Austin, TX - Spring.net - SXSW Special - To quote Sara Toole: Another great session at SXSW was given by Jonah Sachs, author of the upcoming book Winning the Story Wars: Why Those Who Tell (and Live) the Best Stories Will Rule the Future. This was a fascinating presentation about one of the secrets to creating videos and stories that people will like and want to share.
Jonah says that the elements that make stories âviralâ are universal, and have been around for ages. He identifies three specific elements â freaks, cheats and familiars â as being common elements of stories that become mythic.
Freaks are characters that do not quite fit in. The elephant God âGaneshâ is an example Jonah uses of a freak. People like to cheer for the freaks, the underdogs who overcome adversity to achieve something great. A freak could be an underdog with a big challenge.