How to Be a Good Storyteller by @ErinMFeldman

 @yokylie You do that on the Livefyre system.

 @yokylie Fortunately for you, Sean and his crew have a series of seminars about storytelling. :)

 @YoungmanBrown Thanks!

It takes hard work to develop that voice, but it's worth the effort. At least I think it is.

 @Josh/ http://joshuawilner.com/ I have nothing to add to that statement. I simply wanted to acknowledge I received and read it.

I feel compelled to explain the structure of my comment, because it relates to the how of telling the story.

Paragraph 1: A comment from my childhood, it is short and then that is all. I don't explain why it is significant, but the reader figures there is a point and reads on.

Paragraph 2: "When I was in college" ...okay, obviously I'm about to tell a story. I put in a tidbit about something rare, Olympic gold medals. I have actually known quite a few people that have participated in the Olympics and two that have won gold medals. It isn't important to the story, but it does add intrigue and also paints an image of what my friends might look like, physically, without me describing it.  Show don't tell, is the old mantra.

Paragaraph 3:  I set the location for my story and I show how I'm winning for a long time, which begs the questions, "How long?" or "How did it end?"

Paragraph 4: I don't answer the questions immediately, but cut to something else, the bit about my hat. It helps the reader visualize the scene and as you saw later on, is an important element in the story.

Paragraph 5: Back to the game, and I describe the slight action of moving my cue ball to the right. This is a subtle clue to people who play pool. I like to put in clues that most people won't get, because for those who do, it makes the story all the more enjoyable. When one is breaking and trying to make the eight ball on the break (which wins the game immediately), they move the ball off of center and aim for the second ball.

Paragraph 6: Back to the action, real time, I talk to my friends as I'm about to break and say something that seems pretty innocuous, but later is revealed to have been prophetic. Then the action of the game continues. I added some description of the sound, because I like to address multiple senses. In hindsight, I probably should have described the smoke filled room, or the smell of beer, but I missed the boat on the sense of smell.

Paragraph 7: I show the reader how I behaved and in such a way as to be a little bit vague. That is how the people watching felt, because they didn't know what was about to happen, and I want this to be the same for the reader.

Paragraph 8: The grand finale. The hero wins. I hope it is satisfying for the reader and that they felt like they were there among my friends, cheering as the evil frat boys got crushed. Of course, the writer never knows if the ending will find its mark, but that is what I'm trying to accomplish.

Paragraph 9: I make my point about how I was in the moment and wanted it to make a good story. This is how story tellers think.

Paragraph 10 & 11: I bring it back to the first paragraph to make my point about how one needs to pay attention to the stories they are listening too and I encourage everyone to try.

This is how I crafted my story. It is how I think.  I hope this added reply wasn't overkill, but I figured at the very least, I'd be able to save it and use for my own blog.  :-)

 @ExtremelyAvg Indeed, stories are everywhere if you're willing to pay attention to them. Being observant is a crucial part of storytelling.

Also, what a great story! Thank you for sharing it with us.

 @rdopping Structure is important. I actually have a few ideas for posts related to that topic. See how that works?

I love writing and talking about writing. That love helps when I have to address a seemingly dry subject. It helps me to find an entry point into a topic or at least put in the effort to find one.

 @barrettrossie ...although I would love to chat with professional storytellers. Let's figure out how I can do that. :))

 @barrettrossie I have not, although I know of a group that utilizes podcasts and videos as part of the oral tradition. The name escapes me at the moment. I'm sure it will come back eventually. I know I talked with someone about the group. @jasonkonopinski , perhaps, or @MSchechter ?

Excitement is important to writing the draft - it helps to get the ideas on the page - but I think the editing shows a concern for your readers, something most readers appreciate.

 @Erin F. Erin - you're welcome here anytime. :)

 @TaraGeissinger Tara what a great point about injecting life into dry educational posts. I always think of storytelling more in terms of the "branding" or the "brand marketing" of a business - telling the story of the business from that context, but there are obviously strong elements that can be brought to bear within a single blog post or other marketing tactic as well, I suppose. Thanks for the reminder!

 @TaraGeissinger I like to blend the two. I often write about grammar and writing mechanics at my site. The challenge becomes how to insert some personality into a seemingly dry subject. Often, it's my voice. Sometimes, it's the examples I use to illustrate a particular rule. Education works better when it's fun and offers a way for the listener to relate to it.

...and Sean can tell you that I write about failure and all sorts of craziness related to being a creative person. :))