Homework #6 – Ordinary World ABT

Due:  September 23rd @ 5:00 pm Eastern

Last time, you worked on the Dream, which is the second part of the Setup.  In this homework, you’ll work on the first part of the Setup, which is the Ordinary World.  

The Ordinary World is the first part of the AND that tells the audience what the broad topic of your narrative is about. The Ordinary World often contains nothing that is shocking or novel.  Instead, the purpose is to give your audience basic orientation of the subject matter, leading them into the narrative as easily as possible without challenging them or hitting them with problems early.

(A common question at this point is:  why don’t we challenge audiences or include problems in the Ordinary World?  Read this post for a quick neuroscience explanation. )

Here’s the basic format:

Ordinary World AND Dream (IF/THEN) BUT Problem THEREFORE Solution.

In keeping with the General to Specific dynamic of narrative, the Ordinary World stays very broad and general and the Dream dives down into specifics.

Creating a broad statement of the topic might sound simple, but the Ordinary World also turns out to be one of the most difficult things to get right about a narrative.  

Framing your narrative with the Ordinary World is just like framing up a subject using a camera.  You initially get the subject into frame, but it turns out you’re zoomed out too far which gives them too much surrounding space, so you zoom in.  Whoops!  Now you’re zoomed in too far!  Time to zoom out again.  And so on and so on until you get the framing correct.  

The Ordinary World is just like that – trial and error in zooming to the right level to get the framing correct.  It may take several additional revisions past this homework to get to an Ordinary World that feels like it’s fully framed up correctly – just be patient, we’ll get there!

Today, we’ll give you three different methods for helping you create your Ordinary World:  The IsEssential, the Wenowdis, the Definitional.  You’ll pick one (or possibly combine them) and rewrite your Dream ABT to include your new Ordinary World.

Option #1:  The IsEssential Ordinary World

It’s helpful to get audiences on board at the start by making a broad statement about what your topic is and why it’s essential in order to orient them properly. 

Here’s a few examples of IsEssential Ordinary Worlds from past rounds of the course that setup the broad topic:

Tools that automate routine tasks and centralize information are essential to save time and improve efficiency across the agency AND…

RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum) monitoring is essential for ensuring aircraft safely operate within the National Airspace System by monitoring for errors and making sure aircraft are flying at the correct flight levels AND…

Evidence-based health behavior change programs are an essential tool in preventing Cardiovascular disease AND…

Optimization is essential for improving short-term TB prophylaxis Therapy (TPT), allowing us to adjust dosing according to individual pharmacogenetics (how the body metabolizes medication based on genetics) and pharmacokinetic (how the body treats the medication) profiles AND..

For Option One, use one of the below templates (or something similar) to create your own IsEssential Ordinary World

(Insert Broad Topic here) is essential for ________ AND….

(Insert Broad Topic here) is important for ________ AND….

(Insert Broad Topic here) is effective for ________ AND….

Option #2:  Wenowdis Ordinary World

The Wenowdis Ordinary World (named after the beloved Dr. Wenowdis, a SNL character played by Kate McKinnon) is useful in cases where you already have evidence that the topic you’re introducing is effective.  You’re essentially using past evidence to start building your case from the very beginning that your strategy/method is the correct one.

Here’s a few examples of Wenowdis Ordinary Worlds from past rounds of the course:

We know that monitoring treatment response tells us whether to continue, adjust, or stop a therapy AND…

We know that food fortification with vitamins like folate (vit B9) is a proven global strategy to prevent Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) AND..

We know advanced warning of aircraft encounters with turbulence greatly enhances air safety AND…

For Option Two, use the below template (or something similar) to create your own Wenowdis Ordinary World

We know that (insert argument that an established method is effective) AND….

Option #3:  Definitional Ordinary World

The Definitional Ordinary World is typically combined with an IsEssential or a Wenowdis. 

Often, there’s a jargon term that is foundational to the topic.  In the ABT Course, we’re not afraid of jargon – we embrace it.  A jargon term can be the “hero” of your story.  But we make sure to take time to define it.  That’s what we do for a Definitional Ordinary World – defining a key jargon term so that an Outer Circle audience is on board with it from the beginning.

Here’s a few examples of Definitional Ordinary Worlds from past rounds of the course:

Subtyping, which is the process of identifying distinct biological or clinical subgroups under the same diagnosis, is essential for fighting disease effectively AND… (Definitional + IsEssential)

We know from previous studies that seascape context – the availability, arrangement, and connectedness of different marine habitats – is an important factor to juvenile fish survival AND… (Definitional + Wenowdis + IsEssential)

Do you have an important term in your topic that an Outer Circle audience might not understand?  Take a moment and define it with a Definitional Ordinary World.

Check list for your Ordinary World ABT:

• Use your Dream ABT as your jumping off point.
• Use one or more of the Ordinary World options (IsEssential, Wenowdis, and Definitional) to help craft the first part of your AND.  If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just attempt an IsEssential for now.
• Your Ordinary World must contain no problems because we’re trying to set a different emotional tone than the BUT.  
• The basic format of your new ABT revision should be: Ordinary World AND Dream (IF/THEN) BUT Problem THEREFORE Solution.
• Reminder:  This part is challenging and often takes several attempts to get right!  Make your best attempt at an Ordinary World for now and you’ll have chances to refine it later, such as during your Working Circle.
• You may find that you have to rewrite the rest of the ABT to make the Ordinary World fit logically.

Instructions for submitting your homework:

1. Put your draft in a Word document – have your name at the top.
2. Name the Word document file:  Homework 6 – Ordinary World.
3. Go to the Dropbox Upload here.
4. Add your Word document to the upload page. 
5. If it prompts you, add your full name and email address.
6. Click the Upload button.