What are some advanced techniques for crafting a compelling story?

The Hero’s Journey is a classic and is still commonly used mainly in literary circles. In business, the same beats don’t always work well with it. A simplified version (formula) can be used, the S.H.O.R.T story formula. SITUATION- What is the context, background, setting, scene. HERO- who is the protagonist? What do they want? What are their strengths, weaknesses, and fears? OBSTACLE- What stands in their way? Is their an enemy, villain, etc. RESOLUTION- How does the story conclude? Is it a success or failure story? TRANSFORMATION- How is the hero different now thats when they started? What can we learn or takeaway from this lesson? This can be used as for stories or a way of structuring the sequence of information in our presentation.

Use the hero’s journey. But remember, it will not always be about success or achievement. The hero often fails and still the story remains relevant because the journey is more important than the destination. ??

Make it personal. Craft a beginning, middle and end. Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them. Use specific examples. Be honest. People forgive a lot if you are honest.

The journey kicks off with a problem or conflict that disrupts the protagonist's ordinary life. As the journey unfolds, the protagonist encounters a series of obstacles and challenges. These trials test their resolve, pushing them to their limits and forcing them to confront their fears and weaknesses. But the Hero's Journey is not just about overcoming obstacles; it's also about transformation. Through perseverance and determination, the protagonist undergoes a profound change, emerging stronger, wiser, and more resilient than before. Finally, the Hero's Journey culminates in the return, where the protagonist brings back their newfound wisdom and insight to benefit others.

This is a classic theme or out line to follow, a great book that will help you with this is Building a Story Brand. You want to make sure that the participant can see that the challenges the hero overcame and the way they were over come are easily transferable to them.

What people remember best is how you made them feel. Telling a story for the sake of eliciting and emotional response isn’t enough. It’s essential to reverse engineer that story from the central theme and outcome of your presentation and learning event. If you cannot identify a compelling story based on personal experience, then it’s fine to research one based on someone else. However, it needs to be devoid of hyperbole to maintain authenticity. Good luck!

Story is about one word: but. The cop wants to retire but … Everyone was happy in the little town but … You want to go to the gym more often but … Ironically, business is allergic to this ‘negative’ word, resulting in 90% of brand ‘stories’ and ‘storytelling’ ads being anything but.

Emotions are the lifeblood of storytelling, the invisible thread that weaves connections between storyteller and audience, transforming mere words into an experience that resonates deeply within the soul. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a world painted with vibrant hues of joy, sorrow, fear, and hope. Picture yourself standing at the edge of a vast ocean, feeling the salty breeze caress your skin as the waves crash against the shore, echoing the rhythm of your beating heart. Amidst the highs and lows, there is beauty to be found, in the laughter of loved ones, in the warmth of a gentle embrace, in the quiet moments of reflection beneath a star-studded sky. So let us embrace our emotions, the joy, the sadness, the fear, and the love

Using emotions as and when required is an essential part of storytelling. It is the emotions when used appropriately make the audience connect with you more ! Emotions are a powerful tool make sure to use it to your benefit ! Hope this helps !

Here's the HOW to get the audience to be sitting at the edge of their seats: 1. Avoid telling a beginning-to-end story with the results or ending. This is so boring. 2. So pick an event such as inciting events which are unexpected where life is thrown out of balance. Recommend to use personal & emotional experience) and start from there. E.g. grief, accident, pain, trouble, etc. as the antagonist to grab people's emotions. Include 2 or 3 antagonists to increase the attention level. 3. For the ending, decide if a happy ending or a sad ending works better. Bear in mind, people love stories which end with "...and happily ever after."

Connecting with your audience through emotional appeal and shared experiences is a potent strategy. By stirring emotions like empathy, understanding, and relatability, you forge a strong bond and create a story that sticks. Crafting distinct experiences, evoking various emotions, and most importantly, injecting your story with genuine personality and authenticity, set you apart as a storyteller.

Don’t be afraid to talk how you talk. One of the primary tools I use in my speaking is the practice of endearment. Getting the audience to like YOU as a person often starts with YOU being vulnerable first. For me that looks like talking to the women I’m speaking to as if they are my business confidants. I’m still maintaining a level of respect and professionalism but I invite candid engagement by being candid myself. In addition it makes your audience much more forgiving of any mishaps in your presentation.

1.Almost every story has three components -character,desire,conflict. I am sure you heard the thirsty crow story. Character -Crow ??? Desire - Drink water ?? Conflict - Water level ??? low 2.Dropping the pressure technique.. Speaking ??? with so much passion and peak in the voice and then slowly saying the punch line (you turn) in the story. Many public speakers do it regularly to create jaw dropping moments. 3. Show story emotions .. don't say it show it ... For ex - I lost my body balance today and got down the stairs - How will I say this in a story? I was happily going upstairs thinking of my childhood without releasing what's going to happen next will take me to bed for 6 months and I will be helpless and then..

I belive that trying to segment the audience is a;ways a good idea. it sets you to the current mindset when speaking to them, and also sets your lecture's tone, direction, and goal. eventually, you decide what your message is, but it's really good to put yourself in the other shoes in order to create a compelling story

??" Tailoring your story to your audience is crucial! " ?When you understand your audience's interests, preferences, and values, you can create a story that resonates with them. ?It's like speaking their language and capturing their attention. By adapting your storytelling approach, you can make your story more relatable and engaging for your specific audience. ?It's all about connecting with them on a deeper level! THANKYOU ????

I leverage the rule of three frequently in two different ways First, I structure my stories in three-minute building blocks. If I am asked to deliver a ten-minute talk, I build around three blocks. Fifteen minutes is four or five. When modularizing a talk like this, the delivery becomes like walking someone around the bases on a base ball field. Second, I structure each building block around a question I am trying to answer for the audience and three bullets that cover my points. The choice of three works great as it represents what I, as a speaker, can memorize and what the audience can take in.

Let's start with a scenario, three strangers find themselves drawn together by fate. The first is a weary traveler, The second is a young artist, her fingers stained with the colors of her imagination. And the third is an old man, his weathered face lined with the wisdom of a lifetime spent chasing dreams and weathering storms. These three people are in various situations but are joined by fate. Together, these three strangers embark on a journey of discovery and self-discovery, connection and belonging. Through laughter and tears, triumphs and setbacks, they learn that in the end, the connections we forge and the bonds we share truly define us.

I find it really important to pause and recap or repeat so that the audience takes the point I want them to have home. The more time I have, the more sophisticated this can get. I share three stories that drive the point home in different ways. I talk about the importance of sleep. I share research, personal stories and plan interactive moments so the audience can reflect on their own experiences/lives and start internalizing how valuable sleep will be for each of their own healing or growth journeys.

Begin with the end on mind. Understanding the desired put come will help plug in bullets that can be expanded upon. Start small. Turn the bullets into short paragraphs and expand from there.

I frequently use the rule of three in my communications and presentations. Organizing information into three main ideas or themes enhances coherence and memorability. This method efficiently explains intricate financial plans or consulting solutions, simplifying the data and rendering it more understandable to various audiences.

In creating a story for my audience I structure it to include a call to action. During a recent presentation for a National Alliance on Mental Illness conference I told a powerful story of a mother’s love for her mentally ill son. I explained that her fears included that she would pass away before her son and no one would care for him. The call to action was to join NAMI and help advocate for more support for those diagnosed with mental illness. By having a call to action, you can bring awareness to a topic and let others feel a need to help support the topic.

As we reflect on the journey we've shared, I invite you to consider the power of connection and the profound impact it can have on our lives. Take a moment to reach out to someone – a friend, a family member, a stranger – and offer them a word of kindness or a gesture of support. In a world that often feels divided and disconnected, let us strive to build bridges of empathy and understanding, to nurture relationships that uplift and inspire. Together, let us sow seeds of compassion and cultivate a community rooted in love. This will be a call to action on my side.

Start with end 1st. Think of the precise message you intend to deliver to your audience. Then the context of the story will develop. Economy of Words...the fewer, the better. Use the most impactful selection of words that will create a clear picture. No fillers. No preambles: "My story is about an event that happened way back and will be really amazing when I start to tell you my story..." Get right into where it happened, who was involved, when it occurred, and why it is important for the audience. Paint the picture clearly enough where they are right there with you. Strong opening and inspiring close. Just like a good take-off and landing are important to a pilot, a strong opening and inspiring close are key for a presenter.

Strategically using some external tools would help, namely: - Room temperature, have it turned up or down according to how your story pans out - Visual impact, have a video or photo reel played in the background. Or better still, let it roll, with sound, as it forms part of your presentation - Music, it could be just the cherry on top to draw emotions out of the audience, be it joy, excitement, anger or melancholy

Questions can be powerful call to actions and you can ask them Rhetorically at the end as you explained the answer before You can ask them to create a certain feeling and emotion within the listening Or to create energy to act and change something and take an action to move forward Just to give a few examples You can also start and end with the same question making your audience feel the impact of your talk/presentation because the answer and effect of your question is different after your input than before. Very powerful!

The best storytellers tell two stories at the same time… the one you’re listening to and the idea at the end that they want you to really know. The way they do this is by tying two stories together (ie: the moral if the story is). As an exercise, try taking two completely different ideas or stories and then find a way to connect the two of them together. I do this in my writing, it makes storytelling more fun as well.

“Do NOT over Explain.” While detailing helps listener visualise, but going over board with it takes away the punch of the story. Let your listeners use their imagination. That will make the story more relatable. If you fill in all the details, listeners would become passive and stop connecting to your story.

Speeches should inspire transformation, and an exceptional speaker identifies the most impactful change for their audience. It's essential to ask, "What meaningful shift will this talk initiate?" If it doesn't inspire change, then what's its purpose? Suggest the change they need to make within the next 24 hours for the message to take effect. If no change occurs within this timeframe, the talk risks being forgotten among the countless others. This 24-hour window is what distinguishes a mere speaker from a true motivator. Strive to be the motivator.

Compelling stories come from compelling experiences. My best stories have an experience behind them that leads to relevance for the audience (as the speaker, you must connect the dots because the uniqueness of the story suggests the audience has not had that experience). For example, my landing on the U.S. George Washington underway in the Atlantic Ocean as a civilian. MY jumping out of an airplane with the U.S. Army Golden Knights, My visiting a Dairy farm to see robots milking cows, My buying a 38-foot RV without telling my wife because I was called to cross the country to champion the noble calling of distribution and create documentary films, are some examples. We've all had tremendous experiences, so turn them into stories.

Don’t forget a good hook to begin your story. Ideas on how to do this: Put the audience in the middle of the story near the arc right at the top. Get close to the climax of the why of the speech and then rewind a bit to give in-depth context. Another way is to start with the pain point that your talk will present a solution. Ensure you are coming from the audience’s point of view. Using their words of how to describe that pain point. When creating a hook, ensure to tap into emotional common ground like struggle, triumph, embarrassment, etc. Using emotion will make the audience feel compelled to identify with you because everyone feels.