Hey friends,

You want to tell Interesting stories right?

“No, I want everyone bored as I talk”

-Said no one ever

When a band has ONE BILLION listens between just their top 5 songs, they are clearly doing something right.

Humans only remember 2 things:

1. Stories

2. Music

Today I’ll be talking about 4 things I learned to make the next story you share more memorable.

I wrote out the first line of each song from A Beautiful Blur. (LANY’s newest album)

Here are the 13 lines:

1. All my favorite songs are from 2018

2. She loves the sand, she loves the bar, got half the beach left in my car

3. Tattoos in Tokyo

4. Our knees were touchin' in the back of the car when they didn't need to.

5. I gotta get outa here

6. When you get that call that you weren't prepared for

7. Heartbreak can wait

8. It's always summer on the...

9. I met you in a bathroom line

10. I hope you're throwin’ a party

11. Chasing a heart is like chasing a ghost (41 million listens)

12. I'm falling out of love with you LA

13. Got me in the palm of your hand.

How LANY Writes their hooks:

1 Visual.

The opening line is visual.

I can imagine a bathroom line.

I can imagine sitting in the back seat of a car with knees touching a girl I'm interested in.

I grew up in LA.

I've never been to Tokyo, but I've seen pictures and can imagine what it's like.

2 Visceral.

"This hurts like hell" (first line of thru these tears)

They Amp up emotions.

It's always summer on the... (you assume west coast are the next words)

There is this emotional pull.

This desire to keep listening that the words and the music are pulling you keep listening.

When you get that call that you weren't prepared for. (you can feel that in your body)

If you've ever felt trapped or helpless the "I gotta get out of here" hits so close to home.

If you've ever liked someone, the line: "Our knees were touchin' in the back of the car when they didn't need to." Hits. (because you've experienced it, and you can see it)

3 Nostalgia.

Example: all my favorite songs are from 2018

When you write or speak you have to keep these things in mind.

paint a picture that is easy to visualize. Paint a picture that others can feel.

If you can convey these two things to another human, you have the potential to capture some of the attention the way LANY has. (and if you can capture a fraction of the 1B listens you'll make a career of it)

4 Questions baked into statements.

Tatoos in tokyo. I met you in a bathroom line. They are visual, you can feel them, and you are curious. What?

What they don't say is as interesting as what they do say.

Another line that illustrates this:

"2 months and 24 days, tooth brush on the sink at my place." (there is so much information about where they are in the relationships in just 13 words.)

It's specific, and it's visual. (you can picture a toothbrush on the sink)

How to apply this in your next Story:

This is all interesting Daniel, but how do I apply this?

Incorporate 4 things:

1. visual - Concrete things (A chair)

2. Visceral - can you add touch or sensory experience? (sweaty palms, carpet under your feet, warmth of the fire)

3. Nostalgia - So often the past is seen with a warm glow, use this.

4. questions baked into statements (Example: Testing Blueprints prints and crying slowly)

Next time you tell a story add one of these 4 elements.

P.S. If you write these lines or any other stories (by hand) it will start to effect your writing and storytelling.

That's a wrap for today's Newsletter. Now do me a small favor… tell me what you think!

I wrote it. You read it. Now tell me what you think!