Last week, I launched the very fist edition of my live special, Communication Lessons From… And I was joined by Max King, spacecraft engineer, science communicator, and author of the Substack Forwards From A Futurist, to talk about storytelling and build a STEM story live! Max had no idea what the topic would be. Together, we developed the outline of a story from scratch.
Watch the full recording to follow our process step-by-step.
What I took away from the conversation with Max was that stories are essentially a sequence of questions. Questions that you want your audience to be asking. Questions that you story answers in the right moments. That way, the learning is locked in. That way, the audience not only understands the material better, but can retrieve it more easily later. Here’s the bit:
We also talked about:
chronology Vs story;
characters in STEM stories: the scientist, historical figures, organisations, and even your live audience;
what creates tension in STEM stories;
when technology and science enter the stories; and
how to connect the different elements of storytelling.
Many thanks to Max for this episode! Do consider subscribing to his Substack, Forwards From a Futurist:
Explorations and reflections on our place in the universe; and, the future ahead. This Substack examines the intersection of science, philosophy, exploration, and technology. Drawing on science fiction, astronomy, history, and storytelling, there is an optimistic human future that we must first imagine, and all work hard to create.
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video soon.
In future editions of the special series Communication Lessons From…, I will invite people with expertise in humour, visual support, theatre, courtroom speeches and more! The aim is to identify what their fields can teach STEM professionals about communicating more effectively.
Your Coach,
Yulia
