A burger with just a bun and ketchup is boring! A good story is like a good burger! You need all the right ingredients to make every mouthful delicious.
A good story has all the right ingredients to make the reader savour every morsel. From the first taste, a good story will captivate its reader and hold them right to the end. Bonus points if the reader is licking their fingers at the end!
The bun holds all the ingredients together. The top bun creates a scrumptious setting for your story. This sets the mood and works as a backdrop to the narrative you are about to tell.
The bottom bun holds it all together! Every great story follows a story arc. Make sure to include a beginning, middle and end to your story. Captivate your reader with a unique setting, rising tension, a climax and a spectacular finale.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” Dr. Seuss
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! is one of my favourite stories. This motivational story is a classic coming of age tale. Like many high school teenagers, I was gifted this book upon graduation to encourage me to see the limitless possibilities that life could bring.
Theodor Seuss Geisel aka Dr. Seuss has captured the hearts of readers young and old since 1937. Dr. Seuss wrote in prose using a rhyme scheme that was often very catchy.
“You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights”Dr. Seuss
Along with catchy rhymes, Dr. Seuss books have bright and colourful psychedelic illustrations. Dr. Seuss includes colour, picture and movement in all of his books.
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! has a distinct story spine. As playwright Ken Adams describes in the story spine, the structure of this book is clearly defined.
The Beginning – “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!” This sets the tone for the story. You are the main character!
The Event – Once you are off and away the story leads you in a direction to choose your own adventure. Dr. Seuss gives you examples of paths you may choose “And you may not find any you’ll want to go down.”
Middle – Dr. Seuss has captured the reader flying high in a hot air balloon through the story. The motivational undertone is strong and powerful.
The Climax – Just when you feel everything is going in the right direction, the hot air balloon you were riding gets stuck in a tree! This is a great metaphor for the highs and lows you will ride through life.
End – After navigating the choose your own adventure and riding the highs and lows, Dr. Seuss metaphorically says “And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¼ percent guaranteed.)”
The Moral of the Story – KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
Pixar Animation Studios Rules for Good Storytelling outline many practices that Dr. Seuss used in his story telling. One thing I love most about this story is how rule #4 Good stories give you a character to root for applies. As the reader is the main character, you are rooting for yourself!
“What you’re trying to do, when you tell a story, is to write about an event in your life that made you feel some particular way. And what you’re trying to do, when you tell a story, is to get the audience to have that same feeling.” Pixar director Pete Docter
I highly recommend this story. This is a great book to read at any stage in life (not only for high school graduates)!
Take a couple minutes to watch this wonderful book in its digital form.
EXSM 3989 - Digital Storytelling Class Blog 