start with one sentence
“Because if you can learn how to tell me ‘What is it?’ better, faster, and more creatively, you’ll keep me interested.” - Blake Snyder: Save the Cat
This week I was in a staged reading for a new play, Anschel.
“What’s the show about???”
It’s a one-person show about a young boy who survives the Holocaust.
That one sentence tells you everything you need to know.
After talking to the audience, I realized how important this one sentence summary is.
The audience knew that they were coming to see a heavy show. So when the story starts to get dark, they aren’t blindsided by the subject matter.
But, it also gave us the opportunity to subvert their expectation. Many of them were pleasantly surprised that the show had many fun moments sprinkled throughout. Encouraging them to breathe between the heavier scenes.
If it wasn’t for the clarity in that single sentence, neither of these things would have had the effect they did.
They weren’t scared away by the darker moments, because they knew what they signed up for. And they could enjoy the moments of humor even more because they knew there was something serious right around the corner.
The same is true for brands.
- Instagram: "Capture and share the world's moments."
- Tinder: "Match. Chat. Date."
- Uber: "Tap the app, get a ride."
Starting with one clear sentence leads to better storytelling.