The Art of Great Storytelling

Why Storytelling is one of the most important skill for business / career or anything you pursue in your life:

• Stories take readers on a mental journey. 
• Stories are relatable 
• People are hardwired for stories. Stories are the natural way human knowledge was passed down before the written word. It's the natural way our brains learn and process information.
• Audience cannot resist a well told story. 
• The number one thing that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats is conflict 
• As long as there are two opposing forces that make the outcome uncertain a story will be gripping. 
• When you arouse your audience emotion they have no choice but to be completely engaged and immersed in you because through emotions you allow them to step in your Shoes. 

The critical elements of great story telling:

CONFLICT

• Ask yourself ”Is the conflict in my story strong enough” Does it arouse audience’s emotion?”
• The conflict in a story is what keeps your audience curious. The conflict is what makes the audience ask, “What will happen next ?”
• No conflict = no curiosity = no interest

HOW TO BRING CHARACTERS TO LIFE

• If you have ever experienced a great speech you know that it more than what the speaker said. It’s also about the mental picture speaker painted for you. Engaging an audience is more than just giving important information.
• Patrcicia Fripp, the executive speech coach, “People don’t remember what you say as much as they remember what they see when you say it.”
• Speaking is not about telling. It’s more about showing the audience so that they get an experience that really sinks in. Malcom Gladwell always follows the principle of showing rather than just telling.

HOW TO CREATE MENTAL MOTION PICTURES FOR YOUR AUDIENCE

• There are five senses that we use to experience the world - sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. By providing descriptions that use as many of these senses as possible you help your audience create as vivid mental motion picture as possible, of your characters and stories.
• Any time we experience anything in life, a blend of these elements is always present. We call these elements ‘IRs’ - internal representations - because they represent our experience of the world around us internally, in our heads.
• “In fact memory is just a blend of these elements. Whenever you recall any experience, whether it’s the pizza you ate yesterday, or the roller coster you screamed on 28 years ago, you are accessing a blend of these five elements; a set pattern that equals your experience.
• Blending the elements of the five senses helps to bring your story to life and internalise it for the audience. As a result, your speech will be more powerful and impactful to your audience. 
• You don’t need to make your descriptions long and incredibly detailed. But you do need to hit as many of the five senses as possible in order to create a great experience for your audience.

THE POWER OF DIALOGUE IN STORY TELLING

• Dialogue is more powerful than narration. It puts the audience members into the scene, allowing them to hear exactly what was said. Dialogue is also shorter and punchier than narration. Finally, another advantage of dialogue is that it allows you to use vocal variety - to slightly change the pace, pitch and volume of your voice to reflect the emotions and speech of the different characters in your speech. As a result, your delivery will be more dynamic and engaging. When delivering your story, always use dialogue - not narration.

THE SPARK

• The spark is the wisdom or the process that the character in your story receives in order to overcome the conflict. 
• What was the spark that caused you to overcome the conflict you were facing in your life ? Perhaps it was a quotation you read or advice you received from a mentor or a technique you learned from a book. Share the spark with you audience and perhaps it might just be what they need to help them overcome the challenges they may be facing.

THE CHANGE

• Theme of pain and struggle always worked better than superfluous stories of success and overachievement
• People like to read / listen to what can propel them further and help them smile and stay focussed, even on a bad day