3 Storytelling Techniques To Deliver Unforgettable Stories

Summary

This video introduces three storytelling techniques to enhance your narrative skills. First, jump straight into the action to immediately engage your audience. Second, 'show, don't tell' by using descriptive actions and emotions rather than simply stating feelings. Third, incorporate dialogue to make your story more immersive and vivid. These methods will make your stories more dynamic, emotional, and visually compelling, helping you connect deeply with listeners. The video concludes by hinting at further storytelling insights in a follow-up video.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Start stories with action to engage the audience from the beginning, without wasting time on excessive context.
• 🏃‍♂️ Use active scenes to create momentum, such as describing a character performing an action (e.g., walking, biking, or reading).
• 🔑 Great storytellers bring the audience into the story from the first moment, making it feel dynamic and alive.
• 👀 Show, don't tell—use descriptive actions to convey emotions rather than just stating them (e.g., ‘legs trembling’ instead of ‘I was nervous’).
• 😊 Showing how the body and face change with emotions makes stories more vivid and immersive.
• 🗣️ Use dialogue to make stories feel real and relatable—quote exact words spoken during important moments.
• 💬 Dialogue adds a layer of depth by allowing listeners to hear characters' voices, making the story more engaging.
• 🎭 Describing emotions through actions (e.g., a grin or trembling legs) creates a visual and emotional connection with the audience.
• 💥 Spice up stories with unexpected or surprise moments to keep the audience engaged and attentive.
• 📚 Including storytelling techniques like action, emotion, and dialogue puts you in the top 1% of great storytellers.

Q & A

What is the first storytelling technique mentioned in the video?

The first storytelling technique is to start the story right into the action, avoiding too much context and grabbing the audience's attention immediately.

Why is it important to start a story with action?

Starting a story with action immediately engages the audience, creating momentum and making them curious about what happens next, instead of losing their interest with too much setup.

Can you give an example of starting a story with action, as mentioned in the video?

One example provided is: 'It's May 2019, Dinuka steps into his manager's office and hands in the letter.' This puts the character directly into an active situation.

What is the second storytelling technique discussed?

The second technique is to 'show, don't tell.' This means showing emotions and actions through descriptions rather than explicitly stating how characters feel.

How does 'show, don’t tell' improve a story?

It makes the story more visual and engaging by allowing the audience to infer emotions from the character’s actions or body language, rather than being told outright how the character feels.

Can you provide an example of 'show, don't tell' from the video?

Instead of saying, 'My boss was very pleased,' the video suggests saying, 'My boss walked up to me, patted me on my back, and looked at me with a big grin on his face.'

What is the third storytelling technique mentioned in the video?

The third technique is to use dialogue. By including the exact words spoken during key moments, the story becomes more immersive and allows listeners to feel like they are part of the scene.

Why is dialogue important in storytelling?

Dialogue helps to make a story more personal and real, bringing characters to life and giving listeners a sense of direct connection to the emotions and interactions of the story.

What is an example of using dialogue from the video?

An example is: Instead of saying, 'My mom was very disappointed,' you could say, 'My mom looked at me and said, Philip, you're a disgrace.'

What advice does the speaker give for adding surprise moments in stories?

The speaker suggests including unexpected or surprise moments to keep the audience engaged. These should be placed strategically to add impact, and viewers are encouraged to check out another video for more tips on when to include these moments.