How to tell better stories | Matthew Dicks (Storyworthy)

Identify the precise instant where you (or a character) realize something new or transform, then build 90–98% of the story as context leading to that flip; this gives your story focus and emotional punch.

For true stories, you already know the ending (your five-second moment); define what’s emotionally or conceptually opposite at the beginning so the audience clearly experiences the arc from ‘before’ to ‘after.’

Dicks outlines tools like elephants (big stakes upfront), backpacks (sharing your plan), breadcrumbs, crystal balls (predicting futures), and hourglasses (slowing time at peak tension), plus nostalgia and odd-one-out patterns for humor.

Instead of abstract decks and platitudes, tell short, human stories about yourself (or colleagues), then explicitly connect the theme to your product, team, or strategy; this builds connection and retention far better than facts alone.

Every day, capture one meaningful moment in a simple spreadsheet (date + a single line of description); over time this trains your eye to notice stories, slows down your sense of time, and gives you a deep library of usable anecdotes.