About Applied Storytelling

My definition of an applied story:

An applied story is map - a map that provides a current view of an individual's (or group's) reality; this map should also include details of a journey through one or more stages in the person's past. This story that involves at least one central protagonist who is a real person; he or she undergoes a transformation that happens both internally (inside the person - a rewiring if you like) and externally (evident in the way they live their life, which makes people notice).

An applied story is also a blueprint - for building a future, or several possible futures, providing a reference point for a journey that will be meaningful to the individual in multiple ways: physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, interpersonal and environmental. In this way an applied story has a core aim of enhancing wellness - in the protagonist, and in the receivers of the story.


Words applied storytellers use to describe this kind of change include insight, vision, growth. An applied story might be autobiographical (told by the person him or herself) or biographical (told by a skilled story practitioner) - however it must at all times be an accurate representation of the protagonist's life and be something he or she can identify with - attitudes, abilities, personality, preferences, learning background.

In particular:

• an applied story can relate to any time (or multiple times) in a person's life
• an individual person can have multiple stories to tell, but every person will have at least one
• no single person is considered more worthy of being the subject of an applied story than another
• the structure of an applied story is different to a conventional (in a Western cultural sense) in that it is indicative of a journey rather than a destination - there is no requirement to 'tie things in' for the receiver* - in this way each receiver is encouraged to contemplate the meaning of the story and its effect on their own journey
• while an applied story does not imply that a destination has been reached, it will include what I call 'punctuation points' which indicate key stages of transformation - see blog entry on punctuation points for some examples and further explanation

* a receiver may be a reader, listener, watcher, depending on the medium in which the story has been transmitted.

Applied stories may (and perhaps should) stretch the boundaries of convention, including:

1) they can be told in many ways - in writing, in speech, through art, theatre, cinema, dance, poetry, youtube etc. Often they will be told using a combination of these media

2) they are not 'correct' i.e. edited to conform to a particular style guide - hence, if written, they may contain spellings that are not found in the dictionary, the punctuation might not follow the national standard, they might be haphazardly presented on a page

Why do we need applied stories?

As our worlds have expanded, the boundaries that existed right up to the late twentieth century can no longer contain us. We cannot avoid interacting globally, cross-culturally, inter-generationally like never before in human history. Our environment is less stable and thus, apparently, less safe. The stories that bound us to those around us are being questioned, which in turn causes us to question the validity of holding on to community values and customs. People regularly come into and leave our communities, often returning with new world views to share. These new views must be assimilated into our own self-concept and world view, and there is no one who can tell us what is right and what is wrong. Each one of us must decide for ourselves what is true and useful for us to know.

Applied stories are an essential tool in our constantly developing understanding of ourselves and our world. These are crucial for the development of individual and universal truths. They also provide the platform for  developing new scripts to live by, to provide comfort and control over our own lives. And, finally, they empower us to tell our truths out loud, boldly and bravely - unless we all do this we cannot understand each other, or develop the new universal truths that are essential for living effectively in our contemporary world, to cut through the chaos, to manage the pressures placed on us by external systems, and to live authentic lives.

Elements of applied stories include:

• a real person as the protagonist (living or dead)
• a storyteller (who may be the protagonist or a story practitioner) - if being told by a second party, the storyteller is artful, responsible, and prepared to share the journey and walk with the protagonist, learning as they do about themself and what this means
• truthfulness (the protagonist's truth, as well as a universal truth i.e. those that many others connect with)
• a journey punctuated with a transformation point (or points)
• narration or telling: the way the story is told is dynamic, the elements that are seen as important, may shift as the central person gains new insight
• the enhancement of personal power through the acquisition or extension of a particular character strength, such as courage, fearlessness, love, kindness, selflessness
• the central message will be simple but leads to some fundamental shift (internal and/or external) in those who receive the story

Some of the challenges in applied storytelling include:

• the need for honesty and openness - this can be especially difficult in situations where dishonesty or non-disclosure has been used as a survival strategy
• too much focus on unimportant details, especially if these are highly visible and something that a person has been identified with for some time e.g. a badge of honour that has given weight to one aspect/event and created expectations that are not consistent with the individual's fundamental values or motivations
• the shifting and changing nature of our lives; often it is seen that things are happening too fast to be bothered recording them
• the shifting and changing nature of the human mind - we have been wired to make choices, to use new information to make new and different decisions in our day to day lives, but this can cloud or cover up the fundamental stability of our core values and motivations, our raison-d'etre, which remain relatively constant throughout our lives. We often need to dig deep to find the gold within.

If you are interested in becoming an applied storyteller, whether this is just to tell your own story or to do it professionally, go to the Story Practitioners' Space on another page of this blog.