Want to be a master story-teller? It's in the dialogue!
There are 4 essential elements which will help you to tell fantastic stories:
1. Characters: who are they?
2. Conflict: what happens to them?
3. Climax: what is their turning point?
4. Conclusion: what is the result?
For now however, let's focus on the character's dialogue, movement, gestures and facial expression. If you want to bring your stories to life in your presentations, you need to bring your main characters to life.
So, how do you do that?
1. Character's dialogue: it’s what each character says and how they say it. Whilst masterful storytelling does not necessarily call for a theatrical performance with dramatic voice, your audience needs to hear how your characters’ voices are differentiated. It helps to enrich meaning and deepen the emotional connection for your audience.
For example in the classic story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, (yes it’s a fairy story, but the same principles apply) the Wicked Queen speaks very differently to Snow White; and Snow White speaks very differently to the seven Dwarfs.
So ask yourself what each character sounds like in their dialogue?
Once you have established that you can bring the drama to life.
If you really want to excel in your delivery, make sure you pause between the dialogue and the rest of the content. For example, and the wicked queen said (pause and then speak in the voice of the wicked queen)
"Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"(pause).
2. Character movement, gestures and facial expression: it’s how they move and what they do with their hands and facial expression. When we see how they move, we can see through to their hearts – we see the good and the evil. I bet no-one ever wanted the wicked queen to win? Ask yourself what particular gestures would be appropriate in a specific piece of dialogue?
If you want to bring your stories to life in your presentations, you need to bring your main characters to life. Every character is unique and no two characters will ever sound the same or move in the same way. If you can bring your characters to life, with their particular voice, gestures and facial expressions, it can create so much more interest for your audience. If you follow this guide, your stories will be so much more powerful, and therefore your message more memorable.
Every great story-teller masters the art of characterisation – bring your characters to life from the inside out!
