Storytelling is one of the most important skills in life. However, rarely do schools teach storytelling, nor do people realize its importance.

In his book Storyworthy, Matthew Dicks gives out some great instructions (You can read my structured book notes here) to decipher this crucial skill. Here let's just focus on this one questions: 

What qualifies as a STORY, really? 

Your story must reflect change over time. 

This is probably THE most important idea that will help you understand what a story really is:

"A story cannot simply be a series of remarkable events. 

You must start out as one version of yourself and end as something new. 

The change can be infinitesimal. 

It needs not reflect an improvement in yourself or your character, but change must happen. 

Even the worst movies in the world reflect some change in a character over time.

So must your story. 

Stories that fail to reflect change over time are known as anecdotes."

At its core, every story takes only 5 seconds to tell.

Stories are 5-second moments in your life when something fundamentally changes forever. 

• You fall in love. 
• You fall out of love. 
• You discover something new about yourself or another person. 
• Your opinion on a subject dramatically changes. 
• You find forgiveness. 
• You reach acceptance. 
• You sink into despair. 
• You grudgingly resign. 
• You’re drowned in regret. 
• You make a life-altering decision. 
• Choose a new path. 
• Accomplish something great. 
• Fail spectacularly.

Or, put in another way, the 5-second moment must reflect the change in YOU.

Going back to the first point, the first thing you should do in crafting a story is to find the 5-second moment you want to tell, aka. the moment that you somehow change fundamentally. 

• I was once this, but now I am this.
• I once thought this, but now I think this. 
• I once felt this, but now I feel this.
• I was once hopeful, but now I am not.
• I was once lost, but now I am found.
• I was once happy, but now I am sad.
• I was once uncertain, but now I know.
• I was once angry, but now I am grateful. 
• I was once afraid, but now I am fearless. 
• I once believed, but now I don’t.

Examples of Matthew's 5-second Moments in Stories

Before you check out the 5-second moments for each story, I would encourage you to listen to or read the stories first, and try to come up with Matthew's 5-second moments by yourself. The links to the stories can be found underneath each title.

1. Karen vs. the Patriots

(You can read the transcript or listen to the story here.)

Matthew thought his true love was with Karen, the most beautiful girl he had ever met, but then realized that his true love was with the New England Patriots, who had been there for him through better and through worse.

1. This is Going to Suck

(You can read the transcript or listen to the story here.)

Matthew thought he was all alone in this world because his parents didn't show up at the hospital after his terrible car accident, but he was wrong; his friends, who showed up to cheer him up, were the only family that he needed.

1. Charity Thief

(You can read the transcript or listen to the story here.)

Matthew thought he was lonely with no one to help in life when his car broke down, but the man who gave him some gas money that night made him realize he knew nothing about loneliness. 

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By now you should have mastered the most fundamental idea of storytelling. Go out and find your 5-second moments.