Storytelling dexterity is essential, in particular for those who need to tell the same story to different audiences.
The exercise is simple, yet extremely powerful.
Try retelling the same story in different ways!
Here are a few variations to start from…
1: Change the Perspective.
Tell the story from different Points of View.
How does that change the story and how it’s represented?
Which character is telling it and why?
Do this for a few times, and you’ll find new ways to improve every story you tell.
2: Alter the Tone.
Is it a comedy, a tragedy, or a thriller?
Experiment with different emotional tones to see how they affect the story.
Play with it and see where it leads you.
3: Switch the Setting.
Move the story to a different time or place.
How does the new context change the meaning?
Keep in mind, you can do all these changes for business stories and not just fiction.
4: Play with the Structure.
Try a nonlinear narrative, flashbacks, or a cliffhanger ending.
These are all tools that need a lot of training.
So why not start to play around with them?
5: Remove Elements.
Storytelling, especially today, is not about length.
People tend to prefer shorter stories.
So train your ability to synthesize and simplify complex ideas and concepts.
6: Don’t stay in the vacuum.
Tell this modified stories to people that you trust.
Ask for their feedback and opinions.
The goal is to experiment and learn. Try, make mistakes and apply feedbacks.