Q&A for How to Become a Professional Storyteller

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What is a good storytelling technique?

Lynn Kirkham
Public Speaking Coach
Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others.

Lynn Kirkham

Public Speaking Coach

Expert Answer

Study your own life for the best story material. Start by telling short stories from your childhood, making each tale as descriptive as you can. Then, practice telling stories from your life that are mundane and add color and feeling to make them entertaining. Each story you tell should come from real-life experiences to better connect with your audience.

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Question

How can I overcome stage fright while telling a story?

Community Answer

Relax your body. Breathe deeply and evenly through your nose. Don't look directly at your audience, but instead look over their heads toward a central point at the back of the venue. Move around on stage to work off your nervous energy. Most importantly, practice your story over and over to ensure you know it backwards and forwards. This will give you the confidence you need to deliver your story flawlessly and overcome your fear.

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If I'm becoming a professional storyteller for kids, do I have to write my own stories?

Community Answer

No, you shouldn't have to write your own stories, though you should make sure that a story has been approved for public use before performing it for an audience.

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How do I help writer's block?

Community Answer

You can try taking a break from your story, or figuring out what is blocking your mind. You can find the thing that is causing writer's block and change it. Sometimes I have noticed that my story is just not very good, and I abandon the whole story.

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