The communications trade has more than its share of charlatans, I'm sad to say.
So here's a tip for one handy way to spot them:
- They'll say there's a set way to tell a story
That's nonsense. There are an infinite number of ways to tell a story.
But! There are some useful guidelines and principles to follow, which I'll set out here.
And rather than do so in a dull way, I'll tell you a story which has great meaning for me.
It goes back to when I was 14, there in the picture trying to recreate The Who's iconic My Generation album cover.
(Oh, bless those glorious days of hair!)
A Story of Storytelling
One magical moment of teenage storytelling changed my life.
I was a horrible kid at school. Always being rude to teachers, disrupting lessons, getting suspended.
But of all the classes I disliked, I was least against English.
There, at least, I listened, and - although I hid it, naturally - found the class reasonably interesting.
Part of that was because of the teacher.
Mrs Osler was a wonderful old hippy, a mass of silvering hair, flowing with colourful clothes, dripping with beads.
But school was school, so when she set us some homework I was one of the loudest to protest.
Particularly as we had to write a story about... are you ready for this... urk...
- My first love
Imagine the grotty young me, complaining about not just homework...
But a love story. Yuk!
Anyhow, I wrote it, and handed it in, and thought no more of it.
Until the next week. And the time to discuss our stories.
I was only vaguely paying attention, as I recall.
It was a summer's day, the class was in an old wooden cabin, gentle sunshine was lapping through the windows, and I was daydreaming of getting the hell out and going swimming later.
Mrs Osler was talking about some of the stories we'd written on the theme of our first love, but then her tone changed.
- One, she said, one story stood out. It was so original and beautiful it moved her to tears
This sounded vaguely interesting, so I tuned back in.
Who had come up with this masterpiece?
One of the swots on the front row, no doubt.
(I was always at the back, naturally.)
So it was quite a shock when Mrs Osler pointed at me, and said:
- Stand up Simon Hall
I recall slowly rising, everyone looking at me, and wondering what the hell was going on.
I never - NEVER - got called out for good work.
Being a pain, yes. Plenty of that. But good work, no.
Mrs Osler went on a little more about how much she loved my story, while I stood there gawping and wondering why.
And then came the reveal.
Everyone else had written about boys or girls.
I'd written about music.
It was quite true, incidentally.
That was a classic teenage not knowing who you are, trying to find your way, seeking solace in music period of life.
And it really helped me through some tough times.
Apparently though, according to Mrs Osler, my story was wonderfully original, and beautifully written, filled with pure feeling.
Returning to today, I've had a terrific career in the world of words, from journalism, to writing novels, to teaching, to business communication consulting.
And I can't help wondering if none would have happened without that little moment of classroom epiphany.
Did it give me the nudge I needed towards a future of joyful fulfilment?
A Summary of Storytelling
So, as promised, based on Mrs Osler's tale, some guidelines about how to tell a good story.
Remember, these are just thoughts. There are no rules.
What works works. It's as simple as that.
But this brief checklist might help.
Storytelling Starts
The beginning is the most important part of your story.
You've got to hook the audience from the start.
So make sure it does, as I hope mine did:
- One magical moment of teenage storytelling changed my life
Storytelling Ends
A twist helps, as with mine, and the subject I wrote about.
Leaving a question to think about is also an effective way of ending a good tale.
But so long as the story is rounded up, preferably in a memorable manner, and leaves the audience satisfied, that's fine.
The Storytelling Narrative
Chronological storytelling pretty much always works, as with mine of Mrs Osler.
If you're worried about how to structure a story, start off that way.
You can always experiment with other tricks as you grow more confident.
The key is to keep it tight, with lots going on, no words wasted, so you retain the audience's interest.
The Storytelling Journey
Something should change in your story.
That's the point of it, the lesson one of the characters learns, and us through their experience.
In this case, it's a hint of my future.
There are so many others, but some form of journey, realisation, or change is always a critical part of any story.
Storytelling Settings
Don't forget to set the scene.
Your story needs to feel real, and just a few words can help with that.
Look at my description of the classroom.
I only spend a sentence on it, but hopefully it helps to bring the scene alive.
Storytelling Characters
An effective story needs good characters.
So, as with settings, spend a few words developing yours.
I hope you get a strong sense of the nasty young me, and the wonderful Mrs Osler from the snippets I used to establish us.
Storytelling in Conclusion
I won't bore you with the research, but the science says stories light up our brains and linger in our minds far more than mere facts.
So always find a way of telling stories, whether you're giving a presentation, creating a website, or even writing a report.
Storytelling is the magic ingredient that can really make your messaging come alive.
By the way, this blog was inspired by my previous musings on storytelling in science, which got a lot of kind feedback.
Thanks to all who got in touch, and I hope this helps with the question many of you raised:
About how to tell a great story.
If you missed that blog, you can find it here.