I had messages to share and had tried all ways to tell it…
on posters, on T shirts, on things that shined or things that could bounce,
and even on pads named after a mouse!
Alas, these items were given, got dusty, forgotten and were soon put away
Leaving me standing and still having something to say.
What tool could I use to move folks from “stuck” into “learning?”
How to stay fresh when discussing people’s potential or their habits worth spurning?
So I pondered… What really engages?
What would work with all ages, types and salary ranges?
is compelling to ears jaded or new?
What’s low cost, but creative and enjoyable to do?
The answer was simple and the solution was quite old.
Now was the moment to allow the time honored art of story sharing to unfold.
So, how do you go about creating a story?
If you thought of your ending, then you’ve already begun
To craft a tale that is deftly spun.
Just remember that stories for business need a message or moral to end your tome
So think long and hard about what you want to make known.
Then set the story theme through all the words that are spoken
And start to conjure up the emotions you want your listeners to be evoking
Moving on——–
A narrative theme is your structural key. Now start with the Set-Up that tells the key facts worth noting
Next describe the inciting event that set your Hero “Don Quixoting”
Litter the story with challenges and quests, aptly named “Rising Actions”, three actions should be given, no less
Quote your hero, mix in metaphors, make the scenes come alive
Don’t tell…Show, act and play and the story will thrive
Sift in smells, sights and sounds
& the emotional soul of the story resounds.
Create magic in your movements, use grimaces too
Give your voice much and then sometimes nothing to do.
Tone goes up, tone goes down.
Stop and stare, look around,
Build tension, pathos and drama in rings
think out loud,
maybe, even take a moment to sing.
Now take us to the main event and story’s climax and speak of the big changes it brings
Declare what your hero did to make this story worth repeating
Tell the resolution as points stated clearly for the story’s completing.
So my friends, this is a lot to take in and store
No worries, just practice, Sleep on it. Read it again. then tighten the lore
Then practice and practice and practice some more
taking notes and recordings, listen and learn.
First alone, then with friends…What did they discern?
Were there laughs or did they cry?
Did you hear a snore or was that merely a sigh?
Did they connect with your story? Did they capture your point?
©Julienne Ryan
That’s Not What I Meant To Say…
I went to an interview and my words came out
They had made a quick escape and started milling about
Moving faster than I thought possible, there were too many to count
I couldn’t get them back in and I couldn’t shut them down.
Things weren’t going well. The interviewer started to frown,
then grimaced and shifted in his chair
getting quieter, quieter until all that was left was his squinty stare.
I wished I could get out of there, or that I could fall through the floor.
My words had caused me stress, inciting verbal mayhem and problems galore
I may have come to impress, but my answers certainly didn’t make me score,
The interview was over, we wouldn’t be meeting any more.
So I need a post- game analysis, feedback, guidance and such
to curtail future anxious litanies and build in some “self-trust.”
©Julienne Ryan