Eva Lindner Journalistin www.eva-lindner.

com

Creative Writing and Storytelling

1. Triggering emotions and creating suspense through storytelling

• Storytelling = conveying information in an emotional way

o helps convey information clearly and simply
o can outline problems and solutions
o triggers emotions that make the information easier to remember (brand
storytelling e.g. “Coca Cola”, cliffhanger in “1001 nights” …)
• The hero's journey:
o examples: Odyssey, Disney movies, Star Wars, Lord of the rings
o myth researcher Joseph Campbell identified 12 stages of a story (e.g. tests,
turning points, climax, the ordeal, resurrection …)
o the brain releases hormons in response to conflicts and emotions

2. Scenic writing: structure and dramaturgy

To write an exciting and suspenseful story that the reader wants to follow till the end it is
recommended to regularly change …
• between scenes and information
• the speed: alternate between short and long phrases
• the tense: present (scenes) and past tense (information)

Every story needs a conflict: The hero against …

• an antagonist
• society
• nature
• inner resistance
• the law …

Scenic writing means using descriptions that you’ve observed with all your senses:
 What do you see, hear, feel, taste, smell?

Your protagonist (hero) is usually the first person that occurs in your text. Find out what is
interesting about the person (e.g. extremely courageous, tough, smart, under pressure etc.).
Write detailed descriptions of the person (character, psychological attributes, behaviour,
physical appearance etc.) and explain what this has to do with your thesis. Jot down some
powerful quotes from your hero and third parties. Use comparisons!

3. How to combat writer’s block and a lack of ideas

• keep a list of ideas and favourite expressions

• move & stretch (when the body moves, the mind moves too)
• write anything (jot down bulletpoints of your story, write a notebook or rubbish,
s.th. will break trough)
• find your individual flow (be kind to yourself, don’t put yourself under pressure, it
will come to you )

23.04.2024 Christina Iglhaut