How to achieve excellence in storytelling

Excellence in storytelling refers to your subject matter as well as how your story is told. Here’s why good enough is never enough, and how to make sure your story truly cuts through. By Dr Erin O’Dwyer I recently went to see an iconic Australian rock star in performance. He’s a songwriting genius. His stage […]
How to anchor your story to something bigger

Every great story lives inside a larger frame – culture, ideology, religion, class. When you anchor your story with a bigger societal issue, it stops being one person’s viewpoint and starts creating real, lasting impact. Here’s how one film did it – and how you can too. By Dr Erin O’Dwyer When Kramer vs. Kramer […]
12 lessons in narrative strategy for leaders

It’s a classic love story and a deeply political film – but watching Casablanca for the first time, I saw something else: a masterclass in the principles of storytelling and how to craft a leadership narrative. By Dr Erin O’Dwyer Earlier this month I sat down to watch Casablanca – the 1942 black and white […]
Why telling your story matters – even if no-one is listening

What the final season of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ teaches us about storytelling, voice and the power of writing for someone – even if you don’t know who. By Dr Erin O’Dwyer A million years ago, or so it seems, I did a PhD in English literature. One of my core texts was The Handmaid’s Tale […]
How to write a powerful memoir

A book-length memoir isn’t just a chronological retelling of events — it’s about crafting a story with meaning. By Dr Erin O’Dwyer Recently I worked with a first-time memoirist writing about her distinguished military career. Her draft manuscript had sharp prose, good stories and insightful reflections. But as we worked on shaping it into a […]
How to write addictive TV screenplays

What a Spanish heist series teaches us about tension, timing and why every great story needs a laugh. By Dr Erin O’Dwyer Every now and then, a piece of screen storytelling grabs me by the collar and doesn’t let go. These series are riveting, refreshing and entirely consuming. In the past, I’ve raved to everyone […]
How to shape charismatic characters in storytelling

Demi Moore’s The Substance taps into the zeitgeist – and shows why even the strongest characters need structural support. By Dr Erin O’Dwyer It’s funny how certain films seem to arrive right on time. They don’t create a cultural conversation – they crack it wide open. Right now, the conversation is about women and ageing. About reinvention, […]
What The Last Showgirl gets right (and wrong) about storytelling

Pamela Anderson shines in The Last Showgirl – but the story can’t keep up. By Dr Erin O’Dwyer Some films have everything going for them: a star making a bold return, a directorial legacy, a subject that taps the cultural moment. The Last Showgirl should have been one of those films. Directed by Gia Coppola – granddaughter of Francis Ford, niece […]
Who is my audience? Or, why Bob Hawke can’t say no to a Patio

A beer truck, a retro ad and a former PM – a case study in the risks of getting your storytelling tone wrong. By Dr Erin O’Dwyer I was stuck in traffic behind a truck recently. On the back, a bold ad for Hawke’s Patio Pale – complete with a bronzed Aussie bloke in budgie smugglers […]
How to structure storytelling

What two films about the papacy reveal about theme and throughline – and the power of tight storytelling, writes Dr Erin O’Dwyer In 2005, white smoke drifted above St Peter’s Square. After the death of Pope John Paul II, German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger emerged as Pope Benedict XVI – a shock result to some, a […]