How can you make your writing more relatable with storytelling?

Learning storytelling and improving it over time is essential for writers and creators. Sharing experiences and personal stories and connecting them with writing is one way to integrate both! Like, how I started and how it worked for me or my clients! Clarity in everything like WHY, WHAT, and HOW helps to easily understand the concept of storytelling and apply it to writing.

Quando comecei a produzir conteúdo no LinkedIn, escolhi o público que tem medo (paralisante) de escrever. Portanto, precisava ter uma linguagem acolhedora, gentil e inspiradora. O fio condutor dessa produ??o eram "pílulas de coragem", o que gerava conex?o com as pessoas. Conteúdo é uma conversa. Oriento as pessoas a se imaginarem de frente para uma pessoa amiga; sorrir e, depois, come?ar a escrever promovendo uma intera??o. Funciona!

As a person with The Rebel as an archetype, my stories are always aimed at supporting people to see things in a way that helps them question the old. If you want to be succesful in story telling you can connect them to your personal brand archetypes and make sure they fit your messaging that is consistent with your personality or your brand and what you'd like to achieve.

Storytelling is key for writing content that gets your reader to know, like, and trust you on LinkedIn. You might not think you have stories...but I promise you have hundreds worth sharing! Here are a few prompts to pull stories out of you to share on LinkedIn (which can literally change someone's life): - What are your top 3 biggest lessons learned so far in your career? - What do you wish you knew about your current role and career trajectory 5-10 years ago? - Who has been the biggest inspiration for your career and why? - What is a massive career failure that turned into a valuable lesson learned for you? There are so many stories from your life that can relate to others and grow an engaged audience on LinkedIn. Hope that helps :)

Sometimes writers put the names of real people on sticky notes to represent "the audience." It helps to literally picture some of your important readers.

When choosing a relevant story, think about what you want your reader to take away from what you've written. Is there a lesson to be learned? A feeling you want to spark? Or are you trying to provide an example to explain a complex topic? In these situations, telling a story will do a much better job of driving your point home than merely stating facts. But the story you select needs to match the information you've shared. If you want to help your reader get to know you personally, sharing an anecdote or memory from your life makes sense. If you're trying to underscore the importance of a fact, weaving in some history for context can be useful. Or if you trying to help the reader picture what you've described, a scene or case is smart.

Don't always make the story about YOU. Don't use an origin story when a case study is better. Don't use a case study when a connection to a broader issue in the news is better. Sometimes the power move is to drop your name and links in your bio slug and leave the self-promoting plugs and calls to action out of the body of the story.

Know your audience. You can have the best story lined up, but if it's not relevant to your audience, is it really the best story? Don't try and make it fit, it won't. Find the relevant story and determine how you can add punch to it in the appropriate places. Sometimes the story speaks for itself, and other times it needs you (the writer/orator) to help it along for impact. Recognize your role as the storyteller and go from there.

Choice of story is definitely important if you want to stay on topic while writing. If you chose a story (subject) you aren't familiar with, you'll suffer. Always aim to pick things you're passionate about

And make sure the stories you weave in are direct. Simple. Imagine you're having a great convo with a few friends. You laugh: " OH, this one time ..." If you spend 10 minutes on set-up, you'll feel your friends' attention want. See them look off to your side. The momentum of the conversation slows. You DON'T want that in writing. You want to pull (or gently push) the reader forward. So consider story order. Consider which plot points are essential to the story and your point. Don't dawdle.

"What's the dog's name?" That's the question my editor always asked when I was first starting out. These details anchor the reader to your copy. Help the reader feel, see, hear, and taste your story. At the same time, omit frivolous details that don't advance the story. Don't tell me, for example, that someone is of "average height." That's likely the least memorable detail about the person. Instead, tell me those quirky details that make that person stand out.

There is nothing satisfying than reading certain lines so descriptive and sensory that evokes something in us like ‘the freshly baked scent transport backs you to your cozy childhood mornings’ or ‘the gentle breeze rustled the leaves’. It immerse and transports the reader into story, enhancing their connection with it .????

Show, not tell. I have always found it helpful to replace every adjective in a first / rough draft with details instead. Adjectives will be your enemy, instead expand on an adjective that you might want to use.

Adding to what @AlisaBowman said. I had a favorite professor who counseled: "Give everything the dignity of its name. It's not just a tree. It's a weather-worn Sycamore, tilting wistfully toward the bus stop..."

This can be daunting, especially if you believe it means emulating the style of Tolkien, Proust, Hemingway, etc. But let's dispel that myth. You don't need to pen lengthy, exhaustive descriptions that cover every aspect of the story – in fact, that can confuse and frustrate readers. Start small and focus on the details that are most relevant to the plot, scene, or character. Your story is not an all-you-can-eat buffet of descriptions and sensory details. It's a tasting menu. Serve only the most delectable bites. Avoid naming the emotion/feeling. Instead, let the reader experience it through the character's perspective. Show the shiver down the spine, the way the rug fibers yield beneath the weight of the toes.

The most painful part of writing: Not all stories have a point. A story might work when you tell it to your friends over a few beers. Without a relatable message, however, it won't work when you tell it to strangers. They'll lose interest and bounce. If you can't find a relatable takeaway, make friends with the delete key. Yes, this hurts. It's why we use the phrase "kill your darlings."

Writing is human art- not robot art. Humans still reign supreme when it comes to story telling and will be the best for connecting the story to the message. Tech like ChatGPT can provide info- but the art of story telling remains something that humans do best. Hire a human writer.

What's key here is to remain authentic and genuine. Don't force a storyline, whether real or fictionalized, to prove your point. If the narrative doesn't align, it doesn't align. A solution for this is to spend more time identifying your why and who you're writing for to get your project/story back on track.

The purpose of sharing a story in your writing is not merely for the sake of sharing. Storytelling should be a tool to drive your point home, making it resonate in the hearts of your readers. The stories you tell should relate to your message and help your readers grasp the point you are conveying. *What lessons do you want them to learn? *What's the main takeaway? *How does the story support your central message? Most importantly, *Is the call to action clear? Any story without a clear call to action is like a waste of time and effort because it doesn't prompt the desired action from your audience. Your readers should have a clear understanding of what to do next and how to apply what they have read in real-life situations.

Of course, a story has the backing that supports the argument and a further call to action. For example, a wrote a historical fiction novel to solve the issue of tribalism, nepotism and inequality with lessons of food behavior. Your messages must have take home notes.

Asking your readers for feedback will go a long way in helping you write even better. Pay attention to their wants and needs. If you can listen to them and implement what they desire into your stories while staying professional... you've definitely struck gold!

Embrace vulnerability, for it is the key to unlocking the hearts of your readers. Let your characters bare their souls, revealing their fears, their insecurities, their deepest desires. In their vulnerability, your readers will find their own reflections, their own hidden truths. Infuse your stories with conflict, the driving force of engagement. Let your characters face challenges, overcome obstacles, and grapple with difficult choices. Through conflict, you create suspense, anticipation, and a sense of investment in the outcome of the story.

Consider adding a section for FAQs. Think through common client/reader questions to inform what you add to this section. If applicable, use your analytic tools to see what info people are searching for on the topic.

Call To Action (CTA) doesn't have to be a call to buy your product or services. Ensure that your call to action at the inception should be focused more on acquittance with your readers. That way, they get to know you, later in like you and eventually trust you.

A benefit from sharing a personal story or a relatable story is that you can then ask the audience to share their own experiences with you in the comments or the Q & A. If you share a story that you know many people can relate to, then you set yourslef up for a robust conversation in the chat. You can even set up the Q&A or comment section for debate with a series of questions that you know will release some hot takes on what you just shared. It all depends on what your goals are for engagement and how much after-posting hot or cool water you want to swim in.

Storytelling is everything. As humans we live for stories. We are unaware of the fact that we are surrounded by it, that's why we are attracted to it. Using storytelling in your articles will keep the reader hooked. We often find analogies interesting. They render a write-up trustworthy, given that the fact has been experienced by real world entities. It's basic psychology. We tend to attracted towards aspects we are surrounded with. And we are always in the middle of a swarm of stories. Look around, it's everywhere.

There are many ways to hook your reader to what you write. However, never write to fulfil your ego, because it isn't about how talented you are at language, vocabulary and more. All of it means nothing when what you write can't be understood. So comprehension is key, write what is necessary and what needs to be written or read.. Or? Write as if you don't know how to.. Of course the best have their ways, find yours..

Always a good idea to remember this sage advice from Steve Martin to John Candy from the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles: “You know when you’re telling these little stories? Here’s a good idea: have a point. It makes it so much more interesting for the listener!” Get to the point as quickly as you can. Save your audiences from a slow build. Trim all the fat off your stories.

I enjoy story telling and have been able to connect with my target audience through my stories. I use every day experiences and have been able to get even opponents to see my side if the story. Story telling is emotive and at the end people want to see themselves in the story you tell. To be effective in story telling do not be afraid to be vulnerable and show your imperfections...for at the end we are all human

A compelling story has more concrete details (who, what where and why) and less descriptive adjectives. Less is more in most professional situations.