Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You'll Ever Need

A Moth storytelling champion shows you how to leave your audience spellbound in this bestselling, practical guide to powerful storytelling--through writing, public speaking, and more. Using a fun, irreverent, and infographic approach, Margot Leitman breaks storytelling into concrete components. Whether you want to write a great wedding toast, deliver a compelling keynote speech, or simply entertain friends and family, comedian and Moth 5-time champion storyeller Margot Leitman provides a clear and engaging roadmap to telling your own personal stories in this approachable storytelling guide. From content and structure to emotional impact and delivery, Leitman guides you through the entire storytelling process, providing personal anecdotes, relatable examples, and practical exercises along the way. Table of Contents Part 1: Getting StartedChapter 1. You Already Have Great StoriesChapter 2. Getting Past FearChapter 3. The TruthChapter 4. The Universal ThemeChapter 5. The Thesis-Based Story Part 2: Elements of a StoryChapter 6. PassionChapter 7. Layering a StoryChapter 8. PerspectiveChapter 9. CharacterChapter 10. Rooting for the StorytellerChapter 11. The Full CircleChapter 12. Someone Else's StoryChapter 13. The UnexpectedChapter 14. The Benign Part 3: The Performance and BeyondChapter 15. How to Memorize & Vocalize a StoryChapter 16. The Business of Storytelling This book is essential--a reminder that the world would be a better place if everyone knew how to tell a good story.--Diana Spechler, author and seven-time Moth StorySLAM winner