“Call me a stowaway, dad.” My father loved to hear me say this when he was a child and often quoted it to me when he was a child. I guess I’ve always liked a good story! Even now, one of the exercises I do with clients looking for meaningful work is to have them write their life stories. We look for clues to strengths, talents, and values ​​that manifest throughout your life. In those autobiographies there are many stories. Frequently we come across one that is the foundation of his new career.

Being a good storyteller is an important asset for everyone. It allows you to easily make a memorable point for your audience. Lately I’ve been thinking of ways to tell a good story, especially for people who aren’t natural storytellers. Here is a list of 10 steps for you to try.

1. What is your story about? Think of a situation you have faced in your life, a failure, an experience where you were doing meaningful work, an awkward moment, a difficult decision.

2. How can you capture the story? Stories are meant to be told, so tell the story to someone else, such as a friend, coach, or mentor. If you are alone, record your story as you tell it. It is often easier to tell the story initially than to start writing immediately.

3. What is missing from your story? Let your friend, coach, or mentor ask you questions about the story. If you are alone, ask yourself a few questions about the story. For example, ask what was significant about what happened, what was significant to you, what the outcome was, why the story is significant, and how you felt. The questions and answers can become part of the story, or you may want to work on creating the story in a way that others feel and see what you do.

4. Why are you telling this story? Find a point to your story. Don’t make the story fit! Let the story tell you what it is about.

5. How will you remember the story? Now is the time to write your story. Incorporate everything you have learned from the questions you asked yourself and others into the story.

6. How can you be sure not to bore the audience? Now read the story aloud. Ask others to listen too. Remove any unnecessary detail and leave only what matters so your audience sees the point. Ask for feedback.

7. How can you make history come alive? Use colorful descriptions, drama, and creative tension to make the story more meaningful. Try to make the listener feel what you felt. If there is a turning point in the story, create the necessary tension before the final resolution.

8. What is the theme of your story? Find a universal theme for your audience. Here you are giving them the reason to tell them the story. It has to do with the point you are making, but in fact it may be more global.

9. Is your story complete? Write a final draft of your story. Keep editing until you are satisfied with the result.

10 How can you make the story seem like a natural part of the conversation? Practice reading it over and over again until you know it well enough that you can easily tell it in a conversational style while building the tension and feeling of the story.