Several years ago I had the pleasure of seeing Bo Eason speak at the IDEAWorld Convention, and he made quite an impression on me with his keynote presentation and follow-up session about the importance of being a better storyteller. He was a riveting speaker, but all he really did was stand and tell his story.
As part of the class, we had the assignment of telling our own story, first by writing it down, then actually speaking it out loud to several different people. Each time we repeated it, we were to make it more concise, until we could relate it briefly and easily.
I understood back then that being a better storyteller was something that would help me, not only in my personal training business but in any endeavor I cared to attempt. And I knew that honing my storytelling skills would help me as a blogger too, enabling me to create a personal connection with my readers.
Storytellers, according to Bo, will carry the power and influence through their words. All people are striving to connect with each other, and the ones who share their story will be the leaders.
How can this help us be better bloggers? First, by creating the connection that I mentioned above with our readers. They will become our champions when they hear our story, they will want to read what we write, buy what we recommend, and will be there to support us through rough times.
If you can tell your own story, you can use those skills for any type of writing. Whether you are discussing weight loss (remember that time when you put those 10 pounds back on?), fashion (fashion failures make the successes much more interesting), or parenting (that is an easy one), storytelling skills will carry you.
Finally, many bloggers have opportunities to be presenters and public speakers. Telling your story will create an instant connection with your audience.
How to Be a Better Storyteller
Becoming a good storyteller takes practice. First, choosing a story that will relate well, finding the words to express what you want to say, then telling the story in a way that captivates your audience all take practice. Here are some ideas that will help you become a better storyteller.
Be Honest
You are telling your own story, so above all, be honest. While you don’t have to tell every personal detail of your life, when you are sharing your story, you must be open and honest. Your readers will sense if they are not hearing the truth (or an incomplete version of it).
Don’t be afraid to share embarrassing stories
On of the things that human beings have in common is that we all do stupid and embarrassing things. Whether it’s tripping and falling in front of a crowd of people, walking around missing an important piece of clothing, or forgetting your lines in your first starring role, embarrassment is our common denominator. Yes, it may be tough to talk about, but your readers and listeners will understand.
Share your fears and your failures
No one is successful at their first attempt, and we all have doubts about our abilities. The fact that we fail, overcome our fear, yet still strive to succeed is another very human trait, and it is fascinating to read or listen to.
Share your triumphs (but only if you’ve shared your failures)
Success, when it comes, will have your audience cheering for you. That is, if they understand what it took for you to get there.
Be Generous
Generous was a term that Bo used to mean don’t just tell a story. Share the emotions, good and bad that go along with it. If you’re telling about the time in high school that you were trying out for cheerleader and tripped over your own feet on stage in front of the entire class, share that devastation that you felt. Share it through your teenage eyes, not an adult seeing a small moment of discomfort looking back.
Another tip from Bo is to understand that many of our stories are from our childhood, when we’re between nine and 12, and things leave a lasting impression.
Becoming a better storyteller will help you be successful in many areas of your life, including blogging. Remember that practice makes perfect, so work on your storytelling skills until you are comfortable sharing the story of your life.
Do you have a story you want to tell?
My weekly linkups! Please stop by and check out all of the great recipes, workouts, and information that all these awesome bloggers share every week!
Sunday Blog Hop with Jenn
Meatless Monday with Sarah and Deborah
Meatless Monday with Annmarie
Inspire Me Monday with Janice
Anything Goes with Marilyn
Bonnie, the Pin Junkie
Tip Tuesday with Debbie in Shape
Wild Workout Wednesday with Annmarie, Michelle, Sarah, and Angelena Marie
Wednesday Wisdom with Nanna’s Wisdom
The Blogger’s Pit Stop with Kathleen
Let’s Get Real with Karen.
Friday Fitness with Jill
YES YES YES SO MUCH THIS.
I really do think we are all storytellers first and then “bloggers” (whatever that even means on any given day)
I love reading blogs because I love peoples stories.
I think that people’s stories are what keep us coming back, even to blogs that aren’t intended to be “personal.” We all want that connection.
We all have a story to tell. Why not share it among friends?
Exactly. The good and the bad.
YES! It has been recommended to me on a few occasions that I leave the personal side of things out of my blog and focus solely on providing information, and any time I’ve listened to that advice there’s been crickets. There’s a delicate balance between telling a story about every minute of your life and telling a story that helps your readers relate to you, but once you achieve it I believe you’ll be so much more successful!
You’re so right, it is a delicate balance. I Think those who achieve it are the most successful.
Love this! Storytelling is the backbone of excellent writing, even if one’s not writing a narrative per se.
Exactly. I think learning to tell your own story is a stepping stone.
Amazing tips! Being honest is so important I don’t want to read something that is contrived. I am still learning how to be a better storyteller myself.
It really does take practice to be a good storyteller. As writers, we’re lucky because we can edit and rewrite as we go. It’s not so easy to tell a story out loud.
GREAT post Debbie & so true! So many of us are embarrassed to show the not so pretty side!!! Thank you!
I think we all are. It’s human nature. I always think of the first thing we do if we trip and fall (and with my recent experiences I know this very well). We don’t worry too much about our actual injury. We first look around to see who saw us fall. Silly humans.
What a great perspective. It conjured a memory of listening to classic county music on a late night program growing up. I loved all the stories and humor woven into the songs.
Thank you that was really helpful!
This is a great post. Stories are what keep us coming back for more. I notice the brands that use stories in their marketing and how much more effective those kinds of commercials are- think of the Folgers coffee commercials with the son home from Africa or the grandma and her newborn grandson that practically make me cry!
That’s a great point Michele. I love some of the dog commercials so much (remember the one for Traveler’s Insurance with the dog who was worried about the security of his bone?). Great example of how storytelling makes an impact.
I blog because I love telling stories, so I am always on the look-out for tips to make me a better story-teller. Thank you very much for these! #PitStop
Great story telling ideas. I am not a natural story teller but the more I blog the better I get at it. Thank you for sharing this blog post.
Nicole
That is something I need to work on so I appreciate your helpful post. I liked Ariana’s comments of needing a balance in what is shared.
Thanks for being an awesome Pit Stop Crew member,
Kathleen
Great post! One of the things that I’m working on this year is visual storytelling. I want to be able to put together better photo stories that draw the reader/viewer in and really make an impact.
Stopping by from sharefest!
This is really timely for me. I have a couple of post ideas in the queue that require some storytelling, and I’ve been trying to conjure up some ideas to make sure it is interesting and actually tells the story rather than reporting the details. Sharing, and thank you for posting this!
These are really great tips! Telling a story makes it so much more engaging for the reader (and makes it a lot more interesting to look back on later on too)! :]
Very good tips. In my case because I’m a diyer I try to tell them of the messes I make on projects and how at the end all turns out well. Sometimes I tell the story of a piece of furniture as if it was a human and its history.
Loved the lady with the twinkles outlining her!
I think we are all longing for connection. That’s we need to be honest! Honesty resonates inside of us.
Great pointers!
Here from Inspire Me Monday.
This is something I really need to work on. In the effort to have everyone understand why I think about the story, I bring in way too much “background” and lose my listeners. Thanks for sharing with #overthemoon! Good to see you again after my break.
Excellent reminders. We can all hone and improve on our storytelling skills. The blogger that I read regularly are all authentic and good story tellers.
Such good tips. Transparency is huge. I’ve only allowed myself to be truly vulnerable a few times. And every single time, people were so supportive. I definitely should consider vulnerability more often. It’s just can be so dang difficult! 😉
Great post. Thank you for the tips.
So true!
After I put the dog poop eating incident in my book my son told me that it was ok, ’cause they have different last names. Truth speaks to the heart.
Thanks for the inspiration!
thanks for these tips! always helpful 🙂
I love this. Sharing our stories is so important, and not just for writing better, but also because it is so healing and builds such true connection. Sharing my stories has truly changed my life.
Great post! It is so true about the delicate balance of sharing just enough. Sometimes it is very hard find that balance. I just ask myself, “is it honest? You can’t go wrong if it is.