Storytelling Guide: How To Craft Engaging Stories People Love

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What is storytelling?

Storytelling involves sharing moments, ideas, or lessons in a way that captures attention and feelings. Storytelling blends narrative threads with raw emotion, producing tales that inspire, educate, entertain, and entice. It’s how we pass on experiences, make people laugh, think, or relate. More than just words, storytelling makes you see a story unfold in your mind.

Why? Because great storytelling paints a picture with words. As the storyteller shares tales, big or small, we feel something. These stories help us connect, remember, and make sense of the world around us. Whether it’s a chat over coffee, a book on a shelf, or a product launch, stories are how we tell others about life’s moments.

5 reasons to use storytelling

Stories create memories for your audience: Think about a story you heard as a kid. You likely still remember large parts of it – if not the whole thing! That’s the power of a story. It hangs around in our brains much longer than plain old information or data.
Stories tug at our heart strings: Stories are the language of emotions. They can make us laugh, cry, or jump with excitement. When we’re moved emotionally, we pay more attention and care deeper.
Stories simplify complex ideas and concepts: Got something tricky to explain? Serve it up as a story. It’s like cutting up veggies and sneaking them into a burger. Suddenly, tough concepts are more digestible.
Stories build trust: Sharing a genuine story is like letting someone behind the curtain of your life or brand. It feels real. And when folks sense that realness, they’re more likely to trust you.
Stories are windows into new worlds: Reading or hearing a story is like taking a quick trip. We get to “live” someone else’s experiences for a moment. It helps us understand them better and feel more connected.

7 principles of great storytelling

Principle 1: Stories have clear themes

A theme is the main idea or message you want people to take away. Think of it as the “big picture” of your story.

Consider this:

What do you want people to learn from the stories you tell?
What impression do you want to leave behind with your story?
What topic will you discuss and what does your audience already know about it?

To answer these questions, your story must have a clear theme that others understand.

Principle 2: Relatable characters help us bond with the story

Your characters are the people (or sometimes animals or objects) in your story. They should feel real, like someone you might know or want to know. Their actions and choices drive the story.

Have you ever read a book or watched a movie where you fell in love with one character? No matter what happened, you felt that person’s pain or rejoiced in their victory. For instance, whether in the book or on the screen, you felt Harry Potter’s pain and triumph throughout the series.

Great stories include characters we can relate to. They help us put ourselves in the story and feel like a family member or friend over time. Make us feel like we’re there with them!

Principle 3: Stories need a beginning, middle, and end

You want to make sure people can follow what your story says. Don’t confuse the reader or listener. That’s the fastest way they’ll put the book down or tune you out.

Instead, make sure we can navigate your story. Let’s look at the basics. Your story needs the following elements:

Clear start: where we meet the characters and see their world.
Middle: where all the action and challenges happen.
End: where things get resolved.

Get this right and your stories with be easy to follow and tell. Your audience can better engage with your story with a clear message and sequence.

Principle 4: Conflict and resolution in your story

Think about every good story you’ve read, watched, listened to, or heard about. They all have some sort of problem or challenge. They have a conflict that must be resolved.

This is what keeps people hooked. They want to see how it will turn out for the main character. Remember, we love characters we can relate to. We put ourselves in their shoes naturally.

A great example that is fresh in my mind is from Netflix’s Ozark series. I was hooked from the first episode – and stayed with it throughout – because I had to know whether Marty and his family survived.

However, you also have a responsbility to the audience. You need to make sure to resolve that problem by the end. The last thing you want to do is leave the audience hanging.

Instead, give them a compelling ending. Whatever emotion you want to tap into, make sure to leave them feeling that. Give your audience something that arouses them to action – and keep them talking.

Principle 5: Invoke emotions in your stories

Make your audience feel something in your stories. Maya Angelou, the American memorist and poet, said it best:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Angelou’s life lesson here should be your goal as the storyteller. Make your audience feel something. Whether it makes them laugh, cry, or cheer, a story should stir up some kind of emotion. And that is how you captivate them.

Principle 6: Show, don’t tell the audience what happened

Great storytelling paints a picture. Don’t just tell your audience what happened.

Instead, create a movie in the reader’s or listener’s mind. Set the scene with vivid imagery, describe smells and tastes, and stir up nostalgia with memories.

Are you using facts or data in your stories? Don’t just state them. Discuss the impact and go deeper. Describe the environment, the emotions, and even small details that make the scene come alive in the audience’s minds.

Further, make your audience active participants in your story. Engage them in an ongoing narrative where they get to play a part. Let them provide feedback. This can inform future storytelling efforts.

Principle 7: Authenticity makes great stories

What do we mean by authenticity? It means being true to the story’s essence. Even if it’s fiction, the events and emotions should feel genuine, not fake or forced.

Whatever you do today, authenticity is key. In our interconnected, online world, this is perhaps even more important than it was a century ago. We can be quite skeptical at times, so building trust with any audience takes work.

However, by being raw, using emotion, making people feel something, and being genuine – you will capture their attention. Another concept closely tied to authenticity is vulnerability. Being real with your audience helps engage them and gives them insight into you as a person.

Great storytellers understand that authenticity mixed with vulnerability ignites genuine connection. That’s the goal of our stories in the end – provide meaningful connection with one or more human beings. If you do that, you’ve done well.

All Storytelling Articles

This is a list of the storytelling articles on this site: