The Art of Storytelling: Whatever it be, Keep it Real

“Everyone has a story to tell”- Frank McCourt.

Human beings love to hear stories. It is something that bridges the gap between two people and brings them a bit closer. If we think a little more about it, the life of a person is nothing but a collection of stories, some good ones and some bad too. Some that make them proud, and some that make them embarrassed.

Everybody is carrying in their hearts the stories of their lives which they sometimes share and sometimes don’t.

There is a scientific explanation for the love of stories by human beings: When a person hears a story that resonates with his/her own personality or life, the levels of a hormone called oxytocin to increase, in their body. Oxytocin is considered to be a “happy hormone” which is released in the body when a person feels a surge of positive emotion.

A person always prefers to listen to stories, over a random paragraph, when they conceive any information because stories make much more sense to them.

Well, there are good as well as bad ways of representing a story. A good presentation of a story casts a spell, whereas a bad presentation grabs no eyes or ears of the listener towards the storyteller.

What is storytelling?

Storytelling is the art of sharing stories by means of writing or telling it to an audience, in a way that leaves a lasting impact on the heart and soul of the audience.

How can you become a storyteller?

Storytelling is amazing art that casts a spell on the audience by means of enthralling stories. If you wish to become a good storyteller practice the points mentioned below-

• Keep it real, tell personal stories- The audience is easily attracted to your story if they find it real and convincing. They sometimes even relate to your stories and this really helps in holding their attention. So, always keep your stories real and try to derive it from your own life story and personal experiences.
• Read enthralling stories- Try to devote some of your time to read some good authors or the books of authors whom you find interesting. If you will read daily, your way of writing and telling stories will definitely improve.
• Write a lot- Write daily, write anything which you see or experience or anything you recall or find interesting. Of you don’t have any idea what to Write about. Start by writing about yourself and how you feel, how your day went, what you did and learned today.
• Use details instead of facts- Try to incorporate as much details as you can to your stories, don’t add facts or stats use details. Describe your stories with means of details instead of facts.
• Provide structure to your story- Give your story a proper structure. A beginning, middle, and a conclusion. You can even use write your stories in linear or non-linear way as well, whichever way suits your story.
• Watch movies- Watching movies, and series helps you in learning a lot about the representation of your story. By means of movies, you may learn, what sort of story will attract the audience. You may even gain a few new ideas for your own story.
• Listen to music- Listening to music is also a good way to derive ideas for your story. There are some songs which you listen to on loop because they have something which attracts you. Try to write about the song you hear the most, and the meaning that you derive out of it.
• Listen to podcasts- Podcasts are always in trend. There are so many diverse podcasts available on the virtual platforms, that are worth listening to. They will help you a lot in understanding the way of presentation of your story.

The journey of every soul on earth is nothing but a collection of stories. So, use your power of storytelling to transform your basic bundle of stories into an amazing one. Always remember that you have so many usual stories in your possession but you may transform them into unusual and praised ones by using your storytelling skills.

So, start the journey of becoming a storyteller today.