May 2, 2025
Look, I wanted to be a great storyteller. So I did the one thing that any logical person would do: I studied the best books on storytelling. I learned about rising action, about character arcs, about the best way to structure a story.
But then I tried sharing a story in front of my friends. To be honest—it sucked. After a few seconds, everyone stopped listening. And that’s when I realized that a lot of storytelling advice is helpful for books and movies, but if you just want to share a short story in front of friends, co-workers, or even on video, it’s pretty useless.
But the good news is storytelling is actually pretty easy—as long as you avoid the five mistakes I’m about to share in this article.
Just two weeks ago, I was giving a storytelling workshop here in Amsterdam when one of the participants started his story like this:
“Well, it was this sunny summer afternoon. I was walking through the street, feeling optimistic. I was wearing a suit, just coming back from work.”
Now that went on for another two to three minutes. Way too many people give way too much context. They talk about their company history, their activity, all their responsibilities. That’s not needed.
The fix is to start your story as close to the challenge—the most important part of the story—as possible. Just use two to three sentences to give context. In that context, you can talk about:
Where and when does it take place?
Who’s the main character?
What does the character do?
That’s it—two to three sentences.
For example:
“October 2021. I was in my apartment in Amsterdam, staring at my laptop. Just a minute ago, I’d received a message from my manager.”
Boom—now we’re into the scene. We know something is about to happen.
I’m a huge fan of cutting down unnecessary details, but sometimes we strip away a little bit too much. You still need to share something about the character that makes your listener care.
Share something that keeps them invested—usually, what’s on the line. What can your character gain or lose in that specific situation? Share their goals. What do they want to achieve? What happens if they succeed? What happens if they fail?
Let me give you an example. Instead of just saying, “I had to give this presentation,” say:
“I had to give this presentation, and if I crushed it, I might get promoted. But if I screwed it up, well—everyone would think I was stupid, and I’d be stuck in this one stupid project forever.”
Now we’re talking. Now you care about the rest of the story.
Keep in mind, your stakes don’t have to be huge, life-changing events. It can be small stakes—wanting to be respected in front of your friends, avoiding embarrassment, getting recognition at work.
The key is: share what’s on the line. What can the character gain or lose in that specific situation?
Imagine you’re watching a nature documentary, and it starts with a beautiful helicopter shot—all the way from above. You see the oceans, the forests, the horizon. It’s beautiful.
But after a few seconds, you’re like, “Dude, take me down there. I want to be part of the action. I want to see the lion approaching its prey.”
That’s how most stories fail. They stay at this high level—this helicopter shot. Someone says, “I had a difficult problem, and yeah, I solved it.” That’s boring.
The best stories don’t stay at that level. They zoom into a vivid moment of the story.
Instead of saying, “I had a challenge at work,” say:
“I walked into the room and saw my manager pacing back and forth, his head completely red.”
Now we’re talking. Now you’re there with me in that moment.
Wondering how to zoom into the moment? Just relive it. Close your eyes and replay that scene. Ask yourself:
Where am I?
What am I doing?
What am I feeling?
What am I thinking?
What am I hearing?
Then describe what’s unfolding in front of your eyes.
This is one I still struggle with. Often I speak normally, but the moment I go into a story, I suddenly change how I speak. I sound like a motivational speaker or a fairy tale uncle.
No. I don’t think you’ll be that dramatic, but keep in mind: when you share your story, speak the same way you’d chat with a friend.
Share your story as conversationally as possible.
Imagine you’re in a coffee shop with a friend. How would you speak? You wouldn’t over-enunciate. You wouldn’t use overly complicated language. You wouldn’t worry about filler words or your body language.
Just speak casually and naturally. That’s how you connect best with your audience.
I’ve seen it countless times. Someone tells an incredible story—and then ruins it with the final sentence:
“And the moral of the story is… you shall always be prepared for the unexpected. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.”
Suddenly, they become a preacher or guru telling us how to live our lives. But we, as an audience, don’t like that. We want to draw our own conclusions.
The fix: let your story do the work.
Tell a story that’s so clear that people understand the takeaway—without you having to say it explicitly.
If your takeaway is clear, they’ll get it. And if it’s not clear, go back and tweak the story to make it more obvious.
One exception is business storytelling. In business, you might want to state the takeaway a little more explicitly. But even then, don’t say, “The moral of the story…” Instead, say:
“What I learned from that experience is XYZ.”
It sounds more natural, more inviting, and less preachy.
If you simply avoid these five mistakes, your stories will already be more engaging than 99% of others out there.
Ready to level up your storytelling? Dive into this next article for advanced techniques that will captivate your audience from the very first word.
Happy storytelling!
P.S. Want to become a stronger communicator?
Here are two ways I can support you:
👉 Want to tell more engaging stories? Join our next Storytelling Workshop.
👉 Want to speak with confidence and clarity? Check out our Communication Skills Training.
Both are fun, practical, and designed to help you grow fast.
Are you ready to transform your storytelling skills?
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