How to Say 'No', Mick Jagger's Dancing and Museums and Coffee Shops Setting the Tone of Voice

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10 stories we've enjoyed this week

Hi All,
Last year we launched First Draft - pro-bono consultancy offer to small organisations, groups, networks or collectives who work with under-represented communities. We mentored three different groups to help them develop formats that will help them create change.

This year we're offering the opportunity to four more organisations. If you fit the description then apply quickly, or if you know someone that you think would be right please share this with them.

If you'd like to learn a little more about why formats should form part of your content strategy, I'm going to be doing a formats talk for Rise and Shine next Tuesday evening. Join us.

Thanks for reading this week's newsletter and enjoy the stories.
Hugh

The Short Story

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Podcasts
(7 min read)

Ideas Want to be Shared
(7 min read)

Creativity and Restraints - How Jagger Got His Dancing Style
(1 min read)

Stuffy Old Museum: On Tone and Triumph
(19 min watch)

Your Life Blends in the Direction of Your Habits
(40 min listen)

Letters of Note: the Art of Saying 'No'
(5 min read)

Dun, Dun, Duuun! Where Did Pop Culture's Most Dramatic Sound Come From?
(5 min read)

WikiTrivia - A New Trivia Card Game to Test Your History Knowledge
(3 min play)

3 Things to Love and Learn From This Coffee Shop's Tone of Voice
(6 min read)

An Interesting Fact About Every London Tube Station
(list)

How can we help you?

Storythings is a strategy and content company based in Brighton and London. We'd love to help you with some creative and bold ideas.

Here's 3 reasons to get in touch.

1. You want to talk to us about content production: podcasts, videos, animations, illustrations, editorial.

2. You want to talk to us about content strategy or format development.

3. You want to create a brand or an identity that makes it easier to communicate your message.

We do other things too. We're very friendly and always enjoy meeting people, so get in touch.

The Full Story

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Podcasts
We make podcasts for lots of clients. Some have never made a podcast before. Some have but are struggling to build an audience. The marketing plan they used for other content isn't working for their podcast so they want to know what they can do. Well, if you fall into this category, or you are thinking of starting a podcast, this advice from the very smart Matt Deagan is a brilliant starting point.
(7 min read)

Ideas Want to be Shared
Keven Kelly on why he believes ideas are born from the commons and should be returned to the commons as soon as possible: "It is in the commons that ideas blossom. When scientific discoveries are shared, they can be accelerated. When the blueprints of inventions are shared (and not hidden) new inventions spring up faster. Walt Disney made his fortune by reworking public domain fairy tales. Because the stories were already in the commons, he was able to re-interpret them into modern forms...The maximum gain to society would come if those stories, too, were returned into the public domain commons. But ironically Disney has been the chief force in preventing copyrights in the US to return to the commons."
(7 min read)

Creativity and Constraints - How Jagger Got His Dancing Style
David Byrne wrote a brilliant book about how the music bands make is shaped by the venues they play. I'd never considered how this could relate to how artists dance. This story about Mick Jagger's dancing technique is a classic case of creativity coming from turning constraints into opportunities.
(1 min read)

Stuffy Old Museum: On Tone and Triumph
There is a perception amongst many that museums are boring. We all know they're not, right? The thing is, museums don't help themselves. Jeff Martin from the Philbrook Museum of Art talks about how important tone is in defining yourself whilst giving some great examples of how the museum implemented a new tone to attract new audiences.
(19 min watch)

"Your Life Blends in the Direction of Your Habits"
Brenee Brown talks to Atomic Habits author James Clear about developing identity-based habits and how we can become the author of our habits rather than the victim.
(40 min listen)

Letters of Note: the Art of Saying 'No'
We all have to say no sometimes. It's rarely easy. Sean Usher at the wonderful Letters of Note has compiled some of his favourite letters declining invitations. I might start using this one from E.B. White: "Thanks for your letter inviting me to join the committee of the Arts and Sciences for Eisenhower. I must decline, for secret reasons."
(5 min read)

Dun, Dun, Duuun! Where Did Pop Culture's Most Dramatic Sound Come From?
You know this sound well. You will have heard it accompany a dramatic moment in a film, TV show or cartoon. It soundtracks the Dramatic Chipmunk meme. But where did it come from? The Guardian sets out to – dun, dun duuuun! – reveal the mystery
(5 min read)

WikiTrivia - A New Trivia Card Game to Test Your History Knowledge
If you're already over Wordle and looking for a new game to play, this digital card game is fun. Simply drag and drop cards, featuring moments from history, along a timeline. My longest streak is 8. I was never that good at history so I expect a lot better from you lot.
(3 min play)

3 Things to Love and Learn From This Coffee Shop's Tone of Voice
We're big fans of this newish Substack, Tone Knob. Each week it deconstructs a brand's tone of voice. This week it looks at Puccino's coffee shops, a brand that uses language in a way that can turn a sachet of sugar into a much more interesting sachet of sugar. Here's one of the things you can learn from them: "Put words on it. Find your smallest, most unpromising thing – product, bit of packaging, small print, whatever, and make it An Actual Thing by giving it a message to deliver. It doesn’t need to be funny."
(6 min read)

An Interesting Fact About Every London Tube Station
East Finchley: "Jerry Springer was born in the station during an air raid in WW2."
(list)

We hope you've enjoyed this week's newsletter. I'm sure some of your friends would love to read it. Sharing it would be really appreciated. If you've received this from a friend you can subscribe here and get it direct to your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for reading and see you all next week,

Hugh, Matt, Anjali and the team at Storythings

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