Margaret Atwood, author of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” once said: “You’re never going to kill storytelling, because it’s built into the human plan. We come with it.”
She’s right—whether you realize it or not, we are all storytellers. When you recount an experience with your friends, tell a joke, write in a journal, sing a song, or doodle on a piece of paper, you’re telling a story. But to become a master yarn-spinner, you need to really dig into not only delivering a message, but keeping an audience enraptured. Here’s how.
At its core, storytelling is the act of sharing a narrative through language, visuals, movement, and/or sound. It is interactive and transactional. It involves the storyteller weaving together these various elements in a way that captures the listeners’ attention and imagination.
Since we grow up hearing, reading, and seeing stories, this might seem obvious. But storytelling is more than just listing off a series of events. It’s an act that brings people together for a variety of purposes, such as for entertainment, education, or marketing.
Forms of storytelling
Oral: Perhaps the oldest form of storytelling, this is quite simply the act of telling a story by using your voice. This can be done in many ways: talking, singing, or reciting. Before modern technology, history was remembered by oral tradition. It’s how legends, myths, and religions were passed on to and evolved by future generations. Today, oral storytelling lives on in the form of podcasts, spoken word, and standup comedy.
How to Be Charismatic: Tips, Tricks, and Expert Advice Visual: Visual storytelling is the use of images to convey a narrative. This has been around almost as long as oral storytelling; think of ancient cave paintings telling tales of the first peoples hunting and gathering. Painting, dance, and live theater dominated the art form for centuries. Today, the worldwide film and television industries carry on the tradition.
Written: Once humans learned to communicate through a written language, it didn’t take long for them to use it to tell stories. Where storytelling used to rely solely on oral tradition, now stories could be immortalized on a piece of paper and copied. With the invention of the printing press, those stories could be mass produced. Novels, newspapers, short stories, and screenplays are all examples of written storytelling. Even printed ad copy can be lumped into this category.
Digital: With the advent of the internet, storytelling turned digital. People all across the globe can share their thoughts and ideas at the touch of an “upload” button. Platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram combine oral, written, and visual storytelling on a micro level. Even X (formerly known as Twitter) in its heyday produced amazing examples of written storytelling across the digital space—think of A’Ziah King’s long, twist-filled thread that inspired Janicza Bravo’s film “Zola.”
So, what makes great storytelling? The truth is, storytelling doesn’t have a one-size-fits-
all formula—although the three-act structure is as close as it gets and a solid place to start. But at the end of the day, the key to good storytelling is keeping your audience engaged. Here are a few tips on how to tell a gripping story, no matter the form.
How to tell a story
Make it personal: Memorable storytelling relies on conveying a truth. Ideally, that means an emotional truth. Even if the listener hasn’t been through the same exact experience, they should understand how it feels—and the audience knows when something sounds hollow. One way to get to the “truth” is to make your story personal. Tap into a memory, a feeling, or an opinion you hold true. That way, even if you have to fine-tune the delivery, it’s always coming from an authentic place.
Talk the Talk: How to Write Great Dialogue Create conflict: All great stories—or rather, all stories, period—have conflict. It can be as massive and life-changing as a car accident or as small as a coffee stain. Talented storytellers inject conflict at every turn, and that conflict stems from a goal. Again, big or small—you could want a million dollars or you could want a new pair of socks. Either way, characters in a story must always want something, and there should always be an obstacle in the way.
Interesting worlds (and an interest in the world): Think about some of your favorite stories and consider the world they’re set in. How is it different from what you see every day? This isn’t limited to fantasy, sci-fi, or horror. It all depends on the unique ways you see the world, even in a real setting. Martin Scorsese’s New York City feels completely different from Spike Lee’s version. Storytellers are curious about the world around them and are willing and confident enough to translate their experiences through their own filter.
Effective storytelling isn’t just relegated to writers, painters, or singers. Performers are also storytellers. The script is a blueprint and the gateway into the character and the plot. Actors take those words from the page and bring them to life.
Maximalism vs. minimalism: All too often, critics and viewers view subtlety as the end-all, be-all of performance. But it all depends on the character and your ability to understand exactly what it takes to make them feel truthful. Playing the inner life of a sequestered nun is going to look and sound a lot different than that of a rock ’n’ roll singer. Ignore extraneous circumstances and listen to the character. For example, in Michael Mann’s “Heat,” Al Pacino’s performance is big and loud, while Robert De Niro’s is still and quiet—and that contrast is exactly what the film needs.
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Physicality: Do not be afraid to let your physicality help tell the story. If your character lives a sheltered life, maybe they hold their limbs close; if they struggle with addiction, maybe you research all the tell-tale non-verbal signs. And remember, the eyes are one of the actor’s strongest tools. There is a moment on “The White Lotus” Season 2 where Meghann Fahy’s Daphne learns her husband might have cheated on her. Fahy soaks in the info and conveys every single emotion possible, all with her eyes.
Listening: It’s a phrase you’ll find a lot, but only because it’s so true: Acting is reacting. For a story to feel alive, the performer needs to be present. That means actively listening to your scene partners and responding to what they do or say, even if it’s not exactly how it’s written on the page. A response, a gesture, a beat of silence—all of that can change the meaning of a moment.
Storytelling for social media content
Content creators, influencers, and users (via user-generated content) create extremely modern, still-evolving forms of storytelling. Often, you’re selling a lifestyle, a product, or even just the “brand” that is you. At the end of the day, you’re still telling a story. A key difference, though, is your audience’s attention span. These types of storytelling must be geared toward people who love to scroll and scroll often.
- Hook ’em right away: There is very little time to waste; you need to grab your audience ASAP. Think of something right out of the gate that forces the audience to stay, whether it’s a big joke, a question, or a surprising opening image.
- Cliffhangers: Ending on a cliffhanger is an effective way to keep your audience on your page and your page alone. You’ll see this a lot on TikTok, where a user will tell a winding, drama-filled story that lasts right up until the platform’s video length limits, and you’ll need to like, subscribe, and/or go to their profile for part two.
- Editing: One static shot isn’t ideal for grabbing attention. Utilize the various editing tools offered by platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to add visual momentum to your content. Techniques such as quick cuts and captions can help drive the narrative or character beats. And yes, even if you only have 60 seconds, you can (and should) still have strong character moments.
