The Revolution Of Storytelling

Yesterday I was hosted in The Brand Expert Network WhatsApp Group where we discussed on The Revolution Of Storytelling.

I’m making the teaching available here for those who missed the class because they didn’t get to know about it and to those who may like to take a peep into the class.

Also, for those in the class, I promised to make the teaching available here. This is it. And, I hope you enjoy this while I sip my orange juice 😀

On the route to becoming a good storyteller, time is very essential and I kicked off the moment it was 9.pm to make the class an interactive one.

At some point, I asked for responses which came instantly from those following up.

David Akinwale was the Host of the event. You can check him out on Facebook.

Do you agree with the image? I guess you DO!

What is Storytelling?

Telling stories, of course!

It is no doubt that stories are everywhere – in newspapers, books, on TV and the internet. Every single day our conversations as humans are full of anecdotes and real-life stories. Storytelling helps us understand our environment and personal experience.

Storytelling stimulates the imagination and builds a sense of community between tellers and listeners. There are so many diverse, wonderful, and sometimes overwhelming ways to do this.

The truth is, whether it sounds good or bad all of us tell stories. Storytelling is one of our oldest artforms because as humans our brains are hard-wired to think and express in terms of a beginning, middle and end. It’s how we understand the world. That’s how we roll.

There are so many benefits of writing fiction. Speaking of stories, all writing needs to have a beginning, middle and an end. Stories show us that there are things which are worth holding onto and fighting for in this world.

Some people tell stories to engage their content with their audience from their practical life experiences. Why some tell stories just because they feel to tell.

Stories make a difference, and so do the people who write themClick To Tweet

Have there been times when some people tell their life story and you pity them wishing you were never in such shoes?

One thing I believe is that writing is not always about the story but how you tell it – the way you present it to your target audience.

Watch the words target audience – your story shouldn’t be for everyone, anybody. You should always have a target.

We have sports storytelling which the stories is critically based on sports. We also have health storytelling which the story is more about health issues.

With the use of stories – past experiences, doctors or health consultants share with the patients how the previous patient was able to overcome the fear of dying, for instance.

What does this do? It encourages the client to like and trust you. Whether a story is bad or false it builds a sense of responsibility in the hearts of the listeners, readers, and watchers.

Like, it tells them if this stuff worked well for Sandra, how about you having the same issue?

On Tuesday, an intro to yesterday’s teaching I made on my Facebook timeline which read:

As you can see the first line read… “The first day I had sex I couldn’t last long”

And after the first six lines, I made justice to the post. From there I went straight to tell what the whole thing is all about.

This is a strategy, very strategic. The story may have been weird to some people who may not have read till the end.

Some persons came on PM (private message) to ask for the link to the class even when I attached it in the post.

Now the saga is this: if I didn’t catch their attention the way I did they may not have proceeded to send me a DM (direct message).

What made this possible – the use of story.

  • Can you tell stories? Yes.
  • Is it something you can learn? Yes.
  • Do you need a school certificate to learn it? NO.
  • Do you need the commitment to learn it? Yes.
  • Does it take time to learn? Maybe.
  • Can I start now? Follow me.

I will show you a simple storytelling technique to use when we discuss expanding your writing capacity. So, till then, stay with me.

Remember, every of your writing must not begin with any kind of story. If there is no alignment with the story you want to tell and the content you’d put out, keep it. Else, you may ruin your reputation.

Did you get that?

Storytelling is also a valuable tool in education, language development, therapy (for therapists), and in building racial equality and religious respect.

One thing is sure, that is, people of different ages, backgrounds, and cultures can communicate through storytelling.

Who are Storytellers?

Everyone is a storyteller, but some people choose to develop their storytelling skills to become a professional or community storyteller.

Who is a Storyteller?

You, of course, you!

Ever remember telling your friends how good or bad the day was for you? That’s storytelling!

We have four teaching focus which is:

  1. From Storytelling To Best-selling
  2. Increasing Your Core Competence
  3. Expanding Your Writing Capacity
  4. Mastering The Art Of Telling Stories

I will start with Mastering the Art of Telling Stories while we take it up from there.

Mastering the Art of Telling Stories

Storytelling is a good business. Some individuals agree to develop their storytelling capacity in particular situations or for some “special or sacred” reasons and become professional telling captivating stories.

In the right sense, there is no right or wrong way to learn storytelling, just as there is no right or wrong way to be a storyteller.

Watch this: If you think you haven’t suffered enough or didn’t struggle to get off the poverty threshold for you to be able to tell your readers stories to inspire them that is fine.

I was glad reading the story of the host of the class David Akinwale in the Live Your Dreams Africa Mastermind Facebook group among others in the Showmanship.

A few days ago there is this guy on Facebook by name Promise Excel who I read his story that melted my heart.
If you are reading this and you already read Promise Excel’s story on the Showmanship, you can relate. If you haven’t you may want to. However, here is a link to his blog.

However, that’s just to add to the lesson.

The point is: Don’t tell harsh lies, especially boasting about what you never had just to get people’s attention. You are seriously hurting your image and probably staring away people who will get to know, like and trust your brand.

What Does Mastering the Art of Storytelling Take?

Through the process of blogging, interviewing people, and writing my first book I have learned so much about storytelling. I’ve arrived at many thoughts I don’t think I would have otherwise had.

Part of me has come to believe that my learning will never be done if I never choose to go for the right information.
I came to discover that when we tend to look for compelling stories, the main story material isn’t what separates a good one from a bad story. The real difference lies in the emotion the storyteller puts in.

Storytelling isn’t always inborn. You can have that good talent to tell stories. It is a learnable skill. I trust you to learn and keep growing after reading this.

Everyone (even a 5-year-old child) have stories to tell. Even when you are not a professional author (or speaker) you still need to learn how to tell good captivating stories.

Mastering the art of storytelling takes:

  • Recognizing the fact that you need to tell stories
  • Accepting as true that you need stories to succeed
  • Making the decision to tell good stories
  • Start telling good stories

The above are the four real steps over one thousand steps to master the art of storytelling.

Do you want to become a master storyteller? Start!

Expanding Your Writing Capacity

Forget about the grammatical errors – a good storyteller can make a good writer. Well, this can be true to an extent. One of the easy ways to create a compelling story is by turning your personal experiences into engaging stories.

Doing this may not be easy. It requires a bit of imagination and more confidence after you’ve worked through your life experiences.

A story is an experience which the engagement can be physical, spiritual or in any form at all.

Stories come naturally to you when you meditate and feel the world around you. When you go out to see a movie; that moment you choose to spend some time having great sex with your spouse (if you have any).

Writing a book can if easy if you decide to write from the perspective of your own story. I’m speaking from a knowledge standpoint.

Here is an example:

Line 1: When I came home last night…
Line 2: After dinner, I spent some time with…
Line 3: I tried my best not to…
Line 4: Things turned bad, but
Line 5: The best of it all was…

Even with the first six words, the reader would be like: When you came home last night, so what?”

Remember the one I used on my Facebook timeline I shared before now?

The reader will be like: “The first day I had sex I couldn’t last long, so?”

I want you to get the point clear. During this time, the reader wants to know more of what happened. The real deal is that you just caught his or her attention.

So, after the dinner, did you have great sex? Were your hurt? Did you get to bleed?

Many thoughts would have gripped the mind of the reader.

With this alone, you win!

Naturally stories are mainly passed on orally, however, in the virtual world you can tell stories in text, through audio and video, through images – any means possible.

To expose your storytelling skills you can do that by joining social groups, communities or clubs or any storytelling supporting platform whether online or offline.

You can also enrol in the Intelligent Unit Publishers courses and workshop programs for strategies, and tools to up-market your storytelling realities.

We regularly run workshops that aim to teach participants the basics of the art. If this is what you want you can send a message using the contact form with the title “I Want The Storytelling Course”

Increasing Your Core Competence

A lot of people want their books sold at higher prices when the books do not carry the right content that requires their choice of payment.

Readers are not after the writing that carries big grammar. They are out for books written by men and women with good character.

People are out of the category of persons who have been able to build their writing capacity and competence.

Do you want your writing to get to the topmost part of the world? You need the power of visualization.

The vision you perceive about your writing refines and redefined the place you have on earth.

The innermost side of what your writing carry help increase your capacity so far as you are eager and always impacting lives with your story.

If you want to adopt the good in this writing you must be ready to ask the right questions, follow the right trend, engage with the right community, active the right mindset, build the required skill sets, advance and use a hyper value-packed set of tools.

If you want to live your dreams and become a highly paid storyteller you need to activate some real-life characters. If it is a novel you are writing you need to learn more about the use of conceptualization, character, theme, plot sequencing, scene construction and writing voice

From Storytelling To Best-selling

You will remain a writer if all you do is to write and never publish. Publish is not about, as a blogger, hitting the publish button after organizing your blog post.

What I’m talking about here is becoming a published author. From being published you grow your book of a stellar title to a gang-star best-seller.

Anybody who wishes to be a great storyteller should be willing to travel, virtually, organically, mechanically – any means at all. Just make sure you are travelling.

See yourself as an ocean where several activities going on. People feed on you, travel through you; you form people’s experiences and lifestyles.

You are more than a lake, a stream, a river – you are an ocean! Click To Tweet

People, they form your experiences. To tell good stories you need people, those who will get hooked to the woven brooks of your brutal cavity.

You need people who love sex and are always ready for sex marathon.

Why do I use the word sex?

Sex is more spiritual than physical. It is a kind of communion you court into. Some people may never act the way they do during sex in real life.

So, when you engage with those who love sex (i.e. having communion) you tend to release the kind of stories you may never have the reach to in real life.

Like, the moment you get to see and talk to people. One of those that harness the power of storytelling is Emeka Nobis (you can check out his blog).

Writers are doctors; storytellers are nurses. The readers and listeners are patients while the story you tell is a tool to secure the life of the patients.

With the doctors alone the patients can be worked on, however, without the nurses, the doctor may leave dangerous materials while closing the operation sessions.

Writers are not more important than storytellers. Both work exclusively to achieve positive goals.

If you are just a writer you need the storytelling skill. If you are just a storyteller you need the writing skill.

Doctors do not only describe drugs, they prescribe too. Make sure your readers find your writing or stories both descriptive and prescriptive.

Nobody wants to listen to someone or read a book where there is no resolution of the inciting incident.

Don’t feel afraid; write with the strong urge to do.

If the words of your writing lack confidence, a good reader will notice. I hope you know what this could result to? Mention it to yourself.

The pen should be controlled by you—don’t let it fly when you start writing.

As my writing career push forward, I discovered that if I didn’t worry too much about how truthful – or not – the story was, my writing became much more fluid and competent.

There are many reasons to use stories including; give humour, make points memorable, show with the particular audience, inspire people to act, build a shared vision, and to relieve tension.

Professional presenters regularly use stories in their presentations and content. When you see a professional presenter, think about their use of stories.

Don’t try to copy their stories. You may never have the ability to engage the engage their kind of audience.

Learn the right principles and process they use. And, apply. Boom, there you go.

Conclusion

Be consistent. Social media is a great platform to give your readers tiny insights into your personal story without overloading them with much information.

If you’re having a hard day trying to fix the right things, you can let your social media followers know about it. If you’re having a smooth day and you’ve written something really inspiring, again, post about it online.

By doing these things, your followers notice the goods and bad of your writing career and can easily connect.

The reason why should be consistent is that *consistency helps you create a presence.*

You know the feeling of being a storyteller. Everyone has those moments when they feel like they’re stuck in quicksand: the more stories you tell, the more it pulls you in.

Your Turn

You can join the World Writers Hub Facebook Community if you are not a member or you search “World Writers Hub” on Facebook, and click to join.

Did you gain value from this teaching? I will like to have you share your thoughts, no matter how small the contribution is. I value it.

However, if you still have questions you can put them below as comments and I will be glad to respond.

About The Author

Related Posts

20 Comments

  1. Sola Mathew
    10/19/2017
  2. Akinwale David
    10/19/2017
  3. MacAnne
    10/19/2017
  4. Nwachukwu Excel
    10/19/2017
  5. Genny Okoli
    10/19/2017
  6. Chidera Ochuagu
    Chidera Ochuagu
    10/19/2017
  7. Abdulmalik
    10/19/2017
  8. Yusuf Bitrus
    10/19/2017
  9. Susan Velez
    Susan Velez
    10/20/2017
  10. Shaheen
    10/21/2017

Add Comment

CommentLuv badge