From bedtime stories to comic tall tales, and everything in between, there is nothing like a good story to get us in the listening mood. A story so good it can settle down a noisy room, quieten the hearts of the busy and capture the attention of the restless.
Story telling has become so popular online and in around meeting rooms and conference tables that if you haven’t included a story in your pitch, talk or presentation you might believe you haven’t got what it takes!
Story Telling is here to stay so why not include it in your book?
-Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world -Robert McKee
We connect through our stories and we learn to understand each other through sharing them. Humans have always communicated by using story to educate and stimulate each other.
Remember how you would cajole your parents to tell you a story before sleeping?
Do you remember how sharing experiences encouraged you to try new things in your life as a young adult?
We also love to listen to the stories of others to educate and entertain ourselves. And, never has there been a better time to get on up on that stage and actually make some money telling your stories.
Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make but about the stories that you tell – Seth Godin
How to use story to write your business book.
1. Stories need to match and compliment or expand on your lessons, your facts and the information you are writing about. They need to illustrate your points.
2. They can also be the stories of your clients, case studies, the famous and infamous (always check copyright and law, the rich and famous can be very private and secretive.) Other peoples stories are often used to back up your opinions and experiences.
3. Stories can be told in dialogue or interview formats, this works well in business books.
4. When writing stories that carry strong emotion, keep your focus on the reader and what they are ‘listening’ to. You want them to identify and feel your story.
5 Sometimes, you simply hear the stories in your head and they will fall to your fingertips and out onto your manuscript. You will recognise how they illustrate your points. And how they will emphasise and depict exactly what you want to express.
6. By drawing up a list of lessons and stories that epitomise the essence of your topics you will see how well they mix and match…or not.
It is one of the most exciting steps in the start of writing your book where you discover all the topics, lessons and stories.
It is an exciting way to learn how to use story to write your business book.
All these structures are included in my programs.
Keep telling your stories, someone or many will benefit from reading them.
