{"id":2140,"date":"2017-03-27T09:14:49","date_gmt":"2017-03-26T21:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.otago.ac.nz\/ouassa\/?p=2140"},"modified":"2017-03-27T09:14:49","modified_gmt":"2017-03-26T21:14:49","slug":"once-upon-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.otago.ac.nz\/ouassa\/once-upon-a-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Once Upon a Time…"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cMany years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buend\u00eda was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.\u201d
\n\u2014100 Years of Solitude<\/em>\u00a0by Gabriel Garc\u00eda M\u00e1rquez<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.\u201d
\n\u2014Pride and Prejudice<\/em>\u00a0by Jane Austen<\/p>\n

\u201cMother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can\u2019t be sure.\u201d
\n\u2014The Stranger<\/em>\u00a0by Albert Camus<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Man in Black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed.\u201d
\n\u2014The Gunslinger<\/em>\u00a0by Stephen King<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous insect.\u201d
\n\u2014The Metamorphosis<\/em>\u00a0by Franz Kafka<\/p>\n

These are the first lines from some random, well known stories. You can find lists of best first lines or exciting first lines all over the internet. No matter what story they come from though, they all have one thing in common, the first line needs to set the scene but also leave you wanting more.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that a good story has the power to hook us, reel us in, and capture our imagination until the tale is through. Everyone, young and old loves a great story. A good story can be a powerful vehicle to impart information.<\/p>\n

Building on the idea from two weeks ago that to engage an audience, you need to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Validate the audience\u2019s thinking<\/li>\n
  2. Take them on a journey<\/li>\n
  3. Be framed within their values<\/li>\n
  4. Fall within social norms<\/li>\n
  5. Involve pictures and graphs (and I would add audience participation!)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Think about the stories that you have enjoyed, did they do these things? Did they validate your thinking? Take you on a journey? Were they framed within your values?<\/p>\n

    The point is \u2013 storytelling is a powerful tool. It may be the most powerful tool that you have to engage with your audience. When you are developing your presentation, think about the story behind it. Take the audience on a journey with you through the story you tell.<\/p>\n

    Here are a couple of examples for you to look at:<\/p>\n

    Example 1: Fergus McAuliffe speaking at the TEDX in Dublin tells a story about frogs. I particularly like this example because he has no slides, and only a few simple props, but at the end the audience is absolutely silent and spellbound.<\/p>\n