5 Storytelling Techniques to Tell Insanely Good Stories

I've analyzed H4 speakers to find out what techniques they use to tell these insanely good stories and I found their five techniques that they use the most so to show you those techniques in action we'll pick a pretty average story but every time we'll be adding one technique and what you realize is by applying those techniques you can turn any average moment into the most incredible story let's start with the Baseline story David had an exam coming up and he planned to study all all day but when he started his phone kept buzzing with notifications

because of the distractions he couldn't get any work done he told his friend about this and his friend suggested an app to block the distractions in the next study session David used the app managed to study everything took the exam and got the best grade he'd ever received now that was a pretty average story right now let's go into the real interesting stuff and transform that story First Take technique raising questions the best storytellers raise questions in their listener's mind they don't immediately disclose everything on the spot instead they tease what is about to come

through questions and hints the moment that mystery or that doubt is out the listeners want to know the answer let's go back to David's example this time with raising questions on that day David discovered a tool that changed his life forever he had an exam coming up and planed to study all day but when he started his phone kept buzzing with notifications because of the distractions he couldn't really get any work done but right in that moment his friend stepped in to save the day his friend suggested an app to block the distractions in the

next study session he used that app now that app has been one of the best things that could have ever happened to him he managed to study everything took the exam and got the best grade he ever received each one of those sentences made you wonder wait what is that tool that changed David's life how did that friend save that day and why is that app the best thing that could have ever happened to him now try to include a few sentences in your story that make your listeners wonder how the story continues second technique

Stakes a simple way to make your listeners care for your story is to share the stakes what can that char character win or lose in that specific situation why does the character care so much about reaching that goal or avoiding that problem example David had an exam coming up and planned to study all day now that exam would decide if he would be allowed to study medicine and reach his dream of becoming a doctor but when he started his phone just kept buzzing with notifications because of the distractions he pretty much couldn't get any work

done he started to worry he knew that if things didn't change he'd never get into Medical School even worse he might have to study something like law or accounting he told his friend about this and his friend suggested an app to block the distractions in the next study session David used that app he managed to study everything took the exam and got the best grade he ever received by sharing the stakes your listeners will care much more for your story they'll be there on the sideline cheering for your character wanting to know how the story

continues but let me now share a technique that I see in almost every single story out there third technique outer dialogue often your stories will have more than one character maybe there's someone that has helped you maybe there's someone that really annoyed you maybe there is someone that loved working with you now you can share some of the dialogue of that specific moment to bring your story to life now what are the exact words what are the quotes of that specific specific moment example David had an exam coming up and planned to study all day

but when he started his phone just kept buzzing with notifications because of the distractions he couldn't get any work done now after complaining to his friend Sarah she interrupted him and said stop right there I know exactly what you need what you need is an app to block the distractions it's so freaking powerful now in the next study session David used that app he managed to study everything and took the exam a few days later he got the results and immedately called his friend oh Sarah you're not going to believe it I got an A+

thank you so much for the tip this is really the best day of my life now you can share a full-blown conversation showing the dialogue of both of the characters or just one exclamation by one person that's really up to you the key is to use concise and catchy language look I I love autod dialog because it's simple but very powerful but there's not only the outer dialogue but there's also the inner dialogue fourth technique inner dialogue the best stories are emotional they make us cry love and Inspire us the easiest way to make your

story more emotional is to share the character's thoughts what was that character thinking in that crucial moment of the story what were the hopes the goals the dreams the fears share some of the thoughts example David had an exam coming up and plan to study all day he thought all right today the day today I will crush it I'll be glued to my seat I'll be crushing through these pages but when he started his phone just kept buzzing with notifications because of the distractions he couldn't get any work done immediately he started blaming himself thinking

what's wrong with you you the entire day and you just wasted it man like that you'll definitely fail the exam he told his friend about this and his friend suggested an app to block the distractions in the next study session David used that app he managed to study everything took the exam and get the best grade he ever received after that he thought wow this is so cool can't believe that I got an A+ and my mom is going to be so proud I know when we speak we often tried to sound super smart super

sophisticated but please don't do that when sharing the thought thoughts give us the raw unfiltered thoughts inner dialogue is probably the technique that I use the most in my stories but there is one last technique that will make your story even more emotional fifth technique showing emotions you already know that emotions are very important for storytelling but the problem is that most people tell the emotion they say something like she's happy she's sad she's proud now words like that aren't visual we P picture what it looks like to be disappointed or proud it's kind of

abstract so instead of telling the emotion show the emotion how does the body the face change when experiencing the emotion of the story example David stood in front of the library biting his bottom lip he an exam coming up and he planned to study all day but when he started his phone just kept buzzing with notifications because of those distractions he couldn't get any work done at All Hiding his face in his hand he told his friend about this his friend suggested an app to block the distractions immediately David's face lit up Sparkle in his

eyes that could actually work in the next study session David used that app he managed to study everything took the exam and got the best grade he ever received big smile on his face Standing Tall and just celebrating that huge huge moment so what words can you use to describe the emotions you can just ask yourself hey how do I react physically when I'm experiencing a certain emotion what happens to my body to my face when I'm sad when I'm nervous when I'm happy or if that is a little bit too tough for you ask

yourself how does my friend how does my mother how does my partner physically react when experiencing a certain emotion that's it if you sprinkle one two or maybe even three of the five techniques your stories will change drastically now today we talked about storytelling techniques but there are few other areas that you may want to master like story structure or story types for that you may want to check out this next video in which I share how to tell better stories than 99% of the people enjoy