Most agree that there's great power in storytelling. You tell them to your customers, weave them into your experiences, spread them in your organization. Use them to influence, persuade, inspire. People work well together when they get their stories straight.

Most agree too that people "know" their stories. "You know your story, just stick to it. Just tell it."

And if someone struggles with storytelling, it's often seen as an issue of technique or confidence. Ms. Greene, you need to take the PowerPoint class. Mr. Gold, I'm sending you to Dale Carnegie.

But how about the structure of a story? Sometimes there's mention of an "arc" -- but there are rarely more details about how one achieves such a thing.

I agree that most people have a basic instinct for storytelling. I also agree that knowing good tools and instilling confidence are crucial. (I once attended a PowerPoint seminar, and I've also been to Dale Carnegie. I highly recommend both.)

But I also believe something's missing from most storytelling discussions. Something besides your instincts, your talent, your software skills, your mojo.

It has to do with structure. I call it Storytelling Form.

Master storytellers know about storytelling form, although that may not be obvious. They make it all look easy (that is, unless they've decided to dazzle you with their virtuosity). But like most things in the world of easy, behind the scenes is a hard-working engine, in this case a lot of knowledge of the form as well as the discipline required to bring that structure to life.

Here's some of what goes on when stories are put together with Storytelling Form. Such stories are constructed, not just told.

Techniques of drama are employed. For example, tension is key. Without tension, a story has no impetus. But with tension, it is self-propelled. Tension is always there: If you are in a storytelling situation, there's tension. Embrace it, draw it out, and put to good use.
The plot matters. Does A come before B or after? Is the story sequential, building to a conclusion -- or do you give the conclusion first and show how you got there? Is it complex enough that you weave in a sub-plot?
The truth matters. The more you internalize the truth of your story, the easier it can be constructed and told. Don't make things up, set things up.
"Arc" is more than a vague idea. Stories are set up, building to a central point -- an "aha" moment -- before settling into a satisfying resolution. (You mean a beginning, middle and end? Absolutely.)
The right voice and tone are expressed consciously. Whom are you speaking to, and is the tone appropriate for that audience?

If the above seems like some sort of classical approach to stories, that is correct. I studied composition and fiction technique in college, majoring in English Writing. I learned the basic journalistic forms in graduate school. I've been honing this discipline ever since -- at the workplace with all I create on the job, and in continuing education via reading and seminars.

Everyone knows their story. When you add to that knowledge an understanding of Storytelling Form, a competent storyteller becomes a master, and a shaky storyteller feels an inner confidence.