When life gives you moose droppings…
...turn them into art. Like this woman from Maine who saw a gold mine in a pile of moose shit.
Happy Friday. I've been thinking a lot about opportunity this week, since I hosted a table at The Copywriter Underground's networking event yesterday.
I found that above video while preparing for the event, and it really stuck with me. This woman is not just hilarious—she's also a genius. This is the kind of woman who knows an opportunity when she sees one. And who isn't afraid to carpe the diem out of that chance.
But now it's Friday, which is my opportunity to tell you a little more about branding, copywriting, and storytelling. This week I'm talking more about story structure and what makes something a story. Next week we'll get more into the practical mechanics of how you build one.
So what goes into a story?
At its core, a story is a narrative line with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
There are a lot of theories and frameworks out there, but my favorite by far is Dan Harmon's Storytelling Circle.
Harmon is the creator of Rick and Morty and runs a show called HarmonQuest—a TV show where he and his friends play Dungeons and Dragons in front of a live audience. His work is a bit...out there sometimes, but the man has a brilliant way of breaking down story structure.
Harmon says that every story has 8 basic plot points, spread across four distinct parts. The plot points are:
A character is in a zone of comfort,
But they want something.
They enter an unfamiliar situation,
Adapt to it,
Get what they wanted,
Pay a heavy price for it,
Then return to their familiar situation,
Having changed.
Harmon's Story Circle is pretty genius, but it still sounds like something your high school literature teacher would drone on about.
So let's simplify it even further with the three act structure.
Act I: You meet the character and learn about their existing world. This character has some deeper want—to be better at their job, to save money, to make their life easier. But then something happens externally which forces the character to see the status quo head on. The character has to do something about that event—and it'll lead them on a journey.
B2B example: I'm an entrepreneur that makes customized fruit baskets that companies can send to clients as corporate gifts. I was doing well with my business, and I wanted to grow my team so I could serve even more clients. Until tax season came around, and I realized my accounting was in shambles.
Act II: The hero embarks on a journey to find what they need. They meet a guide who can help them achieve their goals. It's a bumpy road, but the hero learns along the way and builds up a thicker skin. The guide gives the hero the tools and guidance they need to get the things they want.
Example: I knew that financial transparency and clarity is important, but I just didn't know where to start...until I meet Small Business Accountants and took their course on basic accounting. I started cleaning up my financials, but it was hard. I had a LOT of questions, but Small Business Accountants was so helpful. They were patient and gave me great answers that didn't make me feel stupid or ashamed because I didn't know this stuff.
Act III: The hero returns back into the "status quo" but is stronger than ever. Having done all the hard work, the hero is ready to tackle the challenge and come out on top.
Example: After graduating from the course I feel so much more confident in my ability to manage and grow my business. With the knowledge I got from Small Business Accounting, I feel ready to take on the world. A year later not only are my books in order for tax season, but I also tripled my revenue and hired four people last year simply from understanding my finances more.
Character transformation makes a story interesting.
The above story isn't anything groundbreaking, but it's still a story. You feel like you understand what Small Business Accounting does and how they help their customers.
That's because you saw how the character transformed. I could have just said, "I sell fruit baskets. I needed an accountant. I hired one" and it would have been the most boring story ever. In fact, it's BARELY a story.
Transformation makes your characters relatable, because change is what we go through in life. Everybody wants to change for the better.
Think about the moose poop lady. If you're reading this blog, chances are you're a bit scrappy and entrepreneurial. You're someone who can admire her gumption (I do).
That's because her story relates to you. You figuratively dig into your business and do the hard work. She literally sifts through shit to support hers. It's a mirror for what entrepreneurs and creatives around the world go through, which is why it's interesting. And you can see her hard work pay off—the newscaster talks about how she went viral, and this was a feature on a local news channel. It's the attention that every entrepreneur wants for their work.
Your job as a marketer is to convince people that they can change their lives for the better. And that your company is here to help with that transformation.
Get the goods.
Like this? There’s more where that came from. sign up for the newsletter and get fresh content delivered to you, every Friday.
