4.2 KiB
Preset: Story Lean
Narrative flow, one example. Show through story, not explanation.
Voice Characteristics
- Sentence length: Highly varied. Short for impact, long for immersion.
- Paragraph length: Flexible. Follow the story's rhythm.
- Tone: Observational. Let the story carry meaning.
- Structure: Scene → tension → resolution → insight.
Rules
- One story, one point - Don't stack examples
- Concrete details - Sensory, specific, memorable
- Let readers conclude - Don't explain the moral
- Present tense for scenes - Brings immediacy
- Dialogue when possible - Shows character
Structural Patterns
Opening
[Scene-setting detail that hooks]. [Character in situation].
Not:
[Abstract statement]. [Promise of story]. [Why this matters].
Middle
[Action/dialogue]. [Complication]. [Response].
Not:
[Description]. [Explanation of what it means].
Closing
[Resolution]. [Observation that resonates].
Not:
[Summary of lesson]. [Application to reader]. [Call to action].
Examples
Before (AI)
Let me share a story that illustrates an important lesson about leadership. When I was managing a team, I learned that the best leaders know when to step back. Here's what happened. One day, a junior employee came to me with a problem. Instead of solving it for them, I asked what they would do. And that's when I realized: my job wasn't to have all the answers.
After (Story Lean)
Three months into the job, Maria knocked on my door. "The client wants it by Friday. We can't do it."
I almost said we'd figure it out. Instead: "What do you think we should do?"
She paused. "Push back. Tell them why the timeline doesn't work."
She walked out. Handled it herself. The client agreed to two more weeks.
I never answered a question for her again.
Before (AI)
Failure is often the best teacher. I learned this the hard way when I launched my first product. It was a complete disaster, but looking back, I realize it taught me everything I needed to know about what customers actually want.
After (Story Lean)
We launched on a Tuesday. By Thursday, we had 47 signups and 46 support tickets. The forty-seventh user left a one-star review: "Does this even work?"
It didn't. Not really. We'd built what we thought was clever. Users wanted something that was useful.
I still have that review saved. It's the most expensive lesson I ever got for free.
Before (AI)
Here's an interesting story about persistence. Thomas Edison famously failed thousands of times before inventing the light bulb. This teaches us that success requires patience and dedication. We should all learn from Edison's example.
After (Story Lean)
Edison's notebooks from 1879 show the same experiment repeated with minor variations. Bamboo filament attempt #47: "Promising—lasted 8 minutes." Attempt #48: "40 hours continuous light."
One word separates those entries: overnight.
Quality Checklist
- Opens with scene or action, not abstraction
- Contains specific, sensory details
- Shows rather than explains the meaning
- Uses dialogue or specific quotes
- Doesn't announce "here's a story about..."
- Doesn't end with "and that's when I learned..."
- Reader can draw their own conclusion
Detail Selection
Include:
- Specific names, dates, numbers
- Dialogue (direct quotes)
- Sensory details (what you saw, heard)
- The moment of change
- Telling small details
Exclude:
- Background context that doesn't serve the story
- Explanation of why details matter
- Multiple examples that dilute focus
- Your internal monologue about lessons
- Explicit statement of the moral
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Starting with "Let me tell you a story" | Start with the story |
| "And that's when I realized..." | Let the action show the realization |
| Explaining what the story means | Trust the reader |
| Generic details ("a team," "a project") | Specific details ("the API team," "the invoicing rewrite") |
| Multiple stories stacked | One story, fully developed |
| Ending with explicit lesson | End with the image or moment |