Storyworthy - Book Summary

Dive into the art of captivating storytelling.

Have you ever found yourself hanging onto every word of a story, completely enthralled by the narrative unfolding before you? Ever wonder how the storyteller manages to weave such a captivating tale? What if I told you that every person - yes, even you - holds within them a treasure trove of stories waiting to be told? All that's needed are the right storytelling techniques and strategies.

Come along on a narrative adventure with celebrated author Matthew Dicks as we delve into the world of storytelling. We’ll learn how to leverage life experiences - from career milestones to everyday happenings - to create stories that captivate. We'll unearth the winning formula behind compelling narratives and dissect the crucial dos and don'ts to keep your audience on the edge of their seats. We'll take apart the craft of storytelling, learning how to initiate and conclude stories effectively, and discern what to include or exclude for maximum audience engagement.

Get ready to find out

why every enthralling story pivots around a five-second moment,

which straightforward test every narrative must meet, and

the fail-safe method to kickstart your story the right way, every single time.

Embrace transformation and take the spotlight in your narratives.

Guiding diverse groups — from business tycoons aiming to enthrall prospects to granddads yearning to captivate their grandkids — author Matthew Dicks emphasizes that storytelling transcends boundaries, turning us into potent communicators.

There are a few golden rules to crafting a gripping story.

Primarily, it's about capturing a transformation, however minute, rather than just narrating a parade of fascinating events. No transformation equals no story. Remember the most tedious movies you've endured? Even they had characters evolving throughout the plot. What lacks a transformation arc falls into the realm of anecdotes - these could be entertaining recollections from a vacation or a night out, but they fail to create any profound resonance with the listeners. Without that crucial element of change, don't expect to sway your listeners' perspectives or build deeper connections.

Secondly, your narratives should position you as the lead character. Your listeners want to delve into your experiences, not someone else's.

But why?

Stories coming straight from the storyteller have a raw and real immediacy to them. Speaking about your own experiences demands more bravery than narrating someone else's. It requires confronting uncomfortable truths and exhibiting authenticity - attributes your audience will undoubtedly cherish.

However, this doesn't entirely dismiss the possibility of sharing someone else's experiences. The trick is to narrate it through your lens. For instance, the author facilitated a project called Voices of Hope, where he guided children of Holocaust survivors to narrate their parents' stories. The children learned to weave their narratives around their own experiences, while incorporating their parents' past, resulting in impactful storytelling. Instead of sounding like detached history lessons, their stories became about the transformative effect of their parents' experiences on their own lives.

Drop the theatrics, keep it authentic, and pass the 'dinner test'.

To gauge the power of your narrative, apply what Matthew Dicks coins as “the dinner test”. Ask yourself: "Would this story hold my friend's attention over dinner?" If the answer is no, you might need to revisit your story's ingredients.

Keep in mind, when planning your narrative, the way you present it to your colleagues at work or your church congregation should be no different from how you would relay it to a close friend.

Consider how some storytellers resort to odd gesticulations for emphasis when in front of an audience - like mimicking a butterfly landing to demonstrate the birth of an idea. Would you do the same during a dinner conversation? Likely not. Remember, you're not staging a one-man-show; you're just sharing your story.

The same principle applies to unnecessary poetic embellishments that often sneak into stories when presented on stage or in writing. Ask yourself, would you enjoy a dinner conversation where someone describes “the roses radiant in their verdant haven”? You might, but likely only once. Remind yourself, this isn't about crafting poetry, it's about engaging storytelling.

Moreover, starting your story with arbitrary dialogue or an eccentric noise like “Boom!” can feel alien and off-putting. Imagine kicking off a dinner conversation with "Don't enter my room, Dad!" or "Wham!" Sounds awkward, right? And yet, on stage and in written form, storytellers often choose this eccentric approach to commence their narrative. So, prior to diving into dialogue, introduce your story and its characters first.

The root cause of these storytelling faux pas is the mistaken assumption that the audience expects a performance, not just a story. This couldn't be more wrong. Although your listeners understand there's some planning behind your narrative, they desire the sense that your story is spontaneous and unscripted — essentially, they want it to feel heartfelt. Regrettably, overused theatrical or poetic gimmicks disrupt this illusion, causing you to lose that precious connection with your audience.

Unveil a transformative five-second moment in your narratives.

In the realm of storytelling, there lies an often overlooked yet profound truth. The heart of every compelling story beats around a five-second moment in someone's life. The crux of your narrative is to illuminate this fleeting moment with utmost clarity.

So, what kind of five-second moment are we delving into?

We're talking about those life-altering instances when everything changes in a heartbeat. It might be when you encounter your soulmate — or when your love for them dissipitates. Maybe it's a moment of epiphany where your opinion on a critical matter pivots, or when you grant forgiveness to someone, or when despair engulfs you. These tiny, yet potent and swift moments lay the groundwork for compelling stories.

Still skeptical? Consider this true anecdote from the author's life that has moved many to tears.

As an adolescent, Dicks survived a horrendous car accident where he was ejected through the windshield, and his legs were wedged into the dashboard. The severity of the crash was such that he momentarily lost his life, only to be revived by paramedics roadside.

Is this brush with death the five-second tear-jerking moment?

Surprisingly, it isn't. The emotive moment unravels later. Remarkably, on that fateful night, the author's parents prioritized inspecting their damaged car over visiting their injured son in the hospital. Alone and petrified, Dicks faced his transformative moment when his teen friends flooded the waiting room, showering him with encouraging cheers as he was being rolled into surgery.

Why does this moment stir audiences more than the near-death experience?

Simply because it's a transformative instance in the author's journey that resonates with most people. The majority of us will never grasp the reality of a near-fatal accident. However, the feelings of solitude, the sting of rejection, and the comforting force of friendship are universally experienced, making this the most relatable segment of Dicks' narrative. When audiences reminisce about this story, they scarcely mention the car crash. What they recall and connect with is the abrupt shift from feeling deserted to feeling cherished.

Determine the start of your narrative by reflecting on its conclusion.

Having pinpointed the transformative five-second moment in your story, you've simultaneously uncovered the ending. This moment, being the nucleus of your narrative, should ideally fall near the end, as it embodies both the climax and the raison d'être of your tale.

But don't let out that sigh of relief just yet, because you're now facing arguably the toughest part of storytelling — figuring out where to kick off.

Selecting the perfect launch point for your personal narrative involves sifting through your lifetime of experiences and homing in on the one that most effectively illuminates the start of your story. This isn't an easy task, given the multitude of moments from which to choose.

How do you make the right decision?

Your first step is to revisit the ending of your story — what transpires in your defining five-second moment? Then, pose a vital question to yourself: What constitutes the absolute antithesis of this moment of revelation, realization, or transformation? In essence, the starting point of your story should starkly contrast its conclusion. This contrast is crucial in establishing a satisfying narrative arc, highlighting the evolution and change over time.

Consider, for instance, a rom-com where the protagonist, a young woman, is fired from her banking job and betrayed by her boyfriend who runs off with her best friend. From the onset, we can almost predict the movie's ending, right? Our crestfallen heroine will likely find love with someone drastically different from a banker — say, an artist. She'll probably venture into a career that's a far cry from banking — maybe, opening a bakery. And she'll likely form a bond with a new best friend, someone entirely different from the one who betrayed her — perhaps, a candid and supportive gay man.

In essence, if you're keen on deciphering how a movie concludes, just ascertain the opposite of its first fifteen minutes, and you'll likely have an accurate prediction. The same logic should be applied when crafting your story.

Mastering the art of immersing your audience in your narrative: Do's and Don'ts

Narrating a captivating story involves escorting your audience through a journey. The destination? The pivotal moments of your tale. Your aim is to teleport them into the heart of your narrative, allowing them to experience the sights, sounds, and sensations firsthand, precisely as you did.

While this might seem daunting, there's no cause for worry. Some fundamental do's and don'ts can help you craft an immersive narrative for your audience.

Significantly, employing the present tense can make your audience feel like they're experiencing the story along with you. Instead of starting with, "Last year, I was on a train...", consider something along the lines of, "I am on a train, my entire body vibrating with its forward momentum."

Narrating in the present tense fosters a sense of immediacy, teleporting your audience onto that train, witnessing events unfold in real time. It draws the listener into the desired timeframe, bringing them closer to the crucial moments.

Having addressed the do's to engage your audience, what should you avoid?

Crucially, steer clear of posing rhetorical questions. Doing so prompts your audience to internally conjure an answer, inadvertently transforming your storytelling session into a question-answer session. It yanks them out of the narrative, making them aware that they aren't on that train, but rather, sharing a room with you, mulling over your rhetorical question.

Another storytelling faux pas is directly addressing your audience. For instance, when you initiate your narrative with, "Alright folks, have I got a tale for you!", the immersive experience for the listener is instantly disrupted. It shatters the illusion, making them conscious of the storyteller, the fact that they're being addressed directly, and the presence of fellow audience members.

So, refrain from engaging your audience in a dialogue or posing questions to them. Just narrate your story, ideally in the present tense.

Navigating your storytelling journey: The importance of avoiding foul language and obscenity

When the author crafts stories for his blog, he meticulously chooses his words. What's the motive behind this? He's cognizant of the significance of maintaining his reputation within the storytelling fraternity. It's unlikely that you'll find any offensive language, disparaging remarks about his employer or colleagues in his narratives. Significantly, if you aspire to be a successful storyteller, you need to be mindful of your choice of words and the manner in which you articulate your story to the audience.

Whether you're narrating a story at a wedding or in a theater, your word choices will invariably influence your audience's perception of you. Bearing this in mind, avoid excessive usage of foul language.

Abstaining from using offensive language in your stories can potentially broaden their appeal. For instance, the author's narratives have reached millions, largely due to being invited to share them on the well-known podcast and radio show, The Moth. Notably, the author made it effortless for the show to feature his stories, as they were virtually devoid of obscenities, making them suitable for diverse audiences. If your narratives are laden with profanities, you're less likely to be invited to speak at corporate, family, or school events. Thus, before you resort to using offensive language, weigh its impact — you might be undermining your career opportunities.

Furthermore, aiming for mass appeal in your storytelling doesn't merely entail avoiding offensive language — it's also advisable to refrain from explicit content.

Obscenity involves narrating explicit incidents, be it sexual or involving bodily functions. Although you might believe that vivid descriptions can aid your audience in visualizing these scenarios, in reality, you're likely just repulsing them.

For example, one of the author's acquaintances narrated a story at a storyslam about experiencing stomach problems on a first date, leading to an unfortunate incident on the sofa. Rather than subtly alluding to this distasteful episode and letting the audience conjure their own mental images, he detailed the incident down to the smell, texture, and color. Unsurprisingly, the judges were less than impressed and awarded his story a low score that evening.

When selecting your narrative's words, ensure that what appears sincere and candid to you doesn't come across as offensive to your audience. Remember, exercising a bit of restraint can significantly boost your storytelling career.

Wrapping up the narrative

At the crux of it all:

Becoming proficient in storytelling involves grasping the appropriate techniques. A compelling narrative features an essential shift or transformation, abstains from indecencies and unwarranted embellishments, and employs the present tense to enthrall and transport the audience.