STORYTELLING Let Your Stories How dialogue brings audiences into the action, By Craig Valentine 2. ToasTuaste £1 pura wophy on top ofa tale, what do you think 1 ‘want yu co focus on he esp or che abl? Is he ro- phy. Why isthe abl cere? les there ose: up the urophy. ‘We can lack at using narration and dialogue in our speeches in much the same way. Narration isthe table, dlislogue i the erophy. Narracion sets up the dialogue, which is whae your audiences really want zo hear and se Lets look at how these two cactics can spice up your -sories and greatly improve your audience connection. Dialogue isthe heare oF any story becasse i t0- matically places the audience im your sene allows them to hear what you heard and lets them see a character's Too Much or Too Little? Many speakers use far toa mach nasration Fr example: My swife ame home ana old me she wanted to goto she cites, “Tuo much narration can eause your speech to come aetos like a news report, and we done wane shat. fe feels like you ae detailing something for the pase rather thas, reliving i inthe present. Relying mote on dialogue, the phrase might be: My wife sald "I want co goto the circus” Thacs more powerful hecause we hear how the wards were spoken. However, f overused, dialogue can cause a spsech eo come scros like a stage play, and we dont wane that either. ‘Whar’ the solion? The key i so use an effective mix ‘of naration and dialogue so that your audience knows ‘ree important pees of information 1. Who stalking? 2, Whats being ssid? 3. How is it being sic? Am effective six might sound like this: My wife came thom, ran right up to me, and sad“ want co go tothe Do you see here how naration and dialogue work ‘together? The narcation (able) sets up the dialogue RUARY Talk (eophy). Whacaudience members end up remembering, hough isthe dialogue, and chats exatly what we want as storytellers, Dialogue lets my audience heat the excivemene in my wife's woice, and i pts them in she scene, Change Your Style Many speakers entsitchemalve ro jut using dialogue between characters. However, you can make a rauch greater connection with your audience, keep them Jnughing, and stir heir emosions when you ue these chree adivonal eyes of loge: | gnaracterto-character Dsloave This conettional wes the mot commonly wed gp of slog For xampl, eee sn eacange Bom ow of ny sete esd, You ean wi he World Championship of Public Speaking” said “What re you alsin abu? Ist ba te amorous Spec ea “That's hay. The only ching wrong wth your suarous speech as chat was ana” estat che club level” Inner Dialogue Speakers ofen miss the opportunity rouse this syle Inner dialogue involves verbalisng your thoughts 50 your audience members can literally hear what you were saying soyourself at certain sites in your story For example in fone of my stores, Lam ahow 2 introduce my speaking hero so he can take the stage, While | was backstage, getting my thoughts together, actully bumped inca him, aind thi is what happened: 1 said, "Tin so excited 10 introduce you today! You ae the man whe made me want ro get ico this busines in the first place, Thanle you so much for being here” He didnt say anything, He just looked at meas it ay “You don’ belong on the same cage” immediately though, Welle’ abou get an nero- Aston he doe noe expec.Inner dialogue shows the ssadince exactly what's going on Inside my mind ae that moment. “The great news for you ava speaker ts sf you thoughe it chen, you en sy te, You. just need to use an appropriate stem, a phrase that sets up the dialogue to flow “Tae these three stems: hough Twas thinking; Tm thinking, Whatever words come next represent inner dialogue. or example L was thinking Aspe the readers of my article understand whe Fn saying” heat many speakers ute this unnecessary phrases“ chought co mysolf..” We dont need Fiera en fem agneieges What the audience remembers is the dialogue, and that's exactly what we want as storytellers. the“ myself pare because who ele are you. going to think ro? Inner dialogue is important because your ssadionce members cae get any closer £0 you than being inside your own mind, Well, that is, unless you get inside of theirs, whichis what thisfinalsype of dislogue allows yor to do Projected Dialogue "Tis it by ar my vote eype of dialogue ‘because it gives you tremendous freedom asa (Consider these phese for projected dialogue: “They locked at me af they wanted to say ‘Yule looking ar meas ita sy, "7 Did you notice tha he lat phrase has to do swith your asence? Not only can yor project logue ono characters n your sory, hat you «can alo projec i onto your audience All you sed wo projec swhat your alien sly thinking a erin moment. For example, I loan aetiviy Jn which Task ry audience vo change ta things about their oven appearance. Thy give me ssrange looks and now what many of chem ate thinking, ‘Az that moment, Isay, “You're Inoksing at me asf sy,"Craig, don even hav a things om! Two faneastic things can Inappen. Your audience after laughs, ane you ‘connect more deeply with chem. The audience ‘no fels ke you know wha hey ate thinking ‘When they ge to hear what you think ines dilogse), and they el ike you naw wh they‘ thinking (projected dslogue) your connection willbe nearly unbreakable. Life the Trophy Ugeskr and dou wel ned nie iin your ores and Sees Typing these ne pe? lalogue to work for ou and open many mote portions you alien TALE (tn ac ag eae pet youre eating hs and hiking, rea Pn toy tes ou Craig Valentine, cic 1999 World Chonpion of Public Speaking isan inernationaly neu pester. author, and coach, He he funder ofthe Speak and Prosper Academy and The rer Cie fr Speaiers Visi hivwcbste vrwwToasTwasTErsoremacazine 13