Frame It • Part 2 (Ep. 9)
Why and when to use story-framing.
These words are important. They're the first ones you'll read. They may determine whether you'll read on or move on. They're precious. They're precious because there can only be one 'first paragraph'. You can only have one 'first impact'.
In Episode 3, I discussed how to frame the technical content within a story. Start the article with a narrative paragraph or two, then pivot to the technical content using examples that fit the story you used to frame the article.
Setting the scene • I recently used this technique on a series of articles about object-oriented programming, which is not the simplest topic in programming. The framing story is based on Harry Potter.
In this branch of programming, we create classes, which are like blueprints to create many objects of a similar type. The examples in the articles are all on-theme, creating classes like Wizard, Spell, House, and Wand.
Why? • So we know what story-framing is. But why go through all the trouble? What are the benefits? And what about the drawbacks?
Let's start with the drawbacks. If you start the article with the introduction to a story, you cannot introduce the technical topic. The traditional technical article introduction explains why the topic is important and tells the reader what to expect.
If someone is searching for an article on a specific topic, the traditional introduction can tell them if this is the article they're looking for.
Engagement • The story-framing approach takes a different route. Stories activate different parts of a reader's brain. Starting the article with a story puts the reader in a different mindset—literally. This can increase the chances the reader engages with the article. And an engaged reader is likely to get a lot more out of the article.
Attention • The cognitive load when reading a technical article is high. Reducing this cognitive load is a topic I'll return to often in Breaking the Rules.
One of the effects of high cognitive load is to reduce attention spans. We can't escape the technical detail in a technical article! But story-framing can help reduce the load, allowing the reader to stay focused for longer.
Retention • Better engagement and longer attention spans are good things, sure. But a technical article reader must also remember the concepts they read and learn.
The links between the technical detail and a memorable story help the reader remember the material longer.
When? • Is this technique suitable for every article? Probably not. The trade-off I discussed earlier is to replace the traditional introductory paragraphs with the story. You must be willing to give up the introduction to the technical topic in the first few paragraphs. I feel more comfortable using story-framing when my ideal audience already knows the topic I'm writing about in the article, and the aim is to dive deeper into the subject rather than introduce it.
Afterword • Breaking the Rules is two months old, and today's post is Episode 9. There was also a pilot episode, so it's really ten posts already.
I've just gone back to re-read the pilot episode. In that first post, I wrote: "You are not my intended audience. Sorry. I'm writing Breaking the Rules for an audience of one—me." Writing these posts has helped me process my ideas and clarify my thoughts. That's a good enough reason to keep writing. And if you also find them useful, so much the better.
