New Lower-Price offer on the Storytelling 101 Kit!

Hey, we changed the bonus items for the Storytelling 101 kit and dropped the price a whole bunch. Come and check it out. Mention this blog when you order and I will send you an extra gift. http://www.storytelling101.com


The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

Red Pen Storytelling Tool

Crafting a story is an essential skill for both beginning and experienced tellers. Crafting, much like sculpting, involves knowing what to trim away and what to keep. 

For storytellers, our sculpting tools should include the red “cross it out” pen. In my youth, I once heard an old comedy album where the comedian said, “When you are trying to tell a story, try having a point. It makes it so much more interesting for an audience.” I’ve attended several storytelling events of late that bring that old comedy routine to mind. 

I’ve wanted to hand the tellers a giant red pen, hoping they’d cut out, cross out and eliminate the bloatedness of their tales. Although it’s not always possible to have a clear-cut point in telling folktales or world myths, storytellers need to know “why” they are telling any particular story. If not, stories end up as rambling and meandering exercises in hearing ourselves talk. When that happens, the stories lose interest, and our audiences just lose interest. 

Doing the red pen routine with personal tales is easier, so let’s begin there. 

First, understand that storytelling is an audience-centered art form. It’s not a form of therapy for the storyteller. 

 Grab yourself a piece of paper and do this exercise with me. 

First, choose a personal tale from your repertoire. 

Then imagine the type of audience you’ll be telling to and with. 

With those thoughts in mind, ask yourself, "why am I telling the story?" What is my point? Identify this first thought, this singular crystal-clear point, and write it across the top of the paper. Use large, bold letters. 

 Underneath those big bold letters, write an outline your story. What’s first, second, third.....sixth, etc? Try to include all the elements of your typical telling of that story, including those tangential side trips you might be normally inclined to make. 

Now comes the step so many tellers are unwilling to make. Grab your red pen. Re-read your main point. Go down your outline and ask yourself for each numbered item, “Does this item illustrate or lead to my main point?” If it does not, cross it out. 

 This is where some storytellers start reaching for the oxygen mask. “But, what you want me to cut out is (funny, cute, touching, meaningful, pretty, insightful, witty, makes my grandma laugh, tells people I love dogs, will save the world, etc). I couldn’t cut out that part.” 

Yes, you could. 

Yes, you should. 

If it does not move your story towards your main point for the audience you are addressing, draw a line and drop it from your story. Most likely, the parts you’ve redlined are or could become stories in their own way. 

 The process I have just described is a good exercise to do with your storytelling coach. Ask that person to help you identify and redline the excessive parts of your story that drag down your work. One of the challenges with storytelling as an art form is our excessive focus on internal (“How does your storytelling make you feel?”) coaching, so it may be hard to find a mentor that will be honest with you. 

You should assure your coach that having an opinion is okay. 

 This ability to redline one’s work to focus on the audience's needs is essential for good storytelling. Tellers unwilling to redline their stories just leave me wishing for the door. 

A storyteller who tells a story that has been redlined and crafted leaves me wishing for more of their craft. Isn’t that the goal- building a love for stories and storytelling in our audiences

Business Storytelling: Are You Ready for Five Minutes of Fame?

Here is my latest challenge for you.

Let's pretend that the Woman who runs the World's Largest Afternoon Talk (WLATS) show wants to talk about your business on Her show. You Know Who I mean. She is going to randomly pick an employee from your organization to speak.

Let's pretend that YOU have been chosen to represent your company on Her WLATS show. You will have only 5-10 minutes on the show to share your experience and to convince people that they should be calling your company for their needs. Like it or not, 10 minutes on that show can translate into bazillions of contacts. So, you have 5-10 minutes to grab the attention of the audience.

What would you say? If you said you'd talk about your financial security, how nice your buildings are and your 24 hour service, then you lose. All of your competitors say they have those, even if they don't.

You've got 5-10 minutes. What story, the one that touches the heart and imagination of the audience, will you tell? Stop now and choose one. If you have taken my training work, you have your Intentionality Journal to help you. My training courses give you tools that work.

Side note for some of you: This is *not* an exercise in the "elevator speech" process. "Elevator speeches" are dead. Relationships are alive. Stories build relationships.

1.Choose your story.

2.Choose your point.

3. Choose where the story will start.

4. Choose the other episodes that help you get your point across.

5. Choose the ending. Maybe you go back to the opening sentence to close?

6. Find someone and tell them your story. Open your mouth and tell the story. The only way to learn is to do it.

This exercise is for everyone in your company. It is for the Executive Team. It is for the new cashier who was just hired this week.

"Hah Ha, Very funny. WLATS is going to randomly pick an employee? Oh, that will never happen." you say. Do you want to bet? It is already happening every day. Potential customers, guests and potential employees randomly meet your staff every day. Are all of your current staff ready to tell a story or two?

Executive People: Will you model your 5-10 minute talk-show story for the rest of your company within the next seven days?