Some traditional speaking advice suggests opening your speech with a story. What better way to connect with your audience and pique their interest than with an exciting and motivating tale of triumph?
Many speakers open their speeches this way—so many, in fact, that when you start your story, some audience members might think: “Here we go again. Another storyteller.”
Now, you certainly don’t have to begin your speech with a story. But if you do decide to start with a story, here's how to make it a great one.
The Storytelling Structure That’s Worked for 2,000 Years
There are two parts to storytelling. First is the content and structure of your story. And second, the delivery and performance of your story.
Now, when crafting your story, you can choose from many different storytelling structures that have worked and can work for telling great stories. But there’s one that’s extremely effective—so effective that it’s been used in almost every award-winning movie, TV show, and Broadway production.
It’s been around for 2,000 years—and it’s worked for 2,000 years. People are hard-wired to receive and respond to stories structured this way. It’s called the Three-Act Structure.
In Act 1, you introduce the exposition. You set the stage, you give the audience the information they need to know for the story to make sense. You introduce them to the characters and show them what those characters want.
In Act 2, you add conflict. This is where the majority of your story takes place. It begins with an inciting incident that changes things, kicks off the action, and creates a problem to be solved. Every action that takes place creates more conflict and tension for your character.
Conflict is absolutely critical for a story to captivate your audience. If your story doesn’t have this essential aspect, it might not even be a story at all.
In Act 3, you resolve the conflict. You wrap it all up, bring it all together, and craft a satisfying resolution. It’s very important to make this resolution feel whole, complete, and satisfying. The story’s resolution must be worth the amount of time the audience invested in it.