When stories are done right they have you absolutely spellbound. But what are the essential elements that makes up a great story. A while back I wrote the Big Bang Theory of Storytelling about how your story need to take people on a ride.
Here Master Storyteller Robin Manuel gives you his take on the key elements of great Storytelling:
1. Relevance.
The story has to be relevant to the audience. Sometimes you might have to pre frame what the relevance of the story is, other times you will want the relevance of the story to sneak up on your audience.
2. Rapport.
Pay attention! Are the audience engaged? Encourage the audience to give feedback and respond to you. This way you can always check in with them and ask them! Sometimes you get obvious clues like laughter or gasps and groans, other times it’s the stillness or silence. After a while you will learn that bored silence sounds very different from fascinated silence! This way you will learn to pace and lead at the speed of the audience.
3. Jeopardy.
What is at stake in your story. Films typically tend to tell stories with high stakes: the end of the world! Boy gets girl and lives happily ever after! The more you puis at stake in a story the more the audience will invest in it.
4. Passion.
A story has to move you, you have to find your passion for it and express that. By having the courage to go first you create a space for your audience to follow.
