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Do/ Story/: How to Tell Your Story So the World Listens
Today's world wants the story behind the story. Whether you have a company mission to share, an audience to entertain or a product to sell, we're more likely to engage and connect if you deliver a well-crafted story with an emotional core. Bobette Buster is a story consultant working with major studios such as Disney and Pixar, an adjunct professor and a lecturer in top film programs all over the world. In this, her first book, she shares her 10 key principles of storytelling -- as used by some of the world’s best storytellers -- and helps you apply them to your own. Find out: How to source, structure and shape your story; Ways to discover its essence; Why forming an emotional bond with your audience can take a story from good to great. So, whats your story?
112 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2013
228 people are currently reading
2123 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
January 17, 2016
This is a short book that focuses mostly on ways to better tell stories about yourself. It isn't really about career building and it also isn't about telling funny stories at casual social events, but the tips and principles could well be applied to either situation. It was thought-provoking and has some cool writing exercises at the end that I'm looking forward to trying.
NOTES:
One of the key findings from the study 'Do You Know?' was that the more a child knows his family's 'story'- in other words, the better informed he is about his wider family and obsatcles they have overcome in order to survive and thrive- the 'stronger a child's sense of control over his life, the higher his self-esteem'. p 12
"No story can succeed without a proper understanding of context." p 13
"All good stories possess structure. They have a beginning, middle and end." p 13
Some tips that stood out:
1. Tell your story as if telling it to a friend no matter who the audience is
2. 'Hand over the spark'- share the specific experience that originally captivated you and started you on this journey
3. Be vulnerable and willing to share the emotions you've felt at specific times
4. Choose a sense (sometimes stories have smells, sights, textures)
5. Gleaming detail- use a detail to embody the essence of the overall experience
"All great stories possess this moment of conscious choice and deliberation." p 53
It's important to find a "vulnerability about the central character that will compel us to engage with the story. It also has to be a universal truth- one we can relate to in our own lives." p 56
"Real adventure is defined best as a journey from which you may not come back alive, and certainly not as the same person." -Yvon Chouinard
"Be amusing, never tell unkind stories; above all, never tell long ones." -Benjamin Disraeli
NOTES:
One of the key findings from the study 'Do You Know?' was that the more a child knows his family's 'story'- in other words, the better informed he is about his wider family and obsatcles they have overcome in order to survive and thrive- the 'stronger a child's sense of control over his life, the higher his self-esteem'. p 12
"No story can succeed without a proper understanding of context." p 13
"All good stories possess structure. They have a beginning, middle and end." p 13
Some tips that stood out:
1. Tell your story as if telling it to a friend no matter who the audience is
2. 'Hand over the spark'- share the specific experience that originally captivated you and started you on this journey
3. Be vulnerable and willing to share the emotions you've felt at specific times
4. Choose a sense (sometimes stories have smells, sights, textures)
5. Gleaming detail- use a detail to embody the essence of the overall experience
"All great stories possess this moment of conscious choice and deliberation." p 53
It's important to find a "vulnerability about the central character that will compel us to engage with the story. It also has to be a universal truth- one we can relate to in our own lives." p 56
"Real adventure is defined best as a journey from which you may not come back alive, and certainly not as the same person." -Yvon Chouinard
"Be amusing, never tell unkind stories; above all, never tell long ones." -Benjamin Disraeli
February 14, 2017
If some storytelling books are heavy four course meals (looking at you, Robert McKee), this is a tiny Belgian chocolate. Its center is a short, but very useful list of tips for telling personal stories. This is coated in a lovely layer of ... stories. These serve as examples, but are also inspirational in their own right. The illustrations, quotes and overall production values of the book are wonderful as well.
This book is about telling your own, personal stories. Much is applicable to telling traditional tales as well, but you'll need to do some transferring of the ideas to that context.
The exercises in the book tend to verge towards therapy sessions, even though Buster denies that this is their purpose. It presupposes that human lives can be perceived as a series of defining moments, thresholds, transformational experiences. Slow developments don't make the best stories, but in my experience they do make up the major part of life. Their is no place for those slow transformations in this book, let alone for lives in which nothing much changes at all.
Even if you (like me) don't agree with that premise, this book is still a lovely little gem, well written, engaging, useful and fun to read.
This book is about telling your own, personal stories. Much is applicable to telling traditional tales as well, but you'll need to do some transferring of the ideas to that context.
The exercises in the book tend to verge towards therapy sessions, even though Buster denies that this is their purpose. It presupposes that human lives can be perceived as a series of defining moments, thresholds, transformational experiences. Slow developments don't make the best stories, but in my experience they do make up the major part of life. Their is no place for those slow transformations in this book, let alone for lives in which nothing much changes at all.
Even if you (like me) don't agree with that premise, this book is still a lovely little gem, well written, engaging, useful and fun to read.
February 22, 2015
Structured around some useful principles for helping ensure any story connects with the audience:
1) Tell your story as if you're telling it to a friend
2) Set the GPS (place, time, setting and context)
3) Action! (Use active verbs)
4) Juxtapose (take two ideas and let them collide)
5) Gleaming detail (an ordinary moment or thing that captures the essence of the story)
6) Hand over the spark (reflect on the idea that first captivated you and hand it to the audience)
7) Be vulnerable (share the emotion of your story)
8) Tune into your sense memory (there is always a primary sense that dominates every memory, evoke it to make a deeper connection)
9) Bring yourself (your story as much about you as anything else)
10) Let go (let it build naturally and end fast, leaving the audience wanting more)
1) Tell your story as if you're telling it to a friend
2) Set the GPS (place, time, setting and context)
3) Action! (Use active verbs)
4) Juxtapose (take two ideas and let them collide)
5) Gleaming detail (an ordinary moment or thing that captures the essence of the story)
6) Hand over the spark (reflect on the idea that first captivated you and hand it to the audience)
7) Be vulnerable (share the emotion of your story)
8) Tune into your sense memory (there is always a primary sense that dominates every memory, evoke it to make a deeper connection)
9) Bring yourself (your story as much about you as anything else)
10) Let go (let it build naturally and end fast, leaving the audience wanting more)
February 16, 2022
Herramientas practicas, concisas de storytelling. Me gustaron mucho los ejercicios que incluye al final y lo sentí un libro super inspirador al estar acompañado de ejemplos e historias reales para cada herramienta que nos presenta.
February 6, 2020
Helpful tips on storytelling and poetics. Worth a read for anyone in the business of telling narratives (everyone), especially since it's so quick. Not much that's revolutionary, but a great beginner's guide.
June 28, 2018
I am a storyteller. It is what I try to do when I blog, when I write and when I preach sermons. I don't always tell good sermons. Or write good blogs. But I am always amazed that the things that I write that resonate with people are often snapshots of my own vulnerable experience. A job interview where I felt exposed, a hard ending to a pastoral position, angst and worry about my vocation, and me feeling stuck. When I write a book review or musings on faith or the lectionary, I make far less impact than when people find themselves in my story. Not that all my stories are well crafted, and I can learn to do this better.
Do/ Story/ How to Tell Your Story So The World Listens is a short book on telling stories in a way that is compelling and engaging, regardless of the context. The author, Bobette Buster, hails from Kentucky (and the storied south), is the professor of Storytelling at Northeastern University in Boston, teaches and consults on storytelling all over the world, including with studios like Pixar, Disney and Sony Animations. Additionally, she has been awarded grants to collect the stories of Appalachia. She know storytelling and she reveals some of the tricks here.
The substance of Buster's approach to storytelling is captured in her 10 principles of Story Telling.
1) Tell your story as if you're telling it to a friend: this applies no matter where you are who your audience is.
2) Set the GPS: give the place, time, setting and any relevant context. Keep it factual, short, and sweet.
3) Action! Use active verbs or, as I like to say, "Think Hemmingway": spice up your verb choice but kept them succinct. . . .
4) Juxtapose: take two ideas, images, or thoughts and place them together. let them collide. Remeber German philosopher Fredriech Hegel here: that in posing two opposing ideas, a whole new idea is created (thesis + antithesis = synthesis). This tool wakes up your audience and it is the root of all successful stories.
5) Gleaming detail: choose one ordinary moment or object that becomes the "gleaming detail," something that captures and best embodies the essence of the story. Make the ordinary extraordinary.
6) "Hand over the Spark": reflect on the experience or the idea that originally captivated you and simply hand it to your audience as if it were a flame.
7) Be vulnerable: dare to share the emotion of your story. . . .
8) Tune into your sense memory: choose the strongest of the five senses in your story and use it to make a deeper connection with your audience.
9) Bring yourself: a story is as much about you as about anything else.
10) Let go: hand over your story, letting it build to its natural emotional punchline, and then end it and get out fast. Leave the audience wanting more. (from page 22-23)
In the rest of the book, Buster fleshes these out with stories and illustrations and exercises for practice. Some of these stories she tells come from her workshops. Other stories are from compelling individuals (e.g. Alice Waters, Steve Jobs, Doug Tompkins and Yvon Choinard, etc.
I liked this book a lot. Buster's approach to storytelling is simple and straightforward. It is short and not pretentious. It focuses on the elements of the story that best communicate truth (vulnerability, craft, the 'spark.'). I definitely will hang on to this one. I give it four stars.
Note: I received a copy of this book from a Library Thing giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
August 31, 2021
Lo vi en una librería y lo eché una ojeada. Terminé por comprarlo.
Corto, conciso y al grano. Diez conceptos, diez ejemplos, diez ejercicios.
De fácil comprensión, escrito sin florituras, lo he leído del tirón.
Necesaria
Corto, conciso y al grano. Diez conceptos, diez ejemplos, diez ejercicios.
De fácil comprensión, escrito sin florituras, lo he leído del tirón.
Necesaria
May 16, 2023
The book is a quick read and one can summarise the 131 pages as:
- Tell your story like you would tell a friend
- Set the scenario (time and place)
- Be vulnerable, share your emotions
- Choose 1 of 5 senses, make your audience feel it
- Find a reason for the audience to care
- Juxtaposition: start and end with opposing ideas or states
I expected more examples. Most of the examples are extraordinary stories, like Steve Jobs or Winston Churchill. Even bad storytelling will sell those stories. How can we compare ourselves to those giants and figure out how to tell our mundane stories?
I also expected that the stories included would be broken down and analysed, so that we could learn to recognise the patterns that make up a good story. That doesn't happen often or to the detail I was looking for.
Because of all this, the book/author comes out as pretentious, like an excuse to show-off, because it's hard to learn something out of it, besides de generic bullet points above.
- Tell your story like you would tell a friend
- Set the scenario (time and place)
- Be vulnerable, share your emotions
- Choose 1 of 5 senses, make your audience feel it
- Find a reason for the audience to care
- Juxtaposition: start and end with opposing ideas or states
I expected more examples. Most of the examples are extraordinary stories, like Steve Jobs or Winston Churchill. Even bad storytelling will sell those stories. How can we compare ourselves to those giants and figure out how to tell our mundane stories?
I also expected that the stories included would be broken down and analysed, so that we could learn to recognise the patterns that make up a good story. That doesn't happen often or to the detail I was looking for.
Because of all this, the book/author comes out as pretentious, like an excuse to show-off, because it's hard to learn something out of it, besides de generic bullet points above.
March 31, 2022
short but good, and all of it true. some nice powerful lines.
tuto knizku mi odporucil moj kolega simeon a bala som sa, ze tym mysel, ze neviem storytellovat. po precitani som taka ze, reku, aj ak to tak nahodou myslel tak pravdu nema. ale fajn a informativne
tuto knizku mi odporucil moj kolega simeon a bala som sa, ze tym mysel, ze neviem storytellovat. po precitani som taka ze, reku, aj ak to tak nahodou myslel tak pravdu nema. ale fajn a informativne
August 21, 2024
Great book. Great advices. Very nicely and entertainingly written. Learned lots of ideas from the book. Helps for sure for my story telling. Highly recommend it.
August 16, 2024
Compelling stories of figures whose courage made ripple effects in history.
I like that the book is intertwined with many practical storytelling tips (with prompts, questions and exercises!) that I’m very glad to have picked this up 5 years ago. It’s a good reference book for any writer.
I will say that because this book was originally published in 2018, some of its references (and frankly, language) will sound a bit… dated. Some of Buster’s analogies and commentary did not age well.
But I have to admit, it’s somewhat refreshing to read literature that still situates itself in pre-COVID times. That the “groundbreaking” events of the book speak of 9/11, the ‘new’ rise of social media, or historic wars.
Overall, it has widened my understanding of history and the world and given me lots of new knowledge to ponder on. The courage aspect is easier saif than done — but that’s a lot to ask from a 120-page book.
I like that the book is intertwined with many practical storytelling tips (with prompts, questions and exercises!) that I’m very glad to have picked this up 5 years ago. It’s a good reference book for any writer.
I will say that because this book was originally published in 2018, some of its references (and frankly, language) will sound a bit… dated. Some of Buster’s analogies and commentary did not age well.
But I have to admit, it’s somewhat refreshing to read literature that still situates itself in pre-COVID times. That the “groundbreaking” events of the book speak of 9/11, the ‘new’ rise of social media, or historic wars.
Overall, it has widened my understanding of history and the world and given me lots of new knowledge to ponder on. The courage aspect is easier saif than done — but that’s a lot to ask from a 120-page book.
April 11, 2025
Una buena narración sobre cómo narrar de manera efectiva.
La autora usa historias de líderes sociales para evidenciar los principios comunes a ellas y resaltar por qué son buenas historias que impactan al que escucha y lo mueve a crear conciencia y a tomar acción. Propone 10 principios para narrar exitosamente:
1. Cuenta tu historia como si se la contaras a un amigo.
2. Cuenta el lugar, el tiempo, el contexto.
3. Acción. Utiliza verbos activos. Evita términos eruditos.
4. Usa la yuxtaposición. La oposición de dos ideas da lugar a una nueva idea.
5. El detalle resplandeciente. Elige un momento, una circunstancia reveladora.
6. Pasa la llama. Transmite la experiencia que te sedujo a quien te escucha.
7. Sé vulnerable. Comparte las emociones de tu relato, tal cual las experimentaste en el momento. Buenas o malas.
8. Conecta con tu memoria sensorial. Identifica cuál de los cinco sentidos predomina en tu relato y transmite sensaciones.
9. Utilízate a ti mismo.
10. Aprende a desprenderte. Desarrolla y transmite tu experiencia y después del climax, sal rápidamente.
La autora usa historias de líderes sociales para evidenciar los principios comunes a ellas y resaltar por qué son buenas historias que impactan al que escucha y lo mueve a crear conciencia y a tomar acción. Propone 10 principios para narrar exitosamente:
1. Cuenta tu historia como si se la contaras a un amigo.
2. Cuenta el lugar, el tiempo, el contexto.
3. Acción. Utiliza verbos activos. Evita términos eruditos.
4. Usa la yuxtaposición. La oposición de dos ideas da lugar a una nueva idea.
5. El detalle resplandeciente. Elige un momento, una circunstancia reveladora.
6. Pasa la llama. Transmite la experiencia que te sedujo a quien te escucha.
7. Sé vulnerable. Comparte las emociones de tu relato, tal cual las experimentaste en el momento. Buenas o malas.
8. Conecta con tu memoria sensorial. Identifica cuál de los cinco sentidos predomina en tu relato y transmite sensaciones.
9. Utilízate a ti mismo.
10. Aprende a desprenderte. Desarrolla y transmite tu experiencia y después del climax, sal rápidamente.
May 26, 2025
Este ha sido un año de pocas lecturas, pero me ha hecho pensar mucho en las historias. Si bien es un libro expositivo, presenta buenas historias. Ejemplos que exponen nuestra naturaleza narrativa. Igual su ángulo maligno, quizá, sea celebrar a las figuras que menciona de manera medio indistinta. O sea, celebra mucho a Steve Jobs.
June 12, 2021
This book Tells the story of people that had courage to pursue Their dreams and contribute to a better world. Worth reading :)
September 14, 2024
de todos los libros que vengo leyendo sobre storytelling este es el q mas disfrute, lei rapido y me parecio practico y concreto
recomiendo
recomiendo
September 28, 2020
I'm still thinking about the stories in this book. I haven't yet applied the concepts but I think they'll be immensely helpful.
February 6, 2023
En su defensa, quizás yo haya esperado demasiado de alguien que se llama Bobette.
January 31, 2022
Corto y conciso
September 6, 2025
3.5 stars
very useful and good reminders, but a tad underwhelming
very useful and good reminders, but a tad underwhelming
February 16, 2020
Les den og bli inspirert til å fortelle historier. Enkelt og godt fortalt slik en storyteller bør gjøre det.
January 10, 2021
El libro está escrito con las herramientas que propone. El lector atento podrá evidenciarlo en cada capítulo.
De la misma manera en que lo sugiere: el storytelling reside en la vivencia de la experiencia compartida; como está escrito así, los detalles técnicos, que apelan a una comprensión más racional, quedan de lado en esta obra.
Un libro sencillo, fácil y rápido de leer, aunque para lograr expertise requiere entrenarse en los ejercicios propuestos.
De la misma manera en que lo sugiere: el storytelling reside en la vivencia de la experiencia compartida; como está escrito así, los detalles técnicos, que apelan a una comprensión más racional, quedan de lado en esta obra.
Un libro sencillo, fácil y rápido de leer, aunque para lograr expertise requiere entrenarse en los ejercicios propuestos.
September 7, 2020
Lol. How ironic: the book intending to guide readers on how to tell their story, is full of pointless, dull (and almost irritating) stories. I listened to the audiobook version and the author’s voice almost put me to sleep. Yawn...even reviewing it is making me sleepy 💤
September 2, 2021
Corto y directo. La escritora define desde el comienzo sus principios para un buen storytelling y luego los ataca a profundidad uno a uno por medio de historias que la inspiraron y los ejemplifican. Buen libro para generarte una base del tema.
May 6, 2021
Interesante pero podría haberlo sido muchísimo más.
December 9, 2018
I was first attracted to this book when I saw the title but I don’t remember where I saw it. I looked it up on Amazon.com and purchased the Kindle version and absolutely do not regret purchasing it.
Bobette Buster combines training with true life stories and explains what you just read and how people reacted to the stories told. It is obvious as you read the book that the author is a teacher first. She is teaching you how to tell your story so that people will actually listen and become emotionally involved in what you have to say and you leave them with wanting more.
I am old enough to remember the BTV Age of Man – Before Television. That is when people actually talked to each other and as Buster suggests, one generation would tell spellbinding stories that would be repeated from one generation to another over hundreds and in some cases thousands of years.
Buster sets out exercises in the book to help you define your story so others will want more of what you have to say. I wish I had read this book BEFORE I wrote a book for my four children, Things You Might Not Know About Your Father. I didn’t pass on any deep secrets or incidents but rather what I thought were interesting stories from my first days I could recall to the present. It made for a rather lengthy book.
My advice to everyone would be to do the same thing. As time goes by you tend to forget faces, names, places, events and who knows what. So while you CAN remember, take time to write down just words or phrases that you do recall as fast as you can think of them and then one-by-one go back and write the story that goes along with the words or phrases or events.
It is almost impossible to leave a true legacy of your life if you haven’t told your life in story form. Read this book! Use it as a guide to write your story that someone like your children and their children and their children will have to remember you by. If you do not write your story you will soon be forgotten and that is okay if that is your wish. I prefer that my children and their children know who their father was and what he did during his life and what he stood for in the form of principles.
Important point. I truly enjoyed reading the stories of people I know about and some I don’t know at all. I particularly enjoyed reading Buster’s explanation of what made their stories great and so compelling.
Who should read this book? Anyone and everyone interested in telling their story. That would especially include people in sales for if you wish to be successful you must learn to tell a compelling short story about yourself to customers you have never known but who you want to do business with.
Would I read the book again? I would not read it entirely again but I will read the portions that outline the exercises the author recommends doing.
Would I give the book as a gift? That’s a hard one because not everyone would be interested in reading a book if they have little value of developing “their story.” Still it would make a great gift to someone you think would appreciate its value.
Bobette Buster combines training with true life stories and explains what you just read and how people reacted to the stories told. It is obvious as you read the book that the author is a teacher first. She is teaching you how to tell your story so that people will actually listen and become emotionally involved in what you have to say and you leave them with wanting more.
I am old enough to remember the BTV Age of Man – Before Television. That is when people actually talked to each other and as Buster suggests, one generation would tell spellbinding stories that would be repeated from one generation to another over hundreds and in some cases thousands of years.
Buster sets out exercises in the book to help you define your story so others will want more of what you have to say. I wish I had read this book BEFORE I wrote a book for my four children, Things You Might Not Know About Your Father. I didn’t pass on any deep secrets or incidents but rather what I thought were interesting stories from my first days I could recall to the present. It made for a rather lengthy book.
My advice to everyone would be to do the same thing. As time goes by you tend to forget faces, names, places, events and who knows what. So while you CAN remember, take time to write down just words or phrases that you do recall as fast as you can think of them and then one-by-one go back and write the story that goes along with the words or phrases or events.
It is almost impossible to leave a true legacy of your life if you haven’t told your life in story form. Read this book! Use it as a guide to write your story that someone like your children and their children and their children will have to remember you by. If you do not write your story you will soon be forgotten and that is okay if that is your wish. I prefer that my children and their children know who their father was and what he did during his life and what he stood for in the form of principles.
Important point. I truly enjoyed reading the stories of people I know about and some I don’t know at all. I particularly enjoyed reading Buster’s explanation of what made their stories great and so compelling.
Who should read this book? Anyone and everyone interested in telling their story. That would especially include people in sales for if you wish to be successful you must learn to tell a compelling short story about yourself to customers you have never known but who you want to do business with.
Would I read the book again? I would not read it entirely again but I will read the portions that outline the exercises the author recommends doing.
Would I give the book as a gift? That’s a hard one because not everyone would be interested in reading a book if they have little value of developing “their story.” Still it would make a great gift to someone you think would appreciate its value.
May 3, 2024
A different take on storytelling advice. Not the most comprehensive guide I’ve read but an enjoyable enough read all the same. It’s short and easy to follow, and shares some clear overall storytelling principles which it puts to use with example short stories.
These 10 principles are applied through stories that are a mix of her and her students’ stories, plus some about more relatively well-known figures e.g. Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia and Alice Waters, founder of Chez Panisse and one of the originators of the farm to table movement.
If you haven’t read a book on storytelling before, you might find it too general and not specific enough. For example, it doesn’t go into areas like structure, character development or different story types (though you can find plenty of other books on those).
Instead, it relies more on the stories as examples. If you have studied some of those other more technical aspects, you can see the author using them as she shares these stories so she clearly knows the craft well.
It’s probably more useful as story examples to learn from rather than the specific skills you might need to tell stories. There are other, more helpful books on storytelling that I‘d recommend before this one, but I still enjoyed reading it. It gave me a few more ideas and thoughts on storytelling and the stories themselves make it worth the read.
These 10 principles are applied through stories that are a mix of her and her students’ stories, plus some about more relatively well-known figures e.g. Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia and Alice Waters, founder of Chez Panisse and one of the originators of the farm to table movement.
If you haven’t read a book on storytelling before, you might find it too general and not specific enough. For example, it doesn’t go into areas like structure, character development or different story types (though you can find plenty of other books on those).
Instead, it relies more on the stories as examples. If you have studied some of those other more technical aspects, you can see the author using them as she shares these stories so she clearly knows the craft well.
It’s probably more useful as story examples to learn from rather than the specific skills you might need to tell stories. There are other, more helpful books on storytelling that I‘d recommend before this one, but I still enjoyed reading it. It gave me a few more ideas and thoughts on storytelling and the stories themselves make it worth the read.
July 12, 2020
I'll be reading more of Babette Buster. Each of her chapters offer sound advise and thought provoking tips n tricks learnt by herself of other key figures the reader can easily relate to and visualise.
The short book kept me looking for more whilst thinking of how it is possible to implement lessons learnt along the way and and summarised with easy to refer to review sections. Great examples of story telling styles are offered from a very wide cross section of life and history. Two that stand out for starters being Winston Churchill and Steve Jobs, but there were far more I'll be referring back to over time. The author has worked with Pixar and other notable organisations which gives added credit to knowing her examples and exercises work are worth trying out. The exercises she suggests resonated with exercises I've undertaken via public speaking groups such as Toastmasters and which I can now look at and am keen to undertake afresh with new eyes.
Most, if not all chapters, are sure to be of relevance to any reader wanting to learn how to tell their story succinctly and so it makes an impact.
This is a good book to pick up if, like me, your working on a short talk in front of an audience you don't know and want to make sure you make the most of the time you have before them.
The short book kept me looking for more whilst thinking of how it is possible to implement lessons learnt along the way and and summarised with easy to refer to review sections. Great examples of story telling styles are offered from a very wide cross section of life and history. Two that stand out for starters being Winston Churchill and Steve Jobs, but there were far more I'll be referring back to over time. The author has worked with Pixar and other notable organisations which gives added credit to knowing her examples and exercises work are worth trying out. The exercises she suggests resonated with exercises I've undertaken via public speaking groups such as Toastmasters and which I can now look at and am keen to undertake afresh with new eyes.
Most, if not all chapters, are sure to be of relevance to any reader wanting to learn how to tell their story succinctly and so it makes an impact.
This is a good book to pick up if, like me, your working on a short talk in front of an audience you don't know and want to make sure you make the most of the time you have before them.
February 18, 2021
Really didn't care for this, was a read for class. Though would be willing to try out other reads from this series.
Some notes for later recall:
1) Tell your story as if you're telling it to a friend
2) Set the GPS: give the place, time, setting, and any relevant context. Keep it factual, short, and sweet.
3) Use active verbs, 'think Hemingway'.
4) Take two ideas and collide them together, thesis + antithesis.
5) Gleaming detail: ONE ordinary moment that becomes an important detail. Make something extraordinary out of the ordinary.
6) Hand over the spark: reflect on the experience and hand it over to the audience.
7) Be vulnerable. Share your doubt, confusion, anger, sorrow with the audience.
8) Tune in your senses, share your strongest of the five senses.
9) Bring yourself, a story is as much about you as anything else.
10) Let go, hand over your story, letting it build to its natural punchline, then get out fast. Leave the audience wanting more.
Some notes for later recall:
1) Tell your story as if you're telling it to a friend
2) Set the GPS: give the place, time, setting, and any relevant context. Keep it factual, short, and sweet.
3) Use active verbs, 'think Hemingway'.
4) Take two ideas and collide them together, thesis + antithesis.
5) Gleaming detail: ONE ordinary moment that becomes an important detail. Make something extraordinary out of the ordinary.
6) Hand over the spark: reflect on the experience and hand it over to the audience.
7) Be vulnerable. Share your doubt, confusion, anger, sorrow with the audience.
8) Tune in your senses, share your strongest of the five senses.
9) Bring yourself, a story is as much about you as anything else.
10) Let go, hand over your story, letting it build to its natural punchline, then get out fast. Leave the audience wanting more.
February 11, 2024
Interesante libro, aunque (para mi gusto) no tanto por cómo aprender a contar historias, sino por las propias historias que cuenta y cómo las narra (sobre Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill, el guionista y director de El Discurso del Rey, el fundador de la marca Patagonia...)
Te envuelve en sus historias con una narrativa que engancha en todo momento. Desde luego, la escritora es una gran contadora de historias, me ha hecho conectar con ellas aunque la temática de algunas no fuera algo que me causara especial interés. Pero lo ha hecho.
Al final del libro propone diversos ejercicios para narrar nuestras propias historias personales, y al final de cada capítulo explica brevemente algunos puntos que ayudan a tener una buena historia.
Pero hay más historias que explicaciones sobre cómo contarlas. Por eso opino que es principalmente interesante para conocer estas historias (algo enriquecedor en sí) pero no tanto para poder aprender en profundidad cómo hacerlo.
Te envuelve en sus historias con una narrativa que engancha en todo momento. Desde luego, la escritora es una gran contadora de historias, me ha hecho conectar con ellas aunque la temática de algunas no fuera algo que me causara especial interés. Pero lo ha hecho.
Al final del libro propone diversos ejercicios para narrar nuestras propias historias personales, y al final de cada capítulo explica brevemente algunos puntos que ayudan a tener una buena historia.
Pero hay más historias que explicaciones sobre cómo contarlas. Por eso opino que es principalmente interesante para conocer estas historias (algo enriquecedor en sí) pero no tanto para poder aprender en profundidad cómo hacerlo.
May 28, 2017
I value this short book for the memorable anecdotes and illustrations backing up each of the 10 principles of storytelling, and also for the writing exercises at the end which encourage you to dig deeper into your back catalogue of experiences.
Key quote is about communicating one's own truths and passions, proactively. If you really care about something, there's a requirement to capture it in an authentic way, and in a way which will inspire others too.
"...it is necessary for us to harness our own stories, and tell them well. If not, then someone else will come in and wallpaper our culture with their stories. And then, how do we pass on to the next generation what has been lost, if not forgotten."
Key quote is about communicating one's own truths and passions, proactively. If you really care about something, there's a requirement to capture it in an authentic way, and in a way which will inspire others too.
"...it is necessary for us to harness our own stories, and tell them well. If not, then someone else will come in and wallpaper our culture with their stories. And then, how do we pass on to the next generation what has been lost, if not forgotten."
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