Think Your Industry is Boring? 4 Storytelling Tools That Can Make Any Industry Interesting

Business writing is the same as any other type of writing. You want to engage the interest of your reader and guide them to the desired emotion you intend. It can feel weird to think about things like narrative arc and character development when you are writing nonfiction, but the pieces that make a good story in fiction can carry over when writing about your business.

When you are planning content, consider what literary devices the authors you enjoy reading employ. Also, think about the movies and shows you watch. Literature and film share several storytelling devices. Keep it simple and try not to overthink the process. Below are some simple storytelling devices that will work regardless of your industry.

Four Simple Storytelling Tools that Work Well Cross-Industry

Your industry is exciting to the people who are interested in your services. They want to understand your passion for the field and learn about your unique experience. Share your wins and challenges in a thoughtful, intentional way that brings them into your world.

Alliteration

Repeated letters and sounds can make your material more memorable. (See what I did there? material more memorable.) Use it intentionally and try not to push it into every paragraph. Alliteration can be very handy to use when writing headlines for articles or deciding what to use for chapter titles. Keep a list of ideas in a notepad app on your phone or in a traditional softbound notebook on your desk.

Flashbacks

Flashbacks do not have to be reserved for thriller writers and memoirists. You can use a flashback to early days in your career to highlight the depth of your experience. Take a page from Gone Girl and surprise your reader with historical information that makes your current point all the more poignant.

Imagery

As you build the writing habit, you will find certain imagery resonates with you. If you are a sports aficionado, bring sports imagery into your writing. Describe a baseball game and how it aligns to industry trends. Leave the metaphors for next time, for now focus on telling the story with vivid descriptions.

Break the Fourth Wall

You've seen this happen in movies and tv shows when the actor brings the audience in on the joke. They break the traditional narrative structure and look at the audience with a knowing smile, sometimes even addressing the audience explicitly. Bueller in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is famous for this, and more recently, Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Fleabag. When writing you can bring in a side comment to the reader to share additional context.

The best writers are the ones who exercise that writing muscle while continuing to read and consume content that broadens their skills. If you like watching Netflix or Hulu, keep watching the shows you enjoy. You will attract the people who share your interests so do not be afraid to bring your whole self to your writing.

I finally started attracting more of my people when I embraced my intersections of nerdiness and grammar.

What are you reading and watching and how is it influencing your writing? Let me know in the comments.

About the Author:

Chrissy Das is a creative analytical who ghostwrites for busy business leaders. Leveraging her professional background in publishing and her high standards as an editor, overwhelmed authors hire her when they are ready to finish their next business book. She lives near St. Augustine, Florida, with her spouse and their dog Neil.