Applied storytelling in the lecture hall (and elsewhere)

Challenge 4: Try out using “story moments”

The context

Facts and figures tell. Great stories aren’t just a list of facts and figures, nor are the a summary of events—instead, they bring aspects of a story to life to make them feel more tangible to the listener.

Consider this

Compare these two versions of a story:

1. “Finally, my funding came through, and I traveled to the research site… but the guard refused me entry.”
2. “The sun was beating down, 30°C in the midday heat. Sweat dripped down my back as I juggled my heavy equipment, trying to reason with the guard. I pulled out document after document, rattled off names from my phone… but he just shook his head and said, ‘No. Your name isn’t on the list.’”

Which version do you feel more? The second works because it captures a specific moment.

The challenge

My challenge to you this week is take one or two of the stories you’ve collected so far, and see if you can turn one aspect of the story into a story moment. Often, this works particularly well at the point of complication – where tension is introduced.

Here’s a step-by-step approach:

• Take a story from your Storybank.
• Identify a moment where emotions were high.
• Describe it vividly—sights, sounds, emotions.
• Try telling the story again, with this zoomed-in moment.
• Try it out on someone and be mindful of how it changes your audience’s engagement.