Dan Roam

Forget what your presentation is about. Nobody cares. Instead, what is the STORY that your presentation wants to tell? Everybody cares. The Pop-up Pitch: The Two-Hour Creative Sprint to the Most Persuasive Presentation of Your Life amazon.com/dp/1541774515/…

I just backed Info We Trust, a data-graphics book on @Kickstarter kickstarter.com/projects/visio… If you like data visualization, history, and causes worth supporting, this is a good one. @infowetrust

@nathanbaugh27 JK Rowling created the Harry Potter books in a similar visual way, as did JRR Tolkien with Fellowship of the Ring. Jack Kerouac drew a mandala for “On the Road.” Visual structures are the core language of world building. Words are then used to narrate the journey through.

Christopher Nolan doesn’t write detailed outlines. Instead, he “draws shapes and diagrams and other structural things” to keep the story on track. Like this, the plot map Nolan used for Inception. Let me explain... In storytelling, the idea of structure is everywhere: • 3 Act • StoryGrid • Hero’s Journey But Nolan claims those restrict his creativity. He prefers to think in ‘shapes’ rather than in hard rules. It reminds me of Kurt Vonnegut, who taught about the “shapes of stories” at Harvard. Kurt broke down all stories into 8 unique shapes. The engineer in me loves this view of stories. Instead of vague, hard-to-explain ideas, narrative arcs become data points you can plot. Nolan’s plot map resembles Vonnegut’s “Man In Hole” story shape. The main character gets into trouble then gets out of it again and ends up better off for the experience. But Nolan’s a genius — so he layers on even more. *** As Cobb moves closer to Limbo, he travels “down” the plot map, closer and closer to disaster. Then he fights his way back “up” to reality. Nolan’s plot map isn’t just the shape of his story, It’s also how he designed the world — dreams within dreams. *** Inception is one of the most complex mainstream movies ever, runs 2.5 hours, and made ~$835M at the box office. Yet Christopher Nolan fits the entire arc on a one page map. That’s brilliant. So, next time you tell a story, give the "shape" idea a try. It may come more naturally than you expect.

@markianrubin @fasc1nate Fantastic! I love the "Schoolhouse Rock" sound of Life is Lucky. (It sure is.)

@fasc1nate Life is Lucky! It combines the spacey vibes of Carl Sagan with Buckminster Fuller's optimism for a better future. Also, it uses a Dr. Seuss rhyming scheme and is set to a harmony that is reminiscent of the Schoolhouse Rock series from the early 1970s.

What song do you think is 10/10, but hardly anyone has heard of it?

Becoming an author changed my life over and over again. The same is true for the many others who have joined me to write their books. Consider it.

Take this time to sharpen your edge. Consider writing your book. In a world of more noise than signal, nothing cuts through like being an author. There is no better way to differentiate yourself as a professional in the market. And there is no better time than now.

Do you know the perfect time to learn a new skill? It is not when everything is going fantastic! But, actually when there is a downturn in the market.

So @Newsweek wrote this article that San Francisco is dead. It's not a bad article; it's well-researched, avoids the usual political nonsense, and feels like a pretty balanced views on the realities here. Still, remember this from 2.5 years ago: linkedin.com/pulse/san-fran…

@PIVOT_inc_ Thank you Pivot! It was great to share VISUAL STORYTELLING with your Japanese audience. From Hokusai to Miyazaki, from manga to model-building, Japan is a world leader in visual story culture; I loved every minute I got to spent in Tokyo.

プレゼンは感情のアップダウンを意識した10ステップで作る。 アメリカのビジネスパーソンが絶賛するダン・ローム氏のプレゼン術。 スピルバーグ氏ら映画監督の技法にもみられる、聴衆の心を掴むコツとは何か。 ストーリー構成から発表までを学びる映像です。

Learn instant visual-persuasion skills: 1-day event in Washington DC July 20  zc.vg/6uwyQ

Visual storytelling builds understanding and brings people together.  zc.vg/jI5pA

🎉 The 2nd episode of @stateoftokyo's new season has landed! ✨ Discover the awe-inspiring art residency & exhibition of @dan_roam & @DushkaAmateur at @almostperfectjp. Join them on a journey through "Flight and other implausible dreams"! 🕊️🌟 🔗 stateoftokyo.com/stories/dan-ro…

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Get ready to be transported back to Japan's earliest flying dreamers and pioneers! This is a one-of-a-kind art exhibition in Tokyo, featuring the stunning creations of my talented friends @dan_roam and @DushkaAmateur. Congrats! 🎉stateoftokyo.com/stories/dan-ro…

Visual storytelling: a diorama #aviation #flight #visualstorytelling #danroam instagram.com/reel/CqM-1hFAJ…

Save the date! linkedin.com/posts/dushka_h…

To sell more, tell a better story.  zc.vg/UAJ7h

Don't fear the storytelling robot.  See why on NapkinAcademy.com Tuesday. zc.vg/6sAeF