5 Common Storytelling Mistakes and How to Fix Them
If you’re here, chances are you know how important storytelling is for the development of your personal brand. A well-told story grabs attention, inspires our listeners to care, and take heart-centered action. Here are five common mistakes you might be making that will prevent you from telling a great story on social media.
Mistake #1: Not providing enough context
Providing good context is what helps your audience have a deeper understanding of the intent and direction of your writing. It’s the small details given that paint a picture, set the scene, and create a mental movie in your reader’s mind. Giving your readers context is challenging because it requires more work. You must stop to consider the holes in your story, where you jump from one point to another without carefully bridging the gaps for your readers.
Solution: Read your story out loud as though you’ve never met yourself. Would it make sense to you? Do you feel bored or antsy while reading it? Trust yourself and edit accordingly.
Mistake #2: Recounting events instead of weaving events together
One of the biggest mistakes I see new storytellers make is recounting events as though they’re listing off items on a check list. It sounds something like, “In 2012, I graduated from college. After college, I went on to become an elementary school teacher. After I became a teacher…” etc. That doesn’t sound compelling, does it? It sounds like a resume.
Solution: Instead, drop into action at the beginning of your story. Where does the story begin? Was it in a classroom? Okay, so describe the way the classroom looked and felt. Tap into your five senses. Perhaps there a conversation you recall that would be pertinent to the main message your story is aiming to drive home. Get creative. The goal is to create a mental movie in your reader’s mind.
Mistake #3: Not plunging deep enough into the pain
This one’s easy to make. But here’s the thing: as your readers, we need to experience the low lows with you. We need to understand how utterly painful that experience was for you. Many writers are afraid to go deep out of fear that people will see them as “less than” or not credible. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. When you have the courage to share the raw, messy parts of your story, we then get to see how the process unfolds. We get to rejoice and be excited for you when you ultimately rise in the end.
Solution: Write the first draft of your story. Then go back and edit the parts of your story where you can afford to go deeper. The opportunity is always there. Ask yourself: How did I feel when this happened? Then insert your response.
Mistake #4: Talking too abstractly with not enough concrete examples
The other day I wrote something like: “My soul was dull and my spirts were low.” Eh. I thought. What does that even mean? I realized I needed to provide concrete evidence to support that statement. I couldn’t get away with an abstract thought that didn’t paint the full picture of why I was called to take action.
Solution: Get specific. If you find that your writing has flowery sentences without concrete examples, add them. Get vigilant about remembering the specifics and having the courage to write them.
Mistake #5: A weak ending that doesn’t correlate to the beginning
Many writers get lazy at the end! Don’t let this be you. Stay strong through the whole storytelling process. If you need to take breaks, take them. If you need to split your writing into daily blocks, do so. The end of your story is the most important part of the reader’s journey. They’ve worked hard to get there with you, give them something to think about. Something to ponder on. Don’t tell them what you want them to know, let them walk away with whatever meaning they’ve derived from your story.
The Solution: Write a powerful ending. Tell us what you attained that you didn’t have (but wanted) at the beginning of your story. Don’t paraphrase the message you want people to hear, tell us what happened through live action and live event. Let your audience discover the message they’re seeking to find on their own.
