Storyline for complex contents

Communicate content clearly, understandably, and convincingly

For thousands of years, people have been embedding complex content in stories and sagas. The structure and emotional component of stories help the audience understand the information and context better, and remember it! 

A good story hooks the audience and gets them excited about the protagonists, the challenges, and the topic. The audience cannot escape.

At its core, a story consists of three elements:

• A starting situation,

• the challenge and

• the solution to it.

Authors and speakers, of course, skillfully embellish these basic elements.

In preparation for our meeting, please prepare a topic or project you are working on in your research. For this purpose, please use the SCQA structure, which I will introduce here.

SCQA Structure // Storyline for Complex Topics

The simple SCQA structure is based on the elements mentioned above. It is a condensed storyline template developed by Barbara Minto, especially for factual topics. It consists of the following four elements:

• Situation - What is the initial situation? A situation that represents the topic. What is the specific issue?

• Complication - What is the challenge or the specific problem you are working on?

• Question - What is the one question that needs to be solved to get the problem out of the way?

• Answer - What is the solution to the problem? What is the answer to the question?

The beginning of each story describes an initial situation, one that is easy for the audience to imagine and understand. This presentation engages your listeners and readers. This creates a basis for the next steps you want to take with your audience.

Then develop the storyline by explaining any complications or difficulties. Show why the issue is relevant. The complication then always follows or arises from the situation. This step also builds tension or curiosity in the audience. They should want to read or listen. They should expect your answer with suspense.

Before you solve the complication - your concrete problem - formulate clearly and unambiguously the question you are answering with your work. There should necessarily be only one question so as not to overload the story. Usually, the question is: How can you solve the challenge?

Then you can formulate your answer.

SCQA structure // An example

Watch the following video and try to answer the following questions:

What is the initial situation?

What is the specific challenge or complication?

It's less about the presentation's content and more about its structure. Afterward, I present my analysis of the presentation using the SCQA structure.

SCQA // How to Have a Good Conversation

by Celest Headlee TEDx Talk published on 07th May 2015.

Situation:

Conversations on Facebook are becoming more and more problematic (questions to the audience).

We avoid conversations on Facebook that lead to arguments and discussion and therefore even "unfriend" people.

Discussions quickly turn into unresolvable conflicts and disputes.

Complication:

The topics for argument-free conversations have greatly reduced.

A study of 10,000 Americans showed that society is currently more polarized and divided than ever before. Compromise is rarer.

Technological advances are part of the problem: People text or message more than talk to each other in person.

Communication skills are not taught in schools. Children communicate only digitally.

Question

But, is there a more important skill in the 21st century than having a coherent, confident conversation?

Answer

No! That's why we need to hone our skills to have good conversations.

Here are 10 rules on how to talk and listen properly:

....

I hope this example has given you an initial idea of how to structure an SCQA. Now try to structure your own topic into these four elements. Formulate only the most important aspects - it does not have to be a long, comprehensive text. You don't have to elaborate your answer completely, e.g. if your research is not finished yet.

Here you will find a template that you can use to create your first SCQA.

SCQA Vorlage

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch.