Summary of Will Storr's The Science of Storytelling

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Book Preview: #1 Change is endlessly fascinating to brains. The brain is constantly on alert for the unexpected, because unexpected change is a portal through which danger may enter. But change is also an opportunity, and curiosity is how we should feel in the opening moments of a story.

#2 Storytellers create moments of unexpected change that seize the attention of their protagonists and, by extension, their readers and viewers. These changeful moments are so important, they’re often packed into a story’s first sentences.

#3 The threat of change is a highly effective technique for arousing curiosity. It doesn’t have to be as overt as a psycho’s knife behind a shower curtain.

#4 Curiosity is a powerful human trait that is difficult to resist. It is at its peak when people have no idea about the answer to a question, and are completely convinced they do.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Feb 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669349532

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Will Storr's The Science of Storytelling

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Change is endlessly fascinating to brains. The brain is constantly on alert for the unexpected, because unexpected change is a portal through which danger may enter. But change is also an opportunity, and curiosity is how we should feel in the opening moments of a story.

#2

Storytellers create moments of unexpected change that seize the attention of their protagonists and, by extension, their readers and viewers. These changeful moments are so important, they’re often packed into a story’s first sentences.

#3

The threat of change is a highly effective technique for arousing curiosity. It doesn’t have to be as overt as a psycho’s knife behind a shower curtain.

#4

Curiosity is a powerful human trait that is difficult to resist. It is at its peak when people have no idea about the answer to a question, and are completely convinced they do.

#5

Information gaps are a powerful tool in storytelling. They create intense curiosity in the reader or viewer, and without realizing it, deep in the detail of his dry, academic paper, Loewenstein has described a perfect description of police-procedural drama.

#6

Our brains create a world for