This presentation is my perspective on "Storytelling and narratives in the digital age". This was presented to blogging community at Hyderabad Bloggers Meet. Few slides may not be self-explanatory. I will post a detailed write-up soon!

1. Storytelling & narratives
@venkinesis
www.venkinesis.in

2. Let me tell you the truth…
I tell two kinds of stories
• Persuasive – of numbers and narratives
(Hint: Consulting business)
• Unnoticed – of mavericks, climate change,
organic farming & my weird experiments
Storyboard of my life
1990s 2007-Present 2011-2013 2013-Present
Image: Free digital photos

3. Chapter 1: Storytelling & narratives

4. Once upon a time…
Then Now
Image: Free digital photos

5. I discovered a sutra.
content is subservient to context

6. Balvinder is married, outspoken and deeply
engaged with social issues.
Which of the following is more likely?
Balvinder is a bank manager
OR
Balvinder is a bank manager who is an active
volunteer at an NGO
Image courtesy: Freedigitalphotos.net
Now, you don’t believe me. Do you?

7. How a story is supposed to work?
Life
Experiences
Facts
Emotional reaction
Emotional reaction
Think/Debate/
Argue
Context
dies out
Your
Image source: http://soshable.com/make-any-blogging-style-
work-for-you/blogger-cartoon/

8. Does your mask allow you to ‘not be’?

9. Mark Twain wasn’t Mark Twain.
Mark Zorro isn’t Mark Zorro.
Are YOU wearing your digital mask?
..It’s a proof of concept, it’s to prove a theory. And
it’s to prove that who you are doesn’t matter. In
fact, truth requires that you aren’t anyone, because
if you’re someone, whatever you say is always
biased. It’s influenced by what you know about that
person…It’s the words...not the person that matters
Robot Dinosaur Image source: Fake Grimlock @ Twitter
Mark Zorro Image Source
http://classicmoviesdigest.blogspot.in/2010/04/mark-of-zorro-
1940-robin-hood-spanish.html

10. Are you kicking up dust?
Marketing and press kicks up dust…It gets in your eye, and
then you’re not focusing on the product.
Image Source: Forbes Profile Jan Koum
http://www.forbes.com/profile/jan-koum/

11. Image Courtesy: Google Images
Intermission

12. Chapter 2: Storytelling & Narratives

13. Hero is suffering
from <Insert the
latest syndrome>
Rockstar hero
wakes up to his bad
dream where his
uncle is killed
So what are narratives?
Hero meets the
assassin
Hero kills the
assassin
Assassin was the
hero’s dad’s best
friend
Image Courtesy: IMDB, Wikipedia

14. What is “Curse of knowledge?
Image source: http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/can-you-see-the-baby-for-the-trees/

15. Which narrative Gods do you worship?

16. Two opposing blog narratives
Inception Image Source: IMDB
Seth Godin Image Source: Boing Boing Seth Godin Interview
Parachute Image Source: Toonpencil

17. Here’s the narrative formula
1) Lede
2) Nut Graf
3) Deep Breath. It all began when…
4) Then this, Then This, Then this
5) Here we are. What comes next?
6) Kicker and out
Source: Dan Lyons presentation at INBOUND 2013: “Tell me a story: When Media
and Marketing become One”

18. Which Archetype are you playing with?
1. Betrayal
2. Underdog
3. Revenge
4. Freud/Oedipus
5. Resurrection/Oath
Source: Dan Lyons presentation at INBOUND 2013: “Tell me a story: When Media
and Marketing become One”

19. Reality
Media
Data
Algorithm
Meaning
Narrative
So what?
Reality
Media
Data
Algorithm
New narrative
Meaning-1
Narrative -1
Meaning-n
Narrative-n
Old narrative
What-if
realities

20. Thank You
Questions?
Happy Blogging!
Image source: http://soshable.com/make-any-blogging-style-
work-for-you/blogger-cartoon/