What do you think?
Rate this book
Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You'll Ever Need
This is a practical storytelling guide from comedian, winner of multiple Moth storytelling competitions, and founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade storytelling program, Margot Leitman. Did you ever wish you could tell a story that leaves others spellbound? Storytelling teacher and champion Margot Leitman will show you how! With a fun, irreverent, and infographic approach, this guide breaks a story into concrete components with ways to improve content, structure, emotional impact, and delivery through personal anecdotes, relatable examples, and practical exercises.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
255 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2015
681 people are currently reading
2172 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
August 21, 2020
I was looking for books to learn how to become a better storyteller, an important craft in private and professional life. This one seemed good, and it is! Very much straight to the point (below 4 hours), humorous (author is a comedian), and with great examples (so you can practice right away). To tell better stories, you’ll of course have to practice not just read, and this book gets you started nicely on this journey!
Some things I picked up:
* There are hundreds of stories already within us. All of these have a corresponding anecdote attached to them: your various "roles" In life (husband, traveller, knitting enthusiast), "things you’ve done" (held weird jobs, did something scary), “quirks” you have (irrational completionist, early riser, vegan cook) etc.
* Recipe for having good stories (and for having more life!):
* don’t be boring
* live life for the story (do “scary” things, go to a party where you know no-one… dive into the crazy)
* don’t wait for stories to happen, make them happen!
* It’s okay to compress timelines and characters to make the story’s essence stand out better
* Tell stories with a thesis statement. (E.g. “I am the biggest fan of Price is Right”). By the end of the story, you’ll have convinced the listener(s) that it is so
* Indifference is the enemy of storytelling. Don’t portray anything that says "I’m too cool and I don’t care"
* Once you figure out events you’re passionate about, it opens up a whole new world of storytelling. Hint: try anything you have a visceral reaction to (positive or negative)
* Make a strong choice and stand by it (“I pretend I care about __ but I really don’t”, “I get overly excited by __”)
* As listeners, we often care more about what you felt about what happened, than about what actually happened
* The deeper message of your story should be kept to yourself. Trying to control the point is trying to control audience's feelings, it won't work.
* Tell stories which have closure. The story without an ending will leave the listener dissatisfied. Also, you should be over it.
* Take yourself back to the time when you were experiencing the story. Were you really insecure at the time, full of false safe confidence, held beliefs which you now consider ridiculous?
* Add nostalgia to your story, says a lot about you (what you were wearing, listening, your role models at the time)
* When something about your looks poses a question, acknowledge or work it in your story or move on, otherwise it becomes an elephant in the room
* When describing other characters in a story, summarise them in 1-2 sentences to nail the essence.
* We root for underdogs. Be sincere about your weakpoints, be a flawed protagonist, it gets people to instantly root for you. The more vulnerable you are, the more you will soar. To really connect with audience, do you have to put your flaws out there
* Don't start stories with details that may come off as bragging ("I was at a college" instead of "Yale") to get people on board fast
* Try to isolate the story from your life where your biggest flaw was apparent
* The “asshole exercise”: Write down the story in your life where you did not take the high road. Name details for why would the audience still root for you.
* Silly story + high stakes + deep passion = ROFL.
* Seinfeld uses it a lot, e.g.: "Elaine loves the sponge birth-control method. It’s going out of market, she has a box (60 uses) left. From hereon until death, she must decide whether each guy is sponge-worthy."
* Networking is largely fueled by storytelling.
* Stories are far more memorable than facts. Helps to be remembered.
* Exercise in her class: tell your neighbour something odd, interesting, unique about you. Not too boring or intimate. These are all conversation starters. Stand out from the crowd, which is half the battle in networking.
* The stories you tell the most in your life (In social settings) should be the ones you develop the most
* Key points for developing a story
* Write out your story word-for-word
* It's important to read your story out loud. Ask 1-2 people for insights (not too many)
* Checklist: Was it easy to follow? Did you root for me? Could you keep all my characters straight? Did you relate?
* Don't memorize story word for word, just know what happened next, like on a “beat sheet" or “setlist"
* Take opportunities to make and tell stories! Says yes to things that scare you. Great storytelling is useful everywhere
Some things I picked up:
* There are hundreds of stories already within us. All of these have a corresponding anecdote attached to them: your various "roles" In life (husband, traveller, knitting enthusiast), "things you’ve done" (held weird jobs, did something scary), “quirks” you have (irrational completionist, early riser, vegan cook) etc.
* Recipe for having good stories (and for having more life!):
* don’t be boring
* live life for the story (do “scary” things, go to a party where you know no-one… dive into the crazy)
* don’t wait for stories to happen, make them happen!
* It’s okay to compress timelines and characters to make the story’s essence stand out better
* Tell stories with a thesis statement. (E.g. “I am the biggest fan of Price is Right”). By the end of the story, you’ll have convinced the listener(s) that it is so
* Indifference is the enemy of storytelling. Don’t portray anything that says "I’m too cool and I don’t care"
* Once you figure out events you’re passionate about, it opens up a whole new world of storytelling. Hint: try anything you have a visceral reaction to (positive or negative)
* Make a strong choice and stand by it (“I pretend I care about __ but I really don’t”, “I get overly excited by __”)
* As listeners, we often care more about what you felt about what happened, than about what actually happened
* The deeper message of your story should be kept to yourself. Trying to control the point is trying to control audience's feelings, it won't work.
* Tell stories which have closure. The story without an ending will leave the listener dissatisfied. Also, you should be over it.
* Take yourself back to the time when you were experiencing the story. Were you really insecure at the time, full of false safe confidence, held beliefs which you now consider ridiculous?
* Add nostalgia to your story, says a lot about you (what you were wearing, listening, your role models at the time)
* When something about your looks poses a question, acknowledge or work it in your story or move on, otherwise it becomes an elephant in the room
* When describing other characters in a story, summarise them in 1-2 sentences to nail the essence.
* We root for underdogs. Be sincere about your weakpoints, be a flawed protagonist, it gets people to instantly root for you. The more vulnerable you are, the more you will soar. To really connect with audience, do you have to put your flaws out there
* Don't start stories with details that may come off as bragging ("I was at a college" instead of "Yale") to get people on board fast
* Try to isolate the story from your life where your biggest flaw was apparent
* The “asshole exercise”: Write down the story in your life where you did not take the high road. Name details for why would the audience still root for you.
* Silly story + high stakes + deep passion = ROFL.
* Seinfeld uses it a lot, e.g.: "Elaine loves the sponge birth-control method. It’s going out of market, she has a box (60 uses) left. From hereon until death, she must decide whether each guy is sponge-worthy."
* Networking is largely fueled by storytelling.
* Stories are far more memorable than facts. Helps to be remembered.
* Exercise in her class: tell your neighbour something odd, interesting, unique about you. Not too boring or intimate. These are all conversation starters. Stand out from the crowd, which is half the battle in networking.
* The stories you tell the most in your life (In social settings) should be the ones you develop the most
* Key points for developing a story
* Write out your story word-for-word
* It's important to read your story out loud. Ask 1-2 people for insights (not too many)
* Checklist: Was it easy to follow? Did you root for me? Could you keep all my characters straight? Did you relate?
* Don't memorize story word for word, just know what happened next, like on a “beat sheet" or “setlist"
* Take opportunities to make and tell stories! Says yes to things that scare you. Great storytelling is useful everywhere
November 18, 2017
Once upon a time, I hated a book.
Just kidding. But I don’t like this book partly because it made me realize a sad truth: I am an utterly boring person. At least when it comes to storytelling.
The book started with Leitman reassuring me again and again that I only think I don’t have any stories but actually I do have loads of stories and I better hold on because when she’s done with me, boy, people won’t be able to help themselves falling at my feet and begging me to tell my many tear-jerking, side-splitting stories again.
I enjoyed all the interesting but difficult exercises -- it makes it an active, stop-and-try-it-now reading experience. But the part where I gave up on myself was the one that started, “think about that one story you always tell.” I don’t have a story I always tell. I even emailed my family to ask them, “what’s that one story I always tell?” Their responses ranged from silence to “Sorry, I can’t think of one.” That’s how bad I am at storytelling: the people who’ve known me my whole life cannot recall a memorable storytelling moment with me.
Her humor also grates on me. It’s a bit too slapstick, over-explained (most footnotes are totally unnecessary and unfunny), and full of pop culture references I don’t get.
These complaints aside, one valuable takeaway I got was that we like stories where people really own their weaknesses, eccentricities, and vulnerabilities. So: I own that I suck at storytelling but I’m glad I spent some time trying to get better by reading part of this book.
Just kidding. But I don’t like this book partly because it made me realize a sad truth: I am an utterly boring person. At least when it comes to storytelling.
The book started with Leitman reassuring me again and again that I only think I don’t have any stories but actually I do have loads of stories and I better hold on because when she’s done with me, boy, people won’t be able to help themselves falling at my feet and begging me to tell my many tear-jerking, side-splitting stories again.
I enjoyed all the interesting but difficult exercises -- it makes it an active, stop-and-try-it-now reading experience. But the part where I gave up on myself was the one that started, “think about that one story you always tell.” I don’t have a story I always tell. I even emailed my family to ask them, “what’s that one story I always tell?” Their responses ranged from silence to “Sorry, I can’t think of one.” That’s how bad I am at storytelling: the people who’ve known me my whole life cannot recall a memorable storytelling moment with me.
Her humor also grates on me. It’s a bit too slapstick, over-explained (most footnotes are totally unnecessary and unfunny), and full of pop culture references I don’t get.
These complaints aside, one valuable takeaway I got was that we like stories where people really own their weaknesses, eccentricities, and vulnerabilities. So: I own that I suck at storytelling but I’m glad I spent some time trying to get better by reading part of this book.
October 7, 2015
I was lucky enough to take Margot's storytelling course in person at UCB and it was fantastic. Margot knows what she is talking about when it comes to crafting a story. I still think of many of the lessons from that class and use it in my own writing. Very excited to have her wisdom in book form!
Read
June 27, 20193 1/2, and I recommend the audiobook format. Picked this up in an Audible 2 for 1 credit sale and was glad with the performance. It was really an instructional piece on how to write and then deliver a short story to an audience. This is a useful skill for public speakers and professional story tellers. There are such things as professional oral story tellers, you ask? Why yes, apparently, but it's a bit of a hustle.
First, she wants all these stories to be based on your own life. As a fiction writer, I found that very limiting. But, I listened and got her point, about it being more true and real and heartfelt if it happened to you. However, I've heard plenty of good stories in my life which are not autobiographical.
Second, she was really focused on the 5 minute set that they offer for the open mic nights at the various Moth storytelling events. I had no idea such things existed. There's a monthly event at a place in downtown St. Paul, not that far from me. I'm seriously considering going to see it some time to see how it is done. But, 5 minute stories are pretty concise. I write some short stories and even some flash fiction, but mostly I've been writing novels. I tried to thing discrete and able to tell it tip to tail in this small box. An interesting challenge.
Third, she mentioned some story tellers, like David Sedaris, who publish their stories in longer written forms as collections. She didn't mention Laurie Notaro, but she is my favorite in this category. She also mentioned NPR and other media that cave person that I am, only listening to audiobooks when I am out driving around, I have no clues about.
Finally, she gave her method of practicing the delivering the story, which is to write it out once, then condense it down to reminder bullet points and tell it without reading it. This is the same method I've been delivering speeches, starting from my forensics' competitions in high school and up to and including my book pitches now. I agree. It's better not to memorize, but to remember the key points or beats, and make sure you hit those in order.
First, she wants all these stories to be based on your own life. As a fiction writer, I found that very limiting. But, I listened and got her point, about it being more true and real and heartfelt if it happened to you. However, I've heard plenty of good stories in my life which are not autobiographical.
Second, she was really focused on the 5 minute set that they offer for the open mic nights at the various Moth storytelling events. I had no idea such things existed. There's a monthly event at a place in downtown St. Paul, not that far from me. I'm seriously considering going to see it some time to see how it is done. But, 5 minute stories are pretty concise. I write some short stories and even some flash fiction, but mostly I've been writing novels. I tried to thing discrete and able to tell it tip to tail in this small box. An interesting challenge.
Third, she mentioned some story tellers, like David Sedaris, who publish their stories in longer written forms as collections. She didn't mention Laurie Notaro, but she is my favorite in this category. She also mentioned NPR and other media that cave person that I am, only listening to audiobooks when I am out driving around, I have no clues about.
Finally, she gave her method of practicing the delivering the story, which is to write it out once, then condense it down to reminder bullet points and tell it without reading it. This is the same method I've been delivering speeches, starting from my forensics' competitions in high school and up to and including my book pitches now. I agree. It's better not to memorize, but to remember the key points or beats, and make sure you hit those in order.
August 8, 2019
My husband got this for his birthday to learn to write inspiring stories for his business. I decided to pick it up because I tried to tell my son the story “Jack and the Beanstalk” and felt like I butchered it. Well, it turns out this isn’t about learning to tell fictional stories better, but I did find it very interesting nevertheless and ended up reading the whole book fairly quickly. The focus is on learning to tell your own, true stories. I could have gotten a lot more out of it if I had done the exercises that went along with the book, which would have helped me come up with and tell my own stories. However, I did not do that part, but I still learned a lot.
So far, as a new parent, I have been basically terrified to go anywhere with my seven week old son. What if he poops and I don’t know where to change his diaper? What if he starts randomly screaming in the middle of the library? But then I read this quote from the book: Most events in life can be categorized in one of two ways: a good time, or a good story. I decided it was time for us to take some chances because the worst that could happen was that we would end up with a good story. So today I gathered up the stroller, diaper bag, and car seat with my son, and we took an exciting adventure! To buy stamps… Everything went really smoothly and I got some frog stamps, so this might fit more into the “good time” part of the quote.
So far, as a new parent, I have been basically terrified to go anywhere with my seven week old son. What if he poops and I don’t know where to change his diaper? What if he starts randomly screaming in the middle of the library? But then I read this quote from the book: Most events in life can be categorized in one of two ways: a good time, or a good story. I decided it was time for us to take some chances because the worst that could happen was that we would end up with a good story. So today I gathered up the stroller, diaper bag, and car seat with my son, and we took an exciting adventure! To buy stamps… Everything went really smoothly and I got some frog stamps, so this might fit more into the “good time” part of the quote.
May 22, 2017
Margot Leitman é uma excelente contadora de histórias. E vários podcasts (como o Story Collider) vieram de turmas dela ou de pessoas relacionadas. Então são boas lições. Mas o livro é inteiro voltado para como contar histórias suas, da sua vida. Na linha "quando era criança, achava que...". Ótimo para quem procura isso, mas eu estava esperando story-telling em geral, como passar conceitos, como contar histórias "dos outros".
January 28, 2021
This is an excellent book on how to craft a story. The author goes through the basic steps of trying new things, finding interesting events/activities to use as a story, and crafting it into an engaging story (not a rant). There are also plenty of techniques and examples for telling compelling stories. This book is useful for everyone - whether in a business setting, getting the audience engaged before starting a presentation, or in a social setting.
July 24, 2024
Very well written book!
I expected a more technical guide when I picked up this book, like narrative techniques, frameworks, structures, plot development, etc.
But I quickly realized that the book was more theoretical, and focused on personal storytelling. It wasn't what I was looking for, but it turned out to be what I needed.
Leitman outlines a storytelling tip every chapter, sprinkling in anecdotes and examples from her students in her classes.
She's a great writer, which makes this an enjoyable and easy read on its own, even if you weren’t looking to improve on storytelling. Leitman also weaves in her autobiography throughout this book, which makes it even more interesting.
What's unique about this book is that it includes several exercises that help you introspect on your life experiences, in order to draw great stories that you could tell.
Overall, this book is fun, short, and empowering.
I expected a more technical guide when I picked up this book, like narrative techniques, frameworks, structures, plot development, etc.
But I quickly realized that the book was more theoretical, and focused on personal storytelling. It wasn't what I was looking for, but it turned out to be what I needed.
Leitman outlines a storytelling tip every chapter, sprinkling in anecdotes and examples from her students in her classes.
She's a great writer, which makes this an enjoyable and easy read on its own, even if you weren’t looking to improve on storytelling. Leitman also weaves in her autobiography throughout this book, which makes it even more interesting.
What's unique about this book is that it includes several exercises that help you introspect on your life experiences, in order to draw great stories that you could tell.
Overall, this book is fun, short, and empowering.
June 25, 2017
I should have done more research before buying this book. I thought this would be a wide-ranging manual for writing fiction. Instead, it's a narrowly-focused book on how to perform stand-up story-telling, which is apparently a recent fad in some big cities. I'd never heard of that type of performance, and frankly, I wasn't terribly interested in it.
Leitman does try to generalize her book in a few places -- she suggests that the same tips apply to the corporate boardroom or the job interview. But that feels like only a superficial gesture.
The book is short, and much of it is studded with pop-culture references for the sort of person who spends all day watching American TV and movies. (Leitman defines "plot" as "what TV Guide would print about your favorite show".) There's also a fair amount of repetition and anecdotes, and the occasional ad for her consulting service. What's left is a few basic tips that could have been printed on a sheet of paper.
The only reason to buy this book is if you attended one of these stand-up story-telling performances, you saw Leitman perform, and you liked her act enough to want to get a little more of her personality.
Leitman does try to generalize her book in a few places -- she suggests that the same tips apply to the corporate boardroom or the job interview. But that feels like only a superficial gesture.
The book is short, and much of it is studded with pop-culture references for the sort of person who spends all day watching American TV and movies. (Leitman defines "plot" as "what TV Guide would print about your favorite show".) There's also a fair amount of repetition and anecdotes, and the occasional ad for her consulting service. What's left is a few basic tips that could have been printed on a sheet of paper.
The only reason to buy this book is if you attended one of these stand-up story-telling performances, you saw Leitman perform, and you liked her act enough to want to get a little more of her personality.
June 19, 2019
One of the most useful books I've read so far. If you're someone who struggles with the conflict that arises with sharing your life then this book will help. I always struggled with the doubt that I live a boring life and therefore have nothing to say when people ask me what I'm up to, or I'm worried that if I DO have something to say, people will think that I'm self obsessed.
This book offers excellent strategies to think about and evaluate your life from a story telling perspective and offers insight on how not only grand but even small mundane incidents in your life are worthy of reflection and sharing if you tell the story the right way.
Recommended for any introvert/ or someone who finds themselves listening in on most conversations rather than contributing.
This book offers excellent strategies to think about and evaluate your life from a story telling perspective and offers insight on how not only grand but even small mundane incidents in your life are worthy of reflection and sharing if you tell the story the right way.
Recommended for any introvert/ or someone who finds themselves listening in on most conversations rather than contributing.
August 19, 2025
Learn all you need to know about telling stories in a way that will have the most impact upon the hearer in Long Story Short. Lots here for those of us who like to write, too.
August 15, 2020
Storytelling is a truly incredible skill undervalued by many in today's world. If done correctly, it can be a tremendously useful tool in both social and business contexts.
Of the many pitches I have had to make to date, the inclusion of a storytelling element has often meant the difference between the pitch being a meaningless, forgettable presentation and the audience pitching my idea FOR me in their own minds. It goes without saying that I needed little convincing from Leitman why storytelling can be such a powerful tool.
Margot Leitman's 'Long Story Short' is often quoted as one of the best guides to storytelling in the online community of social and business storytelling. Leitman splits her guide into three sections; spending a substantial amount of time explaining how to 'find' stories from one's past, followed by how a story should be structured to be memorable, and how it can be presented in an enticing fashion.
Leitman hits on a broad range of topics to some depth with a good incorporation of both modern and nostalgic references and examples. These include some great tips like presenting yourself as the underdog, being authentic, incorporating an unexpected element, and introducing high stakes.
Beyond that, however, Leitman's advice is mostly a hit and miss - much like the examples of boring and forgettable stories she criticises. Apart from the occasional "oh, that makes sense" and "I guess so"s, very few of the ideas she explores are particularly convincing or stick around after the end cover is shut.
This may, perhaps be because the examples explored are generally limited to short anecdotes and rather unsubstantial. Or perhaps it's because the book fails to provide a cohesive overall theme or focuses on the range of topics examined, rather than depth.
Having said that, storytelling is certainly not a skill which can be learned by just reading a book. It's a skill which must be practised rigorously over time. I will certainly be trying many of the exercises prescribed by Leitman in the coming months and continue to refer back to this book as a guide. Perhaps then my perspective on this book will grow to be a more positive one.
As such, people of all professions are strongly encouraged to give this book a go if they have trouble capturing an audience's attention, convincing others, or in general want to develop themselves into a more confident and interesting individual.
Of the many pitches I have had to make to date, the inclusion of a storytelling element has often meant the difference between the pitch being a meaningless, forgettable presentation and the audience pitching my idea FOR me in their own minds. It goes without saying that I needed little convincing from Leitman why storytelling can be such a powerful tool.
Margot Leitman's 'Long Story Short' is often quoted as one of the best guides to storytelling in the online community of social and business storytelling. Leitman splits her guide into three sections; spending a substantial amount of time explaining how to 'find' stories from one's past, followed by how a story should be structured to be memorable, and how it can be presented in an enticing fashion.
Leitman hits on a broad range of topics to some depth with a good incorporation of both modern and nostalgic references and examples. These include some great tips like presenting yourself as the underdog, being authentic, incorporating an unexpected element, and introducing high stakes.
Beyond that, however, Leitman's advice is mostly a hit and miss - much like the examples of boring and forgettable stories she criticises. Apart from the occasional "oh, that makes sense" and "I guess so"s, very few of the ideas she explores are particularly convincing or stick around after the end cover is shut.
This may, perhaps be because the examples explored are generally limited to short anecdotes and rather unsubstantial. Or perhaps it's because the book fails to provide a cohesive overall theme or focuses on the range of topics examined, rather than depth.
Having said that, storytelling is certainly not a skill which can be learned by just reading a book. It's a skill which must be practised rigorously over time. I will certainly be trying many of the exercises prescribed by Leitman in the coming months and continue to refer back to this book as a guide. Perhaps then my perspective on this book will grow to be a more positive one.
As such, people of all professions are strongly encouraged to give this book a go if they have trouble capturing an audience's attention, convincing others, or in general want to develop themselves into a more confident and interesting individual.
August 22, 2018
"When you were young, I bet you used to take more chances."
This is a tricky book to rate.
On the one hand it has some helpful advice. The book is designed so each chapter has an exercise for you to do as you read and the structure is built to help you craft multiple moth-esque stories. This isn't a how-to-tell-a-story-at-a-party book, this is a book that's geared toward story telling competitions and other public storytelling with strangers. Which is fine if that's what you're looking for but it's a very specific format.
On the other the humor was a bit over the top from me. Also the author actually suggests using names like "afro", "dreads", and "hemp" for characters because isn't that a funny and telling way to describe people instead of getting bogged down in the details of their names?! Please, for the love of God, do not refer to other human beings as "afro" or "dreads" - it's more telling about the author and the kind of world they live in than the actual story does. There's also a lot about how generalizations and changing details is okay, which is true, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of focus on the truth in these stories. There's also a lot of references like "I heard this great story once" or "this story had a great twist!" but the author doesn't actually include the story which made me wonder what the point was.
It has some useful oral story telling activities but I wasn't wowed with the tone.
This is a tricky book to rate.
On the one hand it has some helpful advice. The book is designed so each chapter has an exercise for you to do as you read and the structure is built to help you craft multiple moth-esque stories. This isn't a how-to-tell-a-story-at-a-party book, this is a book that's geared toward story telling competitions and other public storytelling with strangers. Which is fine if that's what you're looking for but it's a very specific format.
On the other the humor was a bit over the top from me. Also the author actually suggests using names like "afro", "dreads", and "hemp" for characters because isn't that a funny and telling way to describe people instead of getting bogged down in the details of their names?! Please, for the love of God, do not refer to other human beings as "afro" or "dreads" - it's more telling about the author and the kind of world they live in than the actual story does. There's also a lot about how generalizations and changing details is okay, which is true, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of focus on the truth in these stories. There's also a lot of references like "I heard this great story once" or "this story had a great twist!" but the author doesn't actually include the story which made me wonder what the point was.
It has some useful oral story telling activities but I wasn't wowed with the tone.
April 26, 2022
I think I had misplaced expectations going into this book. Given the subtitle, I thought it would be about the universal rules of storytelling. Instead, this is a great advice book for people who want to either 1) do stand-up comedy or 2) be the next David Sedaris. She tries to explain broader application of her principles, but I kind of doubt that if you need to do a presentation in front of the board of directors you’ll be needing any of this material.
In the end I didn’t get much out of this. On the other hand, it did make me curious about doing stand-up comedy. If there was a comedy club nearby, I would have to give it a try.
In the end I didn’t get much out of this. On the other hand, it did make me curious about doing stand-up comedy. If there was a comedy club nearby, I would have to give it a try.
December 13, 2016
This book is not about writing stories, it's about telling stories in person to other people. I read a lot of books about story craft. This is the best one on live storytelling I've read. It has great advice especially about telling true stories. Plus the author is really funny.
December 25, 2015
This is not great literature, but it is probably the best book on story telling. It was a fun read, and has prompted me to think about how I present my stories and myself.
March 10, 2016
Great little fun book on telling stories and giving talks.
December 6, 2024
I found this on the discard/give-away shelf at the Anchorage Public Library. As I read it, I realized I used to see the author perform a lot in comedy shows when I did improv. Parts of it were like reading about a world I used to live in from another perspective. Trippy!
Anyway—lots of good stuff in here. The basics of biographical storytelling are accessible and engaging. Lots of good tips and hacks to get the reader started with stories of their own.
It’s also written well in a fun, conversational tone, like hanging out with a cool friend.
Anyway—lots of good stuff in here. The basics of biographical storytelling are accessible and engaging. Lots of good tips and hacks to get the reader started with stories of their own.
It’s also written well in a fun, conversational tone, like hanging out with a cool friend.
December 23, 2021
Note to everybody who intends to read this. It's not a book you read once and forget about it. It's literally impossible to grasp everything, or even the most in one go. It's more of a textbook you need to keep going back to and milk it for all it's worth. And that's a lot. There are almost no fillers, just potentially good stuff you need to try for yourself in practical terms to see how they work for you.
April 8, 2022
Really liked it. Exactly what I thought it would be and very well executed. One aspect to point out for those thinking of reading this, this is about contemporary storytelling a la David Sedaris. Funny, moving, personal, honest, polished. If you are looking for storytelling of folklore or fictional in anyway then this is not the way to go. Very much a great guide to the construction of performance storytelling.
December 1, 2017
4.0 out of 5
Great book, narrated perfectly by the author; filled with practical tips, do's and don'ts, and advice on telling great stories. Although focused on oral story telling, the information is also relevant for other media such as blogging or telling stories social social situations. A nice find.
Great book, narrated perfectly by the author; filled with practical tips, do's and don'ts, and advice on telling great stories. Although focused on oral story telling, the information is also relevant for other media such as blogging or telling stories social social situations. A nice find.
December 13, 2020
Great introduction into storytelling focused on on-stage storytelling. However, most of the stuff is applicaple for storytelling in different settings too, but still, the emphasis is on telling your own stories. So if you are looking for a book on how to write stories from scratch, this is not he one. But if you want to get better at presenting and becoming more relatable to your audience, or in talking to people in general, this is a very useful book for you. It will walk you through the basic structure of the story, it's main elements and how to use the correctly, and gives you a pretty good idea how to tell and how not to tell stories (including some tips on how to tell which stories NOT to tell).
January 2, 2018
Very engaging and well designed intro to storytelling. Recommended.
March 22, 2020
Great book. Lots of helpful suggestions and prompts to think about and to extract stories from your life. Looking forward to telling stories of my own.
August 19, 2020
Fantastic introduction to storytelling - both the why and the how. If more people read this book, I think we could be saved a lot of boring interactions.
August 30, 2024
Fabulous book. Well written. Made me laugh out loud several times. The author knows how to relate to their readers and really pull you in. The exercises were fun too. May just buy this book
October 17, 2025
Poorly organized and only geared toward professional storytellers. I did take away a couple ideas for how to improve my storytelling skills but could have gotten them from a skim of a blog post.
January 25, 2021
Actually good despite the terrible marketing sub-title they feel they need to add to all books these days. I haven't checked out the author's performances but her writing is really clear and entertaining. I easily read this in a few hours but there's a lot of good info that can related to any type of story telling stituration I"d say.
November 27, 2019
Story telling has become increasingly popular recently. If you have been wanting to improve your story telling, get the audiobook and do the exercises she lays out throughout the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews