Telling a Story

A tech entrepreneur uses screenwriting lessons to craft a powerful TED Talk.

Since 2002 when I took up teaching, I have taught — quite literally — thousands of people. One thing I often stress in my classes as we delve into writing theory: You can use these principles to craft stories beyond the scope of movies or television.

Case in point: Jeff Kirschner lives in the Bay Area of California and is a successful tech entrepreneur, educator, and writer. It was in this last context our paths intersected perhaps 10 years ago when Jeff took a couple of my online classes to work on a feature-length screenplay. Over the years, Jeff and I have stayed in touch, and I think it’s fair to say we have become friends.

Recently Jeff emailed me a link to this:

Yes, that’s a TED Talk and a damn fine one. In a mere six minutes, Jeff tells a compelling story about his latest project called Litterati. Here’s how he begins his talk:

This story starts with these two [photo] — my kids. We were hiking in the Oakland woods when my daughter noticed a plastic tub of cat litter in a creek. She looked at me and said, “Daddy? That doesn’t go there.”

When she said that, it reminded me of summer camp. On the morning of visiting day, right before they’d let our anxious parents come barreling through the gates, our camp director would say, “Quick! Everyone pick up five pieces of litter.” You get a couple hundred kids each picking up five pieces, and pretty soon, you’ve got a much cleaner camp. So I thought, why not apply that crowdsourced cleanup model to the entire planet? And that was the inspiration for Litterati. The vision is to create a litter-free world.

In a mere 130 words, Jeff creates an Opening Incident and a Call To Adventure. He grounds the story in the Personal — he and his children out for a walk — and the Relatable — summer camp! — then ends with a question: How can we make this world a cleaner place? Answer: Litterati. And off Jeff goes into a seamless, inspirational pitch about how each of us can do something very simple to help make our Earth a better place in which to live.

Watch the video. It’s not only a great story, it’s a testament to how we as storytellers and writers can bring our skill-set to bear in a myriad of ways.

And it’s working! You can download the Litterati app onto your phone and join the effort. Since its launch, people around the world have photographed, tagged, and disposed of 376,910 items. It even has its own movie-worthy tagline: Litterati — Crowdsource Cleaning the Planet.

So two takeaways. First, watch the video, download the app onto your phone, and join the Litterati effort.

Second, look for ancillary opportunities to use your skills as a writer. Yes, selling a movie spec script or original TV pilot script may be your ultimate goal. But stories can impact people in countless ways and multiple formats. Use your unique abilities and voice to tell stories whenever and wherever the inspiration, opportunity, and need arises.

Such as taking a walk with your kids and spotting some litter…

To learn more about Litterati, go here.