In his book, The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, Christopher Booker explains how and why all stories boil down to one of 7 plot structures, and how these can act as outlines for effectively presenting all sorts of information. By organizing presentations to follow these story structures, your audience will recognize the familiar flow, and find it easy to understand you and your content.

Storytelling Structures

A story of a villain who finds redemption and is reborn as a better person:Villain falls under a dark power ->Things go well for him-> Imprisoned by darkness -> Dark power has seemingly triumphed -> Redemption figure resolves situation -> Hero is reborn as a better person.Use it to demonstrate that you are able to learn from others to make better choices.

Rebirth

A story about team work - a group sets off on a journey with a goal in mind and through working together, they overcome all obstacles:Team receives mission -> Smaller obstacles presented and overcome -> Final dangerous test revealed -> Final test accomplished -> Team wins prize and travels home.Use it to emphasize the importance of achieving goals through teamwork.

The Quest

A cautionary tale - the downfall of a villain who chooses the wrong path:Villain finds goal to achieve ->Sets out on path of destruction -> Commits dark acts that seal fate -> Sees plan unravel -> Is defeated.Use it to show that you can learn from mistakes to improve yourself and succeed next time: Tell a story about an error you made due to bad choices and openly discuss the impact it had on your work.

Tragedy

A tale of a transition from state of confusion into one of enlightenment:Use it to show the importance of communication avoid confusion and unnecessary conflict.How to use it: Share a story about a time when you had a disagreement on a project due to miscommunication; explain how you resolved it and developed a better working relationship.

Comedy

The hero goes triumphantly from difficult circumstances to great success:Terrible early life -> Leave -> Minor struggle and small successes -> Hit rock bottom -> Defeat the crisis -> Win and get reward.Use it to show you are able to use your vulnerabilities to achieve results at work and how you overcame struggles through risks.

Rags to Riches

The hero journeys to new lands, defeats darkness and return home wiser:Quiet life ->Transported to other world -> Explore new surroundings ->Feel uncomfortable -> Confront with darkness -> Escape and defeat evil -> Return home wiser.Use it to demonstrate you are able to step out of your comfort zone in order to learn new things.

Voyage and Return

The typical story of courage, of hero versus villain. Learn about the monster -> Train for battle -> Monster revealed -> Losing the battle -> Try different approach -> Defeat monster. Use it to display your problem solving skills: Tell a story about how you overcame a big problem at work and what you learned from trying a different approach.

Overcoming a Monster

How to use stories to differentiate, connect, and influence

problemsolving

Problem Solving

career

Career

communication

Communication

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

The Power of Storytelling

1 min read Giving presentations, whether during meetings with co-workers or to potential new clients, can often seem intimidating. But luckily, there are tried and true ways to organize your information so that it is both easy to present and clear to your audience.