I can't tell stories to save my life

Quo_Usque · 2022-09-01T18:47:46+00:00

Start by giving the premise of your story. "Did I ever tell you about the time I blah blah blah?" Now they know this is a story about blah blah blah. It helps them make sense of what you are saying by giving them a context to fit it into. Try to keep the story short. The shorter it is, the harder it is to lose track of what you're saying. If you have a moment before you jump in to tell the story, try to break it down in your head into three or four events or pieces of info that they need to know to understand your story. Lastly, practice. When something interesting happens to you that you think might come up in conversation with your friends, take a minute to think about how you should tell it as a story. Listen to how your friends tell stories and pay attention to how they phrase things, how they present information, etc.

spiraldinosaur · 2022-09-01T19:20:26+00:00

Practice makes perfect. Honestly that's all there is to things like this. Keep trying, listen to others and how they tell their stories, but eventually it just comes naturally. You're also probably overthinking it; you're probably better than you think you are, but it would be natural to come out of your red pill shell feeling self conscious and worried that you're embarrassing yourself. There's a fair to good chance you're doing way better than you think. Just keep going!

c_geiger · 2022-09-01T20:47:17+00:00

Oof, I felt this post in my soul of souls

YourPersonaIJesus · 2022-09-01T22:45:50+00:00

Everything is practice until you master it. If you're curious how to do something, do research on how to do it better, use multiple resources, hone in the skill one step at a time.

incredulitor · 2022-09-02T00:25:33+00:00

Boy, good question. I'm sitting up and paying attention.

HGW86 · 2022-09-02T06:00:57+00:00

My suggestion is to do something I'm actually considering doing myself right now (so maybe I'm just projecting lol), but is to take improv classes or try acting lessons or something along those lines.

I think those are hobbies that are good for helping communicate whatever message or emotion you want more effectively, so perhaps that could be a helpful.

I know this is an exredpill subreddit, but I feel like if I ask other sites they will give me the some TRP bs.

I think these kinda questions are perfect for this sub! A lot of guys are attracted to the red pill specifically because they want to know the answers to questions like this.
We might not be able to provide the best answer today, but I think if we get asked these enough, it'll force us all to get better at answering it! hahaha

Melificarum · 2022-09-01T19:42:17+00:00

I have this same problem and it's kind of a joke how bad my stories are when I'm speaking out loud. I have just learned to be concise and ask other people questions so we can have a conversation. I think a lot of people actually like this. Everyone wants to be asked questions and listened to instead of dealing with people who are just waiting to tell their story.

Environmental-Row979 · 2022-09-02T15:24:55+00:00

There is some good advice in these comments as far as working on storytelling goes, but I'd also encourage you to think about building conversational skills beyond storytelling. Few things are more tedious than trying to talk with someone who only wants to swap stories rather than engage in discussion.

One thing that sounds great is that you said this:

I rely on other people to tell stories so that I can be myself (make jokes, ask follow up questions, etc.)

That's awesome! It sounds like you are really putting in some work to be an excellent conversationalist. And I think focusing on being yourself in these bite-sized chunks while also staying fully engaged with the story that's being told to you is awesome. I'd like to remind you that just because someone has told YOU a story does not mean you're obligated to share one in return -- you can segue into dialogue pretty easily after someone has shared a story about their life.

The only storytelling advice I'd add here is:

- Don't get caught up on details. I have ADHD and this one is something I struggle with -- I get really caught up on making sure everyone has all of the exact same background information that I do so the punchline or climax of the story will hit in the exact same way that it does for me, and then before I know it I've completely diverted from the point. If nothing else, you can give just the bare bones of the story and trust that the person will ask for clarifying details if they need them.

- I would like to echo what someone else said about leading with "Did I ever tell you about the time I [x]?" -- obviously this isn't a lead-in you can use in conversation with just anyone (it would be weird with someone you've just met), but it does give you a chance to gauge their interest, which is great.

- If you have the time, funds, and access, I actually recommend taking an intro level improv comedy class or participating in toastmasters or something. These are excellent venues where you can practice conversation and storytelling and also a more natural way to meet people.

yumirow · 2022-09-02T05:42:38+00:00

In every story there is a spine and a body. What you're lacking most is the spine, you need to make sure, when you decide that you're gonna tell that story, that your story makes logical sense. For that chop off as many bits of the story until you only have the important elements, your spine. Then talk and add the body as you speak (tempo, expression, jokes,...)

AssistTemporary8422 · 2022-09-02T05:43:51+00:00

Think of humor and stories as gradually opening a door. Do a quick summary of your story, and see if they are interested. If they are keep creaking that door open a little more. Good stories have an introduction, conflict, and resolution, with some mystery to keep them glued. They also have emotions, opinions, and visuals. If you want some examples listen to some podcasts by comedians. By the way letting others tell the stories and cracking jokes about them is actually fantastic conversation skills even if its a little one-sided.

dxtcfyvgbuhijn · 2022-09-02T05:58:16+00:00

Be on the lookout for stories to tell. If you tell good stories it doesn’t matter how you do it. You just gotta pay attention and notice when they happen around you.

Title	I can't tell stories to save my life
Author	Zealousideal_Heart36
Upvotes	11
Comments	12
Date	September 1, 2022 6:39 PM UTC (3 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/ExRedPill
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/exredpill/comments/x3f3gt/i_cant_tell_stories_to_save_my_life/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/ExRedPill/i-cant-tell-stories-to-save-my-life.1130462 https://theredarchive.com/post/1130462

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