Vishen Lakhiani explains why great storytellers show rather than tell. Instead of saying you struggled, describe eating beanies and weenies six days a week and finding money in couch crevices. Specific sensory details make stories stick.
Chapters
A great story is a show me story, not a tell me story. Now this is the distinction. That's the game changer for most. Most people are telling a story. They say, so let me just share with you a little bit of my story and I'll tell you and then I'll show you. So as I was building my life, there was a time in my life that was very difficult. It was very challenging. True story. Very difficult, Very challenging, very uncomfortable. I didn't have a lot of money. I didn't have a lot of hope and things just looked dismal. I'm telling you, that was decent. You learn about me then. If I were to show you that story, I would say six days a week I had to eat beanies and weenies. I had to find money in the crevices in the corners of my couch so that I can get my sun milk. At some point, I got sick and tired of my own story. Is this going to be my future? Notice the difference in that second story.