Sweet Brown: The Best Story-Teller of 2012

Since last May, more than a million people have watched Oklahoma City's Sweet Brown tell the story of her narrow escape from a burning building. The first time a friend sent it to me, I must have watched it five times in a row.

Because I'm a total nerd (and because I studied such esoteric things in grad school), I wondered what exactly was so engaging about this video. Here's what I decided: Sweet Brown is, quite simply, a gifted story teller.

If you haven't seen Sweet Brown and can invest two minutes, click on the box below. You can stop after the first two minutes or keep watching for a mix-down of her statement (which will stick in your head all day).

Sure, her teenage son walking back and forth behind her is share-worthy itself. But pay attention to the elements of her story-telling:

• Her story had a beginning, a middle and an end.
• She was passionate about her subject!
• You were able to visualize her experience and understood what problem needed fixing.
• Her emotions evolved throughout the course of the story - from the mundane, to the confused, to the panicked and, finally, the relieved (and slightly exasperated). 
• She had a memorable hook: "Ain't nobody got time for that!"
• She did all this in about 90 seconds!

The next time you sit down to write, watch Sweet Brown again. Can you use some of those elements in your writing?  If you do, I'll bet your reader will enjoy it more!