Casey Caylor's Blog

What is one story you wish you told better? And, to whom? Everyone has a story to tell. It is central to what makes us human. And, whether you are developing a presentation complete with visual aids for work – the guiding impetus for Resonate – or you simply want to better tell people who you are, what you do and why you are doing it, amazing lessons are to be found in Nancy Duarte’s Resonate. For the third time, I am leading a team through an in-depth storytelling training and have heavily relied on the book Resonate to teach key narrative building techniques. I share my highest recommendations of the book for those looking to become stronger storytellers and writers. Duarte and her team have even made the book digitally accessible for free (at least currently). Now is a great time to dive in and build your storytelling muscles. Below are a few of my favorite nuggets from the book… You are not the hero. The Audience is the Hero. From the very beginning, Duarte makes a strong case that the audience should always be the hero in your story. To be a persuasive writer, and successfully create common ground with the audience, writing or storytelling from an empathetic stance is one of the most powerful techniques you can employ. “So what is your role [as storyteller] then? You are the mentor. You’re Yoda, not Luke Skywalker. The audience is the one who will do the heavy lifting… resonance can only occur when a presenter takes a stance of humility.” The Big Idea. What are you really trying to say? Duarte also has an awesome section guiding readers to refine their “Big Idea,” which from her perspective should include three key things: Your unique point of view on a topic A clear statement of what’s at stake for those who do or don’t adopt your point of view Written in the form of one sentence There is something about getting this into one sentence and onto paper that is transformational. If you are going to invest your time in clarifying one thing before you start writing or building a narrative, starting with what you are really trying to say will strengthen everything that comes after. Spend any extra time you have on your Big Idea. Story Mapping & The Importance of Contrast Resonate dedicates a great deal of time into story mapping and the ideal structure for a compelling narrative. Duarte gives clear examples and strategies on how to transform ideas into meaning and information into stories. There is also beautiful intentionally throughout the book on planning the audience’s journey: “moving from” and “moving to.” How and where do you want your audience to move throughout your narrative? What do they believe now? How do you want them to feel after listening to your story? She discusses some critical tools for planning your audience’s journey, using contrast and changing perspectives to help illuminate transformation. Resonate practices what it preaches, with digestible content and compelling visuals that add immensely to the text. The book is an amazing tool to have next to you when you are building a narrative and sits on my desk within close reach. To leave you with some inspiring words from the end of the book… “Nowadays, more than any other time, people are eager for inspired ideas that stand out and are worth believing in… when an idea is presented with sincerity and passion, it stands out and resonates. We were born to create ideas; getting people to feel like they have a stake in what we believe is the hard part. It doesn’t seem fair that an idea is judged by how well it is presented, but it happens every day. So, if you can communicate an idea well, you have, within you, the power to change the world.” I hope to hear your words changing the world for the better in the future using Resonate’s strategies. Happy reading!

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