Telling stories is underrated.
What makes a good story teller? I attempt to shed some light on the answer:
A Story Worth Telling?
Is the story interesting? Will the audience appreciate the story? Great storytellers tell great stories. The very reason they present a story is because it carries some weight. This weight is determined and met by the listener. Every great storyteller is able to connect to the story and understand its significance relative to the audience.
Feeling.
What is your audience feeling? Great story tellers evoke emotion within their audience. Tell the story in the right terms. If a story is meant to be exciting, be excited! If the story is sad, tell it with melancholy. Be congruent with the context of the story. Allow the tale to drive your behavior. Recognize your character throughout.
Rhythm.
Storytellers are keen to the flow of the story. What this means is that they have a great understanding of timing. The ebb and flow of a story is what keeps an audience in tune with events, actions or anything that adds depth to the story.
Tension.
Is there conflict? People need something to react to. When a story lacks tension it lacks the audiences attention. Great storytellers acknowledge this and present this tension in a fitting manner. They become masters of surprise and suspense.
The end.
Every story has three main parts: the beginning, the middle, the end. The transition from the middle to the end holds the potential to make or break the story. If you have successfully made it to the climax of the story: congratulations! But don’t screw it up. People remember the ending. We do not hold on to the minute details. These details could be portrayed wonderfully with great panache, but that does not matter. By and large humans forget those details and remember the ending. Let’s define this in logical terms:
If the ending sinks, then the story stinks.
End of Story.