PROPULSION

07 Jun PROPULSION

Storytelling, or client anecdotes, have been considered valuable in business for some time. But without the mechanics of structure and delivery, stories are merely a good idea. This is why Eloqui developed our storytelling template of OSB (Obstacle, Solution, Benefit).

Recently, at the Santa Fe Int’l Literary Festival, we heard two bright lights weigh in on an aspect of storytelling that we also embrace. Authors James McBride (The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store) and Maria Semple (Go Gentle) both touted the necessity of propulsion. Semple said she always has readers on her mind, knowing that unless she keeps the plot moving forward, readers would close her book.

McBride said his stories require propulsion, a brisk forward motion toward a conclusion, even though it might not be the one that readers imagine. You can see this progression in both of these talented writers’ works, and it makes it difficult to put their books down.

As you craft your OSBs, make sure they include specifics, commitment, and pacing. You’ll keep your audience’s attention through the final act.