My mom reveals how NOT to tell stories

Sent Thursday, July 9, 2020
Look, I love my mom. So nothing I say henceforth should be taken as anything other than CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

Constructive criticism plus a warning of what not to do.

And that is whether you're telling stories in your emails, sales copy, interviews, at parties, or whatever really.

Here is what I mean:

My mom, bless her soul, is a notoriously bad storyteller.

Why is she such a bad storyteller?

Well it's not just because she tells stories at the wrong time (when you are focused on something else). Nor is it because she tells stories you don't care about (though she does that too). And it's not just because she gets so excited telling stories that she jumps ahead of herself and struggles to find the right words (though that is quite common as well).

The real reason she's an abysmal storyteller is a far more grievous storytelling sin.

And the truth is, she can be forgiven for this sin. As she's never needed to get good at telling compelling stories. Nor has she ever put any practice into the matter to my knowledge.

But still, this "sin" of which I speak makes it all but impossible to listen to her tell stories of any length.

And if you commit this sin, you make it all but impossible for your readers to read your stories too.

So what is this "sin"?

Put simply, it is:

Spending too long to get to the point.

You see, in an attempt to fill you in all the details, she, like so many others out there, gives you far too much of the backstory.

It's like, sorry mom, I did not need to know that your friend once competed in a sack race competition in 1982 to hear the story of how she stubbed her toe (yes that's a made up example... but it's not far off).

And thus it is with your stories.

You must know which details are necessary for the reader and how to give those details succinctly.

And the "trick" to doing that is learning how to say more with less. So that any requisite details seep into the "action". So that the backstory and the plot seamlessly flow into one.

Speaking of requisite details...

If you'd like me on your team, spinning your yarns and spanking up your sales, head to my client waiting list here:

www.copybymccune.com

On that page, enter your information into the box and you will be notified when I next have an opening in my schedule.

Tyler McCune

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