Story + PD: Learn the 5W1H story elements

Part of a series at the intersection of Storytelling and Product Development.

One framework I’ll share, of the many out there for checking or structuring a story,  is a simple Who-why-what-how-when. This framework is old and widely used in journalism and other writing disciplines.

At minimum a story is a character, a goal, and an obstacle. That’s a Who, a Why, and a What.

Who is the protagonist? And who is the teller? What is our personal connection to them? 

Why do we care about them? What are the stakes for the character

What gets in the way of our protagonist? What is the essential content of this story? But also consider: What the message we are trying to impart?

Where is the action? But also consider: What is the context of our storytelling? (An elevator with the CEO or an internal team meeting could shape very different story decisions!)

When: what is in the beginning, middle, and end? When is the pivotal moment? 

How are the characters forced to make choices? But also, consider: How are we conveying our message? (Through tips, practices, methods, fails, what?)

It’s not always needed to do a considered exercise like this before every story you tell. Sometimes it’s rapid. And sometimes, you already think you know the story, but it’s not coming out right. Use this kind of list to check what to improve.

Oh, and Give your story a headline, title, or name of scenario.  If you don’t know it up front… it’ll be easier after you know the 5W+1H.