Storyworthy Summary (C12): But & Therefore

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There’s a right way to connect sentences when telling a story, and there’s a wrong way.

I just used the wrong way.

When you connect sentences, paragraphs, and scenes together with the word “and,” it makes for a terrible story.

So what should you use instead?

The words “but” and “therefore”, and all their synonyms, are the best connectors in a story.

Some synonyms include: even though, however, when (not the question form), and others.

Also, they don’t even have to appear. Often, the “but” and “therefore” can be implied.

The problem with using “and” is that it is forward moving. It never changes direction, which makes it predictable.

The words “but” and “therefore” on the other hand, signal a change in direction.

• We did this, and therefore this new thing happened.
• We were doing one thing, but then we had to do another.

This one change from using “and” to “but” & “therefore” will improve all your stories almost instantly.

The sentences, paragraphs, and scenes in your story should work against each other.

They should oppose the previous sentence (it was this, but now it’s this) or compile the previous sentences into a new idea (this plus this equals this).

Doing this makes the story feel as if it’s constantly going someplace new, even when the events are predictable.

Consider the following:

1. I’ve hated eggs ever since I was a child, but as much as I disliked them, we ate omelets for dinner at least once a week.

2. I’ve hated eggs ever since I was a child. I still had to eat them every week.

The first one feels much better because it zigs and zags.

When you are compiling your story, it’s common to get ‘stuck’ on how to connect scenes.

All you need to do to get unstuck is look for the “but” or “therefore.”

This is exactly how the legendary creators of South Park also connect their scenes. In fact, if the words “and then” can be placed between any two scenes, they discard it.

In storytelling, it’s almost always better to use the negative as opposed to the positive. In other words, say what something or someone isn’t as opposed to what something or someone is.

Compare the following two sentences:

1. I am weak and stupid.

2. I am not strong or very smart.

The second sentence sounds better because it contains a hidden “but.” When you present something in the negative, it presupposes the positive in the listener's mind (I am something, but I am not strong or very smart). When you say the positive, that’s all it presents.

This may seem very subjective, and it is, but that’s just how the human mind processes it.

The negative sounds better most of the time, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use positive statements.

For example, a short, positive statement at the end of a paragraph can be used as a punchy summary.

Another good time to use the positive is to answer questions in a simple manner. A question like “Who is Jessica?” is better answered with “my ex-girlfriend” as opposed to “she was once my girlfriend.”

Remember the dinner test: a statement like “she was once my girlfriend” is not something most people would say to their friends over a glass of wine.

Read the next chapter here.

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