A question I often hear about storytelling is, โDoes my story have to be true?โ
What is your knee-jerk reaction to this question?
The first time I heard this question, my emotional response was,
โYes! Anything else would be a lie.โ I had plenty of โproofโ to back this feeling:
– Salespeople who omit information that impact my buying decision
– Politicians who twist facts that impact my vote
– Scientists who hold back data that impact my belief about an important topic.
– Children who suffer from memory loss because they canโt tell me which one of them broke the expensive lamp.
There are countless examples of people playing โfast-and-looseโ with facts.
Thatโs why I had a strong initial reaction to the question, โDoes my story have to be true?โ
But, my opinion changed with further exploration. I discovered that not being 100% factual can often be beneficial to both the speaker and audience.
Itโs OK To NOT Be Factual?
How can this be?
Because of peopleโs short attention spans and interest levels.
To leave a lasting impact on others, itโs important to get to the point in your stories. Donโt bog people down in boring details.
A well-known phrase in the movie industry says:
โMovies are real life, with the boring parts taken out.โ
Keeping a story moving forward is an art. Itโs what the best movie directors do to keep you watching.
Thatโs your task as a storyteller. Share a compelling narrative that keeps audience interest from start-to-finish.
Hereโs an example:
When I was six years old, my teacher embarrassed me in front of my class. Because of this experience, I was afraid to stand in front of groups of any size for the next 25 years.
It caught up to me one day when I was a financial planner. Part of my job was to present retirement planning workshops. Their purpose was to attract new clients to our firm.
One morning Iโm sitting in my bosses office. He holds up a stack of papers and says, โThese are evaluations from your last workshop.โ
He then read evaluations that crucified me, my presentation, and my speaking abilities. My old fear of speaking in front of others had reared itโs ugly head. It was the reason why I got poor reviews. And now it could cost me my job.
Because of that experience, I sought out people who could help me. I found a mentor. He helped me manage my fear. He taught me processes to become a confident and influential speaker.
My experiences taught me a key to overcoming obstacles โ get help from qualified mentors.
I understand that this isnโt an emotional-connecting version narrative. But, do you have a feel for the flow and overview of my story?
Is that exactly how it happened?
No.
Letโs peak behind the curtain and see what happened:
These parts of the story are 100% true.
– My teacher did humiliate me when I was 6 years old
– My fear did affect me for 25 years
– I did receive some highly critical evaluations
– I did seek and receive help
There are some facts that arenโt 100% factual about this story:
– My humiliating experience wasnโt the only one that made me fear speaking
– My fear of speaking wasnโt the only reason I received poor reviews. I also didnโt know my topic as well as I should. I didnโt research my audience.
– The poor workshop wasnโt the only reason my job was at risk. Reasons stated above and poor sales results were also part of the problem.
– I didnโt find one mentor; I was fortunate to meet several qualified individuals who helped improve my skills.
Why did I leave out these facts?
Because listeners donโt want to hear about every experience that created my fear of speaking. One makes the point.
Do you want to hear every detail of my embarrassing experiences?
Do you want to hear all the details of my poor reviews?
Or all the reasons my job was at risk?
Probably not.
You get the point with one example that Iโm performing poorly and my job is at risk.
Do you need the names and backgrounds of all the people who helped me?
No. Knowing that Iโve gotten help and became more confident and impactful is what you need to know.
The Complete Answer
The answer to the question, โDoes my story need to be true?โ is โyesโ with a caveat:
It has to be true, but not 100% factual.
A memorable story captures the essence and supports your takeaway point.
Donโt focus on the factual truth of your story. Give your audience the emotional truth.
How did your experiences affect you?
How did you react to them?
How are these emotions relatable to your listener?
This will connect you to your listeners.
Did I Lie In My Condensed Narrative?
No.
I used the key points in my story to sell my key idea.
There are no lies or made-up information. You heard enough to give you a feel for the story.
Does a story have to be true?
Yes.
Does a story have to be factual?
Not if you want to keep the attention and interest of your audience.
Hopefully, you see this in a new light.
Use this idea to tighten your stories to its essential elements. Tell a true story and condense it to key elements.
Do this and youโll grab and keep the attention and interest of your listener.
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