How Top Stories and Challenge Winners are Chosen

I think I'm safe to say that all writers seek to find the secret path to that golden bell in the image above. What is it? It represents the pinnacle of our image of success—THE TOP STORY selection or CHALLENGE win. We long to touch it and hear it ring for us.

While our own writing skills, topics, algorithms, and other elements may play a part in our reaching that bell, there is one secret factor that will always remain mysterious, unchartable, unpredictable, and totally fascinating—The Human Factor

The human factor-our perspective

The human factor is always present. It starts with our perspective. The bell doesn't ring for just any story. It must have some element that sets it apart. It may be that in some way our perspective is unique, quirky, insightful, entertaining, mind-blowing, enlightening, or profound.

And before you jump off the cliff to secure those things, let me tell you, they're often as temporary and elusive as a mirage. When asked why their story made it to the Top Story page, most writers don't know. They're usually more surprised than anyone else.

The human factor - their perspective

Who are the 'Their' spoken of in the subheading? Most certainly, Editors, and in some cases persons involved in Marketing, SEO, Public Relations, Social Media, and numerous other persons behind the scenes of any successful platform. And last but not least, the readers themselves.

What is for certain is that along the path to that golden bell your story will pass through the hands of one or more living, thinking, and feeling humans. It's within these personages that lies the deepest phenomenon that drives the 'Selection Factor'. So what is triggering the 'human factor phenomenon' and can we get to know the secret?

The Oxytocin reaction

People want to be immersed. They want to get involved in a story, to carve out a role for themselves, to make it their own. ~Source

When we read, we activate specific hormones. Some information gets stored under Important Data, Reasoning, and Problem Solving areas of the brain. 

However, when we read fiction or creative non-fiction written in a storytelling format, the hormone, Oxytocin, is triggered and begins to stimulate the sensory part of our brain. You might know it as the hormone that stimulates our 'feel good' senses. 

Stories that are personal and emotionally compelling engage more of the brain, and thus are better remembered, than simply stating a set of facts. ~Source

How many times when reading the submission guidelines of different publications have you come across the very thought in the above quote. They want stories that are emotionally compelling and personal because they know readers will respond to and remember those stories. Which means they will probably return to that publication for more reading selections.

This works for readers and editors alike. If your story resonates with them on a deep level and triggers the sensory part of the brain, they're ready to follow you through your story. Getting them to stay with you is the first step to a Top Pick or Viral Story.

The secret driving a Top Pick or Viral Story

It's rightly called a secret because who can delve into the minds and hearts of people to know precisely what life experiences or emotions are connecting them to your story. No writer can do that. So then, is there anything we can do to make this connection as easy as possible?

Once a story has sustained our attention long enough, we may begin to emotionally resonate with the story's characters. Narratologists call this "transportation," and you experience this when your palms sweat as James Bond trades blows with a villain on top of a speeding train. ~Source

This 'transportation' can occur when reading both fiction and creative non-fiction because both use similar techniques to achieve that state of mind and emotion. Let's talk about a few.

Common threads in Top Picks and Viral Stories

The story must hold the attention of the reader. This can be done through escalating tension, high stakes, revealing a higher and higher level of knowledge, a glimpse of an unknown that will affect the outcome, hooks, and shock-and-awe will get us started.

Then we can think about providing problem-solving solutions, practical and effective advice on hard issues, answers to probing and intimate questions, and the list is literally endless as long as it is something that resonates with a large segment of the reading populace. In short —it has to deliver what readers want!

When you want to motivate, persuade, or be remembered, start with a story of human struggle and eventual triumph. It will capture people's hearts - by first attracting their brains. Source

This quote explains why so many public speakers start their presentations with a story about someone's struggle and eventual triumph. 

Conclusion

One thing I've noticed about readers, including myself, is that we all want to take 'The Hero's Journey'. There are things in life that make us feel vulnerable, weak, and alone. When we read a story that shows us how a character or we ourselves can rise above that situation, we've been given our free pass to take that journey. How many readers do you think will walk away before reaching the end?

That 'Hero's Journey' might be about saving their job, marriage, dignity, emotional stability, or self-respect. It may be about overcoming abuse, injustice, or their own toxic attitudes. Whatever the case may be, readers are looking for a connection that lights the path of discovery and points the way to the desired destination. 

The hormonal triggers we discussed earlier are locked away in the secret parts of each individual. We can't know exactly how to reach each one. But if we write so as to connect with them using some of the suggestions in this article, we may just hear that elusive bell ring for us.

____________________