Let’s be honest—there’s a lot of noise out there. Everyone has a camera, everyone has a message, and everyone thinks they’re a storyteller. But if you’ve ever watched a video that made you forget to check your phone, you know there’s a big difference between content and story.

That’s where the Muse Storytelling framework comes in. It’s not magic, and it’s not a gimmick. It’s just good structure, built on emotional truth—and if you’re writing scripts for video production of any kind, it’s an incredibly useful way to make people care.

As professional videographers, we've learned a lot from the Muse team, although we like to combine their approach with other proven storytelling frameworks (the hero's journey, and so on). 

Actually if you want a great introduction to storytelling, I highly recommend reading Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks - it's highly entertaining, emotional and you'll learn loads!

Here are 10 techniques you can use right away to bring your next video script to life—with a little less blah and a lot more oomph.

1. Give Us Someone to Care About

Every good story needs a human heartbeat. That doesn’t mean your character needs to be perfect—it means we need to understand them. The Muse method zeroes in on three things your character must have:

  • Desire: What do they really want?
  • Uniqueness: What makes them unlike anyone else?
  • Motivation: Why does this matter to them?

Don’t explain your characters. Show us their decisions. Let us see their flaws. Audiences don’t connect with cardboard cutouts. They connect with people who are real, messy, and in motion.

2. Make Their Desire Crystal Clear

Wanting “success” or “happiness” is too vague. We need something concrete to hold onto. “She wants to qualify for the Olympic trials” or “He wants his daughter back” gives us something to root for—and something to fear losing.

Without clear desire, you’re just describing a situation. With it, you’ve got a story.

3. Introduce Conflict (The Sooner, the Better)

Stories need friction. A goal without an obstacle is just a to-do list. The most compelling scripts introduce conflict early—and make sure it’s deeply personal.

External challenges are great (a storm, a system, a deadline), but don’t ignore the inner stuff: guilt, shame, fear of failure. That’s where the real stakes live.

4. Build Tension with Peaks and Valleys

Muse calls these the “3 Ws”: Wins, Wipeouts, and Wild Moments.

  • Wins give us hope.
  • Wipeouts give us pain.
  • Wilds surprise us and keep things unpredictable.

A good script isn’t a straight line. It’s a rollercoaster. And if the track’s too smooth, your audience won’t hang on for the ride.

5. Know Why You’re Telling This Story

This is the bit most people skip. What’s your point? What do you want people to feel or do after they’ve watched?

Your purpose should guide everything - dialogue, structure, music, resolution. Otherwise, you’re just meandering toward a “meh.”

6. Hook Us Early

Don’t spend your first 30 seconds clearing your throat. Grab us.

Start mid-crisis. Ask a provocative question. Show an image we can’t ignore. Think of your opening like a handshake—make it firm, confident, and interesting enough that we want to stay in the conversation.

7. Create a World We Can Step Into

Setting is more than scenery. It’s a reflection of the character’s emotional landscape.

Muse suggests layering your locations with:

  • Environment: What’s the space like?
  • Objects: What details carry meaning?
  • Time: What moment are we in—historically or emotionally?
  • Situation: What’s unfolding right now?

The right place can do a lot of heavy lifting. A quiet diner. A burned-out church. A child’s bedroom with half-packed boxes. You get the idea.

8. Use Callbacks and Circular Structure

Ever noticed how your favourite stories often end where they began?

This trick gives the audience a sense of completion - even if everything’s changed. Reintroduce a line, an image, or a place from the beginning, and let us see it differently now.

It’s not just structure. It’s satisfaction.

9. Show, Don’t Say (Yes, Still True)

This is old advice, but only because it works.

Don’t tell us “She was nervous.” Show her checking her phone for the tenth time. Let us see the subtext—through action, through setting, through rhythm and pacing.

If you can say it with a look or a gesture instead of dialogue, do it. Give your audience credit. Let them feel smart for noticing.

10. Be Honest—Emotionally

Perfection is boring. Vulnerability is magnetic.

Let your characters cry, fail, doubt, change their minds. Let them be angry for the wrong reasons. Let them make bad decisions with good intentions. That’s what humans do.

And the best storytelling? It shows us ourselves - flaws and all - without judgment.

Why This All Matters

Good storytelling isn’t about tricks or tropes. It’s about connection. It’s about getting someone - somewhere in the world - to feel something real.

The Muse framework gives freelance videographers and video production agencies a roadmap. But it’s still your voice, your choices, your script. The goal isn’t just to inform or impress. It’s to move people. Because if you can do that, they’ll remember. And if they remember, they’ll care.

And that’s when story turns into action.