Most people suck at storytelling.
But if you avoid these 10 killer mistakes, I guarantee you won’t:
But if you avoid these 10 killer mistakes, I guarantee you won’t:
Not considering your desired outcome
What do you want the outcome of your story to be?
• Customer buying a product
• Audience laughing at your joke
• Investor giving you money
If you start with the end in mind, the intro and middle naturally funnel to that target.
What do you want the outcome of your story to be?
• Customer buying a product
• Audience laughing at your joke
• Investor giving you money
If you start with the end in mind, the intro and middle naturally funnel to that target.
Too much fluff
Most people amble on in backstory for 10 minutes or write an intro paragraph.
This is a waste of time.
Find the interesting parts of your story, jump right to it, and provide as little backstory as possible.
Most people amble on in backstory for 10 minutes or write an intro paragraph.
This is a waste of time.
Find the interesting parts of your story, jump right to it, and provide as little backstory as possible.
Ignoring open loops
Give your audience reasons to stick around.
Open loops are unanswered questions that your promise to answer later in the story.
Answer some immediately, save some answers for the end.
Try to always have one open.
Give your audience reasons to stick around.
Open loops are unanswered questions that your promise to answer later in the story.
Answer some immediately, save some answers for the end.
Try to always have one open.
Not practicing delivery and rhythm
Whether writing or speaking, your presence makes a difference.
Spend that extra time perfecting your word choice, varying your cadence.
Make your words sing:
Whether writing or speaking, your presence makes a difference.
Spend that extra time perfecting your word choice, varying your cadence.
Make your words sing:
Focusing too little on the hook
It doesn’t matter how incredible the rest of your story is if nobody sticks around for it.
A few guidelines:
• Punchy
• Short
• “Big if true”
To see great hooks in action, check this out:
It doesn’t matter how incredible the rest of your story is if nobody sticks around for it.
A few guidelines:
• Punchy
• Short
• “Big if true”
To see great hooks in action, check this out:
Going too fast
At the height of your story, grind everything to a halt.
It’s called the ‘Hourglass Technique.’
Add description. Get a little wordy. Force your audience to wait for the payoff.
Make them hang on your every word.
At the height of your story, grind everything to a halt.
It’s called the ‘Hourglass Technique.’
Add description. Get a little wordy. Force your audience to wait for the payoff.
Make them hang on your every word.
Not capturing your story ideas
You have story-worthy moments every day but forget almost all of them. Simple fix:
• Create a two column spreadsheet (date and story)
• Before bed, take two minutes to write the best story from that day
You’ll start seeing stories everywhere.
You have story-worthy moments every day but forget almost all of them. Simple fix:
• Create a two column spreadsheet (date and story)
• Before bed, take two minutes to write the best story from that day
You’ll start seeing stories everywhere.
Talking to everyone
Great stories aren’t told to everyone.
They’re told to the specific group of people who will resonate most with them.
The idea of “1000 true fans.”
Great stories aren’t told to everyone.
They’re told to the specific group of people who will resonate most with them.
The idea of “1000 true fans.”
Hitting zero or too many emotions
People make decisions based on emotion.
But it’s impossible to make your audience feel everything.
Nail down 1 emotion for each scene, and direct the story to amplify those.
People make decisions based on emotion.
But it’s impossible to make your audience feel everything.
Nail down 1 emotion for each scene, and direct the story to amplify those.
Ignoring structure
Humans gravitate to structure. Luckily there are tons to wrap around your story:
• Promises & Payoffs
• Hero’s Journey
• StoryBrand
• Three Act
Here’s the plot structure Christopher Nolan used for Inception:
Humans gravitate to structure. Luckily there are tons to wrap around your story:
• Promises & Payoffs
• Hero’s Journey
• StoryBrand
• Three Act
Here’s the plot structure Christopher Nolan used for Inception:
I hope you enjoyed that.
If so:
Give me a follow @nathanbaugh27
I explore different storytelling techniques 1-2x per week.
Here’s another one you might like:
If so:
Give me a follow @nathanbaugh27
I explore different storytelling techniques 1-2x per week.
Here’s another one you might like:
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1 storytelling tip each Saturday morning. Join here: worldbuilders.ai
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