A story well told is like a mental portal.  Researchers actually call it narrative transportation. In donor talk, it’s the difference between a “delete” and a donation. The attention and connection of story is old-school VR, but instead of pixels, it’s the pen.

Stories have texture, smell, and weight. When your reader can feel the coldness of the room or see the breath on the window, it’s not just reading anymore; it’s experiencing.   Why would you ever lead off with anything else?

The Research

We ran a research experiment to measure the way people feel after reading a letter snippet that starts with story vs. what I see more often than not, generic lead-in stating a problem.

Which one pulls you in more?  

For 100 readers the answer is clear.  The story version has vivid, sensory details.  It isn’t an “unimaginable choice”; it’s plain oatmeal for dinner, it’s kids bundled in sweaters.

Why Stories Work: The Science of “Narrative Transportation”

When you “show, don’t tell,” you take the reader with you. It’s not just Sarah’s story; it’s theirs. Narrative transportation takes readers out of their chairs and into that cold room with Sarah, creating a kind of empathetic immersion.  The result? A higher likelihood to give, driven by a connection that’s felt, not just understood.

Think about Snippet A’s lead-in: too many families in our community are facing an unimaginable choice.  It sounds serious but stays abstract, like a news clip or public announcement. It’s generic, almost distant. Our minds gloss over phrases like this because they don’t conjure a scene. It’s telling, not showing.

The brain likes information with texture, and a good story is full of it. Sensory details make the scene real and trigger empathy—the kind that makes readers feel a problem, not just read about it. Research supports that sensory language activates different parts of the brain, which lights up the same way as if you’re actually experiencing the event.

Three Ways to Apply This Tomorrow:

• Start with a scene, not a statement
• Replace every abstract phrase (“facing challenges”) with specific details (“stretching oatmeal to last the week”)
• Test your copy by asking: “Can I see, feel, or hear what I’m describing?”

Kevin