Write Those Words So A Blind Man Can See 'Em: Storytelling Resources For Copywriters and Marketers

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Here are storytelling resources for copywriters and marketers. If you have any good things to add, post a comment below and I'll put it on the list. (Post title inspired by this post by Brian McLeod.)

updated 05/26/15

Articles/Links

Periodic Table of Storytelling Elements

Simple Keys To Effective Plot Structure - Storymastery.com

https://ooomf.com/blog/want-to-be-a-...om-a-comedian/

From Rick Duris:
"...Kevin Costner's eulogy for Whitney Houston. When read on paper, it's a great piece of writing. What does Kevin Costner do? "... say some stories.""
Two Graces Taos: Eulogy for Whitney Houston by Kevin Costner, February 18, 2012

From Miss Lizzie:
"...a memo from Jeffrey Katzenberg to his execs at Disney, after the flop that was Dick Tracey...Not everything's relevant to copywriting of course, but Katzenberg makes some great points about the importance of story, a central idea and even marketing and testing."
Letters of Note: Some Thoughts on Our Business

David Mamet memo on dramatic writing

The Five Key Turning Points of All Successful Movie Scripts by Michael Hague

An Interview With Robert McKee

Quirky Secret of Marketing Successfully

Crash Course in Storytelling

The Big Sales Copy Tip… Who Are You? - Jimmy Curley "Street Marketing" Blog

Phil's Forum for Independent Retailer Success: Say Something Interesting

What 3 Brands Can Teach You About Storytelling

Once Upon a Time Copywriters Used Storytelling To Write Irresistible Copy

Storytelling Secrets of Top Salespeople

Discover 7 Ways Storytelling Helps You Write Irresistible Copy

The Savvy Copywriter

Confessions Of A Story Junkie- John Carlton

What Hollywood Producer David Mamet Can Teach You About Copywriting and Storytelling

How To Sell A $1 Snow Globe For $59: The Real ROI Of Brand Storytelling | Fast Company

The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar

What's the difference between capturing an emotion and creating a mood?

Storytelling Power In Ad Copy

The Copywriter’s Sweet Revenge

How to Craft Cash-Creating Climactic Copy | Michel Fortin on Copywriting, Marketing, Business, and Life

How to Create a Plot Outline « This Business of Writing

The Science of Storytelling: Why Telling a Story is the Most Powerful Way to Activate Our Brains

The Neuroscience of Your Brain On Fiction



Books

Improving Your Storytelling by Doug Lipman


The Story Solution: 23 Actions All Great Heroes...The Story Solution: 23 Actions All Great Heroes...

The Elements of Persuasion: The Five Key Elements...The Elements of Persuasion: The Five Key Elements... (via Mike Humphreys)

The Secrets Of Action Screenwriting" by William...The Secrets Of Action Screenwriting" by William... (via Mike Humphreys)

Ice To The EskimosIce To The Eskimos

Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using...Wired for Story: The Writer's Guide to Using...

"Winning the Story Wars," by Jonah Sachs


David Gordon's Therapeutic Metaphors

Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story by Peter Guber

THE WRITER'S JOURNEY by Christopher Vogler

All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin

The Bible by Various Authors

"Story" by Robert McKee

On Writing by Stephen King

"Hooked - Write Fiction that Grabs Reader from Page One and Never Lets Them Go" by Les Edgerton

On Writing Well, by William Zinsser

20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them: Ronald...20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them: Ronald...

Story Proof: The Science Behind the Startling...Story Proof: The Science Behind the Startling...

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others...Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others...

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The...Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The...

Amazon.com: The Art of Dramatic Writing...Amazon.com: The Art of Dramatic Writing...

The  Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and...The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and...

Storytelling: Branding in Practice eBook: Baris...Storytelling: Branding in Practice eBook: Baris...

Stein  on Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the...Stein on Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the...

Amazon.com: The Art of Dramatic Writing...Amazon.com: The Art of Dramatic Writing...

Unlimited Selling Power: How to Master Hypnotic...Unlimited Selling Power: How to Master Hypnotic...

Buying Trances: A New Psychology of Sales and...Buying Trances: A New Psychology of Sales and...

Writing  for Emotional Impact: Advanced Dramatic...Writing for Emotional Impact: Advanced Dramatic...
Covers targeting emotions.

Harlan Ellison
Various Novellas, Short Stories, Etc.





Courses and other Products

Connecting With Stories

Story Selling... Troy White Shows You How To Turn Your Stories Into Wealth

Effortless Influence by Daniel Levis


Kick Ass Copywriting Secrets Of A Marketing Rebel by John Carlton

StoryTelling: How to Create Clear and Memorable Business Stories

iVersity - Future of Storytelling



Audio/Podcasts

Storytelling Techniques

Myth and Truth in Story Selling | Kevin Rogers|Direct Response Copywriting Expert|Marketing Consultant|The Copywriter's Edge

John Carlton Interview w David Jenyns- Explains the importance of being able
to tell a story


John Carlton on the Power of Story Telling in Copy: Extended Seminar on MP3
John Carlton Seminar



PDF Downloads

One Sentence Perusasion Course
Blair Warren's One Sentence Persuasion Course

Seven Story Secrets by Vin Montello
http://www.montellomarketing.com/sec...crets-2008.pdf

Jonah Sachs on how "Winning the Story Wars" came to be written
http://winningthestorywars.com/downl...rsPrologue.pdf



Classified Ads Using Storytelling

eBay item 4146756343 (Ends Apr-28-04 15:37:01 PDT) - SIZE 12 WEDDING DRESS/GOWN NO RESERVE
(related: The Seattle Times: Local News: Fact is, wedding-dress guy's eBay pitch includes some fiction )

Wesley Crusher Trading Card Ruined and Autographed by Wil Wheaton | eBay



Storytelling in Music

How I Made Money By Listening To Country Music And How You Can Too



Threads


How to use storytelling to sell art:
http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...gh-window.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...t-service.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...ml#post7962387

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...u-can-too.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...rytelling.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...y-telling.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...ead-movie.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...rytelling.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...rytelling.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...ways-work.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...ory-world.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...rytelling.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...rytelling.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...es-letter.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...stole-you.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...oman-wins.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...rytelling.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...ways-work.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...rytelling.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...n-authors.html

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...ml#post8651222


Videos

Watch | Everything Is a Remix

Jay O'Callahan: The Power of Storytelling on Vimeo

Andrew Stanton: The clues to a great story | Video on TED.com

Use STORIES to Perk Up Your Business - YouTube

Ira Glass on Storytelling, part 1 of 4 - YouTube

Stand In: Trey Parker & Matt Stone | mtvu.com

Obsessives - Soda Pop - YouTube

The Fantastic Russell Brand on Robert McKee's Story Seminar

Big Think Interview With Robert McKee



Fiction Authors Known For Great Storytelling
(Comments are from Warrior posts in other threads.)


Alice Munro

Maeve Binchy
"Make me wish I lived in Ireland."

Dan Brown
DaVinci Code
"...masterful use of end-of-chapter teases."

Truman Capote

Michael Chabon
"The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay"

Agatha Christie

Pat Conroy
Amazing flow in his writing.

Bryce Courtenay
Great scene setter and Bryce was a professional
copywriter for many years before becoming an author.

Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
"...knows how to elicit vivid imagination from the reader."

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes novelettes and stories.

Diana Gabaldon
Series: The Outlander Series.

Terry Goodkind
"The Sword of Truth"

Robert Heinlein.
He had an amazing ability to put a story across and make it real.

Ernest Hemingway
including the Nick Adams stories

Frank Herbert
Sci-fi.

Robert E. Howard
dark fantasies

John Irving

Robert Jordan
Wheel of Time series. Epic fantasy.

Stephen King
Great storyteller.

Elmore Leonard
Great for crime stories.

C.S. Lewis

Daphne Du Maurier
Makes history come alive.

Anne McCaffery
PERN Series.

Frank McCourt. Amazing writing and a great example of opening up
to your reader.

Haruki Murakami
Kafka on the Shore

Flannery O'Connor
"...attention-getting prose and remarkable metaphors."
"As Gary Bencivenga has said, metaphors are the most important form of story in copy."

James Patterson.
Well-known fiction author. Writes some killer suspense and thriller novels.

Edgar Allen Poe

Vladimir Propp
Russian folk stories
Vladimir Propp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Annie Proulx
The Shipping News

Alastair Reynolds
Dark sci-fi, noir-ish.

Richard Russo
novelist.

Dorothy Sayers
Lord Peter Wimsey and other stories.

Hunter S. Thompson

Brad Thor
Counter-terrorist/hunt down the bad dudes books.

John Kennedy Toole
A Confederacy of Dunces

Kurt Vonnegut.
The consummate storyteller.

Gene Wolfe
Sci-fi. "Regarded by some as the greatest living writer working in the English language."

Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island


Parody Sales Letters with Crazy/Humorous Story Lines

Buy My Stupid Ebook

Country Boy Riches

You're A Poor Loser

Learn Copywriting from the Greatest Copywriter - Perhaps the Greatest Human Being - Who Ever Walked the Earth

Mystic Mayan Power Cloak

How YOU Can Start and Build a Money Making Machine that Brings in Money So Fast You'll Need to Buy a FLEET of Brinks Trucks to Carry All Your Cash In

Click Here You Idiot




Amazon Product Storylines

Amazon.com: Funniest Amazon Product Reviews



Catalog/ Ecommerce Retailers Using Stories


Banana Republic catalogs from the 80s


J Peterman Company

Saddleback Leather

Garagiste Wine- Wine sold through email with stories

Frank Lewis Schultz "A Fluke Of Nature" grapefruit ad via Joe Sugarman


Email Marketers Using Lots of Storytelling

BenSettle

Matt Furey

Daniel Levis


Craigslist Ads Using Storytelling


Hilarious Yoga Mat for Sale Ad on Craigslist

The Most Awesome Craigslist Ad Is for a Beat-Up Bike

Subaru Craigslist Ad Is Brutally, Hilariously Honest About Used Car's Unusual Qualities
#blind #copywriters #man #marketers #resources #storytelling #words #write

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