Great stories do more than just speak truth – they remind us that something bigger is always moving beneath the surface, writes Dr Erin O’Dwyer
I recently saw ‘My Father’s Shadow’ — the first Nigerian film ever selected for Cannes’ Official Selection, and winner of a Special Mention for the Caméra d’Or.
In the opening scenes, a turtle ambles across the screen: slow, symbolic and full of promise. That’s magic in storytelling.
Something otherworldly
The metaphor isn’t picked up again in Akinola Davies Jr’s directorial debut. But the feeling lingers – that sense that something otherworldly is moving just beneath the surface.
Magic in storytelling doesn’t have to mean fantasy or supernatural twists. It’s any moment that transcends realism – a spiritual touch, a symbol that lingers, a glimpse of the extraordinary. It hooks us in, and makes us pay attention. It reminds us there’s more at stake than what’s on the page, screen, pod or page.
Magic in storytelling reminds us there’s more at stake.
Why magic in storytelling matters
Not every story needs a magical element. But when it’s there, you feel it and you remember it. It turns an ordinary story into something extraordinary. And it’s the thing that audiences remember as they are walking out the door.
Question for storytellers
Whatever project you are working on, pause to notice how moments of magic work. What do they do, how do they surprise you, and why do they linger in your memory?
Ask yourself: What’s a moment of magic in a story you’ve never forgotten? And when you look at your own work, where might that magic be waiting to show itself?
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