Writing Strategies for Podcast Storytelling

A client preparing for an important podcast confessed he's a bit "wordy." I complimented him for recognizing what could be a fatal flaw and said, "That's why you're going to keep your remarks to 2 minutes and answer every question with an EXAMPLE instead of an EXPLANATION. Explanations are INFObesity. Examples are INTRIGUING." He agreed but said, "I don't know HOW to tell a short story." I told him, "The key is to put us in the S.C.E.N.E. Here's how: S = SENSORY DETAIL: Start with WHERE to put us THERE. Think of a real-life situation that illustrates your point. What did it look like? Smell like? Feel like? Sound like? C = CHARACTERS: Describe the individual(s) involved so we know their MOOD. We don't need to know they have brown hair. The question is, are they sad, mad? Excited? Frustrated? E = EXPERIENCE IT: Re-enact what happened so we can SEE what you're SAYING. If YOU see and feel what you saw and felt then, WE will too. N =NARRATIVE: If you don't have dialogue, it’s not a story, it's a listicle of events. Use comma/quotes of exactly what was said so it's ALIVE and we feel part of the conversation. E = EPIPHANY: What is the lesson-learned, shift, or AHA where everything comes together and the point suddenly makes sense? If the podcaster asks, "WHY did you write this book?" don't TELL him why you wrote the book. Put us in the S.C.E.N.E. of when and where you realized people were getting outdated badvice, and decided to share your recent research and evolutionary results so they could thrive instead of suffer needlessly. And keep each response to under 2 minutes. If you do, this becomes a rock-and-roll interview from start to finish. You will be infinitely more interesting and people will be motivated to keep listening. #podcasts #storytelling #speaking #samhorn #presenting

There’s a secret formula to making your stories stick.  In over a decade of working as a radio and podcast producer and the last five years as a speechwriter and speech consultant, this simple three step formula will make your stories stick every time. It works in a speech. In a media hit. In writing. The formula: 1️⃣ Share a story in a compelling way. This story can be personal, from a book, or a historical figure. Invite the audience into the story by using descriptive language, share what happened, what the experience made you think, what it made you feel, pull in the five senses. Here’s a tip– Starting in the middle of the story is almost always a more interesting place to start. 2️⃣ Explain the impact. Why is your story worth sharing? Does it illustrate why you should never give up? Does it remind us to pay attention to those usually ignored by society? Whatever it is, use a sentence or two to spell out what you learned from the story. Every story you share needs to have a point that ties back into the bigger topic. 3️⃣ Challenge your audience. A story and a nice impact are good, but if you don’t bring your audience in and tell them what they can do with your story, then they will most likely forget what you’ve said. This shouldn’t just be a vague suggestion, it should be a concrete call to action to do something: Call your mom. Start a business. Teach your children about their ancestors, etc. If you ONLY share a story, you may be wasting your time. Use the three step response, and your story will be remembered. What do you think of this formula? Have you ever tried it? #publicspeakingtips #storytelling #podcastguesting

A few weeks ago, I switched up the format of my podcast ever-so-slightly. I’ve decided to make each interview follow the 3-act structure. I felt this would help my guest and me tell better stories. The 3-act structure works this way: Act 1 introduces the characters and there’s an inciting incident leading to conflict. Act 2 sees the story unfold, and the conflict starts to get resolved. Then in Act 3, we see a (hopefully satisfying) resolution, and the story ends. I organize this through the show doc (which members get as a perk) and the pre-interview. The show doc has a heading for each act, with a proposed title. I work with the guest to refine those titles/topics, usually making the conflict a common objection they hear, or subverting the very thing we spoke about in Act 1. Then we resolve with action items for the listener. It’s only been a few weeks, but I’m happy with the results...and I'm especially excited to see how it affects my solo episodes. I want hear from you too: do you use the 3-act structure for your content? Does it sound like an interesting approach? #podcasting #storytelling #content