5 Key Principles -
Podcast Episodes
A series of 5 podcast episodes to get you started with the most important principles of storytelling.
Storytelling is an art, and possibly the most ancient of arts.
In its rich tapestry of traditions and techniques, storytelling can overwhelm you with where to begin.
So begin here!
These five podcast episodes introduce you to what I consider to be the five most important principles of storytelling.
Subscribe to my podcast “HariCuts” on your favorite app to listen, or click below to directly stream the episodes here.
1: Motivating Tension
(32:21)
The single most important principle of storytelling! If you only have time to listen to one episode, this is the one.
We look at this concept from a few different angles, and then I try to apply it to the baseline story that is my "workbench" for these episodes: the story of Qantas Flight 32. Also featuring a side-story and reflection on my IBM Model M keyboard that was originally used for American Airlines as part of the Sabre airline reservation system!
2: Main Character(s)
(34:22)
The most personal principle of storytelling. This is what helps your audience build an emotional connection with your story.
Who is the main character in a story? Who gets to decide? Or does the story pick the main character(s)? And of all the details about the main character, which ones are truly important for the story? I also try applying this concept to telling the story of Qantas Flight 32.
3: Plot/Twists
(39:58)
The most complex principle, and thus the longest episode, yet the most compelling principle. This is what makes a story different from a presentation, and way more interesting for your audience.
It all started, as so many stories in Ireland do, when an Irish lass led me astray... So come travel with me to scenic Ireland, land of storytellers and dragons, as I get into the key principle of the Plot of a story, which is actually about the twists and turns of the tale rather than a straight line. And what better place to learn that lesson than on a twisting and turning country road along the gorgeous Irish coast!
4: Scenes
(33:38)
The GROOVIEST principle, on the art of telling a story in scenes, to build an audience experience marked by curiosity and rapt attention.
This is where theory meets art, where science meets craft, where new techniques meet ancient traditions.
5: Supporting Characters
(31:28)
The most COLORFUL principle of storytelling: to make your stories come alive with vibrant and inclusive characters! What do supporting characters do in a story, who are they, and why are they so important in storytelling? Crucially, what are the powerful choices we can make in terms of diversity and inclusion as we craft stories using compelling personas in supporting roles? And, taking this philosophically, what would the world be like if we thought of ourselves as supporting characters in each other's stories?
And so what is your story?
What is your motivating tension? Are you looking to develop your storytelling skills, and use these principles in your personal or professional lives? And how can I be a supporting character in your story, in your journey?
Reach out, I am available as your personal storytelling coach. And let's embark on the adventure of crafting your story together. On y va!