Ira Glass:Tips on storytelling

There are a lot of books on presentations, giving speeches, using PowerPoint, etc. on the market. I think I have just about every book ever written on the subject. Many are good but most are rather mediocre "how to books" that seem dated and rarely inspire or talk much about creativity or storytelling, for example. This is why it's important to look outside to different disciplines for new perspectives, wisdom, and creative guidance. For example, I have been reading (and rereading) Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee for the past six-seven months. The 480-page book sits on my nightstand; I usually find something interesting, applicable, and inspiring every time I pick it up. It's a book on screenwriting, yet there is much we (non-screenwriters) can learn.

Ira Glass: What makes for a good story?
Below is a video of Ira Glass, a veteran radio personality and host of This American Life, giving advice to those making short stories such as vloggers. There are good pieces of wisdom in there we can apply to presentation in the broader sense as well. I strongly encourage you to watch this clip below and the three clips from the same interview that follow. But if you want to skip the video for now, I have attempted to (rather roughly, I admit) summarize Ira's main points.

Ira Glass Part I (on the basics...)

Summary of Part I
The old way: Have a topic statement then fill out the facts that support your statement. (This is not to say that logic and evidence and support are not important. Of course, they are important, but they're rarely sufficient.)

In storytelling there are two basic building blocks, says Ira Glass:

(1) The anecdote, a sequence of actions, a story in its purest form, one thing following from another (rather than just disjointed "facts").

"The Power of the anecdote is so great...No matter how boring the material is, if it is in story form...there is suspense in it, it feels like something's going to happen. The reason why is because literally it's a sequence of events...you can feel through its form [that it's] inherently like being on a train that has a destination...and that you're going to find something..."

                                                                — Ira Glass

(1a) Raise questions. Provide the "bait." The anecdote should raise a question right from the beginning. Implied in any question that you raise, however, is that you are going to answer it. Constantly raise questions and answer them. The shape of the story is that you are throwing out questions and answering them along the way.

(2) The moment of reflection. What is the key point? What does this all mean? Why have I asked you to sit and listen for 30 min, etc. It is not just a series of facts/events. Many people get the first part, they tell an interesting sequence of events, but in the end it fails because it doesn't say anything new, it did not have meaning. And sometimes people have the reflection part and the question is clear in their mind, but they fail to put it in a sequence that compels people to follow and engage.

In a good story you need both -- you can flip back and forth between the two. The Anecdote and the Moment of Reflection are interwoven to make a story.

Part II (on finding great stories...)
Here Ira is talking about the importance of editing and choosing, choosing even to decide to not do something (because it is not meeting your standards, etc.). The hardest thing can be deciding to cut and even abandon, but it must be done.(Watch it.)

     "Not enough gets said about the importance of abandoning crap."

                                                         — Ira Glass

Part III (on good taste, persevering...)
If you're going to do creative work, you may go through years of producing stuff that does not meet your own high standards. The way to get better is to keep you standards high and just keep doing a lot of work and getting a lot of experience. This applies to presentations too. Guy Kawasaki, for example, said that he used to be a terrible presenter when he was young. Today he's great, but it took years and lot's of experience. (Watch it.)



Part IV (on finding your own voice...)
Speaking in your own voice. Good advice applicable to live presentations or making vlogs, etc. (Watch it.)

"Everything is more compelling when you talk like a human being, when you talk like yourself."
                                                                 — Ira Glass

So are there boring subjects?
Sure, some subjects may be sexier than others, but I don't buy the notion that there are necessarily boring presentation subjects. If you're presenting then there must be an important reason why you have been chosen to do so. If not, why on earth are you going to speak? If it's important, then what is the point in just getting through it and appearing effective when in reality the audience got nothing and remember even less?

Here's an example from my undergraduate days long ago: Everyone is interested in sex, right? Especially college students perhaps. Yet the most boring class I ever had in college was a course called Human Sexuality. I don't know how he did it, but the stuffy, boring, rambling lecturer managed to make the subject as dry as burnt toast. I received a final score of "B" for the class. A "B"! Do you know how humiliating it is not to ace a class on sex? Yet, my Economics class — a so-called "boring topic" — was fascinating to me, largely because the lecturer was passionate about the topic (and showed it) and taught concepts and illustrated them with real stories and real examples. He also had a sense of humor. I liked the class and aced it even though when I registered for the class I hoped only just to "get by" and survive in what I thought would surely be a tediously dull, difficult subject. The moral of the story for me is that any subject can be boring and any subject can be quite interesting indeed, but no subject is necessarily either. Designing "a story" is not easy work, but more often than not, it's worth it.

Related
• How to "lecture" and keep 'em engaged (PZ)
• No excuses: There are no boring topics (PZ)
• No excuse for tedium: Advice on giving technical presentations (PZ)
• Dana Atchley: A Digital Storytelling Pioneer (PZ)
• Lessons from the Cluetrain: Imperatives for presenters (PZ)

Thanks to Michael for the heads up on this video.

Comments

[Rowan Manahan]

I loved Philip Larkin's remark: "Most bad storytelling is beginning, muddle, end."

It all comes down to taking a little (or a lot of) trouble to make sure that your presentation is, at the very least, relevant, compreshensible and engaging.

I have long argued that if you are not willing to do that, you shouldn't be making the presentation in the first place ...

[Phil]

Oh, and also:

*Why* was it so quiet?? :-)

[Chris]

Excellent post, but typo alert!

So are their boring subjects?

"there"

[Michael Vanderdonk]

If you are looking for more reading in this areas, you might also want to consider investigating some of the writings from Doug Lipman and Annette Simmons.

[keithpeter]

I have used the Jessica Abel cartoon book about radio production based on This American Life with students.

These videos will complement the cartoon book, and will be useful. No issues with the content, and I fully appreciate the comments about people starting with audio, going so far and becoming dis-satisfied with the quality and not perservering.

BUT, I was suprised how bad the audio quality is! We have a geezer in a studio talking, not the most compelling visual element. And we have this muddy audio. Strange.

[Scott McArthur]

The discussion is interesting and it reminded me of the old saying which applies to stories like pretty much anything else; "treat others as you would like to be treated"! Great quote, not, room 101 bound. Try "Treat others as they would like to be treated"! Being able to "flex" style and content is critical.

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[Heidi MIller]

Thanks, as usual, for the wealth of information. Interview techniques and finding the story have been at the top of my mind lately, since I'll be presenting on them in the fall. And for we non-Ira-Glass-types, this information is invaluable.

You inspired a post and a question to the community on my own blog: http://talkitup.typepad.com/weblog/2007/04/interviews_and_.html

Thanks!

[MoralsandEthics]

You can find good presentations of stories for Story telling from my Blogs & share with others.
http://moralsandethics.wordpress.com/ppt-files/

[.m]

Great tips. thanks!

I wonder whether the same idea could be imply to writings (especially relating to explaining technical materials).

[Charles Martineau]

Garr, I know this is a post of almost 3 yrs ago but I still read it when it comes to presentation. But now, I am actually applying some of these techniques for my master thesis. its good stuff!
do you still recommend Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting?
thx,
Charles

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Story telling is an art.One needs to be perfect in that.The most effective thing that is required in story telling is that there should be continuity in the topic and moreover the interest should not break .This depends upon the art of the story teller.

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