Stories can be told in many different ways. Choosing what you share and what you hold back can completely change the perception of a story - the lessons that are shared and the beliefs that may be established. It can even change what the story is about.
Let’s take an example. The same story told, two ways. Here is the first:
Persephone, daughter of Dementor, was the Goddess Of Spring. Where she walked, flowers bloomed. She was a bringer of life. Yet, her beauty and innocence caught the eye of Hades, God Of The Underworld. One day he snatched her from the earth and brought her to the land of the dead to make her his wife. Dementor was devastated. She pined so for her daughter that she could no longer function as the Goddess Of Agriculture. The land dried up and drought reached havoc. So Zeus persuaded Hades to set Persephone free to return to the earth for six months every year. During this time the land flourished - this is what we know as the spring and summer months. When she returned to the underworld, as captive of Hades, the world grew cold and lifeless once more - this is what we know as autumn and winter.
- This is a story of sorrow, suffering and the misuse of power.
OR - the story could be told this way:
Persephone was the Goddess Of Spring, yet she had a dark side. For decades she wandered the earth and beauty bloomed in her wake. Yet, the seasons never changed and she grew discontented. From the underworld, Hades watched and sensed her despondence. He too was trapped in one life - one of darkness and death - and wished for something more. One day, Hades reached out to Persephone. He took her hand and led her to the underworld. Persephone was drawn to the land of the dead. There was calm in the dark and the quiet. Hades and Persephone fell in love and he told her if she ate pomegranates she could stay there as long as she wished, so she did. She became Queen Of The Underworld and found a whole new purpose in life or, more accurately, in death. Yet, she missed her mother and the other side of herself too. So, with the help of Zeus, a resolution was reached. She would spend half the year eating pomegranates so she could rule the underworld beside her husband, and half of the year bringing life to the earth alongside her mother. Hades helped Persephone realise she needn’t be only one thing, he helped her to embrace both the dark and the light within her.
- This is a story of identity, love and acceptance.
In business, we tend to think there’s only one way to tell a story. Yet, our failures may be successes. Our achievements may be the end, or the beginning. Our stories can be told many different ways and it's for us to decide how we tell them. Not by deciding on how we begin the story, the language we use or even who the story is for, but by realising what the story is about - at its heart.
Need help to tell your story? Book a consultation with me and let’s delve into your content marketing and how best to style your story.