Quick test: try to memorize this list in order — telescope, cheese, volcano, bicycle, penguin, guitar, lightning, bookshelf, dragon, umbrella.
Hard, right? Now imagine this:
You look through a telescope and see the moon — but it is made of cheese. The cheese melts because a volcano erupts underneath it. Lava flows down the mountain and a bicycle rides through it, ridden by a penguin playing a guitar. A bolt of lightning strikes the guitar and sends sparks into a bookshelf, which catches fire. A dragon flies down to blow out the flames, but it starts raining, so the dragon opens an umbrella.
Now close your eyes and retell the story. You will likely remember all ten items — in order — on the first try.
This is the story linking technique, and it is one of the most effective ways to memorize ordered information. It is highlighted in the Learning How to Learn course by Dr. Barbara Oakley as a practical application of how the brain naturally encodes and retrieves information through narrative.
What Is Story Linking?
Story linking (also called the link method or chain method) is a mnemonic technique where you connect items you need to remember by linking them into a continuous story. Each item in the sequence is connected to the next through a vivid, often absurd, narrative scene.
Unlike rote memorization, which forces your brain to hold disconnected facts, story linking works with your brain’s natural preference for narrative, imagery, and cause-and-effect.
Why Stories Are So Memorable
Narrative is how humans think
Long before writing existed, humans passed knowledge through stories. Our brains are wired to follow and remember narratives — beginnings, middles, and ends — far better than isolated facts.
Stories create causal chains
When event A causes event B, which leads to event C, your brain does not need to remember three separate things. It remembers one sequence. Each link in the chain triggers the next, creating a natural retrieval path.
Emotion and absurdity boost retention
Boring stories are forgettable. Stories that are funny, surprising, or bizarre activate the amygdala — the brain’s emotional center — which signals to the hippocampus: “This is worth remembering.”
How to Use the Story Linking Technique
Step 1: List what you need to remember
Write down the items in the order you need to recall them. This works for:
- Vocabulary words
- Historical events in chronological order
- Steps in a process
- Points in a presentation
- Shopping or task lists
Step 2: Create a vivid image for each item
Use the principles of visualization:
- Make images exaggerated and unusual
- Add sensory details — color, sound, texture, motion
- Use metaphors for abstract concepts
Step 3: Link each image to the next with action
The secret ingredient is interaction. Each image must do something to or cause the next one. Static connections (“a telescope next to cheese”) are weak. Dynamic connections (“you look through a telescope and see a moon made of cheese”) are strong.
Linking principles:
- Cause and effect — one item triggers or creates the next
- Physical interaction — items crash, melt, explode, or transform into each other
- Absurd scale — a tiny penguin riding a giant bicycle is more memorable than a normal penguin near a normal bicycle
Step 4: Rehearse the story
Walk through the story from beginning to end, visualizing each scene. Then try to recall it without looking at your list:
- First rehearsal: immediately after creating the story
- Second rehearsal: 10 minutes later
- Third rehearsal: the next day
This natural spacing reinforces the memory. For long-term retention, add the sequence to a spaced repetition system.
Real-World Applications
Studying for exams
Need to memorize the order of biological classification? King Philip Came Over For Good Spaghetti (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species). But story linking lets you go further — create a vivid narrative where a king (Kingdom) rides a phylum (imagine a giant leaf), visits a classroom (Class), and so on.
Presentations and speeches
Instead of memorizing a script word-for-word, create a story linking your key points. Walk through the story mentally and each scene reminds you of the next topic to cover.
Language learning
Link new vocabulary words into mini-stories. To remember the Spanish words gato (cat), mesa (table), and ventana (window): imagine a cat dancing on a table and then jumping out a window.
Daily task management
Story link your daily to-do list in the morning. The narrative structure helps you recall tasks throughout the day without checking your list — though having a reliable task manager like Gratodo as backup never hurts.
Tips for Better Story Links
Keep the story moving forward
Each scene should flow naturally into the next. Avoid branching or jumping back — a linear narrative is easier to follow and recall.
Make it personal
Set the story in places you know (your home, office, or favorite restaurant). Familiar settings add spatial context that strengthens recall.
Embrace the absurd
The weirder the story, the better it sticks. A penguin playing guitar in a volcano? Perfect. A person sitting at a desk? Forgettable. Give yourself permission to be ridiculous.
Practice with small lists first
Start with 5–7 items. As you build skill, you can comfortably link 20, 30, or even 50 items in a single story chain.
Common Story Linking Mistakes
- Making connections too vague — “A telescope and then cheese” is not a link. “Looking through a telescope and seeing a moon made of cheese” is. The items must interact.
- Keeping images too realistic — Normal, everyday scenes are invisible to memory. Push for exaggeration, motion, and absurdity.
- Trying to link too many items at once — For very long lists (20+ items), break them into groups and create a mini-story for each group, then link the groups together.
- Not reviewing — Even a great story fades without reinforcement. Review your story links using spaced repetition with an app like Memwiz.
Getting Started Today
- Write down 7 things you need to remember in order (study topics, errands, presentation points).
- Create a vivid mental image for each item.
- Link them into an absurd, action-packed story.
- Close your eyes and replay the story from start to finish.
- Test yourself one hour later — you will be surprised at how much you remember.
Story linking is one of the fastest memory techniques to learn and one of the most fun to practice. Once you start thinking in stories, you will never go back to brute-force memorization.
Cover image by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.