The ONLY 5 lines you need to tell any story
400M subscribers won't save a bad product. But this will.
Hey, it’s Payton.
And this is a dinosaur 👇
we’ll come back to him
I used to spend hours trying to plan out my next newsletter edition, and still have no idea what I was actually trying to say.
I’d scour the corners of my brain, search deep down, find indigestion 🤢, and toss my hands up, starting the process all over again.
OORRR, I’d skip all that and just start writing.
Sometimes (key word) I’d strike gold. The muse would overcome me. Inspiration would tickle my fingers and the words would pour out like I was C.S. Lewis with a deadline.
That would happen sometimes.
Most of the time I’d be staring at a messy draft with 38 half-thoughts, 3 metaphors I didn’t know how to finish, and a growing suspicion that I was trying to make a point I didn’t actually believe in.
I was overthinking. I was lost in the weeds. I was standing in Costco with a basket full of Rao’s Marinara and 2 gallons of pure vanilla extract, unable to find the register.
Until I found something so stupidly simple I almost felt insulted by it.
Five lines.
That’s it. And suddenly, every story started clicking into place.
Today I want to show you the little 5-Line secret, because if you can write these five lines, you’ll never get lost in your own message again.
You’ll be able to shape stories faster than that Jim Carrey typing meme.
The 5-Line Story Method (A.K.A. my new best friend)
This came from a video by filmmaker Tim Runia, and I’ll just say this up front: I don’t usually rewatch YouTube videos unless they involve dunk contests or scenes from Remember the Titans.
I rewatched this one.
Here’s the gist. You can write any story in five lines answering 5 key questions. Those questions are:
Situation – What’s the starting point?
Desire – What does the character want?
Conflict – What gets in the way?
Change – What happens that shifts something?
Result – How does it end?
And yeah, I know that looks like half the plot of every Hallmark movie ever made. But don’t let the simplicity fool you. These five lines are how you take a mess of ideas and distill them into a story that actually moves.
It’s the difference between rambling for 1,500 words and delivering one clear point that people remember three weeks from now.
Remember this guy 👇
he’s the dino from Jurassic Park
Let’s test the five lines.
Because if this can hold up under the weight of CGI velociraptors, it can probably hold up under your next Substack post.
Situation: A billionaire builds a dinosaur theme park on a remote island.
Desire: He wants scientists to endorse it before opening it to the public.
Conflict: A power outage causes the dinosaurs to escape. Everyone’s lunch now.
Change: The survivors work together to outwit the creatures and escape.
Result: They flee the island, realizing some forces of nature should stay extinct.
That’s the whole story.
Simplified, yes. But that’s Jurassic Park written in five lines.
What this means for us
If you’re a Christian founder, writer, marketer, preacher, coach (or just a regular bloke trying to say something true and helpful), this tool will save your brain.
Because you and I both know how fast we can start chasing our tails:
“Is this really the message?”
“Should I go deep or stay broad?”
“What if I say this and someone misinterprets it?”
“Do I need a personal story here or should I be more direct?”
“Wait…what was I even trying to say again?”
That’s the overthinking spiral. These five lines are your ladder out of it.
Start with them. Always. Not because they’re magic, but because they give you clarity before you add cleverness.
Still need proof? You're reading it.
This very newsletter—the one in your hands (or inbox or standing desk)—was written using these five lines:
Situation: I kept wasting time starting newsletters with no idea what I was trying to say.
Desire: I wanted a repeatable, clear framework to write better, faster, and with more meaning.
Conflict: I kept overthinking and second-guessing myself into a creative coma.
Change: I found a stupidly simple five-line story method that gave structure without killing creativity.
Result: I wrote this email. And now I’m sharing it with you because it actually worked.
Five lines. One clear arc. And now here you are, nodding along (hopefully), realizing, “Wait… I could use this too.”
So here’s your move:
Try writing your next story, post, or email using this 5-line method.
And if you want feedback, hit reply and send me your five lines. I’ll read it. I’ll give my thoughts. I may even do a little jig and click my heels together in pure glee.
The people who shape culture aren’t always the loudest.
But they are the ones who tell better stories.
MY BEST FINDS
Here are Payton’s Picks for the week. If you find something worth sharing with the rest of the Lab, reply to this email!
🧙♂️ Story
400M subscribers can’t save a bad product. Mr. Beasts proves what can. (LinkedIn)
How Pixar told a captivating story without using words (LinkedIn)
Is it TOO EASY to subscribe to your newsletter? (Growth In Reverse)
Here are the best NICHES to monetize a newsletter around (Newsletter Operator)
✝️ Faith
How SEO (“search engine optimization”) led to 300 baptisms. (LinkedIn)
The hidden story behind Dude Perfect and how faith and entrepreneurship can make an impact on a kid’s mind (LinkedIn)
👀 ICYMI
A writing framework that decodes human behavior and how you can use it today (Christian Story Lab)
How high can you build using only Legos? (YouTube)
Before you go, here are 3 ways I can help:
Very Good Email Playbook: If you’re tired of writing “meh” emails, I’ll show you how to write ones people actually want to read. It’s FREE and it’s LOADED.
VeryGoodGhost Agency: I handle every aspect of content creation, from research and writing to editing and optimization, so you get scary good results.
Reply to Book a Free Call: Want to chat about your story, email strategy, or how to do this whole thing without losing your soul? Reply to this email, tell me what you’re working on, and I’ll send over a calendar link.
Keep writing what matters,
— Payton