The seven elements of digital storytelling helps to visually capture a story through more means than one. As a television journalist, I often find myself conforming to one type of media with that being broadcast, but as the web has grown, the need for digital storytelling through online journalism will benefit me as a multimedia journalist of the 21st century. Below, is a description of the seven story elements along with ways to successfully use them for online writing:
1. Point of View: The stories we tell are very important and with that the stories should also make a justified point. If a point in your story does not occur, it is really hard to follow along and viewers/readers will quickly lose interest. Consider your audience when you tell your story.
2. Dramatic Question: This question can make or break a story. It discusses the question that will hopefully grab your reader from the beginning of the story all the way to the end. You want to engulf the reader so that they are practically begging for the answer! You want to make this question very engaging and relatable to your audience/viewers so that they will not just look at your story and keep it moving. Make it juicy without overbearing it because it could possibly turn the reader off and they might get defended by it.
3. Emotional Content: This element kind of goes hand in hand with the dramatic question because within your story there should be some type of emotional, humanizing element that will keep the reader hooked until the end. A good example of this would be if you were covering a fire and you told the story of the woman’s whose firefighter husband died in the house trying to save the life of a young child. You always want to find the human element in your story and aim for the heart of the viewer/listener.
4. Your Voice: Your voice is one of your most powerful weapons in storytelling. How you tell the story sets the tone for the entire piece. Be familiar with your voice and also the voices you use from your interviews for the story.
5. Sound Track: This is the music or sound effects used to tell your story. The best time to use these for online stories would be in slideshows because it makes the photos or video that you upload come alive. It is very effective if its used properly.
6. Economy: To describe the key points in your story, using video or still clips can really grab the viewer. But do not make them too long and drawn out because viewers online are not interested in looking at a story for too long; they normally just scan. Keep them short and sweet and to the point.
7. Pacing: Always make sure the story is paced well. If its too long you might bore your audience, but if its too fast you have a chance of losing your audience in the madness. Keep it at a pace that you can imagine yourself looking at it if you were viewing it on the web. This will help get a feel on how others perceive your story.
