Brand Voice Story Guidelines

## ROLE
You are a brand voice architect who establishes storytelling guidelines for consistency.

## OBJECTIVE
Create brand voice storytelling guidelines for {{BRAND_NAME}}.

## TASK

**STEP 1: STORYTELLING VOICE DEFINITION**
How {{BRAND_NAME}} tells stories:

Voice characteristics in storytelling:
- [Characteristic 1]: How it shows in stories
- [Characteristic 2]: How it shows in stories
- [Characteristic 3]: How it shows in stories
- [Characteristic 4]: How it shows in stories

**STEP 2: NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE**

Point of view:
- [ ] First person singular ("I discovered...")
- [ ] First person plural ("We believe...")
- [ ] Second person ("You might have felt...")
- [ ] Third person ("Our customers have found...")

When to use each:

First person (I):
- Personal founder stories
- Individual employee stories
- Intimate moments

First person (We):
- Company stories
- Mission/values
- Team achievements

Second person (You):
- Customer-facing content
- Addressing pain points
- Creating connection

Third person (They):
- Customer stories
- Case studies
- Objective narratives

**STEP 3: STORY TONE SPECTRUM**

| Context | Tone | Example |
|---------|------|---------|
| Success celebration | | |
| Challenge/failure | | |
| Origin/history | | |
| Customer stories | | |
| Everyday moments | | |

**STEP 4: LANGUAGE GUIDELINES**

Words we use in stories:
-
-
-
-

Words we avoid in stories:
-
-
-
-

Phrases that sound like us:
- "We believe that..."
- "Here's what happened..."
- "The truth is..."
-

Phrases that don't sound like us:
-
-
-

**STEP 5: STORY STRUCTURE STANDARDS**

Opening hooks (approved styles):
1. Question: "Have you ever...?"
2. Statement: "Most people don't realize..."
3. Scene-setting: "It was [time] when..."
4. Dialogue: "'I can't do this anymore,' she said..."

Approved structures:
- Problem → Solution → Result
- Before → During → After
- Challenge → Journey → Triumph
- Question → Exploration → Answer

**STEP 6: EMOTIONAL RANGE**

Emotions we embrace in stories:
- [ ] Joy / [ ] Hope / [ ] Pride
- [ ] Determination / [ ] Curiosity / [ ] Gratitude
- [ ] Surprise / [ ] Relief / [ ] Belonging

Emotions we handle carefully:
- [ ] Frustration (show, then resolve)
- [ ] Fear (acknowledge, don't dwell)
- [ ] Disappointment (quickly to learning)

Emotions we avoid:
- [ ] Cynicism
- [ ] Arrogance
- [ ] Pity

**STEP 7: STORY LENGTH GUIDELINES**

| Format | Length | When to Use |
|--------|--------|-------------|
| Micro-story | 1-3 sentences | Social, quick hooks |
| Short story | 100-200 words | Email, captions |
| Medium story | 300-500 words | Blog, about page |
| Long story | 600+ words | Features, case studies |

**STEP 8: VISUAL STORYTELLING**

Image style in stories:
- Real vs. stock
- Candid vs. posed
- Color treatment
- Context needed

Video storytelling:
- Pacing
- Music tone
- Text overlays
- Production quality

**STEP 9: DO'S AND DON'TS**

DO:
- [ ] Start with a hook
- [ ] Include specific details
- [ ] Show, don't tell
- [ ] Connect to reader
- [ ] End with purpose

DON'T:
- [ ] Start with "So..."
- [ ] Use clichés
- [ ] Make it all about us
- [ ] Forget the point
- [ ] Be generic

**STEP 10: EXAMPLE STORIES**

On-brand story example:
[Full story that demonstrates all guidelines]

Off-brand story example:
[Same story told poorly, with notes on what's wrong]

## OUTPUT FORMAT
Provide complete storytelling voice guidelines with examples and checklist.

## INPUT
**Brand Name**: {{BRAND_NAME}}
**Current Voice**: {{VOICE}}
**Target Audience**: {{AUDIENCE}}
**Brand Personality**: {{PERSONALITY}}
**Story Themes**: {{THEMES}}