Cheers to the first edition of The Thing About Story!
A few (four) comments before we embark.
Sometimes I write long things and sometimes I write short things. But I’ll try to keep my opening sections in line with the Bakers Against Unnecessarily Long Introductions style guide—meaning I won’t make you scroll through 1,200 words of my life story before you get to the metaphorical recipe for raspberry cheesecake bites.
I used to think it was unnerving that doctors called what they did “practice,” but now I am on board. I like that it’s a never-ending effort to improve. As a self-proclaimed practicing storyteller, don’t be alarmed if you see different formats and styles from me here.
I’m the worst at graphics and photos and design and such. I’ll do my best to add some visual appeal sometimes, but don’t hold your breath.
If you have an itch to hear something particular, hit me with it.
On the Hunt for Story: Collecting String
As I scanned the church pews for someone to sit by, I noticed an awkward, long-haired twentysomething hovering near me. At the time, I had a goal to talk to a stranger every day for a year, so I instinctively asked his name and introduced myself.
After our brief exchange, I found a place to sit, and I unknowingly brought a tiny, metaphorical string with me. Over the course of a month or two, I gathered other strings, until one thing led to another, and I was weaving through traffic wearing a black, tailored suit, pursuing a criminal.
Jack Hitt, co-creator of a Peabody-winning podcast, once mentioned a story-gathering tactic he calls “collecting string.” It’s the idea that if you listen and pay attention with purpose, you can collect anecdotes, experiences, and ideas that may eventually be woven into a nice tapestry.
I’ll save my full criminal-chasing story for another day, but here’s an example of how Jack turned a bunch of old strings into a great story:
Slumlord - A story about a superintendent, Bob, who told crazy stories (including that he could murder legally in Brazil), and how Jack learned the stories might have all been true.
I don’t think this idea of collecting string is uncommon among great storytellers. Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short, The Blindside, Moneyball, and others, mentioned in the Longform Podcast that he has a stack of manilla folders beside his desk with ideas just waiting for the clarity of additional context. In fact, the first season of his podcast, Against the Rules (highly recommend btw), was the result of an idea that had been sitting around for 10 years. Only after he wrote three of his books did he realize he had everything he needed to do the story justice.
In a real sense, good storytellers are hoarders. They just learn to log the things in their hoard and check in occasionally to see how things are looking.
Sentence of the Week
I love a good sentence that conveys a feeling or deep thought or makes you pause and appreciate it as a story in itself. Here’s the pick for this week.
I crisscrossed my way across the plateau, thinking about how convicted criminals who express remorse do us all a favor by reaffirming the societal order that they transgressed, and how hard it is to know what to do with someone who insists he isn’t sorry.
This sentence is from one of my favorite true crime stories: “Have you Ever Thought about Killing Someone?” by Rachel Monroe. It’s a bit of a long read but super good if you have the time.
I didn’t intend for all the stories this week to have an element of crime in them, but here we are.
Thanks for reading,
Braden
I’m waiting to hear the rest of your story about chasing a criminal 😬