"},{"ID":32401,"user_firstname":"William","user_lastname":"Hackney","nickname":"William Hackney","user_nicename":"whackney","display_name":"William Hackney","user_email":"whackney@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2020-05-05 16:14:31","user_description":"Will (he\/him) is a Senior Content Specialist on the StoryMaps editorial team. A yinzer born and bred, he is an aficionado of two-lane road trips, Minor League Baseball, malt-forward beer, or any combination thereof.","user_avatar":"
"}],"short_description":"Find answers to questions like \"what's a story?\" and \"how do you tell your story?\"","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Have you ever had to share your latest project, and you weren\u2019t quite sure how to make it interesting to your audience? Sure, in your world you may be really into sea turtles, or tree species in a local park, or maybe an urban planning project. You hope your hard work will be interesting to the audience, but you could use some help. So, what’s the best way to capture their attention?<\/p>\n
The answer: Try engaging them with a story.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re intimidated by storytelling, or you\u2019re not sure where to start, you\u2019ve come to the right place. Let\u2019s start with a definition, so we\u2019re on the same page. Dictionary.com<\/a> defines the word as:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n sto\u00b7ry<\/strong>\u00a0| [stawr-ee, stohr-ee]\u00a0|\u00a0a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n By the end of this post, you\u2019ll know the basics of good storytelling, recognize its value in sharing your work, and begin to understand how to apply storytelling techniques to reach your audience.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2947386,"id":2947386,"title":"AdobeStock_194379672 EHAS","filename":"AdobeStock_194379672-EHAS.png","filesize":460763,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_194379672-EHAS.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/unlock-your-inner-storyteller\/adobestock_194379672-ehas","alt":"A sheet in a typewriter that says everyone has a story","author":"94522","description":"","caption":"","name":"adobestock_194379672-ehas","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2947116,"date":"2025-11-06 21:09:25","modified":"2025-11-06 21:10:32","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1200,"height":675,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_194379672-EHAS-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_194379672-EHAS.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_194379672-EHAS.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_194379672-EHAS.png","large-width":1200,"large-height":675,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_194379672-EHAS.png","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":675,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_194379672-EHAS.png","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":675,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_194379672-EHAS-826x465.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_194379672-EHAS.png","wide_image-width":1200,"wide_image-height":675}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" This question has many answers, but for the sake of brevity, we\u2019ll explore just three of them.<\/p>\n First, humans have evolved to be receptive to a story. It\u2019s even indicated by neuroscience<\/a>. Back in the early days of human history, elders told stories to teach survival skills. They shared how to navigate through the world, what things or places were dangerous, what foods were safe to eat, and who we could trust.<\/p>\n Why did we use stories for this? It has to do with neurons and oxytocin<\/a>, and some really interesting science, but we\u2019ll skip those details. However, the gist of it is that we\u2019re more likely to remember a good story than a plainly recited and abstract fact without context. Stories are containers. They\u2019re an effective tool helping our brains to process, store, and understand relationships between information. And remembering which path was safe to travel and which one is dangerous is important, so storytelling has always been essential for survival.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" This brings us to reason number two: Stories build connections between people. Just as we need to know which places are safe or not, we need to know who we can and can\u2019t trust. Stories foster empathy, trust, and collaboration between people. Stories can also explain the relationships and context of events happened and help answer the question \u201cHow did we get here?\u201d<\/p>\n Humans also understand that stories follow predictable structures. They\u2019re set in a place. Most focus on a main character and include an event or a conflict, some activity that leads to a climax, and finally, closing the loop on the action. Professional projects often mirror this structure and have an existing framework you can use to build a story.<\/p>\n Think about your favorite movies. No matter the genre, they likely had a character facing a challenging situation. And, if the movie was any good, you were engaged with the events unfolding before you. Maybe great acting performances grabbed your attention. But a bigger reason you care is probably related to the narrative \u2014 the writer\u2019s goal is often for you to see part of yourself in the film\u2019s protagonist. In turn, you care about their wellbeing and success. Similarly, everyone faces relatable challenges in their own work \u2014 even if the details are different.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2947259,"id":2947259,"title":"Dawn_Storytelling_blog","filename":"Dawn_Storytelling_blog.png","filesize":523583,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dawn_Storytelling_blog.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/unlock-your-inner-storyteller\/dawn_storytelling_blog","alt":"Cover of ArcGIS StoryMaps team story Challenge Accepted","author":"94522","description":"","caption":"Join Dawn Wright on the barrier-breaking dive of a lifetime","name":"dawn_storytelling_blog","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2947116,"date":"2025-11-06 16:36:28","modified":"2025-11-06 19:18:29","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":704,"height":396,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dawn_Storytelling_blog-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dawn_Storytelling_blog.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dawn_Storytelling_blog.png","medium_large-width":704,"medium_large-height":396,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dawn_Storytelling_blog.png","large-width":704,"large-height":396,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dawn_Storytelling_blog.png","1536x1536-width":704,"1536x1536-height":396,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dawn_Storytelling_blog.png","2048x2048-width":704,"2048x2048-height":396,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dawn_Storytelling_blog.png","card_image-width":704,"card_image-height":396,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Dawn_Storytelling_blog.png","wide_image-width":704,"wide_image-height":396}},"image_position":"left","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" The story Challenge accepted <\/em>relates the journey of Esri\u2019s Dawn Wright to the deepest point in the world\u2019s oceans. Obviously, not many people have the personal experience to match, but in telling this story with Dawn as a prism \u2014 establishing the meaning and importance of the effort to Dawn and providing an in-depth look at the dive based on her own account \u2014 she becomes a protagonist that readers can<\/em> relate to.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" A third reason to tell stories: It can be fun! \u00a0When told with intent, a story can be just as fun and rewarding for the person doing the telling as it is for the audience, and a storyteller\u2019s enthusiasm can be infectious.\u00a0This holds true even when the topic is more serious or niche. Many professional challenges involve conflicts or disagreements, and sharing your insights about those obstacles through storytelling can help further engage your audience.<\/p>\n In short, people are hardwired to engage with a well-planned and developed story, and telling a story can be just as rewarding as hearing, reading, or watching it.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" Another question with myriad answers, and we\u2019ll address three major ones again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One thing that creates a captivating story is, an\u00a0established setting \u2014 every story happens somewhere, after all. The more real that place feels to your audience, the more engaging it will be. Sharing details engages the senses \u2014 the sights, sounds, and other details can make a particular place come to life.\u00a0The setting may even be a place in your community or one that\u2019s relatable to your audience, and making the setting relatable, or at least imaginable, helps engage an audience.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2947294,"id":2947294,"title":"Rains_fell_storytelling_blog","filename":"Rains_fell_storytelling_blog.png","filesize":1962149,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rains_fell_storytelling_blog.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/unlock-your-inner-storyteller\/rains_fell_storytelling_blog","alt":"Photo from ArcGIS StoryMaps story When Rains Fell in Winter","author":"94522","description":"","caption":"A decade ago, heavy winter rains washed over the Yamal Peninsula in Northwest Russia, killing 60,000 reindeer and ruining livelihoods","name":"rains_fell_storytelling_blog","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2947116,"date":"2025-11-06 17:15:56","modified":"2025-11-06 19:27:04","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1628,"height":916,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rains_fell_storytelling_blog-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rains_fell_storytelling_blog.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rains_fell_storytelling_blog.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rains_fell_storytelling_blog.png","large-width":1628,"large-height":916,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rains_fell_storytelling_blog-1536x864.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":864,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rains_fell_storytelling_blog.png","2048x2048-width":1628,"2048x2048-height":916,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rains_fell_storytelling_blog-826x465.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rains_fell_storytelling_blog.png","wide_image-width":1628,"wide_image-height":916}},"image_position":"left","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" The story When rains fell in winter<\/em> chronicles a rare weather event in Northwest Russia that dramatically impacted the livelihoods of reindeer herders in the region. The writers of the story use descriptive language, photographs, and maps to paint a vivid picture of the stark landscape in that part of the world. In doing so, they set up a clear understanding of how the catastrophic rainfall was able to affect the area in the way that it did.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" A second thing is all good stories feature\u00a0established characters. We touched on this earlier, and it might seem obvious, but it\u2019s worth going over.\u00a0Remember thinking about your favorite movies? They\u2019re often effective because the character development leading up the climactic scenes made you care whether, say, the villains catch the hero, or the couple ends up together.<\/p>\n So, how do you get someone to care about the cast in your narrative? Again, make them relatable. Describe their motivations, desires, fears \u2014 the details or situations an audience member can recognize in themselves or empathize with. When the audience connects to the character\u2019s outcomes, then they\u2019re hooked.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" Once the character development leading up to the story\u2019s climax inspires your audience to care about your character(s), then you can establish a third aspect of a good story:\u00a0Tension. Essentially,\u00a0tension<\/a>\u00a0is the gap between what is happening currently and what\u00a0could<\/em>\u00a0happen in the future. Creating this gap usually starts with a conflict or problem introduced in the beginning, which leads an audience to want to know about the outcome. Will the characters meet the goal they set out to accomplish?<\/p>\n There is practically an unlimited number of ways to work these three elements \u2014 setting, characters, and tension \u2014 into a story. How you choose to do so will depend on variables such as the intended audience and the overall structure and flow of the story.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2947319,"id":2947319,"title":"Answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog","filename":"Answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-1-scaled.png","filesize":1841450,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-1-scaled.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/unlock-your-inner-storyteller\/answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-2","alt":"Photo from ArcGIS StoryMaps team story Answering the call","author":"94522","description":"","caption":"Search and rescue in the White Mountains of New Hampshire","name":"answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2947116,"date":"2025-11-06 17:35:33","modified":"2025-11-06 19:22:08","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1439,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-1-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-1-scaled.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-1-scaled.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-1-scaled.png","large-width":1920,"large-height":1080,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-1-1536x864.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":864,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-1-2048x1152.png","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1152,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-1-826x465.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Answering_the_call_mountain_storytelling_blog-1-1920x1080.png","wide_image-width":1920,"wide_image-height":1080}},"image_position":"left","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" The story Answering the call<\/em>, for instance, about mountain search and rescue operations, opens with a fictional<\/em> vignette of hikers getting lost in the rugged wilderness as a storm approaches. This establishes, in vivid detail, the environment and climate and the threat they pose to unprepared hikers. Anyone who has ever gone for a walk in the woods before can see themselves in the boots of the hypothetical hikers.<\/p>\n Then the story introduces its characters<\/em> \u2014 the men and women who comprise search and rescue units \u2014 before returning to a harrowing real-life<\/em> account of an effort to find a missing hiker. The establishing of the setting<\/em> in the introduction explained the stakes involved in getting lost, while meeting the rescuers themselves and learning about their process makes you invested in their success in finding the real hiker. Combined, those two factors provide a great deal of tension<\/em> as the rescue attempt unfolds across a three-dimensional map scene.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2947385,"id":2947385,"title":"AdobeStock_186895661 WYS","filename":"AdobeStock_186895661-WYS.png","filesize":774967,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_186895661-WYS.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/unlock-your-inner-storyteller\/adobestock_186895661-wys","alt":"A sheet in a typewriter that says what's your story?","author":"94522","description":"","caption":"","name":"adobestock_186895661-wys","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2947116,"date":"2025-11-06 21:09:21","modified":"2025-11-06 21:11:24","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1200,"height":675,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_186895661-WYS-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_186895661-WYS.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_186895661-WYS.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":432,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_186895661-WYS.png","large-width":1200,"large-height":675,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_186895661-WYS.png","1536x1536-width":1200,"1536x1536-height":675,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_186895661-WYS.png","2048x2048-width":1200,"2048x2048-height":675,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_186895661-WYS-826x465.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AdobeStock_186895661-WYS.png","wide_image-width":1200,"wide_image-height":675}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" This is the best question and the simplest to answer. Creating a story where the audience has to know<\/em> how it turns out does require a bit of thought. The first step is identifying your intentions: What do you want to say, to who, and why? Knowing your objectives helps you focus on relatable elements and minimize distractions. Remember to include human emotions \u2014 there\u2019s likely to be challenges in most professional projects.<\/p>\n Next,\u00a0make a high-level plan for your narrative arc. While you \u00adcould<\/em>\u00a0just start writing a stream of consciousness, taking the time to outline first<\/a> will pay off in the long run. It will help you get all the ideas out of your head, so you can think more clearly about each one. Then you can experiment with their ordering, seeing how different arrangements do or don\u2019t create tension. A great way to do this is with sticky notes or index cards, but a bulleted list in your favorite note-taking app works just as well.<\/p>\n<\/h1>\n
Why tell stories?<\/h1>\n
<\/h2>\n
The human factor<\/h2>\n
Challenge Accepted<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"
<\/h1>\n
What\u2019s in a good story?<\/h1>\n
Establishing setting<\/h2>\n
When rains fell in winter<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"
Interesting characters<\/h2>\n
Dramatic effect<\/h2>\n
Answering the call<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"
<\/h1>\n
How do you get started?<\/h1>\n