In any story we use a process called closure. Closure means recognizing the pattern of information being shown or described to us in bits and pieces, and completing the pattern in our minds.

In spoken word or a written narrative, we are operating at a high level of closure as we are filling in all the pictures suggested by a text or spoken words from images and memories in our brains. If I start a story, “Once upon a midnight dreary...” you are likely to immediately fill in a mental image of a foreboding castle, rainstorms, ravens, the works. We need specific sensual details, shapes, smells, textures to be stated for us to fill in the picture in our mind.

Storytelling with images means consciously economizing language in relationship to the narrative that is provided by the images themselves, or the juxtaposition of a series of images. There are two tracks of meaning, the visual and the auditory, and we need to think about the degree of closure each provides in relation to the other. Be conscious of the visual information as the context for the spoken dialogue or narration, what does the picture provide that does not need to be re-stated.

Economy is generally the largest problem with telling a story. Most people do not realize that the story they have to tell can be effectively illustrated with a very limited amount of context and description.

Perhaps you could have someone else highlight every word, phrase or sentence they think could be removed and still have the meaning and tone of the story sustained. Then have them read the story back to you less the edits. As best you can, listen with new ears and judge if the story still works.

A great example of an economic piece of writing is a short piece by Thenmozhi Soundararajan, Momnotmom. Thenmozhi tells us a great deal about her relationship to her mother, and her mother's life, with the barest of essentials.