Only Stories Are Really Readable
Do you remember the name Rudolf Flesch? He wrote a best-selling book called, “Why Johnny Can’t Read” back in the 70′s.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that he was also an excellent instructor on how to write as well. He wrote two books – “The Art of Readable Writing” and “How to Write, Speak and Think More Effectively” which remain absolute classics.
Some of the best advice I’ve ever heard from Flesch is this:
“Only Stories Are Really Readable”
Which means if you want to get your message across, tell a story. Stories cut through the clutter, humanize a topic and create emotion.
If you’re a Through the Ranks member, you already know I’m big on stories. I try to inject a story into every issue of Through the Ranks that I can.
I think we humans are almost “genetically programmed” to pay attention to stories. I mean, think of all the generations who huddled together and told stories around the campfire. It’s in our DNA. Before language was written, story-telling (the “oral tradition”) was the primary way of transmitting knowledge from one generation to another. And much of this information had survival value.
For example:
“Good hunting can be found just beyond that hill in the distance, but don’t venture too far into the forest on your way. Here’s what happened to someone who did…”
See, in ancient times, if somebody took the time to tell you a story, you paid attention. Because if you didn’t, in many cases, you’d end up dead.
So by weaving critical survival information into a story, early humans guaranteed that knowledge didn’t die with them. Instead, it reached future generations.
Stories Are Easy To Remember
People remember pictures better than words. Ask any memory champ and they’ll tell you one of their big secrets is turning words into pictures and visualizing.
When you tell a story – and force people to visualize something – it gets your point across better, creates emotion and sucks people into your writing.
Try it and watch your readership increase!