Here's what Alex Cattoni has just shared about the Art of Storytelling

It's been quite a while since I've been following Miss Alex Cattoni on Linkedin and YouTube. It's needless to say that I've refined my skillset pretty well taking help from whatever tips she shares.

I've just watched her recent video on the art of storytelling where she shared 5 valuable books worthreading for every writer. I decided to share the knowledge on this topic with you.

Who are the best writers?

We hear it all the time that the best writers are readers. Well, I do believe that there's some truth to that; nonetheless, I think there's something that's even more true and that is this:

The best writers are storytellers.

Whether you learn the art of storytelling through reading books, listening to audio books, or watching great cinema, it really doesn't matter.

Here, we're gonna talk about why stories are such a critical component in persuasive writing. And then we'll wrap it up with "5 amazing books" that will help you master the art of storytelling, and become an infinitely better writer, stay tuned.

Copywriting & Storytelling - An Untold Turth

I wholeheartedly believe that sales go hand in hand with storytelling, that you can't have one without the other. And that if you wanna become a better copywriter, marketer, or business owner, then learning the art of storytelling is hands down the number one skill you should learn.

Storytelling should be the backbone of your brand voice, the starting point of the emails, ads and sales pages you write, and the secret sauce to your sales. That is how important I believe storytelling is, and I'm about to prove it to you.

Now, the inspiration for this topic came to me a few weeks ago when I was reading an interview in Forbes about the importance of storytelling in presentations. The interview was with Jesse Scinto who teaches the critical mind and dynamics of persuasion at Columbia University. He made so many solid points about the importance of storytelling when it comes to putting together a persuasive presentation, and it really got me thinking about how every single thing that he said really also applies to copywriting, marketing, and just persuasive conversation in general.

In this article Professor Scinto talks about the only two things a story needs to have, a complication and a resolution. Which is such a genius and straightforward way to think about it if you really think about it.

I mean, we're always over complicating things and boxing yourselves in by following the exact story arcs that we're taught to follow, or trying to make sure that we hit on all the right twists and turns along the way, or trying to replicate other great stories that we've read or heard.

How to be a Good Storyteller?

Like Scinto pointed out, storytelling really is quite simple. The first part of every good story needs to begin with a complication, right? A character who gets in trouble somehow or is not having his or her needs met. And in terms of copywriting this translates into the big problem and the core pain points that your audience is experiencing. And as your story progresses, your character strives or looks for a solution, tries different things, digs deeper, finds courage within and then comes to a resolution.

Similarly in copywriting, you want your story to transition from the pain and the problem to the solution or resolution that that you're offering them. And yes, of course, there are plenty of psychological triggers and formulas and open loops that you should include along the way in order to seamlessly connect the dots, keep people engaged in actually reading, and interacting with your story.

But it really goes without saying that storytelling is so, so important when it comes to persuasive marketing. Why, well, like storytelling it's really quite simple, humans like stories. We've literally been hardwired over thousands of years of evolution to pay attention to stories.

Long before we learned how to write, stories provided us with purpose and meaning and a sense of community and personal identity. They helped us make sense of the world, and pass on important lessons. They were how we related to one another, and how we coped through stressful and uncertain times.

We've been so bred to pay attention to and believe in stories. And remember, you can debate facts, you can disagree with opinions, but you can never argue with a story because it's a story.

And the more specific your story when it comes to descriptive feelings and experiences, the more relatable it actually is.

So when you use storytelling in your marketing, you're using a form of persuasion that comes natural to the human brain, which is pretty cool if you think about it, right?

So now that you know why mastering the art of storytelling is so important as a digital marketer, let's get right into the five books you should read to improve your storytelling skills.

5 Books to Master the Art of Storytelling

The first on my list is "The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human" by Jonathan Gottschall.

This is a great one for all my skeptics out there, because it really breaks down the importance of storytelling from the perspective of the latest research and neuroscience psychology and evolutionary biology. And it is so fascinating the way Gottschall explains the way stories have evolved as we, as humans have evolved. The way stories have helped us navigate problems, the way stories have literally shaped who we are, and how stories can ultimately help us change the world.

My second book recommendation is "Wired For Story" by Lisa Cron.

So this is another goody that really breaks down the science behind storytelling. But I love this one because Lisa really breaks down what's happening in the brain during storytelling, from what the brain actually craves in a good story to what keeps them transfixed.

And she reveals the cognitive secrets that you can apply in your own storytelling that will help you captivate your audience from beginning to end.

She also includes plenty of examples from novels and screenplays and short stories, so you can really see how each element of storytelling corresponds to that specific brain activity.

Alright, the next book on my list is "The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion Through the Art of Storytelling" by Annette Simmons and Doug Lipman.

So whether you're trying to make a sale, or trying to convince your partner to take up the trash, if you know how to use the art of storytelling then you can persuade, motivate, and inspire people in every single aspect of your life, and that would be pretty helpful.

From your business to your personal life and everything in between this book teaches you how storytelling is the oldest and most powerful form of influence with over 100 examples of effective storytelling.

Next on my list is "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" by Stephan King.

So arguably one of the most successful fiction authors of our time, Stephan King's memoir is honestly a must read for anyone that wants to learn and master the art of storytelling or just writing in general.

This one is a little bit different from the others on this list, but it is in fact a memoir of King's own writing journey. He does a great job of breaking down his own personal process when it comes to writing with advice on description, authentic dialogue, and the basic tools every writer should know and use.

And lastly "Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive

and Others Die" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.

So what's the difference between ideas that fly and ideas that die in "Made to Stick". Chip and Dan Heath break down the principles behind every winning idea, and most importantly, how you can use these principles in your own storytelling and messaging to be infinitely more persuasive and influential.

BONUS TIP IN THE END

Alright, now I wanna give one bonus storytelling tip and it is my favorite one of all, read fiction!

Whatever type of non-fiction you like, whether it's about wizards and warlocks and crime or murder or love and romance, if a book captivates you and enthralls you, and really sucks you in to keep you turning pages, then it must be a pretty good story, and you will learn something about writing simply by reading it, whether or not you realize it at all.

Remember not everything you do or read has to be educational in order to be beneficial.

So what book are you reading next, comment below and let me know.