Back in 1996 a group of professional speakers asked me to teach them how to tell stories using my unique methodology. There was only one problem, I didn’t know I had a unique methodology. Read the rest of this entry »
I grew up with a father who was in love with words. His reverence for language, pronunciation and proper diction was an annoyance to me as a child, but a gift to me as an adult.
I remember the way he would read aloud a passage from a book or a poem. He had a natural gift for rhythm and tempo. It was as if he were tasting the words. Some words seemed so delicious to him that he’d linger on them as if tasting a fine Cabernet Sauvignon. Read the rest of this entry »
Moby Dick
When I was in high school, in the sixties, a company called Cliffs Notes (aka Cliff Notes) published book summaries. (Remember the yellow and black striped covers?) These little books enabled you to read passages from the book in a summarized form so you wouldn’t have to read the whole book. We used them as study guides for books like Moby Dick.
If you’ve ever read a good book from beginning to end, savoring every delicious chapter and plot twist, you wouldn’t be at all satisfied with the Cliffs Notes version. The Cliffs Notes version just doesn’t cut it. For one thing, the summary edits out important details. It strips the story down to the basics and in so doing, removes all of the texture, nuance, character development and emotion. Read the rest of this entry »
by Doug Stevenson – Creator of The Story Theater Method for Storytelling in Business
I always advise my corporate and private coaching clients to use personal stories whenever possible. Personal stories establish credibility by letting your listener know that your wisdom comes from your life experience, rather than from reading the latest book.
Personal stories also reveal something about you as an individual. The stories you choose to share, and the way you tell them, provide a glimpse into your personality. People like to know who you are before they decide whether or not they can trust you. Personal stories are a great way to build that bridge to trust. Read the rest of this entry »
The script of your story is your foundation. Without a script, you are hoping to get lucky every time you tell your story. Sometimes you’ll nail it and the story will be great. At other times, your brilliance will desert you. You’ll go out of sequence, forget important details and mess up the point. Or worse, you won’t have a point.
The Script Shall Set You Free
If you want to be considered an excellent storyteller, or if you desire to become a professional speaker, “The Script Shall Set You Free.” Read the rest of this entry »
What do the Star Wars, Jason Bourne, James Bond, Shrek and the Matrix movies all have in common? Story structure. They’re all the same story told in a different way. Practically every movie you’ve ever seen follows a similar pattern or story structure. Joseph Campbell, the American mythologist, writer and lecturer, calls it the hero’s journey. Read the rest of this entry »
Where does a story begin? Determining when and where your story begins impacts the direction your story takes. Over the next month I’m going to be sharing the process I go through to construct a story as Deborah and I go off on our journey to Malaysia.
Here’s the back story. I’ve been hired to do six days of story training in Kuala Lampur by a large training organization. In addition, they’ve licensed my Story Theater Method for two years. That means I have to train six of their trainers to teach my method. This is an amazing opportunity to visit a new country, meet some wonderful people and do some very good work.
So where does the Malaysia story begin? There are a number of options. I could start the story on Tuesday March 1st, the day we board our flights to Malaysia. But the story begins long before we board the plane. Do I start it in Washington DC in June of 2009 when I gave a presentation at the ASTD International Conference? That’s where the client first saw me. But I didn’t meet him until December of 2009 when he came to Denver to go skiing with his family. We met in a hotel lobby where he talked about bringing me to Malaysia. Is that where the story starts? Or does it start in Colorado Springs when Deborah showed me an email requesting a meeting in Denver?
Think about a story that you’d like to tell. Where does your story begin?
Step One of the Nine Steps of Story Structure is called Set the Scene. It’s a specific time and place. It’s where the journey begins. Once you consider all of your options, choose one starting point and go from there. As you develop the story, you’ll soon discover whether the time and place you chose was right. If it’s not, you can choose one of your other options and go from there.
I intend to take you along on this journey as my Malaysia Story unfolds. Stay tuned.
www.storytelling-in-business.com
If your 2010 was anything like my 2010, it was a supreme test of character. It tested our patience, our commitment and our creativity.
For Deborah and me, here at Story Theater International, it was also a year of reflection. We had to question our business model, our product offerings and our limiting beliefs. Read the rest of this entry »
Watch this short interview response from Kevin Spacey. His audience for this interview is actors, but the answer applies to all of us.
I spend a good deal of time in the United Airlines Red Carpet Club. As a matter of fact, I’m writing this article in the Denver Red Carpet Club. As I look around at my fellow travelers, I like to imagine where they are on their journey. Some are waiting for the last leg home. Others are just beginning their journey away from home.
I’m sure you know what it’s like. You overhear people on their cell phones negotiating contracts, talking to their kids, or discussing what they had for dinner. And then, there might be the occasion where you see someone in pain. Perhaps that middle-aged man just lost a loved one and he and his wife are headed to a funeral. Maybe that lady who looks pasty and exhausted had surgery last week and she’s on her way home to an empty house. Read the rest of this entry »
