5 Essential Storytelling Frameworks for the Age of AI
A Guide To Mastering Human-Centric Skills, From The 3-Act Structure To The STORYTAP Framework, That Agentic AI Cannot Replicate.
“The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers.”
They are here.
They are everywhere.
They are the new humans.
They are the new air.
The new heirs.
Who are they?
They are AI (Artificial Intelligence) agents, the next evolution of AI. Welcome to the next age of Agentic AI:
“The way humans interact and collaborate with AI is taking a dramatic leap forward with agentic AI. Think: AI-powered agents that can plan your next trip overseas and make all the travel arrangements; humanlike bots that act as virtual caregivers for the elderly; or AI-powered supply-chain specialists that can optimize inventories on the fly in response to fluctuations in real-time demand. These are just some of the possibilities opened up by the coming era of agentic AI.”
Source: What Is Agentic AI, and How Will It Change Work?
How can you shine in the rise of Agentic AI?
That question is the cornerstone of what it will mean to be human in the near future.
One answer I have been hearing a lot is: tell your story, your human story.
Then you face another challenge: there are so many storytelling frameworks. Here you are with so many options that you don’t know where to start.
I got you covered.
I will not just share another list. I will share a path. We’ll build your storytelling skills from the ground up, moving from the atomic unit of a story to a master-level framework.
That is your new gym. These are your new reps.
But there is a catch. The best stories are the ones you have lived while other people were busy outsourcing their lives to AI.
0. Prologue: The Three Questions
No matter which framework you use, always start by asking these three questions:
What do I want my audience to know?
What do I want my audience to feel?
What do I want my audience to do?
Now that we have addressed the elephant in the room, I invite you to join me for the main course.
1. The Atom: C3 (Context, Conflict, Climax)
That is the atomic structure of a story. It is better than the basic “beginning, middle, and end” because it forces you to have a point.
Context: Describe the situation. Where and when are we? That sets the universe of your story.
Conflict: Every story needs conflict. Define the obstacle, the problem, or the tension your story addresses.
Climax: You have set the stage and introduced a challenge. The climax is when you resolve the tension and share the outcome.
Example:
For sale (Context).
Baby shoes (The subject, which introduces tension).
Never worn (The Climax, which resolves the story by revealing an unspoken tragedy).
2. The Building Block: The CART Framework
You tell a story to an audience to share a lesson. The CART framework builds on C3 by adding an explicit purpose.
Context: Bring us directly into the world of your story. Jump right into the action.
Adversity: There is no story without adversity. That can be internal (a personal need), external (a desire), or environmental (a force of nature).
Resolution: Share the journey to the resolution. How did the hero overcome adversity? What new skill or insight was gained?
Takeaway: This is the payoff for your audience—the lesson, the moral, the point. It’s why you told the story.
Example:
Context: My company rolled out a new AI, and everyone, including me, started using it to write our weekly reports.
Adversity: A month later, my boss asked me a complex “why” question about my report. I stared blankly. The AI wrote it; I couldn’t explain the core reasoning. I had outsourced my own thinking.
Resolution: From that day, I stopped using AI to replace me. I started using it as a research assistant. I made it debate me, find my blind spots, and then I wrote the final report.
Takeaway: AI is not a magic wand. It’s a tool that must be used to augment our intelligence, not replace it.
3. The Hook: The SPARK Framework
The SPARK framework takes CART and adds a crucial element for the modern world: attention. If you don’t hook people in the first seconds, they are gone.
Story: Humans are wired for stories. The first seconds of your talk, article, or video must be a hook. Use a short story (like a C3 or CART) to introduce your main point.
Problem: Clearly identify what you are trying to address.
Actions: These are the practical steps your hero takes to solve the problem.
Resolve: Share the solution and give your audience one actionable step.
Knockout: Your last impression is your lasting impression. Aim to knock out your audience with a lasting impact: another story, an inspirational quote, or a thought-provoking question.
Example:
Story: Here I am sitting in front of my computer. Are you not going home, Mad? Asked my boss as she was clocking out. Yes, I know, I replied. But I need to get ready for my project steering tomorrow. Don’t forget what the doctor told you last week: you need to take care of your mental health, she replied before turning off the light in her office.
Problem: I joined my dream company a year ago. There are only four people in the team now. One colleague has been on sick leave for six months. And her workload has been redistributed among us. As the junior of the team, I always accept every assignment that my other colleagues don’t want to take. And yes, the doctor told me I have every sign of burnout. I need to act now if I don’t want to finish like Carla.
Actions: “This is my last slide. What is your final assessment? I asked the steering committee. It is a no-go for us, Mad; your project has a lot of potential, but we don’t see the value you bring to the organisation, said the chair of the committee. I felt my heart racing, pounding like it was suffocating me. My legs started to crumble. I gripped the mic stand. My boss joined me and said, “Mad has been taking a lot on for the team without Carl, our senior expert on the subject.” We appreciate your time, and we will schedule a follow-up meeting. The day after, in my boss’s office, she handed me a book. The title? Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. Taking action from that book changed my life.
Resolve: Without that book, without taking action, I would be in a very dark place right now. Literally. Six feet under! If there is one thing I want you to take away, it is that there is more to life than wealth without health.
Knockout: I will leave you with a quote from Ryan Holiday that has helped me get through those dark nights: “The more things we desire and the more we have to do to earn or attain those achievements, the less we actually enjoy our lives — and the less free we are.”And one last question: Are you investing in the right wealth?Thank you
4. The Narrative Arc: The SETTSE Framework
The SETTSE framework elevates SPARK to new heights. I learned this in my improv comedy classes. It is a condensed, user-friendly version of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, perfect for longer, more developed narratives.
Situation: Your hero in their typical environment.
Event: BAM! An event forces them to leave their ordinary world on a quest.
Trigger one: Your hero meets a first trial and fails miserably. They aren’t ready.
Trigger two: Facing a second trial, they are now better equipped and they triumph.
Success: Your hero returns to their ordinary world with their new success (an insight, a skill, a relationship).
Epilogue: Your hero is back in their ordinary world, but they are changed. Fresh. (Like the Prince of Bel Air... until he slapped Chris Rock. #NotSoFreshAnymore)
Example:
Take (almost) every romantic comedy movie.
Situation: The successful woman living in a big city. She has everything... except love.
Event: It’s Christmas. She returns to her small hometown and meets an old friend or a new love interest.
Trigger one: It’s a match! But it fails (cheating, societal norms, a misunderstanding).
Trigger two: They are miserable apart. They decide to give it a second chance. And Bam! A match again.
Success: They get married.
Epilogue: They live happily ever after... until next Christmas. Because there is no happy ending!
5. The Master Framework: STORYTAP
This framework is my own creation. I took the ingredients from Dan Harmon’s story circle and mixed them with the “But/Therefore” logic from the South Park creators. This is the final rep in our workout.
S as Set the stage, But
T as Trigger a need, Therefore
O as Offer a solution, But
R as Reveal obstacles, Therefore
Y(I) as Illuminate the path, Therefore
T as Transformation, But
A as Action (call to), Therefore
P as imPact
I have a dedicated newsletter on Substack discussing the STORYTAP framework. Check it out if you want to elevate your storytelling to the next level and become a better public speaker.
Final Thoughts
Humans are wired for stories.
This progression gives you a tool for every occasion.
C3: The Atom
CART: The Building Block
SPARK: The Hook
SETTSE: The Narrative Arc
STORYTAP: The Master Framework
Here is a bonus framework: the CCTV.
It is like the CART framework, but easier to remember (thanks to 1984 from George Orwell).
C as Context
C as Conflict
T as Transformation
V as Value: the lesson from your story for your audience.
Using a proven structure gives you a solid foundation for your storytelling house. Follow me if you want to continue building the walls, the roof, and up to sitting comfortably on your couch.
Storytelling is an art, and you only master it by doing your reps.
Take every opportunity in life to use one of these frameworks.
Tell your story, now.
And yes, you can use AI as a tool to help you do your reps, but not do them for you. Relying solely on AI will slowly kill the creative being inside you. AI must stand for Augmented Intelligence.
That is the real AI.
Open your eyes, not just OpenAI.
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You can read my previous article (Substack):