Category: Tips
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Storytelling tip 6: You only get a few hooks, so use them wisely
By hooks, I mean lines that stand out (and pull the listener in) because they are clever, or lyrical, or profound. Writerly lines. They may introduce a powerful metaphor or capture a meme. The tension is that if you use too many hooks, you will definitely sound too writerly—very few people speak in hooks. So…
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Storytelling tip 5: Think about leaving pathos in the wings awhile
Personal storytelling is, by its very nature, a manipulative art. You want your audience to care deeply about what happened to you, and to experience something of what you experienced. And your audience wants to care. Your listeners are there for the vicarious experience your story offers—whether it is hilarity, wonder, emotional empathy, a combination…
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Storytelling tip 4: Dump your info at the beginning—or not
Storytelling tip 4: Dump your info at the beginning—or not
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Storytelling tip #3: Don’t be too writerly—unless you are
A common dis on personal stories, especially those that have been scripted in advance, is that they are too writerly. And for good reason. The idea is to tell believable stories, not to create high art. You can avoid sounding writerly by choosing short Anglo-Saxon words; composing simple, declarative sentences; avoiding obvious contrivances like long…
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Storytelling tip #1: Start with a script–but not a sacred text
Tip #1 from my ten tips for storytellers: Start with a script–but not a sacred text