Key Message
The best key message is one that resonates to everyone in your audience. It has universal appeal.
• Important Themes: Sometimes the key message pops out of your story but often it
doesn’t. When it doesn’t, begin by making a list of possible themes so you can find
the key message.
• Pick the Top Themes: Once you have a list of possible themes such as—creativity and innovation, courage, leadership, assertiveness and bravery, teamwork, persistence, service to others—pick the top 2-3 that are the best match for your raw story.
• Believe and Do: What do you want the audience to believe and what action would you like them to take after they hear your story? A well-crafted key message is: a statement in a full sentence; concise and memorable; focused on one vital point; a positive and universal message.
How to Start
Don’t begin with the backstory or introductory information about yourself. Instead, begin your story by introducing the setting and characters.
• One Named Character: Your audience will relate better to one named character than an unnamed group. You should provide some key concise details about your main character (also known as the protagonist) and a few supporting characters.
• Don’t Use the Word “Story”: Strangely enough, beginning your story by saying “let me tell you a story” frequently turns people off. Some people equate the word “story” with “fabricated.” Just begin with the setting, character, and sensory details and they will be willing listeners.
• Don’t Give Away the Ending: Part of what makes a story engaging is that your
audience doesn’t yet know the key message or take away. Don’t give a summary at the beginning and destroy the suspense.
Core Conflict
The problem or issue that the main character must face or overcome is the core conflict of your story.
• What’s the Problem?: Your main character, the protagonist, will encounter a
difficult problem that he or she will need to solve. The antagonist or villain can be an individual, a company, extreme weather, or some other force that prevents the protagonist from solving the problem.
• What’s the Plot?: Once you’ve identified the key message and the core conflict your character/s will have, the next thing is to outline the sequence of events that becomes the plot of the story. The plot is essentially the unique list of events where the story unfolds and ultimately becomes resolved at the end.
• What’s the Story Arc?: Every story should have a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end. The middle is generally the part of the story that is the highest point of tension in regard to the struggle the main character is having. The story arc keeps the audience moving through the story until the character experiences an “a-ha” moment that leads to the resolution of the conflict.
Detailed Outline 1
To create a well-crafted story, there’s a clearly defined series of steps. You’ll start with a raw story and go through this process to refine it into either an oral or written presentation.
• Your Idea: Once you brainstorm some ideas, you’ll select the story idea you feel would be the best vehicle for the key message you want to deliver.
• Notes and Research: You’ll organize your raw story in the form of a transcript, a bulleted list, an image deck or storyboard, a video, or just a loosely written beginning story.
• Create a Mock-Up: Create a beginning mock-up by gathering your notes and
research and organizing them into these categories: opening scene; the conflict
materializes, obstacles to the solution appear; these obstacles or barriers are
overcome once the character has an “a-ha” moment; resolution happens and newinsight has been gained; the end offers a conclusion and a parting message that emphasizes the key message that’s been built throughout the story.
Detailed Outline 2
Stories need lots of sensory details and facts to remain interesting. However, you
shouldn’t take side paths that don’t contribute to the main conflict or key message of the story.
• Tighten It Up: Re-examine the details you’ve gathered for your story. Eliminate extraneous details that don’t contribute to either moving the plot line along or underscoring your key message.
• Trial Run: If you’ve used a storyboard format or image deck, recast the story with the revised outline to see if it works.
• Save It: Make sure to save your work and label your revisions so you can see how the story evolved for future reference. In general, an oral story can have more detail and take longer to present than a written story so it’s helpful to know in advance how you’ll communicate the story to your audience before you make revisions.
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