Everybody loves a good story. As a kid, I became obsessed with reading early on. In fact, one of my earliest memories is waking up before dawn to read to myself while the rest of my family was still sleeping. And while I don't necessarily set the alarm clock to read these days, I can still get sucked into a book and the rest of the world fades away. When I was in graduate school, I read The Prince of Tides in one day. I started reading over a cup of coffee in my pajamas one morning - by the time I finished, it was nighttime and I was still wearing the same pajamas. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good story.I've been thinking a lot about the power of narrative. For example, we've been speaking with a couple of prospective clients about developing corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and how building a cohesive story can make the difference between a report being read or tossed in the recycling bin. Around the same time, I came across this video of Dan Heath, co-author of Made to Stick, using the example of the fast food chain Subway to illustrate the power of the story. When we think of Subway, he says, we think of Jared - not a turkey sub with mustard and mayo. That's because the story of Jared is memorable and resonates with people.Last week, I participated in a workshop with a client and an outside consultant brought in to coach the organization on how to use storytelling as a device in conveying its strengths. There were two key takeaways for me:

• When you get stuck on a communications challenge, take a step back and start with "Once upon a time..." In doing so, you can tap into your imagination and begin to see the narrative unfolding before you.
• Next, focus on the end of your story. What do you want your audience to say about you a year from now? Then work backwards to make sure your communication efforts are helping you tell the right story.

That's enough for now. I'm off to read the latest story I'm obsessed with - that of the 2008 election, as told in Game Change. I can't put it down!@lizkelly