The Science of Storytelling summary

Our brains cast us as the heroes of our stories, a narrative in which we’re always morally superior. As a result, we often look past our own faults. However, as we enter the mind of a flawed character through story, a safe space is created for exploring our flaws.

Many flaws can be traced back to beliefs solidified in early life that help create our unique warped vision of how the world works. Cultural influences play a major role. For example, a character growing up in Victorian England would be taught the values of composure and self-discipline, whereas a character who grew up during the pioneer era in the American West would have been influenced by ideas about personal freedom and individual ambition.  

A good story idea is important, but a truly stimulating plot flows from a well-drawn character –  a character with flaws, personality quirks, and a unique worldview that will cause her to act in interesting ways. For example, the novel Gone Girl explores what happens when Amy, a woman with an extreme notion of the importance of her reputation, catches her husband cheating on her. Her warped values cause her to go to murderous lengths to keep it intact, taking the plot in an exciting direction.  

When we speak about a flawed character, we’re mostly referring to the character’s flawed theory of control, or the way he believes he must act in order for the world around him to stay stable. A character’s theory of control is tested when confronted with unanticipated change in his situation, like the butler, Stevens, in The Remains of the Day. Stevens has always excelled in his job because of his reserved attitude, but he finds himself doing poorly when his new employer expects him to be more personable and banter with him.  

An elderly man lies on his deathbed, a snow globe in hand. He says a single word, “rosebud,” and the snow globe crashes to the floor. Thus begins the classic movie Citizen Kane. Immediately we’re drawn in. We ask ourselves – who is this man?

A good story should always have us wondering who a character really is. This is the question that keeps us reading or watching, and it’s founded in our urge to fully understand the minds of others. But how do we determine what kind of person a character is? We put them in specific situations to reveal their character.

The poet Robert Frost conjured an instant image with the opening line, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” There’s a reason we remember the small details of stories long after the intricacies of plot are forgotten. 

These details feed our naturally curious brains. Our brains want to fill in gaps in information, especially as they gain more knowledge. Consider a study in which some participants were shown three pictures of a person’s body parts, while other groups were shown just two pictures, and others only one. The researchers found that the more pictures the participants saw, the more eager they were to see a picture of the whole person. You can arouse the brain’s curiosity by giving away just enough information, a tool you can utilize to keep your reader interested in your plot and characters.

The animal world is fueled by status. Crickets keep a running total of wins versus losses against cricket foes. Chimpanzees keep an eye on their alphas, always looking for signs that they may need to be dethroned. Humans are no different. 

While our ambition to understand other humans reflects our desire to “get along” with others, we have another deeply ingrained need – achieving status. Researchers have observed that people’s physical and mental well-being seem to depend on the status given to them by others. However, our need for status often clashes with the pressure to act selflessly, creating drama and conflict.

When we think of propaganda, we may recall posters calling for war recruitment or movies that show political rivals as enemies. But in a sense, most stories, from children’s books to bestselling thrillers, are a form of propaganda. They teach us lessons about the right ways to behave, and contain warnings for what happens when we don’t.

Stories teach us lessons about ways to gain and secure our status as individuals. This is most easily recognized in religious texts and childhood stories. For example, in the children’s book Mr. Nosey, a nosy character is repeatedly punished for his nosy behavior, until he stops and is welcomed back into the community.