The Science of Storytelling

Why Stories Make Us Human, and How to Tell Them Better

By: Will Storr

Narrated by: Will Storr

Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Sunday Times best seller.

Who would we be without stories?

Stories mould who we are, from our character to our cultural identity. They drive us to act out our dreams and ambitions and shape our politics and beliefs. We use them to construct our relationships, to keep order in our law courts, to interpret events in our newspapers and social media. Storytelling is an essential part of what makes us human.

There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story - from Joseph Campbell’s well-worn theories about myth and archetype to recent attempts to crack the ‘Bestseller Code’. But few have used a scientific approach. This is curious, for if we are to truly understand storytelling in its grandest sense, we must first come to understand the ultimate storyteller - the human brain.

In this scalpel-sharp, thought-provoking audiobook, Will Storr demonstrates how master storytellers manipulate and compel us, leading us on a journey from the Hebrew scriptures to Mr Men, from Booker Prize-winning literature to box set TV. Applying dazzling psychological research and cutting-edge neuroscience to the foundations of our myths and archetypes, he shows how we can use these tools to tell better stories - and make sense of our chaotic modern world.

©2019 Will Storr (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"One of my absolute favourite writers." (Decca Aitkenhead)

"There’s nothing else quite like Will’s approach, with its illuminating, scientific take on storytelling. All writers, no matter what their level of experience, are likely to go away with a new understanding that will deepen and nourish their work." (Craig Pearce, screenwriter of Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby)

"Storr is irascibly good company, and has something approaching genius for marshalling his material." (Sunday Times)

will is a master. his guide helps parents, too.

it requires a deeply researched fact-based story to tell the story of storytelling. will exemplifies exemplary application of evolutionary psychology and proven structuring techniques in this engaging and well-told (and narrated!) story.

I plan to utilize concepts the author details in order to guide my children while they're developing the story they tell themselves about themself.

Highly listenable and worthwhile textbook

Will Storr narrates his own work, and his animated delivery is both entertaining and illuminating. I have listened to this several times because I stop taking notes and sit back to enjoy the narrative. Lots of brilliant, actionable advice and lessons learned. It's authoritative and unconventional. Highly recommended for any serious fiction writer or journalist.