The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better

by Will Storr

Here was a boy who had to be the best. This belief became internalised – he came to believe he was the best. It was a sacred idea and, therefore, fiercely defended.

Make it a childhood incident. The flaws that come to characterise us most often have their origins in our first two decades. This is when the brain is in its heightened state of plasticity and its neural models of the world are still being formed.

experiences of being ostracised and humiliated are tremendously hurtful for humans. Perhaps the origin of their damage lies in a moment when such feelings were powerfully felt?

a precise moment in which they clearly understand that if they don’t believe or behave like this, then that might happen. It’s important for reasons that’ll become clear that the theory of

control that forms ou...

moment has these two components. First, that it tells our protagonist who they must be in order to get what they want from the world. Second, that it tells them how to avoid something bad. In other words, this moment, and the belief that springs out of it, will ...

The knowledge that, more than anything else in the world, Lawrence dreads being made to feel invisible by important people helps us mentally model his character with vivid accuracy.

The next steps involve turning this flaw and this damage into a person and a life. This means allowing the character to internalise it in such a way that they don’t see it as a flaw at all. We’re going to mimic the process by which a brain does this. We have our moment of origin damage and the belief about the world it created. Now the character needs

experience a powerful

confirmatory event that ‘proves’ to them that this belief is correct. Something happens which cau...

a scene that involves some jeopardy.

Something’s got to be at stake. And they must be

active in it. They need to let this flawed belief guide their behaviour at a moment at which they’re strongly challenged – an...

As far as they’re concerned it’s the key to how they’re going to behave, from now on and forever.

It makes us feel morally virtuous

makes us feel like a relatively low-status David being threatened by more powerful Goliaths

It makes us believe we’re deserving o...

It makes us believe we’re selfless, somehow, and that our ...

you’re arguing so well in the defence of the unlikely decision they’ve made that you practically convince yourself (in my classes, I use as an example the iconic ‘You can’t handle the truth’ speech from Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men). In this scene, we’re seeing their flaw take over who they are – controlling their decisions and behaviour. It’s become a core part of their identity, one they’ll fight to defend. From this moment

onwards, their flawed belief becomes sacred. It becomes how they see themselves in the context of the human realm. It becomes their key to controlling the world and avoiding that which they secretly dread.

As they grow up, your character’s flawed theory of control will build a particular life for them. It’ll lead them on a particular journey – into a particular job with a particular romantic history, into a particular neighbourhood and a particular home with a particular front door with a particular colour and state of repair. They’ll have

particular values and particular friends and enemies and particular goals, obstacles and fears.

their sacred flaw (as far as they’re concerned) will have largely been of benefit to them.

How has their flaw led to material or career gains?

How do they get an internal sense of heightened status from this flaw? How does it make them feel superior?

Even if your character has extremely low status and is even self-loathing, there will be a way in which their flaw makes them feel somehow better than other people.

What small moments of joy does it bring them?

How has their sacred flaw brought them closeness with friends, colleagues or lovers?

What life goals has it generated? What achievement, in the external world, do they believe will make them happy and complete?

What (if only in their minds) will they risk losing, materially, socially or otherwise if they act against their flaw?

How does their flaw make them safe? On the subconscious level, what do they ultimately dread will happen if they act against their flaw?

The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations by Mike Figgis or the epic Plotto by William Wallace Cook). An opportunity A plot or conspiracy (either against them or that they join) A journey or quest An investigation

A misunderstanding by a powerful figure A revelation made about either them or someone else A promotion or demotion An enemy, monster or unwelcome figure from the past An accusation An onerous task A discovery A rescue (of a person, a sense of status, a career, a relationship) A reckoning (judgment; atonement for a past sin; discovery of impending death of themselves or someone else) A dare or challenge An injustice An escape An attack by enemies (internal or external) A temptation

A bet...

In its first half, the protagonist’s old theory of control is tested and found wanting. At the midpoint, it’s transformed. In the second half, their new theory of control is heavily tested. In the final act, they’re given the choice: do they want to embrace this new theory of control or revert to their old one? Who are they going to be?

This is me, and it’s not working

Is there another way?

There is. I have transformed

But can I handle the pain of change?

the protagonist is soon going to have to decide, once and for all

Who am I going to be?

A tragic five-act plot goes through a similar sequence, but instead of the protagonist moving towards a version of self that’s better able to tame the chaos, they double down on their flawed theory of control, which ultimately makes their situation worse and worse

Into the Woods by John Yorke and The

Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker),

For a deeper exploration into the five-act model I’m going to focus on a canonical and oft-analysed five-act story, The Godfather, which

is considered one of the greatest films of all time and is based on a novel, by Mario Puzo, that sold nine million copies in just two years.

When we first meet Michael, he’s rejected the gangster life.

I’m an honest, upstanding family man, not a gangster.

we’re not referring to a moral flaw but a flawed belief that’s vulnerable to change).

Am I an honest, upstanding family man? Or a gangster?