Seven Keys to Good Storytelling | Josh Campbell | TEDxMemphis

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of storytelling in personal and professional life, urging individuals to find their unique voice and connect with audiences. They debunk the myth that one must be funny to tell a story, stressing the need for authenticity and preparation without over-scripting. The seven keys to storytelling are presented, including starting strong, avoiding unnecessary details, and trusting the audience's ability to grasp the moral. The ultimate message is to practice, find one's voice, and become the protagonist of one's own narrative.

Takeaways

• 📚 Storytelling is essential for various life situations like pitches, presentations, toasts, and eulogies.
• 🗣️ Everyone has a story to tell; it's a common misconception that one's story isn't interesting enough for others.
• 🎯 Practice is crucial for effective storytelling, and finding one's voice is key to connecting with an audience.
• 📝 Be prepared with an outline but stay flexible to adapt to the story's flow and audience reactions.
• 😂 Humor is not a requirement for storytelling; authenticity and connection are more important than making people laugh.
• 🔍 Use names in your stories to give them power and avoid letting anonymity control your narrative.
• 💔 It's not the audience's job to provide closure; ensure you're at peace with your story before sharing it.
• 📖 Start your story at the beginning and end at the end, avoiding unnecessary tangents or backstory.
• 🙅‍♂️ Avoid moralizing or explaining the lesson of the story; trust the audience to get the message on their own.
• 🔍 Details are important, but not all details are necessary; trust your audience to fill in the gaps.
• 🚫 Be mindful of controversial statements; avoid offending your audience unless it's critical to the story.
• 🎭 The secret key to storytelling is recognizing when to deviate from the rules based on the story and the audience.

Q & A

Why is storytelling considered an essential part of living one's best life?

Storytelling is essential because it's a universal human experience that connects us with others, whether it's in professional settings like pitches and presentations, or personal moments like toasts and eulogies.

What is the speaker's response to people who claim they don't have a story to tell?

The speaker argues that everyone has a story to tell, and the belief that they don't is merely an excuse to avoid the challenge of storytelling.

What is one of the seven keys to good storytelling mentioned in the script?

One key is to be prepared but not overly so, allowing for flexibility during the storytelling process to explore parts of the story that resonate with the audience.

Why is it not necessary to be funny when telling a story?

Being funny is not necessary because the primary goal is to connect with the audience, and if a joke fails, it can break that connection.

What is the importance of using names when telling a story?

Using names in a story can empower the storyteller and prevent others from having undue influence over the narrative, ensuring authenticity and honesty.

Why should a storyteller avoid turning their storytelling into a therapy session?

A therapy session focuses on personal healing, whereas storytelling should aim for empathy from the audience, allowing them to connect with the story rather than focusing on the storyteller's emotional state.

What is the recommended approach to starting and ending a story?

The story should start at the beginning and end at the end, avoiding unnecessary preambles or digressions that can confuse the audience.

Why should storytellers avoid moralizing at the end of their story?

Moralizing can rob the audience of their own interpretation and takeaway from the story, potentially undermining the storytelling experience.

What is the significance of details in storytelling, and when can they be problematic?

Details are important for setting the scene and context but can be problematic when they become excessive and detract from the main narrative, causing the audience to lose interest.

Why is it important not to offend the audience unnecessarily?

Offending the audience can alienate them and break the connection, which is crucial for effective storytelling and communication.

What is the 'secret key' to storytelling mentioned by the speaker?

The secret key is that sometimes details, morals, and even offending the audience are necessary to make the story impactful and memorable.

Outlines

00:00

🎙️ Embracing Storytelling in Life's Journeys

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of storytelling in various aspects of life, such as work presentations, social gatherings, and personal eulogies. The speaker encourages the audience to prepare and practice their storytelling skills, highlighting that everyone has a story worth telling. The speaker dispels the myth that one must be funny to tell a good story, suggesting that connection and authenticity are more important. The paragraph also introduces seven keys to effective storytelling, which will be elaborated in the subsequent content.

05:04

📝 The Art of Storytelling: Keys and Pitfalls

The speaker delves into the intricacies of storytelling, providing advice on how to craft and deliver a compelling narrative. Key points include being prepared but adaptable, avoiding the pressure to be funny, using names to add authenticity, and not turning the story into a therapy session. The speaker stresses the importance of making peace with one's story to elicit empathy from the audience, rather than sympathy. Additionally, the advice to start at the beginning and end at the end of the story is given, cautioning against over-explaining or moralizing, which can detract from the audience's experience.

Keywords

💡Storytelling

Storytelling is the art of conveying experiences, ideas, or narratives in a way that engages an audience. In the context of the video, storytelling is presented as an essential skill for various life situations, such as pitches, presentations, toasts, and eulogies. The script emphasizes its importance by stating that everyone has a story to tell and should prepare to share it effectively.

💡Connection

Connection refers to the bond or link established between the storyteller and the audience. The script discusses the importance of maintaining this connection throughout the storytelling process. It suggests that the audience is already inclined to listen, and it's up to the storyteller to keep their attention and engagement.

💡Preparation

Preparation in this context means having an outline or plan for the story but allowing flexibility to adapt during the telling. The script advises being prepared 'but not too prepared,' suggesting that while a structure is important, it should not hinder the natural flow and exploration of the story as it unfolds.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. The script distinguishes between empathy and sympathy, stating that the goal of storytelling is to evoke empathy from the audience. This means the audience should feel connected to the storyteller's experience, not just feel sorry for them.

💡Details

Details are the specific elements or facts that contribute to the depth of a story. The script warns against over-reliance on details, suggesting that while they can be important, they can also become tedious. It encourages storytellers to trust their audience to fill in the gaps and understand the shared human experiences being conveyed.

💡Moral

A moral is the lesson or principle derived from a story. The script advises against explicitly stating the moral of the story, arguing that the audience should be allowed to interpret the story's message for themselves. This approach respects the audience's intelligence and allows for a more personal connection to the narrative.

💡Controversial

Controversial refers to statements or ideas that might provoke disagreement or strong reactions. The script cautions against making controversial statements unless they are crucial to the story, as they can alienate part of the audience and disrupt the connection.

💡Beginning and End

This concept refers to the structure of a story, emphasizing the importance of starting at a relevant point and concluding effectively. The script criticizes the tendency of storytellers to include unnecessary background information, urging them to begin 'at the beginning' and end with a clear resolution.

💡Practice

Practice is the act of rehearsing or performing an activity to improve or maintain one's skill. The script highlights the necessity of practice in storytelling, suggesting that finding a platform to share one's story and receiving feedback from an audience is a crucial part of developing storytelling abilities.

💡Hero

In the context of storytelling, the hero is the central character or protagonist whose journey forms the core of the narrative. The script encourages the audience to see themselves as the hero of their own story, taking charge of their narrative and shaping it in a way that resonates with others.

💡Dialogue

Dialogue in this context refers to the interactive exchange between the storyteller and the audience. While the storyteller is the one speaking, the script suggests that the audience is mentally engaged in a conversation, reflecting on the story and contributing to its meaning through their thoughts and reactions.

Highlights

Storytelling is an essential part of living your best life and should be practiced for various opportunities like pitches, presentations, toasts, and eulogies.

Everyone has a story to tell, and the belief that one doesn't is just an excuse to avoid sharing.

TED talks focus on revolutionary ideas, and people want to hear your story, contrary to common belief.

To connect with an audience, you need to tell your story with authenticity and find your voice.

The seven keys to good storytelling are about avoiding bad storytelling rather than just telling a good story.

Be prepared for your story but allow flexibility to explore and adapt to what resonates with the audience.

You don't need to be funny to tell a good story; connection is more important than laughter.

Using real names in your story can help avoid embarrassment and give power to the narrative.

A story should not be a therapy session; make peace with your story before sharing it with an audience.

Empathy, not sympathy, is the goal when telling a story to ensure the audience focuses on the narrative.

Begin your story at the beginning and end at the end to avoid confusing the audience with unnecessary details.

Avoid moralizing at the end of your story; trust the audience to understand the lesson or moral on their own.

Details are important, but trust your audience to understand the context without over-explaining.

Keep the audience on your side by maintaining a connection and understanding that they are your peers.

Avoid making controversial statements unless they are crucial to the story to prevent offending the audience.

The secret key to storytelling is knowing when to break the rules and when to follow them.

Practice is essential to finding your voice and becoming the hero of your own story.

Transcripts

[Music]

if you're living your best life which I

know you are I've seen your instagrams

if you're living right storytelling has

to be a part of your life you will have

to give a pitch for your boss you will

have to give a presentation to your

employees a friend will ask you to give

a toast you will give a eulogy

so these storytelling opportunities are

coming so you have to prepare for them

you have to practice and the best way to

practice and prepare is to find your

voice your voice in front of a story and

swoop in front of a crowd of people your

ability to connect with an audience and

the way to do that is by telling your

story the spilled events we run I host

them and at the end people always come

up to me and they say the same thing

they said I'd love to do that but I

don't have a story to tell and I always

say to them well you know that's not

true because everyone has a story to

tell that's just something we tell

ourselves that's the excuse that we give

to not do it what we're really saying

when we say that is I don't think I have

a story that anybody wants to listen to

TED talks are about revolutionary ideas

here's the idea people want to hear your

story

isn't it the worst when someone takes

your excuse away from you I'm a teacher

I do that a lot

so these opportunities are coming you

need to practice and the connection with

the audience is already there why are

you listening to me right now because

I'm standing in front of you you're

facing this way you really have no

choice it's up to me to keep that

connection going and so the seven keys

to good storytelling is not how to tell

a good story it's how to avoid telling

bad stories and so I've made some slides

with some of my favorite storytellers to

help me out first key

be prepared but not too prepared every

journey you want to give from A to B but

it's the side roads and the side tracks

the long cuts and the short cuts that

make the journey worthwhile have an

outline stick to it but give yourself

some liberal room so that you can

explore that part of the story that's

really working give yourself an escape

route so you can get out of that part of

the story that's not don't let

preparation get in the way of a good

story right now my father is saying only

Josh would make lack of preparation of

virtue you don't have to be funny

because let's admit it folks you're not

funny I'm sorry everybody always says

that to me I wish I could tell my story

but I'm just not funny and you have that

old trope always start your presentation

with a joke it will relax your audience

but if that joke bombs the connection is

lost people want to feel connected more

than they want to laugh name names

people always say I want to tell my

story but I don't want this person to be

embarrassed I want to tell my story but

I don't want this person to know that I

think about them at all I want to tell

my story but I would be embarrassed if

my mom found out I hooked up with that

guy if you can't use someone's name they

have power over your story don't let

someone with no name determine your

story for you it's not a therapy session

if you can't make peace with your story

than your audience won't be able to that

doesn't mean that you can't show emotion

it's fine 75% of our winners that are

spiller slams are the guys and girls

that cry protip on that one

but it is not the audience's job to give

you closure you don't want your audience

to feel sympathy for you you want them

to feel empathy if they feel sorry for

you they're thinking about you and your

well-being and they're not thinking

about your story anymore

make peace with your story before you

get on the stage dad's from Memphis one

of our great storytellers start at the

beginning of your story and end at the

end sound simple but when I sit down and

meet with people usually what happens is

they start talking in about five minutes

then they say well I guess the story

really starts here well if it really

starts here what are you talking about

for the last five minutes I have no idea

what your story's about it was nice to

hear about grandma coming from Bavaria

back in the 1830s or something like that

what does it have to do with the cat you

just bought so let's begin at our

beginning and at the end so many

storytellers reached that point be that

they wanted to get to they have a great

closing line the audience has had their

cathartic release and it should be walk

off the stage you should have that

George Costanza moment of I'm out of

here thanks guys

but what people do instead of that as

they go well I guess the moral of the

story is and then for two minutes they

moralize to you you've got to trust that

your audience is gonna get the lesson

that you want them to get or they're

gonna get the lesson that they want to

get don't rob them of that by telling

them the moral of the story the Devils

in the details

and those details are boring

trust your audience you and your

audience are human beings you're having

a dialogue with them you're the only

ones talking but in their head they're

speaking back to you you have shared

experiences as human beings that don't

need to be explained in great detail if

I say to you my dog's my best friend you

understand what I'm saying do I need to

spend two minutes talking about the way

he looks my face or where he meets me at

the door every day or sometimes I talk

to I think he's the only one that really

understands me I don't own a dog I'm

more of a cat person I don't own a cat

either see that's me trying to be funny

you know I don't always work but you

understand what I'm saying

I don't need to spend two minutes

telling you my dog's my best friend you

get it we're together let's move on

you understand me and I understand you

the audience is on your side keep them

there the connection is made again you

understand your audience they are your

peers they're the people that live in

the city that you do don't make a

controversial statement unless you have

to unless it's totally vital to the

story earlier I told you guys that I

look at your Instagram accounts and then

I said you weren't funny that wasn't a

good idea on my part ten percent of you

probably checked out a long time ago

just because of that don't offend your

audience so those are my seven keys but

the most important one is this the

secret key

sometimes details are important

sometimes morals are necessary sometimes

you have to offend your audience to make

them listen

I can't tell you what your story is and

I can't tell you how to tell it the only

way you can do it is by practice go and

find a mic get in front of an audience

find your voice be the hero of your own

story be the protagonist