Story-Telling Basics – 7 Powerful Steps to Telling Great Stories!

Throughout time, the greatest orators and teachers have illuminated their lessons by telling powerful stories. Story-telling is a great way to engage your audience and show them how your topic, point or lesson relates to them specifically. Unfortunately, not everyone is born a great story-teller, and some stories are better than others. Follow these 7 steps to deliver great stories every time!
1. Know your audience and make sure your story is appropriate
When telling stories it is really important to know who you are telling them to and have an idea of how they might react to them. Age group, professional level and culture are extremely important factors; make sure your story is appropriate for your audience. Even when you are telling a “tried and true” story, what might be appropriate and funny for one group, could be distasteful and unacceptable for another. Take care when choosing the topic of your story and the language you use to deliver it.
2. Make your story easy to relate to
The topics of stories should be broad enough that anyone can relate to them. This tactic is also used in stand-up comedy. The funniest comedians take every-day situations that everyone experiences and make light of them. This is what a good story does. It has a plot that everyone can relate to, a subject that is simple, straight-forward and illustrative of the lesson. If you’ve chosen the right story and delivered it correctly, you will actually see the light bulbs going off above your listeners’ heads. If you have to say, “I guess you had to be there,” you have not told a clear and effective story!
3. Write out your story when presenting for the first time – and cut it in half
I have seen way too many speakers go on and on about things where I just want to stand up and yell, “Can you make this long story short?” When you plan to tell a story for the first time, write it out the way you want to present it – and then cut it in half. Remember the KISS philosophy: Keep it Short and Simple. Give us the nuts and bolts and nothing else. Sometimes story-tellers get wrapped up in the details, usually because they experienced the situation and find those details relevant. But usually the details of what you were wearing at the time and where you bought that outfit are not adding to the lesson or plot of the story.
4. Have a clear link between your story and your lesson
A story is only worth telling if it has an obvious link to the subject being taught. We all know from common conversation how annoying it is to listen to someone’s long-winded story just to wonder at the end of it why it was shared. Effective speakers have a very clear link between the moral of their stories and the topic at hand. If this link is missing, the story is useless, and your listeners are left wondering what it was for.
5. Engage your listener by engaging the senses
A good story-teller engages all of our senses. We might listen to you tell a funny story about ice cream, and that will be enjoyable, but what if you could make us taste that ice cream, feel its creamy consistency on our tongues, visualize the mess that’s made all over your face as a child, and so on. That’s what will make your story great and memorable.
6. Be aware of audience cues when telling your story
As a speaker you should always be aware of audience response. The attentive speaker will always know when the audience is losing interest and make appropriate changes to the delivery of the story, the language being used, the topic or even the final moral or punch-line. Different audiences won’t always react to the same story the same way. No matter how well you do your homework, you can still run into problems. Be flexible and have a back-up plan if your story isn’t going as well as planned.
7. Deliver your story with some feeling!
The key to an amazing story is in its delivery. A passionate story teller will get a much more enthusiastic response from the listeners than a boring one! Use variations in pitch, volume and intonation to make the story interesting to listen to. Be sure to pause at the right times for dramatic effect, and pull the audience in with mystique and excitement.

The Story of Coco Chanel: Legend of a Fashion Icon

Throughout history, many fashion icons have built their houses on rocky ground. Some have fallen. Rising to the top is the House of Chanel. Commanding attention as a leader in revenue and demand for fashion-conscious women, Chanel handbags—and the designer herself—have stood the test of time for nearly two centuries.

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in 1883 and orphaned shortly thereafter. Nevertheless, defying the odds, she built a powerhouse of fashion that continues to evolve haute couture into the twenty first century.  The trademark “Coco” nickname was bestowed upon her during her singing days in a small Paris café. Coco used her woman’s intuition to choose several men who would help launch her success into the retail world. After opening her fist establishment in 1910, Coco quickly moved into the high-class Rue Cambon, graduating from selling women’s hats to sexy, fashion forward women’s garments. The Chanel clothing line revolutionized Paris fashion, and the way women around the world related to their bodies.

With the release of the little black dress, the House of Chanel exploded with fame. The simplistic design of Chanel’s haute couture was appealing to women who had been bound by corsets and stifled by uncomfortable fabrics. Her easy moving, jersey type garments introduced a casual feel to the most elegant suits and dresses. Coupling tradition with function, the “Chanel Suit” again rocked the industry when it was released in the early 1920’s. Following closely on the heels of these timeless articles, Chanel No. 5 made its debut in 1921, and in 1924 the company launched La Societe des Parfums Chanel.  Before the year’s end, Chanel costume jewelry would be lauded by Harpers Bazaar as “one of the most revolutionary designs of our time.”

In 1935, the renowned designer reached her peak, owning several buildings and employing over four thousand people all over France.  Closing the couture house and retiring in 1939, Chanel continued to sell perfumes and accessories in her boutiques.  “Mademoiselle” (a nickname given by those close to her) came out of retirement in 1955 and made her mark on the fashion world by releasing a revolutionary Chanel handbag. The Chanel 2.55 became her personal signature on the world, infused with many personal references from her life.  There was such a deluge of orders that the designer had to decline some of them due to the painstaking methods of construction they required. In 1957, a Fashion Oscar dubbed Coco Chanel as “the most influential designer of the twentieth century.”

The Chanel 2.55 has remained the “classic” Chanel purse throughout history.  Its design simplicity incorporates a chain strap woven with leather, and boasts the double C logo that made the brand famous.  A Reissue of the original 2.55 has slight differences, including the “mademoiselle lock” and a double-chain strap.

Below are some of the more popular Chanel handbags that are in demand among the movers and shakers of the fashion world:

• The Classic Flap: This classic Chanel purse is distinguished by quilted panels, a  leather woven chain strap, and a brass double C lock.

• The Clutch: This subtle, timeless Chanel handbag also makes use of the brand’s classic quilting and double C clasp.

• The Shopping Bag: Hit the city streets with this oversized bag, embellished with the double C icon logo and a chain strap interwoven with leather. Choose from leather and woven textiles. Some variations are equipped with comfort grip handles.

• The Tote: You can’t go wrong with the classic simplicity of this women’s tote. Design features include leather handles, a brass double C clasp, and simple closure. Generous proportions make it suitable for a laptop or work files.

• The Bowling Bag: This trend-setting Chanel purse is popular among young female consumers. It’s available in a spectrum of fashionable colors. Features include classic Chanel quilting, a handsome double C icon, and chain-accented leather strap handles.

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Hatake Kakashi from Naruto Anime: Story and Biography

Naruto is a very well-known Japanese manga (comic) and anime (animation) series, both in the US and across the world. The series, both manga and anime, have created a phenomenal success throughout the world, especially amongst teens and young adults. The manga has been running since 1999 and has had up to Volume 46 as of May 1, 2009, while the anime has been airing since October 3, 2002 in Japan and is still showing on TV Tokyo as of now. The series quickly gained its fans because of its story, which the main character, Naruto Uzumaki, had to go against all the odds in order to reach his dream and to protect the bond he has with his lost best friend. So many people could relate to Naruto’s hardship in life, and to some point idolize him. The characters around him played really important parts in the story. Amongst these characters is his teacher, Hatake Kakashi. Hatake Kakashi is one of the most popular characters in Naruto series. Apart from his parts in training and teaching Naruto both physically and mentally, which played the important part in Naruto’s growth throughout the series, he became really popular amongst the fans because of his laid-back character. The fans have known him the most for his signature hobby; reading the Icha-Icha book series, the “adults” books written by Jiraiya, another teacher of Naruto, and his mysterious “face” which has always been concealed by a mask. However, when Kakashi was teased to be “dying” or “dead” by the manga author in the latest arc in the Naruto manga, it sent a somewhat panic fever amongst the fans. It was as if hearing the news of someone very close to you die. Most fans were in disbelief and some even claimed not to continue reading and following the series anymore.That just shows how much Kakashi is loved amongst Naruto fans. Whether it is true that Kakashi is “really” dead, it is best to just enjoy every Naruto episode of the anime where we can still see Kakashi well and alive, and enjoy that while we can.

Naruto is a very well-known Japanese manga (comic) and anime (animation) series, both in the US and across the world. The series, both manga and anime, have created a phenomenal success throughout the world, especially amongst teens and young adults. The manga has been running since 1999 and has had up to Volume 46 as of May 1, 2009, while the anime has been airing since October 3, 2002 in Japan and is still showing on TV Tokyo as of now.

The series quickly gained its fans because of its story, which the main character, Naruto Uzumaki, had to go against all the odds in order to reach his dream and to protect the bond he has with his lost best friend. So many people could relate to Naruto’s hardship in life, and to some point idolize him. The characters around him played really important parts in the story. Amongst these characters is his teacher, Hatake Kakashi.

Hatake Kakashi is one of the most popular characters in Naruto series. Apart from his parts in training and teaching Naruto both physically and mentally, which played the important part in Naruto’s growth throughout the series, he became really popular amongst the fans because of his laid-back character. The fans have known him the most for his signature hobby; reading the Icha-Icha book series, the “adults” books written by Jiraiya, another teacher of Naruto, and his mysterious “face” which has always been concealed by a mask.

However, when Kakashi was teased to be “dying” or “dead” by the manga author in the latest arc in the Naruto manga, it sent a somewhat panic fever amongst the fans. It was as if hearing the news of someone very close to you die. Most fans were in disbelief and some even claimed not to continue reading and following the series anymore.That just shows how much Kakashi is loved amongst Naruto fans.

Whether it is true that Kakashi is “really” dead, it is best to just enjoy every Naruto episode of the anime where we can still see Kakashi well and alive, and enjoy that while we can.

How to Grow Credible Flesh and Blood Characters for Your Story

Some writers make the mistake of thinking that a brilliantly conceived plot will make up for poor characterisation. It won’t. Readers want to read about people they can believe in. Here are some pointers on how to develop flesh and blood characters.

Of course, you need to have a clear picture of what your hero or heroine looks like, and you should be able to describe them physically and the type of clothes they wear. Also make sure you get their names right, and that their manner of speaking fits the person they are.

But what sort of person are they? How do you build up a picture of your characters and get to know them intimately? Here is a guideline of what you can do to ‘grow’ a character from scratch.

First, get a clear picture of what they look like and what they wear. Oddly enough this can change as you get to develop and know them better, but you need to start somewhere.

I suggest you take a note pad and use one page for each character. Put the person’s name at the top of the page and jot down a brief description of their physical characteristics.

Next, write down how you see them relating to people in a social class other than their own. Below are four types of people your character may encounter:

1. An addict – drugs, drink, food;

2. Service worker – hairdresser, clothes shop, high class boutique, car salesman

3. Professional – bank manager, accountant, stock broker;

4. Authority class – politician, policeman, judge.

Using one example from each group and describe an encounter between them and your character. Use dialogue. This is where you start getting to know your character and and find out who they really are.

You may make the mistake of thinking all this is a waste of time, and I sympathise with you. I know, you just want get on with it and start unfolding your plot, which is fine. But this is short sighted if you will forgive me saying so. Your reader wants to know, if only subconsciously, that to you, this person is a living breathing human being and if they do that will make your character real to the reader also.

The next exercise is to place your character in a stressful situation. Maybe they are in danger, or have a situation that presents them with a dilemma and they have to decide quickly what to do. Perhaps they suddenly have to take action to avoid disaster. How do they react both emotionally and physically?

Here are three scenarios:

1. Hero sees an accident and is the only person around to help;

2. Hero is surrounded by group of belligerent youths;

3. Hero is under pressure to spill the beans on crooked employer.

Describe what emotional reaction your character would have, what they would feel and what they would do to remedy the situation. Bring out your characters strengths and weaknesses in these scenarios. Write them down.

Finally, and this is important, your character must have some area of vulnerability or failing. This can be a personality or character flaw, or a physical failing in some area. Whatever else you do in developing your hero, don’t make them perfect! Go back to the above exercises and see if you can introduce something that shows a failing or vulnerability in your character. This will make them human! None of us are perfect, so why should your hero be?

If you haven’t done this kind of character development before, stick at it. It will become easier the more you try. Keep working at it until you truly believe in your own creations and you will be well on your way to selling that story.

Dating Horror Stories

The world is full of dating horror stories. As long as men date women, and women date men, this will most likely continue to be the case too. It doesn’t matter how perfect a date can be planned, something can and often does go wrong. Sometimes it’s just plain bad luck, but at other times it seems to be nothing more than total stupidity. Here are some dating horror stories found littered around the Internet. Names and places have been omitted to ensure privacy.I like the one told by a girl who had been dating a guy for three months. He emailed and sent her texts and called her on the phone every day, usually many times every day in fact. Everything was going well, or at least, she thought it was after she spent a weekend with him at his place, leaving on the Sunday afternoon.She had a busy time at work, so she didn’t really notice that he hadn’t called her until the Wednesday of that week. She was wondering if anything could be wrong when she received a text message that said, “I really love you.” This surprised her a little bit as they weren’t yet at that point in the relationship. Then she received another message that said, “Sorry, that text wasn’t meant for you. I’m back with my ex now.”As the girl pointed out, how could anyone be so callous and stupid as to send such a hurtful message to the wrong person? And of course, what a way to discover that the relationship is off!When things go wrong on a date it’s a good idea to counter it with humour if possible. I like the story told by another girl who agreed to go out on a date with a good looking guy. He took her to a fancy restaurant, obviously trying to impress her. They were seated, had a drink, ordered the meal and waited for it to arrive.Ten minutes later they were both enjoy an excellent meal when the guy looked across the table and said to the girl, pointing vaguely at a food item on her plate, “Are you going to eat that?” The girl counted silently to 10 to control her annoyance at him saying such a crass thing and replied, “Well, if it’s between you and the broccoli, I’m going with the broccoli!”People do get nervous on a date and sometimes do bizarre things to try and overcome their nervousness. I think my favourite dating horror story in this respect is about the guy who brought a sock puppet along to his date and spent the evening talking to the girl – through the puppet!There are a multitude of dating horror stories from all over the world, but I think my number one personal favourite is the one told by a girl who dated a man who suggested they play a round of tennis. Thinking this a bit odd for a first date, she nevertheless went along with it. However, he then insisted that they have a meal first.In the restaurant she ordered a salad, conscious of all the running around she expected to be doing soon. He ordered a huge hot chili dish. She watched him in amazement as he guzzled down the hot chili in record time and said it was time for tennis. Out on the court he was limbering up for the match when he suddenly keeled over clutching his stomach. She feared he was having a heart attack, when suddenly he started to break wind very loudly in copious quantities. The blast of chili-powered wind over, he straightened up and smiled saying, “OK, you ready to serve?”

We Were All Once Odd Kids

Yes, actually, you were an odd kid. That, my friends, is a very good thing. Remember how you used to avoid some of the tiles, because they weren’t tiles, but lava? I mean, you don’t see an adult looking under their bed for monsters, anymore, or pretending that inanimate objects are alive and spy on us, but oh man is it fun to remember the crazy things we did! Well I’ve found this awesome website that reminds us of just those times.

Just as funny as, if not more than, FMyLife, IWasAnOddKid, takes submissions every day, of people all around America telling their hilarious stories of where imagination took them to. The site makes you laugh, makes you cry (okay maybe not cry). But it definitely takes you back to hilariously imaginative times. Probably my favorite submission: “When I was younger, I thought I was the only one that could bend metal spoons and that it made me a superhero.” It’s fun reading through and finding yourself laughing and saying, just like the site’s tagline, “Actually, I still do that.” Especially when it’s something as silly as “Under my bed were Giant lobsters. They only attacked your ankles when you got out of bed so you had to jump wide.” I definitely still “jump wide” before getting into bed sometimes.

Point: a kid’s imagination is WILD. Proven. I’m excited that there’s a site out there that makes gives us a new laugh everyday, and in such an innocent, nostalgic way. Because everybody was, and the lucky ones still are, odd kids.

Strange Tales From Corfu

So, apparently Corfu can be a sinister place indeed after dark! Knowing what we know, and seeing what we’ve seen, many of us here listen with a perked ear to each strange sound after night has fallen, to each bump in the night. One never knows where danger lurks, or when his turn might come to enter the realm of Corfu’s Dark Dreams…