Everyone Has a Story: So How Can Everyone Be a Great Storyteller?

I am going to use a bad example to demonstrate to you how you can become a good storyteller. This example is so mundane, and done differently, the storyteller could have even made assembling a Subway sandwich a good story…but he didn’t.

But before I share the story of Bruce and the Boring Foot-Long Assembly, I’d like you to watch and listen.

I really like Kathie Lee Gifford’s song, “Everyone Has a Story. She’s right. Everyone has a story – even YOU! Watch this video & I’ll chat with you on the other side.

Storytelling is for everyone. Since the earliest days of communication, we want to share our events with those around us.

Sure, every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. Duh! But there are a couple of elements you want to include in order to keep people from rolling their eyes or running away.

Bruce and the Boring Foot-Long Assembly

Bruce got stranded in Dallas during an attempt to come home from Florida. He discovered a gas station with a sandwich shop inside. It turned out to be a Subway.

Bruce gave me a blog-by-blow of his uninteresting journey into the gas station and the marvelous sandwich counter. Evidently, for him choosing vegetables and condiments for a sandwich was a true event.

I have to tell you that my narrative here is far more entertaining than the original delivery. But if I wrote exactly what he said, you’d be hitting your back button by now and rushing to unsubscribe!

What he said was more like, “Then she asked me if I wanted lettuce, and I figured what the heck? sure.”

Me (in my head): “Oh my GOSH! I’ve never heard such a riveting sandwich stack in my entire life – not even in ALL my lives – have I heard anything so compelling and imbued with meaning.”

While it is definitely possible to give storytelling power to a mundane sequence of events, there has to be a bigger meaning.

As a kid, I always loved to imagine that I was creating skits for Saturday Night Live. I made up another one as I listened to Bruce’s boring sandwich assembly summary.

If I were writing his sandwich adventure for a Saturday Night Live sketch, this is what I would do —>

I would have this nerdy looking guy go into the shop and act all awed at the choices of pepper, lettuce, tomato and so forth. The dull-looking clerk would mechanically assemble his sandwich to order and then ask, “Would you like salt, pepper and pig’s blood on that?”

The nerdy guy pauses, pulls his chin, then shakes his head and says, “Nah not today, my hemoglobin rate is too high as it is.”

There are 2 parts of the story that make it a narrative

1. Things must happen in the story in a sequence.

And the sequence better be something interesting, or at least there had better be the sense that something interesting is going to occur any moment.

Ira Glass points out that even the most boring facts CAN be interesting…if there’s some suspense or an emotion.

You get the feeling that there is a destination with a sequence.  There is some kind of bait. There needs to be an inherent question.

2. The story needs to have a moment of reflection

You need the sequence of events in your story, but somewhere along the line – or at several somewheres – you want to tie things together for the one receiving the story.

The moment of reflection is what elevates your story beyond the nuts and bolts of what happened and gives it meaning.

My little SNL skit is only interesting at the end, which is so bizarre To give it that moment of reflection, this is where you’ll see it.

The nerdy guy pauses, pulls his chin, then shakes his head and says, “Nah not today, my hemoglobin rate is too high as it is.”

OK so now you have insight into my twisted and wacky mind – but that’s a good thing!

Develop the Skills of Storytelling

These are some resources that you can use to develop the art of storytelling.

The DVD Your Hero’s Journey is a workshop on the power of your story. You will understand things in your life that you never thought of in that way before when you watch this 2 hr interactive workshop.

Everyone needs to develop confidence, and Sasha Xarrian’s confidence ebook is a must – and it’s free, too.

One of the best storytellers I know is gina Gaudio Graves, and her Miracle Motivation audios teaches you to change the story you tell yourself so that you can blast away negativity and move forward.

And be sure to grab your audio from me & John Di Lemme from The Blind Mentor.

Ronda Del Boccio is a transformational speaker, mentor and author known globally as The Story Lady because she teaches authors, entrepreneurs and business owners to easily connect with your ideal customers and contacts through the power of your story.

She is the author of numerous stories, poems, and articles, as well as her books I’ll Push You Steer, and other upcoming books.

Discover how to explode profits, prospects and prime media opoprtuntiies with her latest book is the Instant Credibility system, which teaches any business owner, entrepreneur, coach, speaker or writer to craft a lead-generating book that grows your business.

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