A secret to great storytelling—writing a script

Quote of the week

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Ben Franklin 

A secret to great storytelling—writing a script

Have you wondered what makes stand-up comedians Eddy Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld or Kevin Hart such amazing storytellers?

Despite the vastly different types of stories they tell and their varied personalities and delivery styles two things underpin their work as with all great comics (& storytellers)—a written script and constant practice to hone the script.

In this week’s newsletter we’ll take a look at how a script can help transform your storytelling.

Let’s begin by looking at what we mean by a script—it could be a simple as a few points you jot down on a Post-It note or could be a full fledged 800-word essay or speech, broken down into paras with a clearly demarcated Beginning, Middle and End.

Scripts liberate you
A script does not restrict your creativity. It provides you clarity. It elevates your style by 

• providing you a checklist for the key points you want to convey, 

• organizing your flow of thoughts and 

• identifying appropriate places to use vocal variety to enhance your final presentation. 

Much like navigating around a new town with Google Maps, your script ensures you don’t get lost but provides you the flexibility and peace of mind to deliver an engaging story.

What do you speak about? 
Even experienced speakers are faced with the dilemma of choices- a challenge of distilling thoughts and selecting the right topic to address.

The first step in choosing a topic and creating a good script is to answer the following:

• Who is your audience and what do they want?

• What is the purpose of your speech? 

• Why should the audience listen to you? Will it resonate with their interests and concerns?

• How important is it to address the topic as compared to others you could potentially discuss? 

By answering these questions, you can match your goals with the audience’s needs. This will help you connect with your potential audience and prepare you for a strong presentation.

How to approach the chosen topic?
Once you’ve nailed a topic down, you can use an iterative process to build out  your script.

• Start by brainstorming and jotting down themes, ideas, arguments, and references you want to incorporate into your script. 

• Continue to categorize these points into the introduction, body and conclusion sections. Rearrange them to sew up a logical flow of thought. 

• Incorporate non-verbal components.l How can you present it in a fresh and engaging manner?

Now that you have an outline, it’ll be simpler to flesh out the content with detailed descriptions, narrations, citations, explanations and personal experiences. Bear in mind, a script is a flexible document allowing you to review, revise and redefine it as many times as necessary. 

Good scripts help your listener 
A well-drafted and rehearsed script enhances your listeners’ experience by 

• making an emotional connect through your actions and words

• helping them stay with you and process the information better 

• enabling them to retain and recollect the points in a sequential manner. 

Invest time in your script and watch your audience stay engaged & invested.

Video

The simplest way to get started on your script is with an outline. In this week’s video, keynote speaker and Toastmasters World champion Darren LaCroix explains one way to get an outline done.