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- I used this technique 3 times in this email (did you notice?)
I used this technique 3 times in this email (did you notice?)
Most people finish reading your content and forget it instantly. This one trick changes that...
Stephen Stanberry
January 8th, 2026
In partnership with
Hey friend,
Your most valuable skill as a content creator isn't writing great hooks.
Not crafting perfect stories. Not even getting people to click.
It's keeping them there until the end.
Because while everything else gets attention, loses engagement, or gets skipped halfway through... the ability to maintain tension from start to finish compounds forever.
It's the one skill that separates content people skim from content people can't stop consuming.
And it pays dividends way beyond just "completion rates."
Content that uses narrative loops retains viewers throughout the entire piece, not just the first 30 seconds.
Creators who master this technique report significantly higher engagement because people actually stick around to see how it ends.
And nearly every high-performing piece of content, whether it's a video, email, or post, uses some form of strategic tension to keep people reading.
The challenge? Too many creators I meet front-load everything.
They give away the punchline in the first paragraph.
They answer every question immediately instead of building curiosity.
They resolve tension too fast and wonder why people drop off halfway through.
The result? You end up working harder to recapture attention that you already had.
But what if it didn't have to be that way?
What if you could plant hooks throughout your content that made people NEED to finish?
This is why I'm breaking down The Story Loop Technique, including:
What Story Loops Actually Are:
The counter-intuitive approach that keeps people engaged:
Tease something valuable but don't resolve it immediately
Drop in phrases like "but I'll get to that later" or "we'll come back to this"
Plant curiosity gaps that can only be closed by reading further
Create multiple small loops throughout one piece of content
Why This Works (The Psychology):
Our brains are wired to close open loops:
When you tease resolution later, your reader's brain creates a "mental bookmark"
They WANT to keep going because the loop feels unfinished
It's the same reason cliffhangers work in TV shows
Closing the loop gives a small dopamine hit—your reader craves that payoff
How to Use It (Without Being Annoying):
The 3-step system for planting loops in your content:
Step 1: Identify 2-3 key insights in your content worth teasing
Step 2: Mention them early but don't explain them yet ("More on this in a minute")
Step 3: Deliver on the promise later in the content (close the loop)
Example from this email:
I opened saying "I used this technique 3 times in this email"
You've been reading to figure out WHEN I used it
That's a story loop in action
Real Example:
One of my most successful pieces of content was an email about my transition from journalism to full-time storyteller.
I could've told it chronologically: "First this happened, then this, then that."
Boring.
Instead, I opened with the climax (the moment I quit), then said: "But I'll tell you about the decision that led to that moment later."
Loop planted.
Then halfway through, I mentioned a pivotal conversation but said: "We'll come back to what she told me."
Second loop planted.
People read to the end because they NEEDED to know what happened.
Completion rate? 78%.
Average email? Maybe 55%.
3 Immediate Results when you use story loops:
Result #1: People finish your content instead of dropping off halfway
Result #2: They remember your message because they stayed engaged throughout
Result #3: They feel satisfied at the end (because you delivered on what you promised)
Here's what I want you to do:
Go back and re-read this email.
Can you spot the 3 story loops I planted?
Hint:
One was in the subject line
One was in the first few paragraphs
One was woven throughout the structure
Reply and tell me where you found them.
If you can identify all 3, you're ready to start using this technique in your own content.
If you can't? Re-read it. The loops are there.
And once you see them, you'll start noticing them everywhere.
Till tomorrow...
Stephen
P.S. - That successful email I mentioned? The one with 78% completion? I used 4 story loops in it. Once you master this technique, you can layer multiple loops without it feeling forced. But start with 2. Then build from there.
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