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The Vignette - A vignette is a mini story.  You can use the this storytelling method in your song to describe a specific event or scene.  The vignette is a descriptive narrative that focuses on the details occurring in one particular moment.  This detailed illustration gives an impression of an idea, character, setting, mood, or object.  How would you describe every intimate detail of someone in their last waking hours?  What would you write about watching a sunset.  What about a bride about to recite her wedding vows?  The idea is to use a camera lens approach and zoom in on all the details to create the vignette. 

Crucibles - A crucible story is defined as a severe test, trial, or extremely challenging experience.  These stories consist of profound personal truths that are broad enough for most listeners to relate to.  Think of how you would illustrate pain and loss in your song.  What would you write in a song about defeat, adversity, illness, or disaster?  Crucibles deal with life or death matters.  These songs might include themes of  hardship, danger, challenge and survival.  Write these songs with music and leave room for silence.  Crucibles have the power to creative emotion and vulnerability for your listener. 

Imbroglio Stories - The imbroglio illustrates an extremely painful or confusing embarrassment or misunderstanding.  You might have to get creative with this one.  How would you write an embarrassing situation into a song?  One example might be Escape, the pina colada song by Rupert Holmes. 

The Minerva Story - These stories are derived from actual events like the legend of John Henry or Delia’s Gone by Johnny Cash.  The Minerva story draws upon wisdom. Think about how you would write about traditional American folk stories or historical cultural event that you know about. 

Credibility Stories - Credibility stories are stories that didn’t happen to you.  How would you write about an international event like the explosion in Beirut or the Syrian refuge crisis?  The credibility story is where you get passionate about real events.  These songs might speak on politics, pollution, global warming, world health crisis etc.  There’s so much going on in the world today that a credibility story in a song might shed some light on a true passion that you might care a lot about. 

Pattern Stories - The first song that comes to mind as a pattern story is “Love me,” recorded by Colin Haye.  A pattern story covers a period of time.  The events in a pattern story can change over days, months, or years.  The circumstances change from scene to scene over time but are written with the use of a repetitive pattern.  These types of stories are great for songs describing children growing up or lover’s growing old.  Can you think of a pattern you would like to write about? 

Instructional Stories - Turning an instructional story into a song requires a little bit of thought?  How would you write a series of steps or sequence of events into a song?  Brian McKnight did it with “Back at One.”  What about “Step by Step” by NKOTB.  Gotcha didn’t I?  There’s definitely something to work with here.  Use your imagination. 

Ok!  so we’ve written some themes and some story styles to work with.  Next we’ll get into rhyme schemes and song form. 

Download the FREE Storytelling techniques guide so you can follow along with us. 

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