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Why Some Stories Just Don’t Land—And How to Fix It

Avoid these six common storytelling mistakes to unleash your story’s maximum impact.

On Stage

Public speaking

Russell

Ewing

Creative Director, Lead Performance Faculty

minute read

Published on

March 31, 2025

At CORE | The Breakthrough Experience, students are introduced to a foundational storytelling structure that engages, entertains, and moves audiences.

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?

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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.”

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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

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There are two parts to storytelling. First is the content and structure of your story. And second, the delivery and performance of your story.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Full Transcript

Don't

gloss over the conflict in your story—conflict and tension are what drive your story forward.

add a relevant moment of reflection after you tell your story to build a bridge between your story, your message, and your audience.

Once you’ve mastered the structural aspects of your story, it’s much easier to perform it in a way that amplifies it and makes it even more entertaining and memorable.

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Six Storytelling Slip-ups to Avoid

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After working with hundreds of speakers and helping them turn good stories into unforgettable ones, I noticed six common mistakes speakers often make when crafting and delivering stories.

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To tell your story more powerfully, you’ll want to steer clear of these common storytelling slip-ups.

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#1 Starting With Too Much Exposition

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Sometimes people give far too many details in Act 1. When you have too much exposition in your story, your audience becomes bored. When you have too little exposition, your audience becomes confused—they don’t have the information necessary for the rest of the story to make sense.

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However, more often than not, the problem is too much exposition. Take a look at the beginning of your story. Which details are absolutely necessary? What information is important to you—but not to your audience? What can you cut away to make your story more exciting and impactful?

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The structure of the story is what allows you to increase its urgency. Less exposition creates a story with more speed, more importance, and more weight.

Don't

assume that just because you love a certain part of your story, it’s absolutely necessary for your audience.

add urgency and drive to your story by cutting out unnecessary details that slow down the drama.

#2 Using Past Tense Instead of Present Tense

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It’s very common for speakers to tell their stories in past tense. However, when writing for the stage, telling stories in present tense can be much more compelling. It helps you stay in the moment and relive the story.

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Telling your personal story in present tense can help you trick your brain into remembering what it was like to experience that moment in time. This will make your audience feel as if your story is unfolding right then, and foster a deep sense of connection, understanding, and emotion.

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Try it yourself. Rewrite your story in present tense and practice it during your rehearsal sessions. Test it out onstage and see how your audience responds.

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#3 Revealing the Insight Too Early

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Staying in the moment is one aspect of storytelling that is challenging for many speakers. You, the storyteller, know how the story ends, what the character learned, and how they were changed because of it. Many speakers tell stories as the “transformed” narrator, speaking from the place of safety on the other side of the conflict. But this eliminates the sense of growth, struggle, and tension.

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This can also lead them to reveal the insight or lesson learned too soon—before the character actually experiences the transformation in the story. Stay in the moment. Wait until the revelation comes to the character. And add a beat. Let the moment breathe, so your audience can feel the impact of that revelation with you. Relish that moment of insight—and your audience will feel as if they’re actually in that moment with you.

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Try removing phrases like “when I realized” or “suddenly it dawned on me” from your story. Instead, perform those moments onstage and live them with your audience.

Don't

tell your story from the perspective of the transformed character who learned the lesson, conquered the giant, or sold the company.

let your audience wonder—powerful stories build suspense that leads up to a satisfying resolution.

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#4 Keeping the Stakes Low

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The stakes in your story are what’s on the line, what’s hanging in the balance, what could go wrong. The tension and drama in your story come from the idea that something could be lost, that something could go horribly wrong, that someone could fall from a high place.

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Sometimes speakers don’t think about the stakes enough. Often when I’m working with speakers to help them improve their stories, I push them to raise the stakes. Sometimes what you perceive as dramatic, stressful, and challenging might not be high-stakes enough for your audience.

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Look for areas in your story where you can raise the stakes. Ask yourself:

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What conflict is present?
How can you amplify the conflict?
What is at risk?
What can be gained?
What’s hanging in the balance?

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When you raise the stakes, the audience becomes more invested in your story, because they can clearly see where the danger is in the character's struggle, and what transformational change can occur with their ultimate triumph. Your stories become much more compelling.

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#5 Failing to Make It Human

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It’s very common for speakers to gloss over certain small but relatable details in their stories. But this can often result in surface-level stories that don’t connect deeply with your audience.

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Instead, describe those common human qualities in a tangible way. As you engage your audience’s senses through visceral descriptions, you’ll access their sense of humanity. They’ll be able to relate precisely because of how accurately you describe certain details.

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When I teach a class on the creative process, I often use an example of the phenomenon that happens when I’m lying in bed at night, staring at the ceiling, desperately trying to fall asleep, when all of a sudden—the most incredible idea comes to me. But I get cocky and think, “I don't need to wake up and write this down, it's so good, there's no way I'll forget it!”

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This always gets a laugh of recognition because it describes a specific, human observation that connects you with your audience through shared experience.

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That’s one of the reasons why we love standup comedians so much—they make observations about the normal, day-to-day aspects of human life. They recognize the human experience in a way their audiences can relate to. You can do the same. When you tap into the humanness of different situations, your stories become much more accessible.

Don't

skip over the details that make your story feel human and relatable.

engage your audience’s senses as you describe relatable human experiences.

#6 Skipping Over Gold-Mine Details

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Often, when I listen to a speaker tell a story, I notice that they jump over certain parts of it. When I stop them and ask, “What happened there?” or “Tell me more about that person,” they often reveal a golden storytelling nugget that was hidden right in plain sight.

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And nine times out of ten, when I ask the speaker to describe those details, they light up and start telling me details with humor and passion that weren’t present in the version they had written. You see, sometimes you get so used to telling your own story that you tend to fast-forward through compelling elements that are essential to making your story work.

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Your audience wants to feel a vast array of emotions throughout a story. When you skip over gold-mine details, you’re depriving them of the very twists and turns that make your story compelling.

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Try telling your story to a friend or family member and take note of when they ask clarifying questions. This can help you discover the juicy details you’ve left out and reintroduce them into your story. Reinvestigating these details can also help you raise the stakes and make your story more human.

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How to Pinpoint Your Storytelling Dilemma

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One of the most powerful ways to improve your storytelling skills is through rehearsal groups. Experimenting with specific language, performance, and structural changes on your feet in rehearsal groups while getting live feedback can help you dramatically improve your stories—in record time.

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Asking your rehearsal group specific questions—around clarity in the exposition, compellingness of the conflict and action, and impact of the resolution/moment of reflection—can help you pinpoint what’s working and what’s not in your story and show you how to make the right changes to correct and improve.

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That’s one of the reasons why rehearsal groups are an integral part of GRAD | Stage Performance Mastery. They give students real-time feedback and space to test their stories in a low-stakes situation before delivering their polished story on the big stage.

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As you examine your stories and steer clear of these six storytelling slip-ups, you’ll be able to both craft and perform stories that resonate deeply with your unique audience. Your stories won’t just be heard, they’ll be consumed, experienced, remembered, and retold in the hearts and minds of your audience.

Don't

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The Breakthrough Experience

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Once you’ve mastered the structural aspects of your story, it’s much easier to perform it in a way that amplifies it and makes it even more entertaining and memorable.

‍

Six Storytelling Slip-ups to Avoid

‍

After working with hundreds of speakers and helping them turn good stories into unforgettable ones, I noticed six common mistakes speakers often make when crafting and delivering stories.

‍

To tell your story more powerfully, you’ll want to steer clear of these common storytelling slip-ups.

‍

#1 Starting With Too Much Exposition

‍

The structure of the story is what allows you to increase its urgency. Less exposition creates a story with more speed, more importance, and more weight.

Dont

assume that just because you love a certain part of your story, it’s absolutely necessary for your audience.

add urgency and drive to your story by cutting out unnecessary details that slow down the drama.

#2 Using Past Tense Instead of Present Tense

‍

Try it yourself. Rewrite your story in present tense and practice it during your rehearsal sessions. Test it out onstage and see how your audience responds.

‍

#3 Revealing the Insight Too Early

‍

Try removing phrases like “when I realized” or “suddenly it dawned on me” from your story. Instead, perform those moments onstage and live them with your audience.

Don't

tell your story from the perspective of the transformed character who learned the lesson, conquered the giant, or sold the company.

let your audience wonder—powerful stories build suspense that leads up to a satisfying resolution.

#4 Keeping the Stakes Low

‍

Look for areas in your story where you can raise the stakes. Ask yourself:

‍

What conflict is present?
How can you amplify the conflict?
What is at risk?
What can be gained?
What’s hanging in the balance?

‍

#5 Failing to Make It Human

‍

It’s very common for speakers to gloss over certain small but relatable details in their stories. But this can often result in surface-level stories that don’t connect deeply with your audience.

‍

This always gets a laugh of recognition because it describes a specific, human observation that connects you with your audience through shared experience.

‍

Don't

skip over the details that make your story feel human and relatable.

engage your audience’s senses as you describe relatable human experiences.

#6 Skipping Over Gold-Mine Details

‍

Your audience wants to feel a vast array of emotions throughout a story. When you skip over gold-mine details, you’re depriving them of the very twists and turns that make your story compelling.

‍