Humans are storytellers and life is a story-generating machine. But some of us tell better stories than others, that some is Matthew Dicks, to be very specific. He’s the best at storytelling and he has the medals, trophies and book reviews to prove it. Listen as the Tried It Podcast hosts analyse Matthew Dick’s storytelling techniques from a copywriting lens.

On this episode of Tried It Podcast: Your Proven Pathway to a Better Copywriting Business, Sarah and Nicole talk about one of Nicole’s favourite authors. They discuss what counts as a story and how you can mine your own life for stories to use to connect with others. There are also practical tips about raising the stakes, crashing and burning, painting elephants and creating a Cinema of the Mind. Copywriters, listen out for Nicole’s advice on falling in love with copywriting again!

As Matthew Dicks points out, a story only lasts for five seconds. If that sounds awfully short to you, maybe you’d enjoy something more lasting. Something like… a membership to the Tried It Podcast! It’s your pathway to growing more confident as a copywriter and storyteller. If you’re interested, check out the links down below.

Timestamps

[0:30] Welcome to the world of one of Nicole’s favourite authors!

[2:20] How do you feel about AI, fellow copywriters?

[3:35] Sarah’s scepticism about Storyworthy

[4:35] So, what actually is a story?

[6:45] Why do stories only last for five seconds?

[10:45] How to mine your own life for stories: Matthew Dicks’ three story generating techniques

[12:15] The understated magic of Homework for Life

[15:50] Why writers should Crash and Burn, and Matthew Dicks’ last story-generating exercise

[18:50] Constructing your Storyworthy story and the permissible lies of storytelling

[22:20] Never shut down the Cinema of the Mind

[26:35] Presently, we are tense: Creating pace through speaking in the present tense in stories

[27:35] “Heightening the stakes”: How to get people to give a sh*t about your story

[30:10] Do the Storyworthy techniques apply to copywriting?

[33:40] Why elephants can change their colours, or how to use stories to sell

[36:45] “Do I have a single story to tell??!” Sarah spirals

[38:45] Nicole’s advice to copywriters who’ve fallen out of love with copywriting

[39:55] Nicole’s three implementation points from Storyworthy

[42:25] What Sarah’s implementing from Storyworthy

[48:25] Sometime is now time, for membership talk time

Links and Resources Related To This Episode

Buy your copy of Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

Someday is Today by Matthew Dicks

The Moth storytelling organisation

All Too Well by Taylor Swift

Matthew Dicks on The Copywriter Club Podcast

Wash A Pig creative writing cards

The Tried It Podcast’s discussion of...