Storytelling at work

Macmillan Education

What is storytelling?

“Storytelling is the act of sharing a tale or a series of events.”

(Yourdictionary.com)

What else is storytelling?

“Storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination”

(National storytelling network)..

It creates connection

Because storytelling is interactive, it creates a relationship with the listener.

The importance of storytelling ..

“After nourishment, shelter and

companionship, stories are the thing we

need most in the world.”

Philip Pullman, author

…at work

“Narrative is the natural instrument of change, because it draws on the active, living participation of individuals. It dwells in the experience of the people who act, think, talk, discuss, chat, joke, complain, dream, agonize and exult together.”

(Steven Denning in Forbes)

What kind of stories?

There are BIG stories: the main message, the key chapters, the narrative structure.

There are small stories: the images, anecdotes, and illustrations that bring colour to your central messages.

Confidence through telling stories

Famous speeches

Look at famous speeches and find the big and small stories within them.

See how they make the audience feel about the subject and the speaker

Stories reduced to the essentials: JRR TOLKIEN: LORD OF THE RINGS • Frodo and Hobbit pals take magic ring on quest. Gollum tries to

steal ring. Wizard Gandalf is nice, Sauron is nasty. Battles. Ring destroyed.

LEO TOLSTOY: WAR AND PEACE • Napoleon invades Russia. Russian aristocratic families sent into

a tizz. War ensues. French retreat. Russians celebrate. Lots of them marry

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone • A boy wizard begins training and must battle for his life with

the Dark Lord who murdered his parents. (Sources:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/10289390/Classic-books-in-140-characters.

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/)

Stories flow

Classic Story Structure:

Act 1:

How it was.. The introduction and the context This is the “everyday life” in which the story is set. We need to know who the central characters are.

Trigger: the momentous incident

An event changes everything. The central character(s) set off on a new path.

Classic Story Structure:

Act 2:

The challenges and obstacles on the journey

To reach their goal, the characters need to face difficulty and overcome adversity. This raises the stakes (otherwise it would be quite a boring story).

At some stage, your central protagonist needs to make a crucial decision; a choice that affects the climax.

Classic story structure

Act 3:

The climax. The main event happens and the world of the characters is different from before. The new world Life has changed.

What has been achieved?

What is different?

What has been learned?

Activities

For structure

Structure

Purpose

Beginning and end

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Colour / advance

Description

Description

Description

Story in 6 words

“For sale, baby shoes, never used.”

(Ernest Hemingway)

Story spine

• Once upon a time...

• Every day...

• But, one day...

• Because of that...

• Because of that...

• Because of that...

• Until, finally...

• And, ever since then...

The journey

Describe a well known route you take, with the intention of directing someone to undertake the journey Repeat, seeing how you can get your listener to the destination with the fewest possible instructions Now use the fewest possible instructions, but add in some interesting features they might see or experiences they might have along the way.

Three chapter structure

In pairs. X told me about……

I see: • Image 1 • Image 2 • Image 3

And what I learned about X is….

Activities

For building flexibility and speaking spontaneously

Group stories

• Accepting and building stories

• One word stories

• Conducted narrative

• String of pearls

Solo or pair stories

• Story of the object / story of the painting

• Personal stories / story exchange

• Swedish stories

How we tell it…

What we see.. • Confident body use • Active and congruent gesture • Energy and enthusiasm What we hear… • A colourful and varied voice • Clear and connected speaking

Energised body and voice

Connection – to self and others

Too small

Too big

Bringing the story to life with your voice

The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me." The Tortoise said quietly, "I accept your challenge.“ "That is a good joke," said the Hare; "I could dance round you all the way." "Keep your boasting till you've won," answered the Tortoise. "Shall we race?“ So a course was fixed and a start was made. The Hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The Tortoise plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke from his nap, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning-post and could not run up in time to save the race. Then the Tortoise said: "Slow but steady progress wins the race."

Everything’s a story

Notice more

Share Let go