How to keep the audience’s attention? How to write an essay, article, or scientific work that will interest readers? To do this, master storytelling – namely, outstanding practices from TED Talks speakers. In this article, we are sharing life hacks that you can use in both academic papers and professional life.
But let us begin with some handy tips. Even if you have plenty of inspiration, you may simply lack time to finish the paper before the deadline. Thus, you can easily trust your work to a writing service that has your back. Talented authors from paper writing service EssayHub.com certainly know how to make your paper truly outstanding. Thanks to their assistance, your academic performance will surely improve, just as your mental state.
What Is Storytelling?
Do you remember the enthusiasm we experienced while listening to fairy tales as kids? Well, the children are still there, inside us. That’s why people tend to trust stories more than bland facts. Basically, storytelling is about emotions that lead us to action. Essay services can greatly assist students by providing expertly written papers, helping them to understand complex topics and improve their own writing skills.
Today’s world is oversaturated with information. So, to be noticed and heard, you need to be truly great at telling stories, both when writing texts and in public speaking. TED Talks speakers only have 18 minutes to captivate their audience. They know how to convey their ideas so that the presentation isn’t perceived as a lecture. What are their secrets?
Typically, participants of TED Talks discuss serious topics, from gender equality and social research to the latest developments in cancer treatment. But the center of every TED talk is one person’s story, a narrative that takes you from point A to point B.
A well-crafted story evokes a feeling of compassion and empathy. It creates the feeling that you share the author’s point of view and agree with them. There is no imposed opinion in storytelling. There is a path that the reader follows and this is exactly the approach that will be useful when working on an essay.
Storytelling Techniques
1. Hero’s Journey
The hero’s journey is the most common storytelling technique. This concept is “catchy” as the character experiences difficulties, overcomes them and comes to a classic happy ending. For example, fairy tales from Disney are the classic hero’s journey.
Using this technique is simple – just create an intriguing beginning, a tense climax and an inspiring ending.
2. The Mountain
This technique is similar to the previous one, but in the mountain, the hero doesn’t have a happy ending. The character doesn’t succeed, but knows that the journey wasn’t in vain. By the way, such an approach is often used in stories about business failures that brought valuable experience.
3. Sparklines
This concept is built on contrast – a comparison of the real situation and what it could be. A similar technique is used in many advertising campaigns. In fact, if you have a finished draft, but believe there are some mistakes and errors in it – find the best essay writing service that will suit your needs and will help edit the work for you.
4. Start From The End
This technique is called reverse dramaturgy and is often used in the film industry. For example, the first season of the TV series “Big Little Lies” was filmed using this concept.
Here, the reader is immediately sent to the climax of the story which is super intriguing and incomprehensible. And then, they return to the beginning to understand how the main character ended up in such a situation, step-by-step.
In creating such a story, it is key not to reveal all the cards until the end, keeping the reader’s attention.
Additional Tips
- Add some details. A quality essay should be thoughtful, especially if it is homework on a creative subject. Try to make a three-dimensional picture that will immerse the reader in the key events;
- Capture the reader’s attention from the first words. Basically, you only have 30 seconds to captivate your audience. To do this, use an extraordinary fact, a surprising statistic, or an intriguing sentence (“Two years ago, my life changed forever”). Don’t make people bored, on the contrary, interest them;
- Share your personal story. This will bring you closer to your readers;
- There should be a conflict in the essay: the stronger it is, the more exciting the text;
- Don’t neglect specifics – this makes the paper more lively;
- Be concise: the idea should be short, memorable and easy to understand;
- Give structure to your story. Start with a skeleton (plan) and gradually “build up” the text on it;
- Find your passion. Why do you want to tell this story? Why is the topic relevant to you?
- Cut it short. Even an excellent sentence sometimes needs to be deleted if it doesn’t bear the semantic load. Remember that today people have a short attention span and unnecessary points will only overload the text.
To Wrap It Up
When choosing a technique to create a story, think about what format best suits your audience. And remember that technique is only a plan according to which you will write. It helps, but technique alone is not enough to create an unforgettable story.
It is also necessary to know the subject well and be well-versed in the topic, formulate the thesis correctly, and choose convincing arguments and facts. Also, half the success is careful editing and proofreading. After the essay is written, let your friends read the work and get feedback on how easy and fun it is to read the essay. Good luck!