Do you want to spice up your speeches or presentations? How can you be a better storyteller and hook your audience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether you\u2019re giving a presentation to employees or recalling a funny moment with a group of friends, being a good storyteller goes a long way. If you\u2019ve got an idea or pitch that you want someone to hear, keeping them entertained is a great way to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep reading to learn the fundamentals of a good story, and how to be a better storyteller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Humans are drawn to stories, whether we hear them from our friends, movies, books, TV shows, plays, or any number of other mediums. But what makes a good story<\/a> so compelling?<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Story<\/em><\/a>, Robert McKee argues that, contrary to popular belief, we don\u2019t seek out stories primarily as a way to escape our boring or unpleasant reality. Rather, we\u2019re obsessed with stories because they fill a core human need: We need to find meaning<\/em>, truth about the world that influences how we live our lives. <\/strong>When we encounter new meaning, it\u2019s an intense, emotionally satisfying experience, and it\u2019s a craving for this experience that motivates us to seek stories. The best stories are rich in meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since stories are meant to fill the human need for meaning, McKee asserts that good stories are always true to life<\/em>. This doesn\u2019t mean that good stories have to be something that could realistically occur\u2014rather, every detail in a good story reflects life as it truly is.<\/strong> For example, even though Pixar\u2019s Finding Nemo<\/em> is about a talking clownfish, it\u2019s true to life in the way it reflects how a father traumatized by the death of his wife would truly react if his son was kidnapped. If, instead, the clownfish Marlin was to flippantly laugh about losing his son (perhaps a screenwriter\u2019s attempt at a joke) the story would no longer be true to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n McKee explains that even stories that are totally detached from reality convey the truth about life. For example, a surrealist film in which characters change form and random events occur may convey that life is fundamentally absurd and has no unifying meaning\u2014yet this in itself is still a truth about life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing the elements of a compelling story is just the beginning. Now you need to learn how to be a better storyteller. In only five steps, you\u2019ll draw the audience in and keep their focus on you, all while delivering your main idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first thing you need to know about being a better storyteller is to start<\/strong> cultivating a collection of stories<\/a><\/strong> that speak to your values and engage your areas of expertise. Telling a compelling story relies on having a bank of stories at your disposal and then pulling out the perfect story at the perfect moment. She recommends starting to build your story bank right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coming up with a story in a pinch can feel difficult, so Rob Biesenbach\u2019s book Unleash the Power of Storytelling<\/em><\/a> recommends noticing the stories that play out in your everyday life. It also helps to stay alert to stories in the books, journals, films, and other narratives you consume\u2014you never know when you\u2019ll run across a story that perfectly illustrates one of your core values<\/a>. You can also interview people about their stories or plumb your own history for stories that relate to the message you want to convey, like calling on a childhood memory of building a treehouse to talk about collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stories That Stick<\/em><\/a> by Kindra Hall also suggests brainstorming<\/a> as many story ideas as possible without judging them<\/strong> or thinking about whether they’ll be useful. If you\u2019re feeling stuck<\/a>, write down a list of important people, locations, or objects, and see what comes up\u2014many good stories are associated with them. Firsts or major obstacles are also often fruitful grounds for storytelling. For example, think about the first time you made a public mistake or a time you accomplished something that seemed impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In <\/strong>Amplify Your Influence<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Ren\u00e9 Rodriguez notes that the second way<\/a> to learn how to be a better storyteller is to make your main idea clear to the audience. Your main idea is the central lesson or information you\u2019re trying to communicate<\/strong> to your audience, the idea you want your audience to remember. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, in the professional realm, you might give a presentation to your employees in which your main idea is how leadership changes will help the company. In a personal conversation with your significant other, your main idea might be a way to solve a conflict about household chores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rodriguez states that your delivery of your main idea, including any actions you want your audience to take, should be clear and thorough. The audience shouldn\u2019t have to speculate about your meaning or fill in knowledge gaps themselves. When in doubt, explain more thoroughly than you think you need to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you fail to deliver your main idea clearly and thoroughly, you could create misunderstandings and your audience might make assumptions that lead to further problems. For example, in business, poor communication can cause mistakes, hampered efficiency, and financial losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you have the four elements of a strong story, you need a way to tie them all together. We’re taught from an early age that good stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end. But Stories That Stick<\/em><\/a> recommends reimagining this three-part structure as a before (what she calls \u201cthe normal\u201d), the change (\u201cthe explosion\u201d), and the after (\u201cthe new normal\u201d)<\/strong>. This structure focuses on introducing tension or conflict that’s then resolved, thereby creating an engaging and more memorable story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While often overlooked, the beginning of the story is critically important. To be emotionally invested in your story, your audience needs to know what the world looked like before everything changed. Your audience will be even more invested if that world, or the characters, is familiar to them. As you begin your story, introduce the characters and add the details that will help your audience connect to the world you\u2019re describing. For example, if you\u2019re speaking to a group of millennials, you could incorporate a reference to \u201990s pop music or college debt\u2014any detail that allows the listener to see themselves in your story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The next part of the story is the moment when everything changes. It doesn\u2019t matter whether the change in your story is good or bad; your story needs a moment where something happens that marks a difference between what happened before and what happens after. Otherwise, the story will be stagnant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the final part of the story, you describe what happens after the change\u2014how does the central character or the world look different after the change, or how could it look different? For example, after someone buys your product, how is their life better? <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019ve nailed down the structure, evaluate how your story can tap into listeners\u2019 emotions<\/strong>. Much of a story\u2019s power lies in its ability to make us feel something, and Unleash the Power of Storytelling<\/em><\/a> explains that you can use emotion to engage your audience<\/a> in a few ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, consider what motivates you<\/a>: Focus less on \u201cwhat\u201d you do and more on \u201cwhy\u201d you do it to help center the story on things that matter. If you\u2019re talking about a company or a product, identify the human element in the connections between colleagues or the ties between workers and their communities. You can also connect your story to the values that you and your audience share by emphasizing the importance of community, connecting the story to the values you share, or tapping into the history that unites the members of your audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, if you\u2019re trying to get people behind an initiative to clean up a local park, you could focus less on the specific steps you\u2019ll need to take and more on the reasons to take on the project in the first place (like preserving a public gathering space or ensuring the park continues to be a hospitable home for endangered birds). You can appeal to your audience\u2019s sense of community by reminding them that all of you consider the neighborhood your home, and together you can take care of that home for everyone\u2019s benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biesenbach notes that in some cases, it can work to highlight an emotionally resonant lesson in the struggles of a leader, historical figure, or athlete you look up to. (Just watch out for clich\u00e9s.) And at points throughout your story, it\u2019s OK to express your own emotions: When you talk about the people, memories, and values that you find meaningful, you reveal your own humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last step to learning how to be a better storyteller is to heighten the meaningful impact of your story. To do so, Story<\/em><\/a> explains that you must convey that your protagonist (or yourself as the narrator) is at risk of<\/em> losing what they care about most<\/em><\/strong> in the pursuit of a valuable goal. <\/strong>Why? In life, we judge how valuable something is by how much we\u2019re willing to risk or sacrifice for it. Thus, creating a protagonist<\/a> who\u2019s willing to risk everything they care about is the most direct way to make an audience feel like the protagonist\u2019s actions are important and meaningful. In contrast, if your protagonist has nothing to lose, the story will feel boring and inconsequential.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to Tell a Good Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Collect Story Ideas<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Make Your Main Idea Clear<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Structure Your Story<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Use Emotion to Hook Your Audience<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Escalate Risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n