Storytelling
So how do you cultivate that burning curiosity in your audience?
ask how you can help your listeners discover meaning.Rather than explaining, use personal stories that resonate on an emotional level
consider how you can help your listeners experience the story.
think about how you can equip others to share their experiences
Storytelling expert Jack Zipes believes that the role of the storyteller is to awaken the storyteller in others. Encourage your audience to share their own stories by asking questions like what's a challenge you've faced that taught you a valuable lesson?
Instead of overwhelming listeners with facts, a great story draws them in, ignites their imagination and lets them experience something firsthand. It's about appealing to the logic of the heart, not just the mind. Where data leads to knowledge, curiosity leads to discovery and transformation.
But when most people set out to craft a presentation or pitch, they start with three common questions. How can I explain this? How can I clarify this? How can I help people understand this? These questions are useful for sharing data, but not for storytelling. The true power of storytelling lies in sparking curiosity, not merely providing informati... See more
Ask the right questions. We don't tell stories just to share information. We tell them to inspire change. Whether you want your audience to act, rethink or appreciate something differently, a well-told story leads to transformation.
A great story has six key elements:
Character - Your story needs someone for events to happen to
Setting. A good story takes place somewhere specific, providing a sense of time and place.
Struggle- A story is about someone who wants something but can't easily get it.
Pursuit. What will your character do to overcome their struggles? Will they succeed?
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Olin Butler said stories are a yearning meeting an obstacle. Without struggle, your character may be happy, but they'll also be boring
What is included in a narrative, what is left out and the values it embodies are determined by what cognitive scientist and linguist George Lakoff refers to as ‘frames’. These cognitive structures are shaped by our personal and collective histories and allow us to conceptualize and organize what we see (and fail to see) and how we see it. The meani... See more
Designing Systems Interventions – Transition Design Seminar CMU
“We live in a world shaped by stories. Stories are the threads of our lives and the fabric of human cultures. A story can unite or divide people(s), obscure issues, or spotlight new perspectives. A story can inform or deceive, enlighten or entertain, or even do all of the above. Those who do not have power over the story that dominates their lives,... See more