After. pretty crazy-busy week, we’re enjoying a bit of a lazy Sunday. Marshall, my seven-year-old 95-pound house-horse (he’s actually a rather handsome Doberman Pinscher/American Bulldog cross), is relaxing pretty hard in my bed, watching me type on my laptop. I’m trying to think of different stories I could live-tweet for my Digital Storytelling class.
The bedroom window is open, letting in a gentle breeze. At the honking sounds of distant migrating geese, Marshie perks up, and stares out the window. Then he turns back to me with a whine and a look of askance: “Hey dad, it’s sooo nice today, why don’t we go for a walk?” I look at him for a long second, thinking maybe I should get outside, since I was fresh out of inspiration. “Yeah, sure thing bud, let’s go find your leash.”
After having reading, with interest, FRACTALS analysis of Buzzfeed headlines that garner more shares and likes – animal/pet stories that create joyful emotions seem to rank high – I thought of using Marshall as my furry muse.
I then put together a quick outline using the tips from the tutorial video “How to Write a Great Short Story – The 8-Point Story Arc:
- Stasis: A lazy Sunday afternoon in November for Marshall
- Trigger: A nice winter’s day, an open window, and the sound of geese makes Marshall want to go for a walk
- Quest: Finding and putting on his leash, heading to the off-leash dog park
- Surprise: The enthusiastic sniffing of things along the walking trail; sadness of being all alone at the dog park
- Critical Choice: Leaving the off-leash area as no-one else was there
- Climax: Meeting other dogs on the way back, saying hello!
- Reversal: Glad to be back home because it getting colder now,, and treats
- Resolution: A tired but content dog, happy to be back lying down on a warm and cozy bed, enjoying snuggles.
This story is a daily straightforward, domesticated Heroes’ Journey, albeit from a doggy point-of-view. I tried to use Gary Vaynerchuk’s statement on good storytelling – whether through an action or an emotion, “the true test of storytelling is how you feel or what you do after you consume it.” I also applied Kenn Adam’s Story Spine structure to help build this expository narrative.
Now, Marshall is a very strong dog and a puller, so we had to get him a figure-eight leash, which goes around his nose and prevents him from straining and choking himself. Normally he hates it, and putting it on him is the most trying part of the exercise. However, today he complied with little fuss – good boy, Marshie!
“Let’s go to the dog park, bud.” Oh yes, he wagged, and promptly relieved himself against a nearby tree.
As Eric Goldschein writes, “social media post is an informal means of expression. It should be accessible to anyone who wants to learn more about you or your business. Stay away from industry jargon and dense paragraphs and try to have fun with it.” I have tried to pay attention to the tone of my writing, making it more reflective of how I naturally speak – after many years of writing reports, it’s hard to loosen up.
Goldshein also talks about the importance of grabbing an emotional hold of your audience, hence using lots of pictures of my really, really good-looking dog (he’s so hot right now) as the main subject – let’s hope it’s working. 🙂
Check out the Twitter/X thread below:
Marshall is excited to get back to the warmth and coziness of his home. And to one of his favourite snacks – dill pickle flavoured pretzel sticks!
It’s been a good afternoon, and now back to lounging on the bed.
EXSM 3989 - Digital Storytelling Class Blog 