{"id":2953297,"date":"2026-01-12T07:00:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T15:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2953297"},"modified":"2026-01-12T07:57:59","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T15:57:59","slug":"build-a-connection-with-your-storys-audience","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/constituent-engagement\/build-a-connection-with-your-storys-audience","title":{"rendered":"Build a connection with your story’s audience"},"author":32401,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[37131],"tags":[398132,27881],"industry":[],"product":[36611,380802],"class_list":["post-2953297","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-constituent-engagement","tag-arcgis-storymaps","tag-storytelling","product-story-maps","product-arcgis-storymaps"],"acf":{"short_description":"An impactful story is more than just words and visuals. Pull readers into your stories by creating an emotional connection with them.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

No matter what story you’re trying to tell, it’s important to establish a connection with your audience. Esri provides you with a ready-made tool \u2014 ArcGIS StoryMaps<\/a> \u2014 for telling all kinds of place-based stories, from straightforward travelogues<\/a> to in-depth examinations of complex data<\/a>. Hooking your intended audience is up to you, though. How do you create that connection? How do you capture readers and make them feel invested in the story you’re telling?<\/p>\n

This question has many answers, but a lot of them boil down to a similar concept: the idea of taking something that is inherently personal and making it feel universal<\/em>. After all, every story \u2014 even those most rooted in cold, hard facts and numbers \u2014 comes from an individual storyteller. An effective story sticks with an audience by allowing them to find parallels between the story\u2019s events, characters, and outcomes and their own experiences and viewpoints.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2953333,"id":2953333,"title":"","filename":"AdobeStock_166581317.jpg","filesize":1234601,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_166581317.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/constituent-engagement\/build-a-connection-with-your-storys-audience\/adobestock_166581317","alt":"Two people sitting outside a tent in front of a campfire, one of them is pointing up at the night sky filled with stars.","author":"32401","description":"","caption":"Using personal experiences to tap into universal feelings and emotions is one way to leave an impression on readers.","name":"adobestock_166581317","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2953297,"date":"2026-01-07 16:57:35","modified":"2026-01-07 17:00:11","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2406,"height":1606,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_166581317-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_166581317.jpg","medium-width":391,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_166581317.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":513,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_166581317.jpg","large-width":1618,"large-height":1080,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_166581317-1536x1025.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1025,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_166581317-2048x1367.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1367,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_166581317-697x465.jpg","card_image-width":697,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_166581317-1618x1080.jpg","wide_image-width":1618,"wide_image-height":1080}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

When it comes to making your stories feel universally relevant, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, but here are a few big-picture thoughts to consider.<\/p>\n

Find emotional themes<\/h2>\n

It may seem obvious, but incorporating emotion into a story is key. Emotions are a universal language; everyone knows what it is to be happy, sad, angry, and so forth. Even when writing a highly analytical story, the outcomes presented through that analysis can (and should) evoke some kind of feeling in a reader.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2953813,"id":2953813,"title":"Screenshot 2026-01-12 at 10.14.11\u202fAM","filename":"Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.14.11-AM.png","filesize":1636769,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.14.11-AM.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/constituent-engagement\/build-a-connection-with-your-storys-audience\/screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10-14-11-am","alt":"A black and white photograph of a Japanese-owned storefront in California in 1944, with a large banner affixed reading \"I AM AN AMERICAN.\"","author":"32401","description":"","caption":"Being able to empathize with the subjects of \"Justice Deferred\" helps the story's facts and figures make more of an impact.","name":"screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10-14-11-am","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2953297,"date":"2026-01-12 15:14:39","modified":"2026-01-12 15:18:08","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":1454,"height":1142,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.14.11-AM-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.14.11-AM.png","medium-width":332,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.14.11-AM.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":603,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.14.11-AM.png","large-width":1375,"large-height":1080,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.14.11-AM.png","1536x1536-width":1454,"1536x1536-height":1142,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.14.11-AM.png","2048x2048-width":1454,"2048x2048-height":1142,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.14.11-AM-592x465.png","card_image-width":592,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.14.11-AM-1375x1080.png","wide_image-width":1375,"wide_image-height":1080}},"image_position":"right","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/6538609586d34405a1d3cd24098519d3"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

If you\u2019re not sure where to start, try asking yourself how the story makes you<\/em> feel. Often, the way you think about your own story is how you\u2019ll want your audience to feel when they\u2019re finished with your story. Once you\u2019ve identified that core emotional theme, it can help guide the decisions you need to make to evoke that emotion in your audience.<\/p>\n

The story Justice deferred<\/em><\/a> chronicles the 120,000 Japanese Americans who were involuntarily sent to internment camps during World War II. Though the story is a heavily researched and detailed history, constantly presenting facts, maps, and data, a reader can easily latch onto the story\u2019s emotional arc, too. The plight of the camps\u2019 residents and the injustice of the whole ordeal can be viscerally felt throughout the story.<\/p>\n

Feelings of sympathy, frustration, or even anger on behalf of those interned in the camps can help the reader stay engaged. Then, a degree of triumph when reading about the resilience of these communities and the reparations camp survivors eventually received decades later can leave the reader feeling rewarded.<\/p>\n

Rely on shared experience<\/h2>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2953819,"id":2953819,"title":"Screenshot 2026-01-12 at 10.23.47\u202fAM","filename":"Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.23.47-AM.png","filesize":1094494,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.23.47-AM.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/constituent-engagement\/build-a-connection-with-your-storys-audience\/screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10-23-47-am","alt":"A stylized illustration of a marathon route, with mile markers representing steps along the way to qualifying and then running the Boston Marathon and labels and filtered photographs providing context along the route.","author":"32401","description":"","caption":"The \"Road to Boston\" was paved with trials and tribulations for the author, but those hurdles make her story relatable to anyone, runners and non-runners alike.","name":"screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10-23-47-am","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2953297,"date":"2026-01-12 15:25:52","modified":"2026-01-12 15:28:46","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":1465,"height":690,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.23.47-AM-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.23.47-AM.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":219,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.23.47-AM.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":362,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.23.47-AM.png","large-width":1465,"large-height":690,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.23.47-AM.png","1536x1536-width":1465,"1536x1536-height":690,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.23.47-AM.png","2048x2048-width":1465,"2048x2048-height":690,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.23.47-AM-826x389.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":389,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.23.47-AM.png","wide_image-width":1465,"wide_image-height":690}},"image_position":"right","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/b9d27d6ec0d947ec925d0639b1bf715e"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

This can go hand-in-hand with finding the emotional theme, but there are certain story archetypes<\/em> that are familiar to audiences all over the world: growth or transformation, overcoming adversity, redemption, to name just a few. We see examples of these archetypes over and over again in books, movies, and TV shows, because everyone can relate to them in some way.<\/p>\n

The story Road to Boston<\/em><\/a>, for instance, is all about the difficult process of training for, and then running, one of the world\u2019s most famous long-distance footraces.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2953820,"id":2953820,"title":"Screenshot 2026-01-12 at 10.30.44\u202fAM","filename":"Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.30.44-AM.png","filesize":2302550,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.30.44-AM.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/constituent-engagement\/build-a-connection-with-your-storys-audience\/screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10-30-44-am","alt":"An empty mall food court, with the eatery stalls darkened and inactive.","author":"32401","description":"","caption":"The abandoned food court seen in \"Scars of prosperity\" is liable to send a pang of bittersweet nostalgia through anyone who grew up in the era of the big mall.","name":"screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10-30-44-am","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2953297,"date":"2026-01-12 15:31:26","modified":"2026-01-12 15:33:29","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":1734,"height":880,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.30.44-AM-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.30.44-AM.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":235,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.30.44-AM.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":390,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.30.44-AM.png","large-width":1734,"large-height":880,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.30.44-AM-1536x780.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":780,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.30.44-AM.png","2048x2048-width":1734,"2048x2048-height":880,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.30.44-AM-826x419.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":419,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.30.44-AM.png","wide_image-width":1734,"wide_image-height":880}},"image_position":"right","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/048bd122f6c24d7b8e4faf5d52cccfb3"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

An illustrated \u201cmap\u201d that simultaneously depicts the author\u2019s overall journey and her race-day experience ties the story together delightfully, but underpinning it all is the feeling of building towards an achievement in the face of a challenge, something practically every human can identify with.<\/p>\n

Another story, The scars of prosperity<\/em><\/a>, examines the rise and fall of enclosed mall culture and the U.S. industrial heartland around it, through the lens of the author\u2019s own memories. It draws on the universal feelings of nostalgia, the passage of time, and watching a place change over time to tell a story that will resonate with many people.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Strike a balance between emotion and truth<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s normal to feel self-conscious when telling a story. \u201cIs this going to be interesting to people?\u201d <\/em>is a question that can live rent-free in any author\u2019s head, no matter what they\u2019re writing about. It can be especially tricky when you\u2019re attempting to make that personal, emotional connection with the reader and need to consider the balance between that emotion and the objective facts that you\u2019re relating.<\/p>\n

Wherever that balance lies for the story you\u2019re telling, it\u2019s crucial to be authentic. Audiences are good at recognizing when the personal element is genuine and adding something to a story or when it\u2019s been wedged in just for the sake of it (or, worse, when the truth has been exaggerated).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2953334,"id":2953334,"title":"","filename":"AdobeStock_295281869.jpg","filesize":942062,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_295281869.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/constituent-engagement\/build-a-connection-with-your-storys-audience\/adobestock_295281869","alt":"A person walks along a tightrope suspended above a rocky forested area with fog rising from the valley floor.","author":"32401","description":"","caption":"Getting the balance right between personal, emotional aspects of a story and its objective facts can be delicate, but it ultimately makes for a more compelling experience for the audience.","name":"adobestock_295281869","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2953297,"date":"2026-01-07 17:08:26","modified":"2026-01-07 17:12:00","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2189,"height":1459,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_295281869-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_295281869.jpg","medium-width":392,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_295281869.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_295281869.jpg","large-width":1620,"large-height":1080,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_295281869-1536x1024.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_295281869-2048x1365.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1365,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_295281869-698x465.jpg","card_image-width":698,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AdobeStock_295281869-1620x1080.jpg","wide_image-width":1620,"wide_image-height":1080}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

 <\/p>\n

Oversharing is also a risk; it can be easy to go overboard on the personal side (just as it can on the analytical\/factual side), including so many details that they start to obscure the high-level messages and concepts of the story. When working in personal asides, anecdotes, or allusions, make sure each one serves a clear purpose in supporting or advancing the overall narrative as opposed to distracting or stealing the spotlight from it.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2953825,"id":2953825,"title":"Screenshot 2026-01-12 at 10.40.50\u202fAM","filename":"Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.40.50-AM.png","filesize":1848832,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.40.50-AM.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/constituent-engagement\/build-a-connection-with-your-storys-audience\/screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10-40-50-am","alt":"Three figures hike along a stone-paved road through a forested area, with the sun shining brightly through the trees.","author":"32401","description":"","caption":"Throughout his \"Out of Eden\" series, Paul Salopek's perspective provides an authentic and engaging narrative anchor without overshadowing the environments, cultures, and people of the lands he traverses.","name":"screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10-40-50-am","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2953297,"date":"2026-01-12 15:41:45","modified":"2026-01-12 15:43:41","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":1160,"height":702,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.40.50-AM-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.40.50-AM.png","medium-width":431,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.40.50-AM.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":465,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.40.50-AM.png","large-width":1160,"large-height":702,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.40.50-AM.png","1536x1536-width":1160,"1536x1536-height":702,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.40.50-AM.png","2048x2048-width":1160,"2048x2048-height":702,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.40.50-AM-768x465.png","card_image-width":768,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-at-10.40.50-AM.png","wide_image-width":1160,"wide_image-height":702}},"image_position":"right","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/5f500ef24dc1457586e337b2edc53793"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

To see this idea in practice, the stories of National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek\u2019s Out of Eden<\/a> series serve as instructive examples. Salopek is on a multi-year quest to walk around the world, and he periodically shares his adventures using ArcGIS StoryMaps.<\/p>\n

In these stories, such as Walking China\u2019s antique roads<\/em><\/a>, Salopek\u2019s point of view is an important part of the storytelling. It anchors each story around a voice that will feel relatable to many readers, even as he does things and visits places that most of us never will. At the same time, he doesn\u2019t let his own personal lens overshadow the history, people, and culture of the landscapes he traverses; those elements are still permitted to take center stage as the stars of the show.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

___________________________<\/p>\n

Storytelling is both an inexact science and a nuanced art. Forging a connection with the intended audience can require some deliberate thought and effort. Keeping the human side of things in mind \u2014 emotion, shared experiences, and honesty \u2014 can go a long way toward establishing that connection and helping your stories to leave an impression and have the desired impact. We can\u2019t wait to see how you apply these lessons to your own storytelling about our world.<\/p>\n

___________________________<\/p>\n

This blog post was adapted from an article written by former StoryMaps team member Hannah Wilber in 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n"}],"authors":[{"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. 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