When it comes to telling a joke, telling a story, or trying to persuade someone with a real life story, knowing how to master the art of storytelling is a very important skill. While some possess it by nature, others need to apply and learn it. Don't worry, then, as you'll learn how to tell a story better with wikiHow's thoughtful guide! Let's start without delay with point 1.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: The Fundamentals of Storytelling
Step 1. Involve the listener
Start the story by asking your audience or by doing something that catches attention. Ask a question, albeit rhetorical, that relates to the conclusion, twist, or context of the story you are about to tell. Alternatively, you can place a catchphrase, one of those impossible to ignore (so you will hook everyone; imagine having to write the equivalent of one of those hyperbolic newspaper headlines). You will draw the attention of listeners to your story and they will want to hear more of it.
- Example of "I love" for a fairy tale: "Have you ever wondered why moths chase the flame?"
- Example for a funny story: "I have to tell you the DEFINITIVE anecdote about roommates. Let's just say there is a toilet involved … ".
Step 2. Build the scene
Your narration should accompany the listener in an immersive experience. Through your story, listeners should feel transported to the center of the action. It therefore begins by giving them a context in which to orient themselves. Then continue adding details that paint the action and allow your audience to experience what you have felt. Pay attention to the language cure: use words aimed at triggering precise emotional reactions.
- For a fairy tale: "Once upon a time, when magic still existed in the world and animals spoke …".
- For a comic story: “As you well know, I'm the classic quiet type who relaxes by stroking his pack of cats. Unfortunately, my roommate was, on the other hand, the typical lover of liver-busting parties… ".
Step 3. Let the tension build up and then release it
The art of storytelling follows a defined path; Basically, it is a question of making the tension mount along the story, up to the apex of the climax, from where it then rushes to the conclusion. But remember that releasing tension at the right moments is very important to tell a balanced story. Without these tense knots, your story will seem too hasty or excessively similar to a list of events. Life includes moments of tranquility between the things that happen to us. So too are the well-told stories. You can ease the tension, then, by describing a scene, or strategically tucking in some minor details, or a joke if you're telling a funny anecdote.
- Fable: "The Moth approached the tall, white pillar where Flame resided, shining in its fiery glory. The Moth felt something move at the height of the stomach and was prey to love. But of course the heroes do not rush to the rescue of their princesses on the same day they fall in love, and Moth spent many moonlit nights before falling madly in love with Fiamma ".
- Funny anecdote: "That year we moved to this new neighborhood, very suggestive and … er … edgy. So… I was on the lookout for who lives more or less every second of the day. Great for pressure, you know”.
Step 4. Focus on the essential
As mentioned so far, including details to immerse listeners in the story is a fundamental process. However, you should keep your story from being rambling. That is why it is equally important to focus on the essential. Forget the unnecessary details and keep only those strictly related to the story.
Time is running out, so select the details that contribute to the maximum degree of narration or to describe a scene, but always adjusted according to the reactions of the listener. If they start looking bored, put the turbo on and synthesize what you need
Step 5. Take care of the logic in the concatenation of events
This is where your mastery of history and exercise become important. You know those people who start to tell a story and go off on a tangent and at some point they don't know anymore and continue with various "Oh, I forgot to add something …"? Here, don't be one of those people. Do not stop to take stock: this destroys the attention of the listeners. Tell the story with a fluid and logical narrative.
If you happen to forget an important detail, recover nonchalantly without interrupting the flow of the narrative. For example: “Now, it is not that the Pied Piper was quite wrong to insist so much on getting money from the inhabitants of the city. You must know that the burgomaster had not respected the pact they had stipulated”
Step 6. The story is over, amen
It's embarrassing when the listener doesn't understand if the story is over or not, so give it a clear and definitive conclusion. There are tons of ways to do this, some of which are as follows:
- Ask a question and give yourself an answer. “What kind of madness was that? If there is one thing I am sure of, it is that I will never try again ".
- Moral of the story. "And this, ladies and gentlemen, seems to me a very good reason why you should never bring your cat to work."
- Use the right tone of voice. Adjust speech speed, volume, and tone of voice as the story progresses. Accelerates and presses to climax; then slow down and lower to the end.
Part 2 of 3: How to Use the Voice and the Body
Step 1. Create the characters
Give a personality to each of the characters that appear in your story. The more you play their roles, the less you will have to resort to the narrative parts; you will also make the listening experience more immersive. Play with accents, speech styles, voices. You will add a further comic twist to the funny stories by playing a little fool or treading on the stereotypical voices.
For example, mimic your father's voice by making yours deeper and gruff, adding extra dialogue like, “[Relevant part of the story…] and now I'm going out to build a desk. Or a piece of desk. Maybe I'll get comfortable on the sofa and watch a TV show where they build a desk”
Step 2. Make your narrative "big" or "small"
Adjust your voice to the effect you want to achieve at a certain point in the story. Change tone and volume to make the story relaxing or exciting. Accelerate your speed and raise your voice as you approach the highlight. Slow down when facing the conclusion.
You should also do some practice with the so-called "dramatic breaks". A moment of silence, accompanied by the right look, can tell more than a thousand words
Step 3. Tell also with your face
If you really want to become a skilled storyteller, you need to know how to master facial expressions to your liking in order to use them as an added value in the story. In fact, all the characters and emotions of the story should flow on your face. If you want to learn this art at the school of true masters, watch as many videos as you can of the performances of John Stewart or Martin Freeman (you can find plenty on YouTube).
Remember, facial expressions cover a varied color palette. You can convey very complex emotions by using the right expression
Step 4. The hands also speak
Knowing how to "speak" even with your hands can mark the difference between a woody - and very boring - narrator and one who hypnotizes the room with his story. The hands transmit emotions, focus the attention of the listeners, create a feeling of dynamism and action. If you don't participate in the narration with your body, at least try to do it with your hands.
Obviously, don't overdo it. For example… don't hit anyone, don't spill your drink. Above all, don't spill it on yourself
Step 5. A little acting doesn't hurt
If the occasion permits, use your body to stage the actions you are recounting. You don't have to recite the whole story, just a few key points; you will emphasize the importance of a passage and attract the attention of listeners. The advice also applies to comic stories.
There are universally recognized “anthology” gestures that you can resort to. Think Groucho Marx's raised eyebrow or Rodney Dangerfield, who gave the world the classic tic of embarrassment: pulling his shirt collar with two fingers. Great comedians like Conan O'Brien and Robin Williams repeatedly use gestures taken from "tradition"
Part 3 of 3: Improving your Storytelling
Step 1. Practice
Practice repeating a story a few times before telling it to other people. Then practice in front of a few friends before going in front of more important people. You have to tame your story and tame it; this means feeling confident in telling it, knowing the exact moments in which to take a dramatic break or change your tone.
Step 2. Memorize your story
Make sure you know how to tell the whole story from start to finish and from end to start, so concentrate when you tell it. This will help you not to miss important pieces of the plot along the way. But above all it will help you to keep the story coherent over time, a particular not to be underestimated if you have to tell it several times.
Step 3. Be genuine
Don't turn your tales into sailor's epics. You know, right? Those stories that become more and more hyperbolic every time you hear them, where the details turn towards the myth and the characters are transformed into unlikely specks. Listeners disconnect the brain when you attack with one of these stories. Drop the sails of fantasy and keep your story authentic if you want people to continue enjoying it.
Step 4. The right story in the right place
You should only step into the narrator's pulpit when circumstances permit, where possible. Even the best stories are doomed to fail if you are forced to stop all the time due to external factors. An environment without too many distractions and noises is ideal for telling something. If someone tries to steal attention, immediately redirect it to you.
Step 5. Allow interaction
Listeners ask for nothing more than to be actively included in the narrative. You can ask them questions or find other ways to engage them; if you know how to do it correctly, you can tell yourself a good storyteller.
Step 6. Be empathetic with listeners and react to their emotions accordingly
This is a very important skill to cultivate. If they start to get bored, summarize or speed up the story. If you notice that a part of the tale has captured them, work on that and expand it. If they laugh, make them laugh even more. It's not easy, but knowing how to tell a story following the emotional fluctuations of listeners will make you a hard-to-forget storyteller.
