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THREAD: How to not bore people to death.
6 storytelling tips to help you craft a presentation that people can't turn away from.
6 storytelling tips to help you craft a presentation that people can't turn away from.
1/ Use a hook—create an insatiable desire to keep watching.
Your hook should be an inciting incident, that later resolves.
Every movie has an inciting and resolving incident:
Parents killed > Get revenge
Get shipwrecked > Get rescued
Brother lost > Brother found
Your hook should be an inciting incident, that later resolves.
Every movie has an inciting and resolving incident:
Parents killed > Get revenge Get shipwrecked > Get rescued Brother lost > Brother found
Types of hooks:
• Arguments - Make a bold claim, but don’t explain upfront.
• Research - Show fascinating findings, but only a glimpse
• Narratives - Share a change in circumstances, but withhold the conclusion.
• Questions - Pose a question that demands an answer.
• Arguments - Make a bold claim, but don’t explain upfront.
• Research - Show fascinating findings, but only a glimpse
• Narratives - Share a change in circumstances, but withhold the conclusion.
• Questions - Pose a question that demands an answer.
Imagine you're presenting user research to senior execs about a new venture.
Play to what they care about (success). Here's an example hook:
"Our new 'Quit Smoking' app is going to fail."
Play to what they care about (success). Here's an example hook:
"Our new 'Quit Smoking' app is going to fail."
2/ Show, don't tell
Use action help the audience visualise what's happening. If it doesn't conjure an image, remove it.
"It was late afternoon that we arrived at Carlos' place, a run down terraced house in Oldham. We knocked on the door. But there was no answer."
Use action help the audience visualise what's happening. If it doesn't conjure an image, remove it.
"It was late afternoon that we arrived at Carlos' place, a run down terraced house in Oldham. We knocked on the door. But there was no answer."
3/ Show the character's flaws, motivation, and what's at stake.
At any point, the viewer should be able to tell you what a character wants.
"Carlos is a retired butcher. He smokes 60 a day, but desperate to quit. He wants to live long enough to see his granddaughter grow up."
At any point, the viewer should be able to tell you what a character wants.
"Carlos is a retired butcher. He smokes 60 a day, but desperate to quit. He wants to live long enough to see his granddaughter grow up."
4/ Keep creating and resolving curiosity gaps.
When you show the action, let it stew before you resolve it.
"We gave Carlos the prototype to test. His first reaction? Uncontrollable laughter. It took him a minute before he could get his breath to tell us what was so funny."
When you show the action, let it stew before you resolve it.
"We gave Carlos the prototype to test. His first reaction? Uncontrollable laughter. It took him a minute before he could get his breath to tell us what was so funny."
5/ A story isn't about what happens.
The most interesting stories show the transformation of character. Focus your story on the hero, and how the events they experience change them.
"Just as we were leaving, Carlos began to cry. He kept thanking us for giving him hope."
The most interesting stories show the transformation of character. Focus your story on the hero, and how the events they experience change them.
"Just as we were leaving, Carlos began to cry. He kept thanking us for giving him hope."
6/ Keep the pay off until the end
It sounds obvious, but when you give away too much, too soon, there's no reason to keep listening.
Don't resolve your story prematurely. But don't draw it out too long either.
"Carlos taught us why the 'Quit Smoking' app is going to fail..."
It sounds obvious, but when you give away too much, too soon, there's no reason to keep listening.
Don't resolve your story prematurely. But don't draw it out too long either.
"Carlos taught us why the 'Quit Smoking' app is going to fail..."
These techniques are ancient, yet they persevere because our brains are wired for curiosity.
So if in doubt, ask "how can I make my audience want to know what happens next?
You have a choice:
- Use storytelling tactics and keep people's attention
- Don't, and risk being boring
So if in doubt, ask "how can I make my audience want to know what happens next?
You have a choice:
- Use storytelling tactics and keep people's attention
- Don't, and risk being boring
B: The foundational principle you'd be unwise to forget: The Three Act structure: I, II, III
M: Everything has a beginning, middle and an end. Even this tweet.
E: Chunk your story in this way, and you'll never go wrong.
M: Everything has a beginning, middle and an end. Even this tweet.
E: Chunk your story in this way, and you'll never go wrong.
