Structure Your Story to Leave an Impact on the Audience
What Blockbuster Movies Can Teach You About Story Telling
In the last two posts, you read about Michael Hauge’s six storytelling steps. The first four are:
Introduce of your hero
Describe the circumstances that person faces
Explain a desire the hero wishes to achieve
Present a conflict(s) faces to achieve the desire
In this post you’ll pick up insight into the final two steps of this process:
Explain the Climax of the story.
Describe the Aftermath
The Climax of Your Story
The climax is the scene where the character learns a lesson, or new way of thinking, feeling or acting. This is the lesson that you want to convey to the audience. Consider the financial planning story about Susan (described in the previous two blogs). Her original intent in the story was to provide the best possible education for her daughter.
She learns that paying for college may jeopardize her own retirement. To achieve her goal and protect her future, she needs to change her approach to money management. She picks up new ideas about investing, insurance, and tax planning. Her planner offers new ways to get college grants and loans.
Because of this experience, Susan is that she is better educated about money. This shift in thinking changes the financial decisions and actions she takes.
Your Gift to the Audience
The sixth and final piece of the storytelling puzzle is the aftermath. It’s often overlooked by presenters. Leaving out this part of the story reduces the impact your story will have on others. It will decrease the number of people who act on your message.
Why is it important?
Because it shows the new life the character is experiencing. This is a different way of living that she is experiencing. The key to this step is:
The listener must want the new way of thinking, feeling or acting.
Consider Susan’s story. She believed all she needed was college planning advice. Then she experienced a thorough financial checkup. She learned that her retirement was at risk if she continued on the same path.
This can create stress, anxiety and fear. This is also arelatable situation. The majority of people face these same circumstances. Stories like Susan’s stir their own financial fears . These feelings can open them to new ideas about how to manage money.
The aftermath scene gives insight into the new emotional state of the character. Her new financial perspective offers the retirement she wants. She feels confidence, security and peace of mind.
Other people connect with Susan because of her struggles. Her success in overcoming the obstacle and creating success is a result they want. They’re now open to listening to new ideas from the financial advisor.
Use Michael Hauge’s 6-step story formula to create a memorable experience.
Introduce your relatable main character in a difficult circumstances that your audience understands.
Increase the conflict to heighten the emotional struggle.
Show the climactic scene where the new way of living is learned.
Describe your character’s new life
Do this, and you’ll connect at a deep level with your audience. You’ll also enhance your odds of persuading the to act on your message.
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How To Create a ‘Blockbuster’ Story – Part 3 ultima modifica: 2017-02-25T09:52:00-05:00 da Michael Davis
"Michael transformed our everyday managers into conference presenters by coaching them and by challenging the traditional methods they were using to present. The outcome was phenomenal.
Our conference was elevated to a new level of professionalism. Michael will be retained to help make our trainers become better communicators, both visually and verbally and to assist us with next year’s conference. We highly recommend him and Speaking CPR to assist with your next event."
Robert Gerbus, President, Trans Ash, Inc.
Speaking CPR
5
2018-05-10T09:44:06-04:00
Robert Gerbus, President, Trans Ash, Inc.
"Michael transformed our everyday managers into conference presenters by coaching them and by challenging the traditional methods they were using to present. The outcome was phenomenal. Our conference was elevated to a new level of professionalism. Michael will be retained to help make our trainers become better communicators, both visually and verbally and to assist us with next year’s conference. We highly recommend him and Speaking CPR to assist with your next event."
“As a former Green Beret and professional storyteller, I give dozens of speeches every year. I am very selective about who trains me.
Michael Davis exceeded every expectation and was one of the best coaches I ever worked with. His quiet professionalism, and unsurpassed knowledge of storytelling helped make my Ted X Cincinnati talk extremely powerful. I would recommend Michael, as a story and speaking coach to anyone with a high stakes talk to give. Michael will help you take your speech from good to great!”
LTC (Ret.) Scott Mann, Green Beret, Storyteller, Trainer, Coach, Author
Speaking CPR
5
2018-05-10T09:45:38-04:00
LTC (Ret.) Scott Mann, Green Beret, Storyteller, Trainer, Coach, Author
“As a former Green Beret and professional storyteller, I give dozens of speeches every year. I am very selective about who trains me. Michael Davis exceeded every expectation and was one of the best coaches I ever worked with. His quiet professionalism, and unsurpassed knowledge of storytelling helped make my Ted X Cincinnati talk extremely powerful. I would recommend Michael, as a story and speaking coach to anyone with a high stakes talk to give. Michael will help you take your speech from good to great!”
“We are privileged to have Michael Davis of Speaking CPR as one of the Speaker Coaches for ourTED x Cincinnatievent. I had the opportunity to be on several of the calls with Michael as he worked his craft with his speakers.I was impressed with howgenuine, exuberant, and in touchhe was with each speaker.
He truly has agift in connecting with the heart of each personhe works with and helping them to unleash their story into their talk.All of the speakersraved about his work with them.Each of them has had broad experience in speaking, but they all felt that working with Michael raised the bar on their ability to speak. You can listen to all of his speakers, Anthony Munoz, Richard Bernstein and Graeme Joffe, at http://www.tedxcincinnati.com/talks/.”
Allison Wonders Gars Speaker Coach Manager, TED x Cincinnati
Speaking CPR
5
2018-03-20T17:08:04-04:00
Allison Wonders Gars Speaker Coach Manager, TED x Cincinnati
“We are privileged to have Michael Davis of Speaking CPR as one of the Speaker Coaches for our TED x Cincinnati event. I had the opportunity to be on several of the calls with Michael as he worked his craft with his speakers. I was impressed with how genuine, exuberant, and in touch he was with each speaker. He truly has a gift in connecting with the heart of each person he works with and helping them to unleash their story into their talk. All of the speakers raved about his work with them. Each of them has had broad experience in speaking, but they all felt that working with Michael raised the bar on their ability to speak. You can listen to all of his speakers, Anthony Munoz, Richard Bernstein and Graeme Joffe, at http://www.tedxcincinnati.com/talks/.”
“Investing in Michael is one of the best investments I have ever made. I speak on the subject of diversity in the workplace, which can at times be a difficult topic to discuss.
Michael taught me a repeatable process that allows me to create a foundational concept, a logical structure, an opening that grabs the audience’s attention, and a conclusion that encourages my audience to take action that will save them time and money.
I found Michael easy to work with, flexible with his schedule, and a wealth of information about the art of speaking. If you need to improve your presentation or speech, I highly recommend you consider hiring Michael. It is one of the best investments you can make in your own growth.”
Natalie Holder Founder, QUEST Diversity
Speaking CPR
5
2018-03-20T17:33:18-04:00
Natalie Holder Founder, QUEST Diversity
“Investing in Michael is one of the best investments I have ever made. I speak on the subject of diversity in the workplace, which can at times be a difficult topic to discuss. Michael taught me a repeatable process that allows me to create a foundational concept, a logical structure, an opening that grabs the audience’s attention, and a conclusion that encourages my audience to take action that will save them time and money. I found Michael easy to work with, flexible with his schedule, and a wealth of information about the art of speaking. If you need to improve your presentation or speech, I highly recommend you consider hiring Michael. It is one of the best investments you can make in your own growth.”