The Emotional Side of Storytelling
Does your narrative (and delivery) convey the emotions of your story?
Every personal story has an intellectual side - will the audience believe that it's true? and does the storyline make sense? But every story has an equally important emotional side - how will the audience feel during your talk, as well as after your presentation concludes.
The Impact of Emotion
Impactful talks evoke feelings of inspiration, empowerment, determination, and hope. And while a story may contain negative moments, such as failure, pain, or heartbreak, in the end your conclusion will most likely offer listeners a vision of a brighter future.
As you write out your story, think about the emotions contained within each passage. Will the audience be shocked when they hear it? Or maybe they will be very surprised. Some parts of a story may be suspenseful with people on the edge of their seats as they wonder what’s going to happen next.
Often times speeches are serious in nature from start to finish, but even with the most difficult subjects there can be moments of humor, where the audience laughs out loud. Talks can also take the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions, from smiling to a more somber tone, and even to the point of crying. But don’t back away from laughing.
The Human Condition
In this talk from TEDxSanDiego, photographer Brian Sokol tells the story of people he met in a refugee camp. It was a talk that impacted most everyone in the audience as he took them into a place they had never been, and shared stories that were very different from their own life. There were very few dry eyes by the end of his presentation.
I ask clients to review their manuscript and makes notes in the margins that describe the emotions they’re feeling at each point, and to think about those emotions as they rehearse their talk. Will the audience experience your story as you have?
Does your voice convey the emotions that you’re feeling?
Are your facial expressions aligned with those feelings?
Are there body movement (hands, arms) that can help?
It’s important to remember that these physical facets of storytelling are not a time for ‘performing’ in a way that is inauthentic. How a speaker presents themselves on stage should always represent who they are, what they’ve experienced, what they’ve learned. The audience wants to see and hear the real you.
I hope that you enjoyed this post. If so, please share your wisdom and insights below. And don’t forget to subscribe. You can also find me on LinkedIn and Twitter or even drop me a line with any thoughts or questions you may have about storytelling.