Any Human Ever

One life, drawn at random from all who have ever lived.

The Story of Storytelling, by Ferris Jabr

What the hidden relationships of ancient folktales reveal about their evolution—and our own

James McMurtry Is Your Favorite Songwriter’s Favorite Songwriter

The Americana music icon has had his razor-sharp lyricism seasoned by decades on the road

The Curious Power of Punctuation

Louis Menand reviews “On the Mark,” by Florence Hazrat, and “Verb Your Enthusiasm,” by Sarah Kaufman.

No, But | Dennis M. Hogan

Love it or hate it, improv comedy is neither dead nor dying.

Opinion | How a ’70s Improv Book Became Silicon Valley’s Required Reading

It can be useful to see reality as malleable.

Best of New York Times

Click through for our favourite writing from the New York Times

The Secrets of Storytelling: Why We Love a Good Yarn

Our love for telling tales reveals the workings of the mind

The brain doesn’t just experience reality. It edits it into a story

Neuroscience is revealing how our brains are wired for narrative

The primary glue for what remains is cause and effect

therefore

The 100 Best Essays from Aeon

Click through for our favourite wrting from Aeon magazine

‘Everything I know about evil I learned in that small town’: John Carpenter on terrifying the world with Halloween, The Thing and The Fog

At 78, the king of horror and sci-fi movies is as much of a rebel as ever. He talks about creativity, compromise (he’s not a fan) and how he became addicted to moviemaking

Seven Books You’ll Never Outgrow

Some stories are worth revisiting at every stage of life.

Kurt Vonnegut Diagrams the Shape of All Stories in a Master’s Thesis Rejected by U. Chicago

“What has been my prettiest contribution to the culture?” asked Kurt Vonnegut in his autobiography Palm Sunday. His answer?

Conversation & Public Speaking (@conversationpublicspeaking)

A Better Use of Two Hours: Learn How to Instantly Command Attention Every Time You Speak

7 ways to use storytelling in a business blog

Practical ways to structure blog content so it’s easier to read, holds attention, and leads readers toward action.

1. Hook the reader

2. Make promises and deliver on them

10 Reddit Comment Frameworks That Actually Win on You Visibility (Steal These for Your Brand) - LaunchClub Blog

Most people fail on Reddit because they write comments like ads. Reddit eats ads for breakfast. It's better to follow a Reddit comment framework that

What Working as a Mailman in Appalachia Revealed About Public Service

A new book describes the challenges and joys of life as a letter carrier.

The Electric Typewriter

Great articles and essays by the world's best journalists and writers.

We are all le Carré’s people now

Once again, John le Carré is back. The TV series inspired by his post-Cold War novel, The Night Manager, is returning to our screens on New Year’s Day. There’s an exhibition about his “tradecraft” on

Killing the Dead by John Blair review – a gloriously gruesome history of vampires

Shroud-chewers, lip-smackers and suckers populate this fascinating study of ‘the unquiet dead’ across the centuries

Why does every film and TV series seem to have the same plot? | Aeon Essays

The three-act ‘hero’s journey’ has long been the most prominent kind of story. What other tales are there to tell?

Casablanca and the Cure for Cynicism | The Art of Manliness

I finally got around to watching Casablanca this year. I’m a little embarrassed it took this long. I think the delay was due to the fact that I already thought I’d seen it, on account of seeing clips of it so often. It’s part of the ether of pop culture. I knew all the famous […]

Anatomy of a Ghost Story: John Carpenter’s The Fog (1980)

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

What Are Some of the Most Prominent Medieval Myths? | TheCollector

Explore some of the best-known medieval myths, about legendary characters and perhaps even real people.

The God Man - Full Film (9.5min)

Check out the film's original score by Jason Stamatyades here: https://jasonstam.bandcamp.com/album/the-god-man-original-motion-picture-scoreThe God Man Full...

Jim Valvano’s ESPYs speech touched hearts. It’s also a masterclass in public speaking

A public speaking expert watched Valvano's speech for the first time and called her dad. “Have you ever seen this?” she asked. “Oh my God."

How Steven Soderbergh Directs a Scene & Makes It Great

Steven Soderbergh was one of the earliest filmmakers to break out in what's now called the 'Indiewood' movement of the nineteen-nineties. He was early enough, in fact, to have done so in the eighties, with the Palme d'Or-winning Sex, Lies, and Videotape.

Classic Articles that Became Films

A huge collection of cinematic nonfiction

Leading a Meaningful Life through Storytelling Skills

People who are rated as good storytellers exhibit a purpose-oriented mindset and big-picture thinking more often than others

Opinion | A.I. Is Coming for Hank Azaria’s ‘Simpsons’ Voices

Soon enough, artificial intelligence may be able to recreate the sounds — but there will be something missing.

Quality Trash: Meet director Ron Oliver, Hallmark’s king of schmaltz - Toronto Life

And other oxymoronic observations about the oeuvre of Ron Oliver, the Hallmark Channel’s most prolific, flamboyant and unapologetically sappy director

How the whip-poor-will became an iconic bird of American horror - Fast Company

Lovecraft’s and King’s fictional whip-poor-wills draw on widespread Indigenous, European, and American beliefs about the species.

Iconic Bird of American Horror Stories Faces Its Own Terrifying Fate

The Whip-Poor-Will’s shrill, death-proclaiming song populates the works of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft. But the bird itself has fallen on hard times. Could it become a ghost of Halloweens past?

Our 50 Favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ Sketches

Live from New York, it’s an idiosyncratic list of ‘SNL’ moments we’re still thinking about—from the Belushi/Aykroyd/Radner years to the Eddie Murphy era to Sandler, Fey, Hader, and beyond.

Your Brain Wants a Linear Story

Artists may jumble time for dramatic effect. But your unconscious is always putting the narrative in order.

Engage your audience by getting to the point, using story structure, and fo

I came across this recent video from Vicky Zhao last week and loved her brief summary of how she grew in her ability to clearly articulate ideas on the spot by getting to the point, using story str…

Five Steps To Sell Your Product With Powerful Storytelling

How to apply powerful storytelling to design a compelling and memorable digital experience on a landing page. A case study of the [Smart Interface Design Patterns landing page](https://smart-interface-design-patterns.com/).

How To Use Storytelling In UX

Storytelling is a powerful tool for any UX designer. It helps create a product and understand the people who use it. In this article, Marli Mesibov takes a real-life example of an app she helped to build in 2017 and explains five steps you can use to help you build a story into…

The Periodic Table of Storytelling

The basic building blocks of storytelling

Resources

30 years of storytelling experience, in a box? Yes, that’s what you get with my latest guides – check out Storyteller Tactics here. My older material is here on the website, including…

Storyboard Mix-and-match Library | Figma

Create quick UX design storyboards using the mix-and-match library and template. Pick and change the character's pose, expression, gestures, and more to fit your scenario.  Adjust the background and create close-up scenes to describe your solution all from one magic card…

6 storytelling principles to improve your UX

Crafting a good experience is like telling a good story. Improve your UX with these 6 storytelling principles.

Strategic Storytelling for Designers

How to Align User Research Presentations for Decision Making

Con-Culture Experts On the History and Future of Scamming

2018’s ‘Summer of Scam’ was just the latest in a strong American tradition.

The Case for Spoilers: Why Some People Are Happier Knowing How the Story En

Think of them more as “enhancers” than “spoilers.” Knowing what will happen in a movie, TV show or book can provide a tantalizingly pleasing feeling, help you understand the plot and give you a sense of control during chaotic times.

Read 20 Short Stories From Nobel Prize-Winning Writer Alice Munro (RIP) Fre

Note: Back in 2013, when Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize in Literature, we published a post featuring 20 short stories written by Munro.

Graham Greene and The Art of the Opening Paragraph

Ten great opening paragraphs from one iconic author.

HVision-NKU/StoryDiffusion

Accepted as [NeurIPS 2024] Spotlight Presentation Paper - HVision-NKU/StoryDiffusion

The Sci-Fi Writer Who Invented Conspiracy Theory

It all goes back to one man in the 1950s: a military-intelligence expert in psychological warfare.

The art of persuasive storytelling | Kelly D. Parker

"Storytelling is one of the most powerful marketing and leadership tools there is," says communications expert Kelly D. Parker. She explains how stories make proposals of all kinds more memorable — and shows how you can craft a compelling narrative to connect, persuade and drive…