What makes a good story?

What’s your favorite story? 

I asked these questions during an artist’s Creative Mornings series focusing on the power of storytelling and folklore.

The audience asked intriguing questions I thought I’d share.

Audience question: What if your perspective changes? Does your story change?

My answer: The event in your life doesn’t change, but your attitude, thoughts, and feelings about it can. Time and other experiences and conversations influence our thinking. What the audience wants is to hear is your struggle and how the struggle transformed and changed you. Did you grow? Are you still growing from this experience? That’s what matters.

Audience question: What if someone wants to tell my story and it could hurt others or affect them in a bad way? What if I’m not comfortable with how someone else tells my story?

My answer: It’s your story. Advocate for yourself and express your concern. Though you can’t control what the other person says, you can express your opinion and concern in a compassionate way.

Audience question: How do you get better at sharing your story? Or improve in storytelling in general?

My answer:
Listen to more stories on the Moth podcast, This I believe, This American Life, or TED stage. Find other good storytelling podcasts. The more you hear good models of story, the more you train your storytelling ear.

Read more stories: children’s books, fiction, etc. Identify what works to hone in on your individual tone and style.

Practice more. Share your story with a comfortable audience and ask for feedback. The act of doing it builds your confidence and strengthens your craft and ability.

Find support from a storytelling coach. Having additional support to strategize and craft engaging content helps you feel empowered as a storytelling and engage your audience.

As speakers, finding your voice and sharing your story is essential to influencing your audience.

Want to get better at storytelling?

Fine-tune that story inside of you?

Gain the confidence to share it?

I’d love to help you get there.