John Ballen

But if we're talking about literally speaking a story, telling a story, and assuming you have people listening to that story right in front of you, which is a medium by which many of us tell stories, telling our friends, telling our family members, to tell a really good story, it has less to do with the content of the story and more to do with the delivery of that story.

But if we're talking about literally speaking a story, telling a story, and assuming you have people listening to that story right in front of you, which is a medium by which many of us tell stories, telling our friends, telling our family members, to tell a really good story, it has less to do with the content of the story and more to do with the delivery of that story.

When I told you the Dyatlov Pass story, I was fully committed to telling you that story. I didn't care if you thought it was interesting or not. I thought it was interesting enough that I was gonna give you my hand gestures. I'm gonna make sure I harp on the details that I find really interesting. But it's like a level of commitment to telling that story Like that's the key.

When I told you the Dyatlov Pass story, I was fully committed to telling you that story. I didn't care if you thought it was interesting or not. I thought it was interesting enough that I was gonna give you my hand gestures. I'm gonna make sure I harp on the details that I find really interesting. But it's like a level of commitment to telling that story Like that's the key.

It's commit to – like you have to be in the story. And like for example, when I did the live tour, like that's the purest form of – you're either going to be awkward up there and like get through it or you're going to fucking own the story, be in the stories and tell it to those people right there. And they're going to hear what I want to tell them.

It's commit to – like you have to be in the story. And like for example, when I did the live tour, like that's the purest form of – you're either going to be awkward up there and like get through it or you're going to fucking own the story, be in the stories and tell it to those people right there. And they're going to hear what I want to tell them.

So it's like the delivery, it's not just practice and get your words right. Hardly. Dude, I don't even use a script when I tell stories. I look at the story, I learn the story, I internalize the story, and then I inhabit the story. And when I tell you the story, it should almost feel like I was there. Like that is the level of commitment you need.

So it's like the delivery, it's not just practice and get your words right. Hardly. Dude, I don't even use a script when I tell stories. I look at the story, I learn the story, I internalize the story, and then I inhabit the story. And when I tell you the story, it should almost feel like I was there. Like that is the level of commitment you need.

And I would say also like with regards to general storytelling, it really is true that it has less to do with like finessing the language so it's perfect or getting your script exactly right. It's like I would say when it comes to most stories, you need to make sure there's some sort of payoff at the end of the story, which is sort of like storytelling 101.

And I would say also like with regards to general storytelling, it really is true that it has less to do with like finessing the language so it's perfect or getting your script exactly right. It's like I would say when it comes to most stories, you need to make sure there's some sort of payoff at the end of the story, which is sort of like storytelling 101.

But if you look at the way newspapers structure stories, for those who maybe don't read the newspaper or generally, here's how it goes. This thing happened. And now I'm going to tell you the details of what that thing is and how it happened, right? That's not good storytelling. That's great for getting information across, right?

But if you look at the way newspapers structure stories, for those who maybe don't read the newspaper or generally, here's how it goes. This thing happened. And now I'm going to tell you the details of what that thing is and how it happened, right? That's not good storytelling. That's great for getting information across, right?

But all too often, if you look on like YouTube or if you look at other people who tell like, you know, mysteries, for example, sometimes in their header, it'll be like, you know, crazy, like golden, you know, skeleton found in cave in Russia. And like – actually, that's pretty compelling. Maybe I'd read that. But it's like Suzanne murdered in London.

But all too often, if you look on like YouTube or if you look at other people who tell like, you know, mysteries, for example, sometimes in their header, it'll be like, you know, crazy, like golden, you know, skeleton found in cave in Russia. And like – actually, that's pretty compelling. Maybe I'd read that. But it's like Suzanne murdered in London.

And then you click on it to find out what happened. But it's like you don't want your audience to already – in certain cases, you don't necessarily want your audience to know where the story is going. They might have a very strong inclination that Suzanne is going to get killed at the end of the story or there's going to be a golden skeleton found in Russia. Yeah.

And then you click on it to find out what happened. But it's like you don't want your audience to already – in certain cases, you don't necessarily want your audience to know where the story is going. They might have a very strong inclination that Suzanne is going to get killed at the end of the story or there's going to be a golden skeleton found in Russia. Yeah.

But being a storyteller, your job is to keep people invested and to build tension and to get them like ready for the payoff at the end. Any story can have a twist at the end. It depends on how you tell it. Like it isn't like some stories have payoffs and some don't. Absolutely not. You can use point of view. You can inhabit aspects of the story that give different lenses into the story. But –

But being a storyteller, your job is to keep people invested and to build tension and to get them like ready for the payoff at the end. Any story can have a twist at the end. It depends on how you tell it. Like it isn't like some stories have payoffs and some don't. Absolutely not. You can use point of view. You can inhabit aspects of the story that give different lenses into the story. But –

Own the story when you tell it and ensure that there's some type of payoff at the end, whatever it is. Like when I told you that the outlaw past story, like ultimately the goal is to get you to see that, wow, all these conflicting things, there's pictures of this and that. But the Russian government said an unknown, unnatural force is responsible and then closed the case.

Own the story when you tell it and ensure that there's some type of payoff at the end, whatever it is. Like when I told you that the outlaw past story, like ultimately the goal is to get you to see that, wow, all these conflicting things, there's pictures of this and that. But the Russian government said an unknown, unnatural force is responsible and then closed the case.