Zach Baker: Story-Driven

Every story begins in mystery. The first mystery resolved is not of plot or character or setting, but in terms of expectations. The first mystery is this: what can the audience expect? Right from the title and incipit, the author begins to reveal the answer.

I just happened to drop by the website for star technology writer David Pogue, who does great video reviews and writes a blog for NYTimes.com these days. He has a sticky-note at the bottom of his personal site which says, to quote:

Pogue’s Pledge

This site is 100% free

of animations, ads,

annoying backgrounds,

java, frames, and

anything that blinks.

I love that because it has an attitude that the author has standards, cares about what you’re doing right now (reading his site), and is gently humorous. And of course, he gives it to you upfront, although after you’ve understood what the site is about.

Now, this isn’t something extraordinary he’s doing, it’s just a reflection of his taste as a discerning technologist who’s been around the block. But it’s presented as a manifesto, which gives it story weight. He promises you’re going to see this in action as you read on.

It’s important to give story weight to an audience right up front, and more so for short-form works where the audience is distracted anyway. Like, say, a website.

A short manifesto is great for this. And I love that it’s on a sticky note. When you have something titled “My promise to you,” who is not going to read that? “Whoa, I just got here and you’re making me a promise? What do I get? I’ll hold you to it!”

This brings up another point. When you talk to an audience for the first time, it’s not just setting expectations but also the beginning of a relationship. When I see David Pogue’s cute little sticky note, even if I like flashing things, I still feel like he has high standards and respect for me, the reader. How great is that?