Episode 42: The 7 basic story plots - and how to use them in business

00:54 You're listening to The Business of Stories with Susan Peyton, showing you how to share stories that do the selling in your business so you don't have to. When I first told someone that I was going to help business owners use storytelling to attract their dream clients they suggested a reader book by Christopher Booker called The Seven Basic Plots It sounded great! So I ordered it off Amazon and waited for it to arrive When it did, my jaw hit the floor. It was the biggest book I'd ever seen! Bigger than the Bible and I'm not gonna lie...I have not read it all but I've scanned it lots and I've read plenty of things written about it

01:41 The big idea of the book is that almost every story ever told fits into one of seven basic plots. And what I'm really interested in, and what i want to share with you, is how we can use each of the plots in our business and marketing. So I thought I'd talk you through the seven plots and see how they naturally show up in films and books as well as in brand stories, founder stories customer stories and even LinkedIn posts so you can see what they are what story ideas they might spark how you might already be using some of them without realising it and how understanding them can help you tell more compelling stories. So let's dive into todays episode

02:35 So the seven basic story plots, as covered in a lot of detail in Christopher Booker's book are number one overcoming the monster. Number two rags to riches. Number three The Quest. Number four voyage and return. Number five comedy. Number six tragedy and number seven rebirth so you've probably heard of most of those if not all of them But some of them might be a little different to what you think they are. And you might not have ever thought about how YOU could be sharing them in your content, marketing and even your conversations! So let's go through them one by one... 1. Overcoming the monster Overcoming-the-monster stories are where the hero faces some kind of threat or obstacle that has to be overcome or defeated

03:35 That could be an external monster like a dragon or shark, or an internal threat like fear, self-doubt, overwhelm. Or any negative limiting story in your head getting in the way of you having your happy ever after. So examples of overcoming the monster in a business context might be battling imposter syndrome, fighting a broken system, getting out of debt Escaping corporate life or a toxic boss, or recovering from burnout. Maybe you've got a story of overcoming some kind of obstacle or threat something you had to fight or stand up too or get away from or simply shift a belief about You probably have more of those stories than you realise Or maybe you have a story about one of your clients overcoming a huge challenge

04:34 Maybe you didn't like the way things were being done in your industry. And while everybody else did what had always been done, you challenged the norm to show people there is another way – a better way! Or maybe your story is about overcoming debt or a diagnosis…or how you were stuck in life that looked successful from outside but left you feeling empty and numb on the inside? These stories don't have to be big and dramatic. The most relatable stories are the ones people can relate to, but the most common story in business is probably about overcoming the story in your head – the negative chatter that holds you back about not being good enough or experienced enough, or that people will judge you or nobody wants to hear your story

05:23 The monster then is that internal narrative, the fear of being visible, the limiting beliefs, the imposter syndrome. So the stories you have about what stood in the way, what was holding you back, what was keeping you fearful or small are overcoming the monster stories and as we all have our own monsters external and internal they are powerful stories to share Number two Rags-to-riches And it may sound obvious what those stories are, the ones where people go from poverty or homelessness to multi-seven figure entrepreneur. But rags to riches stories are so much more than that! In fact it doesn't have to be about money at all – It's about an ordinary person rising, moving from one stage of life or business or success to another. It is about progress

06:21 Achievement. Momentum. Growth And in a business context, that could be about going from unknown and invisible to being recognised From being an employee to being a business owner From your first client to your hundredth client From freelancer to agency owner From your first nervous speaking gig to being a keynote speaker From struggling to thriving Your stories of progress, achievement and growth are your rags to riches stories. The before and after stories the stories of milestones reached the moments where something changed and you moved forwards your rags-to-riches story is about how far you've come so while the overcoming the monster stories are focused on the enemy, the obstacle, the threat what you had to face in defeat

07:23 And the audience is asking, can you do it? Can you survive this difficult situation. The Rags to Riches stories are focused on the growth and we're asking how far can a hero go? The emphasis is on the rise If you take my story for example, the one I shared in episode 1. The overcoming the monster element of my story was what was in the way of me having clients and a successful business What I had to overcome? They're not being seen Not being able to communicate my value Feeling invisible in my own group Not getting clients

08:04 And my fears around being vulnerable and sharing my story. Worrying that nobody would care, or even worse that they'd leave my group because my story was disappointing...or not interesting enough….. Or not successful enough…. They were all the things I had to face and overcome. The climax of that story was that I pressed publish anyway! I sent out a story. I overcame that monster. Everything changed And my rags to riches story is what happened next. My rise from that moment when I overcame the monster that was standing in my way, to where i am now how i went from having no clients and no clear direction to writing my book creating my programs launching this podcast and helping thousands of business owners

09:00 Of course there have been more monsters to overcome along the way, but thinking what I've done over the last 10 years someone looking in from the outside can see how far i've come. They can see what I've built they can see the opportunities I've created The people I've helped The milestones I've reached And the things I only dreamed about having ten years ago that have now become normal and that's something to think about Some of your most powerful rags to riches stories are the milestones you've stopped celebrating because they now feel normal. Number three is The Quest! The Quest is a great story plot for business owners because it's all about purpose and mission, and having a calling or starting a movement like I talked about in episode 17

09:54 The key thing with a quest story is that the hero isn't just trying to improve their own life, they're pursuing something much bigger than them. So The Lord of the Rings is a great example of the quest where the mission is to destroy the ring and everything evolves around that core mission. The Hunger Games is another example Where the mission initially is to survive, but then it becomes about something much bigger. It becomes about challenging the system and inspiring change In business, the quest stories are the stories about purpose About building something meaningful About creating a legacy Changing an industry Stories about your why

10:44 Your quest stories might be about what you want to change, what you believe. The mission you're on? Who do you want to help and why? Maybe it's about helping parents understand that their child's dyslexic diagnosis isn't something to be feared. Maybe it's about helping women in music stop proving themselves and start backing themselves. Maybe it's about helping caring highly sensitive empaths My mission is bigger than teaching, storytelling or coaching. It's about helping business owners find the stories they already have and understand how to share them in a way that creates connection with the right people builds trust and opens doors and opportunities

11:36 And the change I want to see is that brilliant and talented business owners don't feel overwhelmed from trying to do all the marketing things or doing anything that doesn't feel true to who they are. And they never have to feel salesy because they can use one of the most natural and powerful things that connects us as humans, their stories! So what quest are you on? What is your mission? What is your movement And your quest doesn't have to be global, it doesn't have to change the world. It might simply be changing the experience of one group of people helping parents feel less alone helping women feel more confident helping business owners market themselves without feeling salesy So what is the change you want to see? and why is your work so important to you? Number four is The Voyage & Return

12:39 And I really like this one because it's about how the hero leaves his normal world, goes on a journey to an unfamiliar world learns something important and comes back changed with new insight new perspective new values. Unlike the quest, The Goal isn't about completing the mission it's about the transformation that happens because of the journey It's about who they become. And we were actually talking about this inside Storytelling Mastery on one of the calls this week, it was someone who works with leaders who are looking to get a promotion and we were talking about whether she really helps them get a promotion or is it that she helps them become the person they want to be? Someone who is ready to get the promotion and everything that brings with it there's a difference

13:38 And lots of the films you know and love are not so much about where the hero goes or what they get at the end. Whether that's the love of their life, or they save the company, or the wedding, or the world... It's not really about what they do at all it's about who they become What they learn How they grow So that by the end of the film when they return home Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz is a great example of a voyage and return story. She lands in a strange world and has to follow the yellow brick road, but along the way she makes friends and faces fears and learns about courage love and belonging

14:33 And when she finally gets back home, she's changed. She sees her family through new eyes. She is reminded what is important and she realises that what she wanted and needed was already within her. Most business owners have been through some version of a voyage-and-return story Leaving a corporate career to start your own business requires you to learn so much. Suddenly there's no boss, no salary, no roadmap, no certainty... You have to learn resilience confidence self-belief and leadership It can be a journey of ups and downs but then at some point you look back and realize you've come along way! You've changed! Your are different person

15:23 I find lots of coaches have a story of leaving something behind that wasn't serving them and the journey they went on to learn who they are, what they want, what matters to them. Who do they want to become? It might be a journey of healing and self-compassion and finding meaning and purpose and a completely different perspective on what success really is And then they start a coaching business to help others navigate that same journey Running a business is an incredible journey of exploration and self-discovery. There's times you're going to feel deep in the jungle, in unfamiliar territory but you learn to find your way through

16:08 You work out how to keep taking steps forward. You stretch yourself, get out of your comfort zone leave the safety of the familiar world whatever that was and come back transformed with new clarity new direction new purpose Number five is comedy which again might sound obvious but it's not necessarily the ha-ha kind of funny In the seven basic plots, Christopher Booker says that comedy is often confusion. Misunderstandings, mistaken identities, tangled relationships, crossed wires people falling in and out of love missed opportunities chaos The key feature is that things look messy and complicated for most of the story but by the end everything comes together

17:05 In films, a good example is Mamma Mia! Right? Sophie doesn't know who her father is. Three possible fathers arrive. Nobody knows what's going on. Relationships become tangled. Secrets emerge. Everyone's confused and the audience is constantly wondering how this all gonna work out Then by the end the conflict is resolved People find connection. Relationships are repaired And everyone ends up together singing ABBA songs on a Greek island. Classic comedy structure! So, in a business context that might be stories about the launch that went wrong... The embarrassing mistake that became a lesson An awkward moment A misunderstanding Or just a time when everything went wrong But it all worked out in the end

18:02 I often talk about times when all the tech has gone wrong for me during a live launch, as it has a habit of doing. Someone even emailed me once to say they would not be joining my program because of my tech incompetence! But I actually use that story as an example of how important it is to attract people who are a good fit for you. Because some people told me that's one of the reasons they did join my program, because they loved how I handled all the tech blunders with calm and humour which showed them I was a good fit for them!

18:41 And if you listened to episode 41, you'll have heard me tell my story about the time I walked through the men's department of M&S with my left boob out on show. Not deliberately, but it is a story that people often mention when they meet me because it stuck in their mind! Those stories of messy bits and chaos just make you human and relatable – and show your personality Sometimes the stories we think are embarrassing are the very stories that make us memorable. And they're very social media friendly too, because humour creates connection fast! So think about the stories you have about times when it all felt chaotic or overwhelming... Or that it was all going wrong but then turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to you…or ended up with a new client People can enjoy the chaos because they know you're going to survive

19:42 Number six is Tragedy. And tragedy is an interesting one, it's really about a downfall caused by flaws, denial, a blind spot, obsession or failure to change and of course those stories can be powerful in business when used carefully the story of the burnout ignoring warning signs chasing success at the expense of your health Losing sight of your values or yourself. Building a business that looks successful but doesn't make you feel good These can be powerful, cautionary stories that create emotional depth and honesty about the lessons learnt Think of the Titanic It's not about the iceberg it is about the arrogance Believing the ship was unsinkable Ignoring the warnings

20:41 The tragedy comes from the fact that disaster could potentially have been avoided. So when we think about tragedy stories in business, it's rarely something bad happened – it's more often I couldn't see what was happening! Maybe you thought success meant working harder? Longer hours, more pressure, less sleep, less joy… Or if you work with people pleasers, your story might be about how you or your client spent years saying yes to everyone avoiding conflict trying to make everyone happy but in the process slowly losing your sense of who you are and why you matter. The tragedy isn't that you're a people pleaser it's that you've lost yourself

21:32 Lots of people have the story of having a successful corporate career, spending years climbing the ladder only to realise that it was leaning against the wrong wall. Where tragedy stories are powerful are when they allow your audience to learn from your mistakes without having to make them themselves If you've ever thought I wish someone had told me that, or I wish someone had warned me about that. You probably have a tragedy story worth sharing whether it's ignoring red flags in clients undercharging for years building an offer without checking people wanted it or chasing vanity metrics you know getting obsessed with how many likes you get those are all relatable business tragedies

22:23 But you do have to be careful if you're telling that type of story. You want to make sure you don't come across as a victim, or that you're dumping, or that you're treating it like a therapy session. You want to share the story of how you realised something had to change and that it doesn't have to be that way – there is another way, a better way! You wanna give people hope which takes us nicely to number 7 which is Rebirth The rebirth stories create hope. If you're telling a story of burnout or divorce or redundancy, or some kind of failure... You want to follow that with what it taught you What it enabled you to do? What you learned? What became possible? Rebirth is about the transformation after the darkness It's about the healing

23:23 The Reinvention Confidence being regained Purpose being rediscovered The Hero becoming who they were meant to be all along A lot of the stories you know are about a character undergoing a profound transformation and becoming someone new. Think about A Christmas Carol, The Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King or Stories of Rebirth So your stories might be about losing touch with who you really are, then rediscovering yourself or becoming the person you were always capable of being. Stories of rebirth connect emotionally because humans have been wired to recognize them for thousands of years

24:14 It's those stories of finding your confidence, reinventing yourself, recovering from burnout. Finally believing in yourself! And you might be thinking that sounds a lot like the Voyage and Return storyline because in both stories the character changes they learn they grow they gain new insight and perspective But the key difference is in a voyage and return story, the transformation happens because of the journey. The character leaves the familiar world enters an unfamiliar one experiences challenges learns lessons and comes back changed. The focus is on the journey itself and what it taught them

25:00 Rebirth is different. Rebirth is about a deeper, personal transformation It's about shedding an old identity and stepping into a new one It's about letting go of old beliefs, old stories and old ways of being And becoming someone new Or perhaps becoming who you were always meant to be So while Voyage & Return Stories asks, what did the journey teach you? Rebirth Stories ask who have you become. The transformation isn't just that they've been on a journey it's that they are fundamentally different because of it and these stories are incredibly powerful because they're often the stories your clients are buying into They're not buying a course They're not buying coaching They're not buying strategy

25:53 They're buying into the person they hope to become. So, what story ideas has this sparked for you? And what stories that you already tell do you now recognise? Is it overcoming the monster – I beat something! Is it rags-to-riches – I achieved something The quest – I'm on a mission Voyage and return – I discovered something Comedy It was chaos but it all worked out in the end. Tragedy, I ignored something or rebirth, I became someone new and of course it can be more than one! There are definitely elements of overcoming the monster in my story as I mentioned earlier and rags to riches a quest because I have a mission and of rebirth

26:53 The rebirth of me that was sat at my kitchen table, crying into my glass of wine. Telling my husband my business wasn't a business That me was frustrated not feeling seen or heard Doubting myself wondering if I had what it takes to run a business Throwing money at websites and marketing agencies because nothing was working I thought i needed better marketing more people A better website I thought i had to throw money at the problem but what i actually needed was to tell my story. To become someone who was prepared to show up, be visible feel vulnerable put myself out there, be honest, be open show up as me, show people who i am and the day i did that everything changed not just my business but me as a person

27:52 So, once you start to see your stories in this way and recognise the patterns that come up. You'll start to get a better understanding of your most powerful stories The ones that are going to land and connect with people deeply And you'll probably realise that some of the stories that you've been thinking are not interesting enough or not significant are actually following the same pattern as some of the world's most loved books and films. I hope this episode has inspired you to share more of them! So, as always before i go let me give you a quick action step that you can go away and do here is your action step for today think about a challenge you've overcome in your business and then ask yourself Is that story about defeating something?

28:52 Or achieving something. Or discovering something, or becoming someone new. Exploring that might completely change how you tell the story! And remember – You do not need dramatic Hollywood stories The seven basic story plots aren't just found in blockbuster movies They're hidden in the stories you're already living and sharing every day So that's your action step for today. Think about a challenge you've overcome in your business and use one of the seven basic story plots I've talked you through in this episode to share it because that will help your audience see themselves in it, and I'll see you next time for more stories that do the selling for you so you don't have to!

29:45 Thank you so much for being here. I love that we get to do this together! Would you do me a huge favour and please rate, review and follow this podcast in Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts? And i'll see you next time for more honest conversations meaningful connections and of course stories