Why problem stories capture reader attention (and how to create them)
And what I learned facilitating in Building A Second Brain too
Hello,
Welcome to this Thursday’s edition of Course Builder’s Corner.
I have two things to share with you this week.
I. What I’ve been working on
II. Article: Why problem stories capture reader attention (and how to create them)
Let’s get started.
I. What I’ve been working on
In March, I was accepted as a facilitator for Tiago Forte’s Building A Second Brain course. This is the program that helped me organize my work and helped me become more creative and effective.
Last week, with Maria Aldrey, we presented a live, 90-minute session showing attendees how to organize their digital lives with Tiago’s PARA system. It was a lot of work preparing for that.
Here are a few things I learned.
1. Real-time feedback is highly instructive.
As we presented, students let us know what they liked, what they understood and what questions they had. As I saw their responses I realized how we might change what we taught to help them learn better.
2. Having a team support you lets you do so much more
Maria and I had a wonderful team to help us put the presentation together. Guia Carmona, Monica Rysavy and Victoria Castro organized the curriculum, the assignments, designed great slides for us. We just had to modify the content and delivery to our style. They even helped us rehearse and gave us feedback. Their support practically guaranteed success.
3. Handing off the torch leads to breakthroughs
Tiago created Building A Second Brain but he decided to hand over teaching to others. His team chose 8 former students to facilitate the live sessions. As I watched my colleagues present, I learned new ways to frame Tiago’s principles. I saw that as past students our perspective was helpful to new students. Passing the torch has led to new insights about teaching that is improving learning.
So those are three of my insights from facilitating in Building A Second Brain. Let me know which you found particularly valuable.
Now to Part II.
II. Why problem stories capture reader attention (and how to create them)
You spent hours producing a fantastic piece of content. But when you look at the data, it seems people are leaving in seconds. How frustrating! What can you do to get and keep attention?
One solution is a problem story.
When people hear a relevant problem, they have to know more, especially when told as a story. But how do you write a story so it isn't just a listing of events? How do you make a story that keeps them reading?
The answer: The following three components.
Component 1: The Setup
This is where you give the calm before the storm. It provides contrast for the heart of the story - the problem - which will come right after. Without a setup, a problem often falls flat.
Component 2: The Problem
The problem is where things go wrong. This is often introduced with the word BUT. Your reader should be thinking "Uh oh."
Component 3: The Consequences
The consequences are negative things that happen as a result of the problem. They make the problem matter.
Here's an example of a problem story.
"You arrive at your desk in the office with a warm cup of coffee in hand. But then you see a note with big red letters attached to your screen 'See me ASAP.' It's from your boss. You get a feeling in the pit of your stomach."
The setup: Getting to the desk with the warm coffee.
The problem: Seeing the note in red letters.
The consequence: Feeling bad.
In just a few lines, we've grabbed our reader's attention. You can do the same when your story includes all three components: setup, problem and consequence.
Before you go, you may want to check out any of the following:
The Atomic Course Blueprint - Want to create a course without the usual overwhelm? Try creating a tiny course. Find out more here.
iPARA: How to organize your digital life for action - Is digital disorganization keeping you from reaching your goals? What if just four folders could let you not just stay organized but actually get things done. See for yourself here.
That’s it for this week. I’ll see you next Thursday with another issue.