Storytelling Tips

 

We’ve all got a story. And now, you’ve got the tips to tell it.  

 

Read the room 

You wouldn’t serve a pb+j to your friend with a nut allergy so don’t share a POV that alienates your fellow players. 

 

Based on a true story 

Sure, we all love a little sensationalism but sometimes the truth can be the most shocking.  

Cue mic drop. 

 

Hook ‘em 

Setting up something in the beginning to close it out in an ending no one saw coming—consider us already on the edge of our seats. 

 

Keep the energy coming 

Mimicking the squeaking bed, a snoring dog or even a bad Australian accent keeps an audience engaged—even if you’re a little embarrassed. 

 

Embellish, embellish, embellish 

Was it 90 degrees? Or, was it a hot summer night where the only thing covering your body was a leafy palm frond, scandalous! 

 

Bragging = eye rolling 

We get it, you only fly first class. Sat next to Lindsay Lohan at the DMV? Now we’re all ears. 

 

More momentum 

A *dramatic pause* can go a long way. 

 

Wrap it up 

A story that draaaaaaaaaaaaaaags on, loses listeners (and points).  

 

Vulnerability has value 

Tell it from a perspective no one knows but you. Sweaty palms, heart beating 1,000 times per minute, blinking back tears or secretly wet your pants a little bit? Those intimate details share more about you and open up the space to connect with other players.   

 

Feel it all 

A story doesn’t need to be a stand-up routine. Or end in a resolution. Victory can be boring and even expected. Failure, heartbreak, and loss are victorious in the fact that you’ve lived to tell the tale and we’re here to hear it.