My Seminar
At my seminar/workship, entitled “Inspire and Engage Your Audience with Stories,” last Friday (at the Present Like a Pro Conference), the participants learned to 1) act out the characters and 2) build depth and meaning into a story.
Acting Out the Story
To make your stories crackle with energy, give each character a different voice and a different personality.
Use different voices to mesmerize your audience with laughs and drama. Embrace the full passion and tone of the character. Become the character and your audience members won’t just passively listen to your story, rather, they will be captivated by it.
Here is an Abraham Lincoln story, about a Baptist minister at a revival service that I told to illustrate my point:
Practicing Voices
One great way to practice voices is to give funny voices to the characters in stories that you read. As parents, we do that with the bedtime stories we read out children. As a substitute teacher, I give silly voices to characters each time I read a story to a class. Even when reading silently, I practice giving voices to the characters.
Components of Stories with Depth and Impact
Before we can connect with our audience we must first connect with ourselves. We discover ourselves by examining the experiences that happen to us and in our response to the lessons that life teaches us.
In my stories I attempt to glean insights from the seemingly mundane incidents that occur in every day life, like Abraham Lilncon did. My plan is to capture these “eureka moments” and squeeze all the illumination and inspiration from them.
To provide depth and impact, a story should 1) identify what your goal is; 2) describe what obstacles exist (what is stopping you?); 3) tie the story to a similar incident in the past; and 4) state the lessons learned.
Make em Laugh, Make em Cry, in 3 to 5 Minutes Say Goodbye
On Friday, each student had three to five minutes to present a story in which they acted out the characters and incorporated the four components of a good story. Their stories were infused with humor, passion, and eloquence. I was amazed at the depth of the stories.
Add a Sing-a-long Song
I often add a sing-along song at the end of my seminar. This is a way to celebrate the effort the students have made and drive home the lessons from the seminar.
Here is an example of a sing-a-long song I entitled “Tell a Story.”
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Related Posts
Yard Sales, Heroic Cats and Zombies
Overcome obstacles and doubts by doing more than anyone expected
Give yourself permission to feel frustration, then relax and let it go #tmoy #storytelling
A feather is better than a hammer to win an argument #tmoy #storytelling
Don’t let pride stand in the way a brighter future
Use warm memories to replace negative thoughts
A Light Heart Lives Long #EurekaMoments 6
Turn frustration into creative energy #LifeLesson 7
Disarm Hostility with Friendliness #LifeLesson 8
You Only Live Twice – Life Provides Second Chances LL #9
Failures Can Be Transformed into Strength – #LifeLesson 11
Is it better to remain silent, or to speak up and confirm you’re an idiot? LifeLesson #12
Think for Yourself: Never Ask a Barber if You Need a Haircut – LifeLesson #13
Abraham Lincoln and the Kindergarten Class
Upcoming Presentations
Nov. 24th, 2015. “Abraham Lincoln: Stories and Humor.” Cholla High School. Tucson, Arizona.
Dec. 15, 2015, 12:40 to 1:00 pm. “Abe Lincoln: The Greatest Storytelling President.” Old Pueblo Rotary Club. Hotel Tucson. Tucson, Arizona.
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