Line of Sight

Want a quick way to measure the impact of your story? Check the horizon. Where is your hero heading at the close of your story? Good stories never really end; they are temporal, with a past, a present, and a future. Maybe your hero has moved from disease to health, illiterate to educated, or poverty to plenty. In any case, there is always a bright, new future ahead. (Unless, of course, you’re writing a tragedy, but if you’re in marketing that’s a lousy way to put your best foot forward.) For a high-impact story, create the marketing version of “happily ever after”: the promise of something more. Yes, your conclusion will help tie the story together, but it also serves to paint a new beginning. Make it impressive.