original reality due to deep engagement with the story.
Melanie Green and Timothy Brock later expanded on this idea, describing narrative transportation as “a distinct mental process, an integrative melding of attention, imagery, and feelings.” They conceptualized it as the experience of being carried away by a narrative.

Key Features of Narrative Transportation

Focused attention – Receivers become so focused on the story they do not think about distractions in their environment
Emotional Engagement – There is a strong emotional response to the story with empathy for the characters
Mental Imagery – Receivers have a mental image of the story in their heads or try to predict what might happen in the future of the story
Cognitive Detachment from Reality – Receivers feel like they are really in the story and not in their real-world environment
Belief and Attitude Shift – Narrative transportation can influence receivers’ beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors, aligning them with the story’s content
Reduced Counterarguing – When transported, the receiver is less likely to challenge the story’s content
Long-term Efficacy – The receiver is impacted even after the story ends, affecting long-term behavior and attitude change

Psychological Mechanisms of Narrative Transportation

Reduced Counterarguing

Transporting stories create a more open, accepting mindset for individuals. When readers are transported in an entertaining narrative, they may not want to interrupt their enjoyment to argue with the story. This reduced counterarguing can occur even when the persuasive intent is obvious.

Connections with Characters

Audience members may:

See themselves in story characters
Come to see characters as friends
Admire the characters

Through these connections, audiences may change their attitudes and beliefs to align with those of narrative characters. Identification with and liking of story characters has been shown to increase the adoption of beliefs advocated by the character.

Mental Imagery

The transportation-imagery model highlights the role of visual imagery in transportation-based belief change. The experience of being transported into a story links vivid images with beliefs implied by the story. This connection between images and beliefs may be one basis for the power of narrative persuasion.

Emotional Engagement

Stories are particularly powerful when they evoke strong emotions. The pattern of emotional experience that occurs as readers progress through a story (emotional flow) can help maintain interest, particularly for longer narratives.

Reminding Readers of Personal Experiences

Stories can prompt self-examination and change by reminding readers of experiences in their own lives that relate to those in the narrative. Individuals who are more immersed in a story show greater generalization of the beliefs implied by the story, but additionally, whether the story brings to mind events from the readers’ real lives seems to be important in determining narrative impact.

Factors Affecting Narrative Transportation

Audience Factors:

World view (e.g., pro-environmental)
Prior knowledge and experience
Attitudes and beliefs
Empathy
Political ideology
Religiosity
Transportability (individual tendency to become immersed)
Need for affect (enjoyment of emotional experiences)
Need for cognition (enjoyment of thinking)

Story Factors:

Fiction vs nonfiction
First-person vs third-person
Well-developed characters
Intent of character
Personally relevant stories
Stories that stay engaging
Coherence and structure
Emotional intensity
Suspense and dramatic tension
Psychological realism
Cultural appropriateness

Part II: Narrative Transportation in Personal Narratives

Unique Aspects of Personal Narratives

Personal narratives differ from fictional narratives in several key ways when it comes to narrative transportation:

Authenticity and Vulnerability

Authenticity as a Bridge: In personal narratives, authenticity serves as a bridge between the storyteller’s world and the audience’s. When authors share their genuine experiences, emotions, and vulnerabilities, they create a unique connection that can be more immediate than in fictional narratives.
Vulnerability Creates Intimacy: Personal narratives that expose vulnerability create a level of intimacy that fictional narratives may struggle to achieve. Research by Hagmann et al. (2024) found that “self-revealing personal narratives create vulnerability by exposing the speaker to others’ negative judgment.” This vulnerability signals authenticity and honesty to listeners, increasing trust and connection.
Real-life Consequences: Unlike fictional narratives, personal narratives carry real-life consequences for the storyteller, which can heighten the audience’s emotional investment. The willingness to incur potential interpersonal costs through self-disclosure signals that the speaker values honesty.

Identification and Social Identity

Shared Experience Identification: In personal narratives, identification often occurs through shared experiences rather than character traits. Research on patient identification in cancer narratives found that shared experiences can create powerful connections regardless of demographic differences.
Social Identity Influence: Personal narratives can activate social identities that influence transportation. According to social identity theory, perceived risk to a patient’s identity increases identification with salient social groups who possess a similar identity.
Transportability Across Divides: Personal narratives have shown the ability to build trust across ideological divides. Research has found that people judge ideological opponents as more trustworthy when opposing opinions are expressed through a self-revealing personal narrative than through either data or stories about third parties.

Mechanisms of Narrative Transportation in Personal Narratives

Personalization and Intimacy

Personalization Effect: Research suggests that personal narratives create a sense of “personalness” that drives effectiveness. Personalness is defined as “the level of intimacy delivered when narrating an experience, or the capability of eliciting a sense of intimacy with the ‘other.'”
<Mental Representation: This sense of intimacy motivates engagement with the content and enables the mental representation of the narrative (narrative transportation), consequently increasing the likelihood of accepting the recommendation or message.

Self-Related Control Beliefs

Empowerment Through Transportation: Research has found that “narratives in both written text and video form with protagonists displaying high versus low self-efficacy can, at least temporarily, affect recipients’ own self-related control beliefs when they experience strong transportation into the stories.”
Mediation Through Transportation and Identification: The effect of narrative manipulation on self-related control beliefs was mediated by experienced transportation and identification, suggesting that personal narratives that facilitate transportation can influence how readers view their own capabilities.

Reduced Counterarguing in Personal Contexts

Disarming Effect: Personal narratives may reduce counterarguing more effectively than fictional narratives because questioning someone’s lived experience can seem inappropriate or insensitive.
Trust Building: Research has found that “trust does not suffer when explanations grounded in self-revealing personal narratives are augmented with data, suggesting that our results are not driven by quantitative aversion.”

Impact of Personal Narratives

Building Trust and Changing Beliefs

Trust Across Differences: Personal narratives have shown the ability to build trust across ideological divides. People are more willing to collaborate with ideological opponents who support their views by embedding data in a self-revealing personal narrative, rather than relying on data-only explanations.
Changing Health Behaviors: Research has found that “identification with the main character in the vignettes was a significant predictor of intentions to participate in cancer research, but only when the mediating role of narrative transportation was considered.”
Self-Concept Changes: Personal narratives can influence how readers view themselves. Research has demonstrated that stories featuring strong protagonists who display high self-efficacy can increase recipients’ own self-related control beliefs when they are highly transported into the stories.

Profound Connections with Audiences

Solace and Belonging: Stories that expose the raw, unfiltered emotions of their creators have the power to resonate with readers in a way that is impossible to replicate. In our own struggles and triumphs, we recognize a reflection of ourselves, and it’s in those moments that we find solace, encouragement, and a sense of belonging.
Shared Human Experience: Personal narratives remind us that we are not alone in our experiences. They create a sense of shared humanity that can be particularly powerful for individuals facing challenges or difficult situations.

Part III: Techniques for Creating Impactful Personal Narratives

Structural Techniques

1. Clear Narrative Structure

A well-structured personal narrative guides readers through your emotional journey with ease. The basic structure includes:

Beginning: Establish your core idea and hook your readers
Middle: Develop your central idea using descriptive language to define your story, setting, characters, and plot
End: Summarize lessons learned, relate your core theme back to readers’ lives, and include a call to action

The ABCDE storytelling framework (from Anne Lamott’s book “Bird by Bird”) provides an excellent structure:

Action: Drop the reader right into the action. No need to “set the scene.”
Background: Once you have the reader’s attention, tell them why it matters.
Development: Build the story up. Where is the story going? What’s at risk?
Climax: This is the tipping point. The “aha!” The “oh no!” The “SURPRISE!”
Ending: Explain what it was all for. What was the lesson?

2. Start with a Strong Hook

Begin your personal narrative with something that immediately captures attention. This could be:

A surprising statement
A vivid scene
A provocative question
A moment of tension

The hook should relate to the core message of your narrative and give readers a reason to keep reading.

3. Focus on Transformation

Personal narratives are most impactful when they demonstrate transformation. Structure your narrative around:

Who you were before
The challenge or catalyst for change
The process of transformation
Who you became as a result
What this means for the reader

Emotional Connection Techniques

1. Vulnerability and Authenticity

The most powerful element in a personal narrative is the emotional connection you establish with readers. To create this:

Be honest and open about how experiences have impacted you
Include all relevant details, even embarrassing or painful ones
Share your feelings as well as your pain
Never be afraid to show vulnerability—this gives readers permission to accept their own
Write from a foundation of authenticity rather than trying to persuade or sell ideas

2. Descriptive Language and Sensory Details

Use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture in your reader’s mind:

Help readers visually experience colors and shapes
Create sensations of temperature, texture, and physical feelings
Incorporate scents, tastes, and sounds
Use all five senses to connect with readers’ emotions
Don’t limit your narrative to a sequence of causes and effects

3. Emotional Flow

The pattern of emotional experience throughout your narrative helps maintain interest:

Create and then resolve suspense about outcomes
Include changes in emotional tone across the course of the story
Balance difficult emotions with moments of insight or relief
Build emotional intensity toward key realizations
End with emotional resolution that feels satisfying

Connection with Readers

1. Make the Reader the Main Character

Your story isn’t really about you—the reader is the main character. To achieve this:

Have clarity around why your personal story is interesting to the READER
Connect your perspective with universal truths
Ask yourself: What’s the problem you want the reader to solve?
Consider: What’s the realization you want the reader to have?
Focus on: What’s the obstacle you want to help the reader overcome?

2. Identify the Takeaway

The takeaway explains why your story is important and creates a deeper emotional tie with the reader:

Connect your experience to something bigger
Identify the universal truth at play
Clarify what your experience says about you, life, or the world
Determine if your story is about frustration, injustice, loyalty, hope, etc.
Make the connection between your story and the message explicit

3. Relevance to Reader’s Life

Make your personal narrative relevant to readers’ lives:

Give readers a “heads up” so they can avoid pain you experienced
Provide relief if they’re currently going through a similar experience
Show how your lessons apply to their situations
Create points of similarity between your experience and theirs
Focus on shared human experiences that transcend specific circumstances

Finding Story-Worthy Material

1. Daily Reflection Practice

Use the “Homework for Life” framework (from Matthew Dicks’ book “Storyworthy”):

Take five minutes daily to reflect on your day
Ask: If you had to tell a story from today, what would it be?
Write one sentence about it
Look for difficult times, moments of growth, and proud or awkward experiences
Create two columns: date and story

2. Identify Emotional Significance

Pay attention to events that leave a strong impression:

What moments do you replay in your mind?
What makes you uncomfortable?
What reveals your vulnerability?
What forces you to confess a character flaw?
What challenges your core beliefs about yourself?

3. Choose Meaningful Experiences

Select experiences that have been transformational:

Events that caused you to rethink or reconsider your point of view
Circumstances that resulted in personal or professional growth
Painful situations that forced you to change your beliefs
Unique life experiences that taught you important lessons
Moments where you overcame adversity

Refinement Techniques

1. Editing and Revision

After completing your first draft:

Edit for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors
Add any extra details you may have forgotten
Remove irrelevant information that doesn’t serve the core message
Ensure transitions between sections are smooth
Check that your narrative has a clear beginning, middle, and end

2. Seek Feedback

Get perspective from others:

Ask friends or family members to read your narrative
Be clear about what kind of feedback you’re looking for
Listen to their responses without taking criticism personally
Consider whether readers connect with your story as intended
Revise based on feedback to improve clarity and impact

3. Maintain an Enjoyable Process

While writing a personal narrative can be emotionally challenging:

Have fun with the process
Relax and tell your story naturally
Remember that the more relaxed you are, the more authentic your narrative will feel
View the process as potentially therapeutic and liberating
Recognize that sharing your story can benefit both you and your readers

Part IV: Practical Applications of Personal Narratives

Therapeutic and Personal Growth

Personal narratives can be used for:

Processing difficult experiences
Gaining clarity about life events
Discovering patterns in your behavior or thinking
Building self-awareness
Creating meaning from challenging circumstances

Professional and Leadership Contexts

Personal narratives are valuable in:

Building trust with teams or clients
Demonstrating values in action
Illustrating problem-solving approaches
Creating connection in professional relationships
Establishing credibility through lived experience

Educational and Inspirational Purposes

Share personal narratives to:

Teach important life lessons
Inspire others facing similar challenges
Provide practical guidance based on experience
Create empathy for different perspectives
Motivate positive change in others

Part V: A Framework for Applying Narrative Transportation in Personal Narratives

Step 1: Understand Your Purpose

Before crafting your personal narrative, clarify:

What you want to achieve with your story
Who your audience is
What change you hope to inspire
What beliefs or attitudes you want to influence
What emotional response you want to evoke

Step 2: Select the Right Experience

Choose an experience that:

Has transformed you in some way
Contains universal themes or lessons
Evokes strong emotions
Demonstrates vulnerability and authenticity
Has clear stakes and consequences

Step 3: Structure for Maximum Impact

Organize your narrative to:

Begin with a compelling hook
Establish context and background
Build tension through challenges and obstacles
Reach a climactic moment of realization or change
Resolve with reflection and meaning-making

Step 4: Enhance Transportation Elements

Deliberately incorporate elements that facilitate transportation:

Rich sensory details to create mental imagery
Emotional authenticity to create connection
Vulnerability to build trust
Universal themes to create relevance
Transformation to inspire hope

Step 5: Connect to the Reader

Make your narrative relevant by:

Explicitly stating the takeaway or lesson
Connecting your experience to broader human experiences
Addressing how your story might help the reader
Creating points of similarity between your journey and theirs
Inviting the reader to reflect on their own experiences

Step 6: Refine and Test

Improve your narrative by:

Getting feedback from trusted readers
Assessing whether it creates the intended emotional response
Checking if the core message is clear
Ensuring the narrative flows smoothly
Confirming that it feels authentic and honest

Conclusion

Narrative transportation offers a powerful framework for understanding how stories captivate us and influence our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. By applying the principles of narrative transportation to personal narratives, you can create stories that not only engage readers but potentially transform them.

Personal narratives have unique strengths in creating transportation through authenticity, vulnerability, and shared human experience. When crafted with intention and skill, they can build trust, foster connection, and inspire change in ways that other forms of communication cannot.

The techniques outlined in this guide provide practical approaches to enhancing narrative transportation in your personal stories. By focusing on structure, emotional connection, reader relevance, and meaningful content, you can create personal narratives that transport readers into your experiences and leave lasting impressions.

Whether you’re writing for personal growth, professional development, or to inspire others, understanding narrative transportation will help you craft more impactful personal narratives that resonate deeply with your audience.

References

Gerrig, R. J. (1993). Experiencing narrative worlds: On the psychological activities of reading.
Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives.
Hagmann, D., Ho, E. H., & Loewenstein, G. (2024). Personal narratives build trust.
Isberner, M. B., Richter, T., Schreiner, C., Eisenbach, Y., Sommer, C., & Appel, M. (2020). Empowering stories: Transportation into narratives with strong protagonists increases self-related control beliefs.
Lamott, A. (1994). Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.
Neil, J. M., Gough, A., Kee, F., George, T. J., Pufahl, J., & Krieger, J. L. (2020). The influence of patient identification and narrative transportation on intentions to participate in cancer research.
Strange, J. J., & Leung, C. C. (1999). How anecdotal accounts in news and in fiction can influence judgments of a social problem’s urgency, causes, and cures.
Valenzuela, A., & Galli, L. (2024). The personalization effect: How personal narratives drive electronic word-of-mouth effectiveness.
Van Laer, T., De Ruyter, K., Visconti, L. M., & Wetzels, M. (2014). The extended transportation-imagery model: A meta-analysis of the antecedents and consequences of consumers’ narrative transportation.

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Embracing Narrative Transportation

April 5, 2025/in Narrative, Nonfiction, Personal Stories, Storytelling, Writing/by Mark Lovett

We’ve all had the experience of being pulled into a story — fiction or nonfiction — to the point where the rest of the world seems to fade away. Reading books and watching movies are common examples, but this phenomenon also occurs when we’re watching a play, listening to a podcast or watching a public speaker delivering a talk stage. In each case, we’ll experience the storyteller’s story. This doesn’t happen every time, of course, as a story must capture our attention to such an extent that the narrative’s world becomes our world. And although it’s often associated with fictional stories, it applies equally to personal stories.

So what do we mean by narrative?

Well, if you ask a dozen people and you’ll most likely get a dozen answers to that question, but here’s my take. In personal storytelling, a narrative builds a world in which you (and other characters) interact with life through the properties of space, time, and events. Beyond the characters, settings, and experiences, this narrative also touches on thoughts, emotions, insights, and reflections.

An impactful personal story, which is what I’m all about, seeks to present each narrative element, each story block, in a way that transforms a simple memory into a compelling and authentic story that conveys deeper truths about our life, values, beliefs, insights, and lessons learned.

When well-crafted, personal stories inform, inspire, connect, and engage others. But as I’ve mentioned, not all personal stories are equally effective in this regard. In the balance of this post, we’ll take a look at how we can create more impactful stories by understanding and using the principles of narrative transportation.

This is a subject that has been studied extensively during the past twenty years. Cognitive scientists & social psychologists, as well as literary & communication scholars, have all weighted in on this and a handful of related topics which I’ve included below to provide a fuller picture of what it all means.

Narrative Transportation is the psychological experience of being so fully immersed in a story that you temporarily feel transported into its world, losing awareness of your physical surroundings and experiencing the events alongside the characters. This powerful storytelling effect occurs when a narrative captures your imagination so completely that you emotionally respond to the story as if it were happening to you, often leading to stronger message retention, attitude changes, and even behavioral shifts after the story ends. When stories achieve narrative transportation, audiences don’t just understand the plot—they live it, making this phenomenon one of the most valuable tools in a storyteller’s arsenal.

Immersion in storytelling is the powerful sensation of being mentally and emotionally transported into a fictional world, where readers or viewers temporarily forget their surroundings and become deeply engaged with the characters and events unfolding before them. When a story successfully creates immersion, the audience experiences the narrative as if they were living through it themselves, with all their senses activated and their attention fully captured by the plot, setting, and characters. This state of being completely absorbed in a story world is what allows people to laugh, cry, or feel fear while experiencing fiction, making immersion one of the most sought-after qualities in effective storytelling across books, films, games, and other media.

Absorption in storytelling refers to the state where readers or viewers become so deeply engaged with a narrative that they lose awareness of their surroundings, experiencing a mental transportation into the story world. Effective storytelling creates this absorption by combining compelling characters, rich sensory details, emotional resonance, and well-paced action that captures attention so completely that time seems to pass unnoticed, leaving the audience fully immersed in the fictional experience rather than merely observing it from the outside.

Engagement in storytelling refers to the ability of a narrative to capture and hold a reader’s or audience’s attention, creating an emotional and intellectual connection that makes them invested in the story’s outcome. Effective engagement occurs when audiences become so immersed in the characters, plot, and world that they temporarily set aside their awareness of reality, experiencing genuine emotional responses—whether tension, joy, sadness, or surprise—and feeling compelled to continue following the story to its conclusion. This connection is achieved through relatable characters, meaningful conflicts, authentic dialogue, and pacing that balances revelation with anticipation, all working together to create an experience that resonates with the audience long after the story ends.

Involvement in storytelling refers to the ability of a narrative to emotionally engage and immerse its audience, creating a connection that makes readers or viewers feel invested in the characters and outcome. An effective story draws people in through relatable characters, compelling conflicts, and authentic emotional stakes that resonate with universal human experiences. When a story achieves strong involvement, the audience temporarily forgets they’re experiencing fiction—instead, they empathize with the characters’ struggles, celebrate their victories, and feel genuine concern for their wellbeing. This deep level of engagement is what separates forgettable tales from stories that linger in our minds and hearts long after they’ve ended.

I have captured a number of phrases from the above descriptions that illustrate the effect engrossing stories have on an audience. As you’ll see, while there’s an intellectual aspect to the process, the emphasis is largely on the emotional response that well-crafted stories invoke in an audience.

emotional resonance
emotionally engaging
psychological experience
transported into its world
fully immersed in the story
stronger message retention
achieves strong involvement
time seems to pass unnoticed
completely absorbed in a story world
mentally and emotionally transported
invested in the characters and outcome
empathizes with the characters’ struggles
losing awareness of physical surroundings
experiencing genuine emotional responses
resonates with universal human experiences
senses activated, and attention fully captured
deeply engaged with the characters and events
experiencing the events alongside the characters
creating an emotional and intellectual connection
experiencing a mental transportation into the story

How do these expressions align with your experiences? I think the concept of transportation is most appropriate, as there’s movement, a shift that occurs in our perception of reality. We care about what happens; we get excited and sad, we laugh and cry, we feel tension and relief.

But are these shifts temporary, or is there a longer term effect? Does the effect linger, or is the spell broken once the story ends? That depends on a number of factors, such as how relatable and relevant the story is, but the simple answer is that personal stories based on our experiences, as opposed to fictional stories built for entertainment, resonate more deeply, leaving a lasting impression.

During narrative transportation, our mental energies — encompassing attention, emotions, and imagery — become primarily focused on events unfolding within the story, and in turn, we will become cognitively, emotionally, and imaginatively absorbed in the narrative. By fostering connections with characters and evoking relevant emotions, personal stories can effectively influence how audiences feel about certain subjects or individuals.

What Factors Support Narrative Transportation?

I’m often asked what makes a personal story compelling, and the components of narrative transportation reveal a number of topics to consider. You’ll find some overlap in the list below, as the terms do relate to each other in important ways, but they’re worth considering individually, and they all play a role in telling your personal story.

fluency — refers to the smooth, effortless way a story flows, naturally transitioning between scenes and ideas, allowing readers or listeners to become fully immersed in the narrative world and lose awareness of their physical surroundings.
similarity — refers to the connection an audience feels between themselves and story elements, such as characters, experiences, backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and values, making a story more relatable and engaging.
relevance — refers to how well a narrative connects with the audience’s existing experiences, values, or concerns, mirroring their own lives in important ways, making the story feel personally meaningful and relatable.
coherence — refers to the logical and meaningful connection between all elements of a narrative — characters, events, settings, and themes — with events unfolding in ways that make sense within the theme of the narrative.
familiarity — refers to the degree to which elements of a story, such as settings, characters, situations, or emotional truths, resonate with a reader’s existing knowledge, experiences, or expectations.
immersion — refers to the feeling of being mentally and emotionally absorbed into a story’s world, engaging our attention, imagination, and emotions to the point where the real world temporarily fades into the background.
logical flow — refers to the invisible thread that connects each scene to the next, each character decision to its consequences, without any inconsistencies that may force an audience to question why events are unfolding as they are.
anticipation — refers to the delightful tension or suspense created when an audience is made aware that something significant is about to happen, causing them to become emotionally invested in what comes next.
believability — refers to the quality that makes a narrative feel true, authentic, and coherent within its own internal logic, while not including any obvious errors or inconsistencies within the story.
engagement — refers to the emotional and mental connection created when an audience is fully immersed in a story and often results in increased empathy and a lasting impact on thoughts, attitudes, or behaviors.
identification — refers to the process by which an audience emotionally connects with a character or perspective within a story, allowing them to see themselves in the character’s experiences, values, or struggles.
sensory details — refers to the vivid descriptions of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures that help create a rich and engaging atmosphere, thus immersing an audience in the narrative.
mental imagery — refers to the process of mentally “seeing” the scenes, “hearing” the dialogue, or “feeling” the emotions described in a narrative, as if they were happening in real life.
narrative quality — refers to how well a story compasses elements like compelling characters, a coherent plot, vivid descriptions, and emotional resonance that draw people in and hold their attention.
engaging dialogue — refers to the artful construction of conversations within a story that reveals characters’ personalities, motivations, and relationships while maintaining authenticity and purpose.
mental simulation — refers to the cognitive process whereby individuals simulate a story’s events, actions, and emotions in order to feel they’re part of the story, thus enhancing understanding and emotional connection.
psychological realism — refers to authentically portraying the inner thoughts, emotions, and motivations of characters, which can foster empathy and engagement and influence beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.
emotional connection — refers to the bond or resonance a person feels when hearing a story that evokes feelings such as empathy, joy, sadness, or excitement, making the story’s messages or lessons more memorable and impactful.
character development — refers to the process of creating and evolving characters in a story, revealing a character’s traits, motivations, and backstory over the arc of the narrative.
cultural appropriateness — refers to the alignment of a story’s themes, characters, language, and values with the cultural norms, beliefs, and experiences of its intended audience, making it more relatable.

A very consistent finding over a number of studies, across a number of different topics, by a number of different researchers is that transportation leads to greater attitude and belief change. So when people become immersed in these stories, they’re more likely to take the messages of the stories and apply it outward to the real world.
~ Dr. Melanie Green

Why Is Narrative Transportation Relevant?

Dr. Green’s quote explains it rather well, especially the ending. The point of an impactful personal story is to share your experiences, lessons learned, insights, or ideas in a way that fosters understanding, allowing others to take elements of your story and weave them into their story — apply it outward to the real world. The extent to which this happens is related to the extent to which they connect to you and your narrative. Narrative Transportation is how that happens, which is why reviewing the text above can help improve your story’s impact.

This improvement not happens during the writing / editing process, but during your rehearsals. Ideally, you’re able to rehearse your story in front of a trusted friend or family member. That’s when you can solicit feedback. Ask them what feelings arose while hearing your story, or what they were thinking. And if your narrative included descriptive prose, what did the “see”, what mental imagery came to mind?

What Factors Prevent Narrative Transportation?

It’s important to think about how the various aspects of narrative transportation can improve your story, but it’s also vital to consider what might reduce impact. Those factors that limit the positive effects. Here are a few things to consider.

Lack of coherence or clarity — anything in the story that doesn’t make sense?
Lack of realism — does your story depart from reality, or seem false at times?
Errors or inconsistencies — are there any notable mistakes in your narrative?
Confusing narrative structure — are there any disruptions to the story’s flow?
Audience alignment — does your story contradict the audience’s experiences?
Sense of being manipulated — do you come off as having a hidden agenda?

Such situations tend to pull people out of your narrative as they question what you’re saying or why you’re saying it. And as before, this is where feedback from the rehearsal process can identify if any of these issues are present. Ask them if there were times when something you said didn’t make sense, or seemed false in any way. Did it feel as though a certain element could be expanded upon for clarity, or if an important element was missing altogether?

Is There a Downside to Narrative Transportation?

Unfortunately, yes. When engrossed in the narrative world, individuals are less likely to critically evaluate the information presented, making them more open to accepting the story’s perspective. That’s a positive outcome for true stories, but when stories are based on lies — con artists, unscrupulous politicians, and dishonest business leaders, for example — people may be persuaded to adopt beliefs and ideologies that are harmful to themselves, and possibly society as a whole.

History — as well as present times — are full of examples where individuals, organizations, and governments intentionally lie in order to manipulate the thoughts, feels, and actions of the public. We’ll cover that aspect in a future article.

Conclusion

Since our desire is to maximize the impact when sharing our personal stories, reviewing your manuscript from the standpoint of narrative transportation is one way to make that happen!

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The Importance of Resonance and Relevance in Storytelling

January 1, 2023/in Audience, Narrative, Personal Stories, Society, Storytelling/by Mark Lovett

Welcome to 2023! The past few years have been quite an adventure. And what a story, or for most of us, a series of stories. But that tends to be the nature of life. Stories unfold. Sometimes with our direction, but often without our permission. Which would explain why so many people have recently told me that 2023 is the year they want to tell a personal story, one that can impact others, but they just don’t know where to start.

The first question that many of them ask me is: “What makes a talk memorable?” It’s not the easiest question to answer, as there are so many factors to consider when crafting and delivering a personal story. And while speaking skills are an important element, they are not the most important factors when it comes to impacting audiences. Begin your exploration here: Resonance and Relevance. Address these two words up front, in the Ideation phase.

Will the audience be interested in my topic,
and will they find my message useful?

People will listen to stories that capture their attention, when it’s a subject they want to hear about. First step is to ask yourself, “Why will the audience care?”

Don’t just think about the answer. Write it down. Make a list. That means you’ll need to know your audience. And if you’re telling your story to more than one group: general audience vs. scientists vs. academics vs. students, the answers will vary. And that’s okay. It’s a great way to discover new audiences.

Once you’re satisfied that your story will resonate with your audience, and you have shifted from the Ideation to the Narration phase, the body of your story needs to be relevant. Ask yourself, “What will the audience think, feel and do after they hear your story?” Each of your Story Blocks should be selected and written to accomplish your intended goals.

Will they feel inspired, have you added to their knowledge, shifted perceptions, challenged a preconceived notion, given them a new way to see themselves or the world around them? In short, is your narrative relevant to their life? What can they take away from your story that will help them going forward?

I do hope that all of you who have an impactful story to share do exactly that in 2023. Maybe it’s a keynote speech, or a talk on a TEDx stage, or maybe it’s for a local community group or at a breakfast meeting. Don’t worry about the size of the audience, as touching a single person is valuable. You never know how the impact will ripple out and touch others.

So if you have a personal story to tell, and need a bit of guidance along the way, send me a message and we’ll set up a complementary call to discuss your needs. I’ve coached hundreds of storytellers, from scientists to engineers, students and academics, creatives and business leaders, special forces and prison inmates.

Know that your story is important, and that it can change the world!

Hitting the bullseye for storytelling with impact

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On Writing (Your Story) Well – Part Two

November 14, 2022/in Audience, Narrative, Public Speaking, Storytelling, Writing/by Mark Lovett

When telling true stories, people often assume it’s simply a matter of repeating the truth. That’s the best place to begin, as facts are the foundation of personal storytelling, but maximizing the impact of your story comes down to the words, sentences, and paragraphs that comprise all narratives. It’s the writing process which turns truth into story.

Professional writers know this, spending the majority of their time editing what they’ve written. Word choice. Sentence structure. Narrative arc. Writers devote their career to mastering the art of telling stories that matter. For most of us it tends to be a different story.

We learned to write at a very early age, but once we entered the school system the focus was on grammar, which is a necessary component of the writing task, but unfortunately, there was scant guidance when it came to using that proper grammar to tell personal stories. We leave school and begin our career lacking the storytelling skills that can positively effect every aspect of our future.

I was blessed early on in my career when a colleague handed me a new copy of On Writing Well by William Zinsser. That was decades ago, and I’ve since owned a number of copies along the way. I’ve read it many times, refer to it often, and I’m still learning. If telling personal stories is something you aspire to, and want to maximize the impact of your stories, I recommend you pick up a copy.

On Writing Well by William Zinsser Book Cover

The book covers a lot of territory, and in the previous post I covered Part One. With this second installment I highlight key points from Part Two of the book.

From Part II on Unity

As for what point you want to make, every successful piece of nonfiction should leave the reader with one provocative thought
that he or she didn’t have before.

Storytelling with Impact is often about shifting perspectives – altering the way in which a listener or reader views a particular subject, how they view themselves, how they view others, or how they view the world – sometimes all four. Most of us are on a journey of self discovery, as well as self improvement, which entails growth, which results in altering our viewpoints. We seek new information from many sources, one of which involves hearing stories from / about other people.

To achieve the goal of making an impact I ask storytellers to describe how their audience thinks and feels about that idea or experience that forms the basis of their story. I then ask them to describe how that audience might think and feel about the subject after they’ve heard their story. It’s not just a verbal exercise. To truly understand the provocative thought that William Zinsser mentions it’s important to write down your before and after thoughts. Give the exercise it’s due. Understanding the power of your story is key to writing a powerful story.

The Narrative Journey

Trust your material if it’s taking you into terrain you didn’t intend to enter but where the vibrations are good.

Your story’s narrative will, hopefully, take an audience on a journey from your opening line to your closing line in a seamless fashion. And with a clear intent (see previous section) you map out your route by way of identifying the most relevant story blocks and order them properly. But stories can have a way of shapeshifting; pulling you in directions that were not on your planned route. Sometimes you’ll need to pull hard on the reins to get back on track. But to William’s point, you also need to pay attention to how the diversion feels.

Writing is simultaneously a process of crafting a narrative, while at the same time, rediscovering that narrative. As you write, new ideas, experiences, and pathways arise. Distractions should be discarded, but discoveries should be examined. And yes, you may find yourself on a fun diversion, only to realize you’re not going in the right direction, so you’ll have to backtrack an refocus. Stay true to your destination, and yet embrace the chaos that often arises.

From Part II on The Lead and the Ending

You should give as much thought to choosing your last sentence as you did to your first. Well, almost as much.

Every story opens with a (few) sentence(s), and will close with a (few) sentence(s). In my view, “few” equates to 3 or less. In both cases the message must be clear, at first to provide an initial hook for the story, and to conclude, something memorable. Both are vital bookends to your narrative, but I’ll agree with William’s viewpoint that the opening carries a bit more literary weight as you need to capture the interest of the audience in order for them to still be paying attention when it’s time the closing.

That said, focus on crafting a compelling narrative first. Remember the mention about shapeshifting? Initial drafts of your opening and closing may stay intact, but more often than not, you will discover better versions during the writing / editing / rehearsing process. Polish the ends once the story’s narrative is solid.

From Part II on Bits & Pieces

The longer I work at the craft of writing, the more I realize that there’s nothing more interesting than the truth.

I am often asked whether a story can ‘stretch the truth’, or if the storyteller can ’embellish’ their narrative. My answer is always the same. If your intent is to tell a true story, then stick to the truth. My reasoning is that if you’re caught in a lie, or the audience can tell that you’re adding fiction to your story, then everything you say is in doubt. These tactics can work well when you’re telling tall tales at the dinner table, but not when you’re on stage trying to reach an audience with a real story.

What I like about William’s quote is that the truth is actually more interesting. It requires additional work to find a storyline that is more interesting, which is to say, it’s often easier to lie than it is to tell the truth. In many cases, storytellers incorporate a lie (or embellishment) in order to avoid dealing with the truth. While it’s tempting, don’t do it. Find the most impactful truth, and write your story accordingly.

Reflection

These are four pearls from On Writing Well that I’m still (after many years) trying to master. Every time I write something (I think is) wonderful, I wake up the next day, reread my prose and become convinced that someone broke into my home in the middle of the night and changed what I wrote the previous day. I couldn’t have written something so bad, but I did. In those moments of despair I’m glad that the wisdom of William Zinsser is close at hand.

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On Writing (Your Story) Well – Part One

October 28, 2022/in Audience, Narrative, Public Speaking, Storytelling, Writing/by Mark Lovett

On Writing Well by William Zinsser Book Cover

The book covers a lot of territory, more than can be covered one post, so in this first installment I will highlight some key points revealed in Part One of the book.

From Part I on Principles

Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. Very few sentences come out right the first time, or even the third time. Remember this in moments of despair. If you find that writing
is hard, it’s because it is hard.

Some storytellers that I work with know this day one, most don’t, but they soon discover this reality as we get to revision 4, 5, 6, 7. It’s easy to write. Just pick up a pen, or let your fingers dance across a keyboard. Words do come out, but the first words we write rarely convey the true meaning of our story. The words we need have a way of hiding off the page. Sneaky bastards.

Our first drafts sit on the surface. A basic outline is there. The bones, if you will. And that’s fine, as every structure needs a frame. But it takes focused effort to dig deeper into a story while at the same time polishing a narrative that shifts. Writing and editing. Listening and editing. Rehearsing and editing. Hard work.

The Power of (any) Language

It’s a question of using the English language in a way that will
achieve the greatest clarity and strength.

I always stress the importance of maximizing impact when I help someone craft their narrative, but I like William’s word choice here: achieve the greatest clarity and strength. When a point is not clear the reader or listener may get confused and disconnect from the narrative. Strength comes from not hedging your bets. Say what you mean and be direct. That doesn’t mean overdoing it for dramatic effect. Strength comes from authenticity, not theatrics.

Narratives Under the Microscope

Reexamine each sentence you put on paper. Is every word doing new work? Can any thought be expressed with more economy? Is anything pompous or pretentious or faddish? Are you hanging on to something useless just because you think it’s beautiful?

This is the tedious part, and the step that many writers and speakers cut short. The process involves writing, then reading what you wrote and fixing the most obvious problems. Repeat the cycle until the issues found move from major to minor. Don’t shoot for perfection; that won’t happen at this stage. It’s time for adding audio to the sequence.

Recite the story out loud using your natural voice, as though you were telling it to someone. You will find a whole new basket of problems to correct. Listen for sentences that are too long, words with too many syllables or too complex, and clichés that should be axed. Edit, edit & edit. Then use a smartphone to record your story and play it back. Now your brain isn’t spending any energy trying to speak and you can concentrate on what you’re hearing.

Are the sentences concise? Does it sound like you? We tend to write in a more formal fashion than we speak, using words more difficult than those we would naturally say. If you stumble over words or phrases, see if you can find easier, simpler replacements. The easier it is to say, the easier it is to hear.

What to Include

Never say anything in writing that you wouldn’t comfortably say in conversation.

It’s common for storytellers to ask how much they should reveal, how far they should go in exposing the essence of their personal story, and knowing where the line is can be difficult to determine. I often advise, “Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say at the dinner table.” I like both views, but there are exceptions.

In any case, you must consider your audience as you edit. In our digital world written articles, podcasts and videos get global distribution, or at a minimum, global access. You want your message to be heard, and be as meaningful as possible, but it’s also possible to alienate your audience with details that are considered too shocking or graphic.

In the end you must make that call. One way to approach the topic is to write your story out in full, saying as much as you feel comfortable sharing publicly. Then rehearse your story in front of trusted friends or family – if your story is written, have them read it. Ask whether it felt as if you were holding back and playing it safe, or if it’s a case of TMI (too much information).

Reflection

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