In our childhood, we all loved listening to stories. We also liked the people more who used to take us in the imaginary world of stories. Be it a real story or a made-up, the learning from a story sticks to us more than any advice or moral teaching. That’s why storytelling is a form of art, which captivates human-emotion and enhances perception.

What Is Story-telling?
Storytelling is the interactive art of conveying events using words and actions. It’s about the way one presents a story and engages with his audiences to make something more clear. So it can also be said that storytelling is a form of communication.

Why To Tell Stories?
Back when people couldn’t write, they used to tell each other stories. Stories are much easier to understand and retain. In films, dramas, advertisements, even writings, storytelling is needed. Telling a story is like painting a picture with words in the canvas of the human mind. That’s how stories connect to people’s passion. And persuasion becomes spontaneous through the art of storytelling.

How To Be A Good Story-teller?
Although anyone can tell a story, not everyone becomes a good story-teller. To master this art, one may follow many tactics. Here we’re going to discuss some basic tips that can help one to do storytelling in a better way.

1. Know Your Audience
Before you start your story, you should try to understand your audiences. Not every type of person likes the same story. As the first step is to grab the attention of the audience, you should start in the most possible attractive way. Here one trick may be applied, make them care! Whether emotionally, aesthetically or intellectually, the audience must feel engaged in the story.

2. Portray The Scenes
Rather than telling what’s happening, you should try to make them see by themselves. For example: you shouldn’t tell “X is an introverted girl.” Instead, you can say, “There was a girl named X. Whenever she meets new people, she feels too awkward to start a conversation.” That’s how the audience will be able to visualize the story in their mind.

3. Use Casual,Everyday Words
Although you can surely use metaphors or analogues to make the story interesting, it’s better to avoid less-known words. Using such words may make you mispronounce a word or make the audience not understand. That’s why using casual, everyday words is encouraged.

4. Have A Clear Structure & Purpose
The most common structure of a story is – it starts, something happens, it ends. However structures can be complex sometimes. It depends on the storyteller how he/she uses the components i.e. characters, plots, conflicts, resolutions etc. The purpose of a story may be a core message or just a different viewpoint. It should be set before starting and must be met in the ending.

5. Add Tension & Surprise
Ever read a thriller story? Then you must know how it’s like forgetting about everything else in the world till reaching the end. Using tension or suspense is the key to keep the audience engaged. Again, people like unexpected endings. A story with a surprise or shock in the end,lasts in audiences’ minds for a longer time.

6. Choose Your Medium
Stories can be told by many mediums i.e. spoken, written, audio or digital. A spoken story is told in person that’s why it needs more practice and skill. A written story is told through articles, blogs or books. An audio story is spoken but recorded. A digital story is told through a variety of media such as video, animations, games etc. According to your comfortability and financial stability, you can choose any of the mediums to share your stories!

7. Learn, Practise, Grow
There’s no limit to learning. The more you watch, listen and read stories, the more ideas or styles you’ll come through. However there’s a saying “Practice makes a man perfect.” That’s why there’s no alternative to it. Eventually, you’ll grow your own style and engage with the audience better than ever.

From home to office, gossip to serious meetings, storytelling is there in our day-to-day life. Some storytelling are informal and some are formal. Whether you are delivering a speech or writing a long post or simply chitchatting, you can always use stories to bring people together and inspire their response. So, mastering the art of story-telling can help in the long run.