Everyone has a unique story, which is made up of their individual life events and experiences. This means that there are no two stories on the planet that are the same. The individual parts of a story, are what creates the connection’s people feel when they hear another person’s story.
Stories can be shared in a variety of ways which includes; telling them informally, telling them formally, writing them in a blog, writing them in an article or writing them in a book. While the way in which a story might be shared is important, it is critical to put together some organized thoughts before telling any story.
There are people, who can tell their stories informally and make it look easy. It is likely that they have a gift for telling stories or they have practiced enough already. They are able to tell a story in an engaging way. People may tell their stories informally with a friend, a colleague or a family member.
Telling a story formally requires a more organized model, to ensure it meets the expectations of the audience. Many people share their messages formally with others. The model organizes their thoughts and creates a flow that keeps the audience interested and engaged throughout the speech. There are plenty of opportunities to share a message formally in the work place, in meetings or in an organized event.
Blogs have become a way of sharing messages that are very appealing to a wide variety or readers. When people put their message in a blog, they make it accessible to anyone who can find that website. Blogs are way of finding messages that are specific to a particular topic.
Blogs can be found on literately any topic that can be imagined and typically have a very large population of followers. Blogs are most often found on personal websites, business websites or collective media websites.
When people share their message in an article, they are sharing a bit more than what is shared in a blog. Articles tend to give more context and details to the message by elaborating on it, with more words.
The message is most likely communicated clearly with ample support in an article. It is easy to find articles online with any of the major magazines or in the print version, as well. Articles have the opportunity to gain massive audiences, with any of the well established magazines or websites.
People who have the idea of writing a book, rarely follow through and actually write it. The statistics are staggering when it comes to those who want to write a book, versus those who actually write and publish a book. With this said, people who write a book with their message are now in an elite cadre of published writers.
One of the barriers when it comes to sharing a story, is the inability to organize the words and flow of the story. People want to be drawn into a story; their mind will seek the word patterns, while the heart will look for the feelings.
Stories come in all shapes and sizes because every one is unique. The critical part of any great story, is its size. The size of a story can vary greatly, and those stories that are well organized can be expanded to be larger or constricted to be smaller. This flexibility in customizing the story to the timeframe or requirements, is the sign of a proficient story teller. When the story can be created to fit the way in which it will be shared, it becomes less distracting to the audience.
Stories are an art from and as such require texture in them. The words, the flow and the delivery all add texture to story telling. Words that can be visualized easily add more texture to the story, then plain words. The flow of the story; the path it follows, will add texture in terms of the journey for the audience. The delivery adds texture with the way each word is articulated and each pause is taken to emphasize a point. People are more engaged with stories that have texture than those without it.
To begin the story telling process, it is best to brainstorm the life stories that might have the most impact on the listeners. The list from the brainstorm, will act as the source of story topics. Each topic can be crafted into the most meaningful message to be conveyed with the audience.
Many people want to share their story; however, they become frustrated when it comes time to starting to put it together. They might lack the understanding of how to organize the pieces of their story and give up before they even get started.
The ideas start the process of telling a story, while the organizing model keeps it moving forward. When the ideas can be clearly organized, only then can a meaningful message be crafted. With almost all of the ways a message can be shared, it is essential to organize the thoughts and flow to maximize the successful outcome of the story telling experience.
The organizing model will support telling stories in speech or written format. It can serve as the script, when giving a speech or the draft when publishing a blog or article. It is a flexible model that will also support expanding and constricting the story, this is an advanced skill that will set great story tellers apart from the good ones.
When people can share their message proficiently, they are more likely to create more successful outcomes in their life. They can build stronger relationships with others, they might interview better for new jobs or promotions, they could be more proficient trainers or they could be more engaging motivational speakers.
The fear of public speaking can be conquered by following the organizing model. The courage and confidence it takes for someone to tell their story, is rewarded by those who listen to it. They can give their support to the story teller in any number of ways. They could give eye contact to the speaker, they could nod periodically or they could share some insights with the speaker by talking with them after they have left the stage.
While stories are, as individual as those who share them, they have the opportunity to bond people together, in some cases for a lifetime. They also give people a sense of support and connection with others, who might have even been strangers before the story was shared. Conveying meaningful messages to others, creates a community that may not have been there previously already.