Storytelling Processes

Developing story Ideas

Topic clustering is a useful way of gathering story ideas. A Topic Cluster is based on the main content (pillar) from which ideas spread and can be expanded on. It is developed by brainstorming ideas and clustering them.

topic cluster diagram

Source: An, M. (n.d.), Topic Clusters: The Next Evolution of SEO, Hubspot, https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/topic-clusters-seo

Find out more about Affinity Diagrams and Topic Cluster techniques in: Affinity Diagrams

For more information and ideas for designing your story, read this document.

Once you have decided on the story, developed ideas and know what the main structures are when creating and telling a story, it is worth focusing on the storytelling process itself – especially as it relates to digital storytelling. You need to think about the way you reflect and depict your story.

Understanding storytelling processes is important for effectively communicating your message or values.

Activity: Review the presentation which connects storytelling to transformative action

Synopsis Project: storytelling processes

<< Story Building

There are various visualisation methods, aids and tools that can help you in the process and which constitute a good basis if you want to share your story in a visual or digital way across different (social) media, and directed towards different audiences and stakeholders.

Activity: Review the presentation on Digital Storytelling and reflect on how it might be useful for your work.

Synopsis Project: digital storytelling

According to Rachel Strube (2020), there are 8 steps to Digital Storytelling.

digital storytelling steps diagram

Source: Rachel Strube (2020), Steps to Digital Storytelling. In digital storytelling, a writer needs, https://medium.com/@struberachael/steps-to-digital-storytelling-9873b413939

Activity: Look at the eight steps to digital storytelling and begin creating a digital story by creating a topic cluster.

Digital storytelling tools >>