THE AUDIENCE HAS AN AUDIENCE: Above, a 2013 video from the Future of Storytelling on how people use technology to be part of an audience — laugh tracks, Tumblr fan art and more. A nice reflection on the social nature of storytelling.

STORYTELLING FOR BUSINESS: It’s official! The New York Times has proclaimed “storytelling” to be a 2014 buzzword, not to mention a useful method for getting a job or launching a start-up. The article says storytelling has “been called a strategic tool with ‘irresistible power‘ by Harvard Business Review. And ‘the major business lesson of 2014‘ by Entrepreneur magazine.” The tips the article offers include: “Know who your audience is. – Have a beginning, middle and end. (That sounds obvious, but people often forget that.) – Use concrete details and personal experience. – Don’t self-censor. – Don’t try to memorize a story so it sounds rehearsed. It’s not about perfection. It’s about connecting.”

HOW A HERO CAN SAVE THE DAY — AND RALLY SUPPORT: Narrative Arts managing director Paul VanDeCarr’s latest piece for the Chronicle of Philanthropy on outstanding nonprofit storytelling looks at how two groups tell stories of heroes and superheroes — real-life fighters for justice — to advance social causes.