Six Elements to a Story that Won’t Get You Slapped
Since we're talking about story today, why don't we kick it off with one. As you read, see if you can identify the element of storytelling. I walked over to Tommy and slapped him in the face. “Argh!” he said. “Why did you do that?” “You know why,” I said. Some...When To Use Your Storytelling to Persuade
I don't think you are telling enough stories. Storytelling is the most effective communication and persuasion tool ever invented. People remember stories; they forget statistics. Have you ever noticed all the major religious texts in the world are filled with stories?...You Don’t Forget Stories
How can you get people to remember your ideas? You spend months, years of your life crafting a book that's going to change the world, you publish it to great acclaim, and then you ask a reader, “What was your favorite part of the book? What did you...A Critical DON’T for Writing Dialogue
Elmore Leonard said, Never use any word other than “said” for dialogue. Why? Try reading the above out loud. The “he exclaimed” and “he admonished” and “she cried” become like a child saying your name over and over. Distracting.
The word “said,” though, is easily ignored. You want the attention focused on the dialogue, not your clever use of verbs. In many cases, it’s good to change up word choice. You don’t want to use “quintessential” or “luminescence” too many times. “Said” is a major exception. Let us tune it out. Please.
