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Secrets of Great Storytelling
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A fundamental distinction between good and bad storytellers is that good ones know why they're
telling the story.
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In a scene from the movie Training Day, seasoned LAPD detective Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington)
invites wide-eyed recruit Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke) to breakfast. When Hoyt sits, Harris issues him a stark challenge in the
form of four words: "Tell me a story."
Harris' test is the same one an anonymous reader (listener) is asking of you every time you take
pen to paper (or you turn on the microphone). Placing yourself in Jake Hoyt's shoes can help you focus on what goes
into a great manuscript. After all, every anecdote shared at a dinner party, every story told over a beer, every yarn spun
around a campfire is like a condensed novel. If it starts quickly, builds momentum, maintains focus and delivers a satisfying
conclusion, the audience will come away happy and eager for the next tale. If the story doesn't accomplish these things, the
audience is lost – possibly for good.
Powerful storytellers consistently deliver because they uphold the following five crucial principles.
And remember that one of the very best ways to learn to be a more effective storyteller is
available around the clock, and it's free. All you have to do is listen.
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1. KNOW WHERE YOU'RE HEADED
When a skillful storyteller shares an anecdote, a comment or even a joke, he subtly identifies the point of the story
first.
2. RESIST HYPE
A successful (storyteller) uses restraint. For example, in a romance novel, when the heroine sees her lover
disappearing into the distance, you could write, "As he rode away, she felt herself die inside." Consider, however, this subtler
treatment: "As he rode away, her chin fell slightly." This second version is more satisfying and convincing (and visual!).
3. STICK TO WHAT MATTERS
Effective storytellers ... don't get sidetracked. If a certain detail is irrelevant, leave it out. Sticking to the story
doesn't mean you have to write with strict linearity. Foreshadowing, suspending action in one scene while describing another,
even flashbacks, can all serve a story well. Your story ... (has) to be tight and nimble and create the sense that, even if
the reader (listener) doesn't know where you're going, you do. Whether you lead your reader (listener) straight
ahead, left to right or round and round doesn't matter: All that matters is that every word counts.
4. PAINT THE PICTURE
Specific descriptions keep an audience interested. The storyteller who resorts to mundane adjectives ("The movie was
unbelievable") or clichés ("It took my breath away") loses his listeners almost as soon as he begins. The storyteller who
keeps us riveted tells us that the sunset cast a soft, pink light on the mountains or glittered on the lake like so many golden
coins. Spark images that will leave your (listeners) wanting more.
5. TINKER UNTIL IT'S PERFECT
Dissect the story and examine how you can make each section as powerful as it can be. Maybe the lead-in is too long,
the buildup is unevenly paced or the payoff isn't satisfying. Break (your story) down into components and analyze
where it (might go) off track. If you were given all the parts for a bicycle but put them together the wrong way,
you'd be left with something of little appeal. This quasi-bike would remain worthless unless you rebuilt it. The same goes
for your (story). All the parts may be there but they need rebuilding.
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 These excerpts are from an article that appeared in the May 2004 issue of Writer's Digest magazine. You can
visit the author's Web site at http://www.ijschecter.com. Jim Templeton's additions to the copy are in (italics in parentheses).
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