Clarity Emerges from Confusion

1min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

A strong thematic foundation is crucial for storytelling, allowing a narrative to evolve from confusion to clarity. An effective theme can encapsulate the essence of the story, guiding the writing and maintaining focus. For instance, a cover story about Apple and Tim Cook exemplified how the inevitability of the future anchors the narrative. In contrast, the story of Theranos highlighted how losing sight of the core theme—authenticity versus deception—can lead to dire consequences. Thematic clarity should be established before writing begins, ensuring that every element of the story connects back to this central idea.

Welcome to 74-minutes of storytelling strategy that’s better than all of your English classes combined. Nick is a journalist who has written for The New York Times and Vanity Fair. He’s a screenwriter, an author, a murder mystery enthusiast. In other words, he knows how to push a story through a brick wall. And he’s going to show you how you can, too.

This episode is the ultimate storytelling toolkit. Cliffhangers. Tension. Dialogue. Character. Motifs. You’ll learn it all.

And here’s the thing: if you can tell great stories, then you will succeed in life. Stories make up our entire world — from a politician’s speech to the back of a cereal box to a dinner party with friends. Good storytellers always have the upper hand. So, if you want to tell fast-paced and dizzying stories, this episode is for you.

SPEAKER LINKS:

Website: https://www.nickbilton.com/

Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nick-Bilton/author/B003UP0RIM

Vanity Fair: https://www.vanityfair.com/contributor/nick-bilton

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickbilton

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickbilton

WRITE OF PASSAGE:

Want to learn more about the next class for Write of Passage?

Click here: https://writeofpassage.com/

PODCAST LINKS:

Website: https://writeofpassage.com/how-i-write

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel/videos