By Advait, Speech and Drama Director, Jasudben ML School, Mumbai
Stories give us the power to evoke strong emotions. The power of good storytelling is that it often compels people to take action for reasons bigger than they otherwise would have felt. An effective storyteller can weave context, details, characters and events into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Through emotions, one can also add that ‘human’ touch to their story, making it more believable and relatable. Ultimately, this can help storytellers make their narrative stand out as weaving a tale often helps in retaining information as well. The art of storytelling is an age-old, time-test method to capture your audience’s minds, and adding emotions to your story takes it a notch higher. Here are five ways in which you can infuse emotions into a story that you are narrating:
Re-read the story
One of the basic, most effective ways to critique the story to understand if one has been wholly able to capture emotion is by reading it absolutely thoroughly. Even if you have written the story, it’s imperative that you re-read it in detail, understand if it is lacking anything and make the necessary edits. We often tend to write things in a hurry, and in the process, lose out on the emotional touch that the story needs.
Stories give us the power to evoke strong emotions. The power of good storytelling is that it often compels people to take action for reasons bigger than they otherwise would have felt. An effective storyteller can weave context, details, characters and events into a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Through emotions, one can also add that ‘human’ touch to their story, making it more believable and relatable. Ultimately, this can help storytellers make their narrative stand out as weaving a tale often helps in retaining information as well. The art of storytelling is an age-old, time-test method to capture your audience’s minds, and adding emotions to your story takes it a notch higher. Here are five ways in which you can infuse emotions into a story that you are narrating:
Timing is everything
Timing is everything in story telling; be it moments of levity or gravity, whatever the script requires. In strong, emotional scenes, pausing at the right moment, looking directly at or addressing the audience at a pivotal juncture, can all help strike the right chord with the audience. On the other hand, comic timing through sharp or witty dialogues is a great way to be able to capture your audience’s attention and ensure it remains consistent. Sometimes, changing the mood setting or the tone of the story at the right moment can make a world of a difference and lead you to success.
Ultimately, it is important for any budding storyteller to make sure that they’re able to creatively use emotions in their narrative to captivate their audiences, evoke strong emotions in them, and truly make a lasting impact through the art of story telling.
This article appeared in –
Brainfeed Magazine on June 1st, 2021 – https://bit.ly/3vN16mC
APN News online edition on 28th June 2022 – https://bit.ly/39X5KIR
Indya Talks online edition on 28th June 2022 – https://bit.ly/39TIdZv
Easy Shiksha online edition on 29th June 2022 – https://bit.ly/3OQ7WR8
Skill Outlook online edition on 29th June 2022 – https://bit.ly/3ue7h4b
OP-ED MOPED online edition on 29th June 2022 – https://bit.ly/3NuinZy
The Hans India online edition on 9th July 2022 – https://bit.ly/3NXyMpK
The Hans India print edition (page 9) on 9th July 2022
