Think Storytelling Is Hard? You've Done Harder Things, Like Untangling Christmas Lights.

When I talk to people at the beginning of a storytelling workshop, they often say they don’t know how to tell a story.

Poppycock.

Telling a story isn’t about crafting a Shakespearean epic that’ll make grown men weep. You don’t need a big plot twist or even know what onomatopoeia is.

The real magic? A beginning, a middle, and an end. Yes, folks, that’s it. 

Picture this: You're at a family dinner, and you’re itching to tell everyone about the time your dog stole the new neighbor’s roast turkey, a la “A Christmas Story.”

And right before you dive in, you hesitate. “Do I need a strong narrative arc? Am I giving my characters proper motivation?” 

Let me stop you right there. Your dog’s motivation was turkey. That’s it.

The Beginning: Just Start Already

This is the easy part. The beginning is simply setting the scene. Are we in your backyard with FeFe the dog?

Or is this a different story that involves a dimly lit public bathroom or a checkout line behind an old Scrooge who can’t find his checkbook?

Or are you staring at the last glazed donut on the conference room table? You’re already off to a good start.

Remember: Your goal is to grab attention, not to be fancy. “Once upon a time” has been working for centuries.

The Middle: Cue the Action

This is just the stuff that happens. Your dog FeFe runs out of your yard and gets a good whiff of that turkey. You see the neighbor’s front door is wide open. The dog enters the house and just like that, there’s a turkey hanging from her jowls. The chase begins. 

Describe what happened, how you felt, and, yes, even how you panicked. If you ran out of your flip-flops while trying to keep up with your dog, tell us. The middle is where you build the suspense and maybe throw in a few details that make people laugh or gasp. 

The best part about the middle? You don’t need a bunch of fancy words or complex sentences. People like it when you don’t use big words. Nobody cares that you know what tautological means.

The End: Stick the Landing 

Endings are where people think they need to turn into Jane Austen. Not true! A good ending doesn’t need to be profound - it just needs to wrap things up. Maybe you caught your dog, finally got the mangled turkey back, and gave your neighbor a sheepish apology. 

Or maybe the neighbor ended up joining in on the chase, forming an impromptu neighborhood relay team. 

Or maybe that’s how you met your partner?

Here’s a fun secret: The best endings are often simple. You don’t need to philosophize about the nature of humanity. And most of the time people can come up with their own moral to the story. 

You’ve been telling stories your whole life; you just didn’t call it “storytelling.” 

Next week I’ll tell you how personal stories like “Fefe and the turkey” can be used on the job.