Applied storytelling in the lecture hall (and elsewhere)
Challenge 6: A strong story ending
The context
People remember stories largely by how they end. Research by Dan Ariely¹ suggests that experiences (including stories) are judged by their peak moments and endings.
How to end your story powerfully
- Link back to your opening: Remind your audience of where you started to highlight where you are now.
- Repeat the point: Make sure your audience clearly understands the takeaway.
“And that’s why preparation is everything when designing a research project.” - Ask a question: Engage your audience by prompting reflection.
“What does this story mean to you?” or “Have you had a similar experience?” - Segue into your lecture or presentation content.
“And now that you understand XYZ, let’s dive into ABC.” - Let it hang: If your story has a punchy or surprising ending, let it sit.
Pause for effect, allowing the audience to process the moment.
What NOT to do:
- Don’t over-explain the moral of the story—let the audience interpret it themselves.
- Don’t trail off awkwardly—be intentional about your final words.
The challenge
My challenge to you this week is take one or two of the stories you’ve collected so far, and try out different endings.
Here’s a step-by-step approach:
- Take a story you’ve told before.
- Identify how it currently ends.
- Apply one of the strategies above to make it stronger.
- Retell the story with this new ending.
¹ Ariely, D. (1998). ‘Combining experiences over time: the effects of duration, intensity changes and on-line measurements on retrospective pain evaluations’, Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, vol. 11, pp. 19–45.
