Posts tagged types of stories

I’m an avid reader, and I think all storytellers - even when they are just telling themselves inspirational stories to get through the day - need to enjoy good books. Especially the genre of ‘short stories’ - a well-written short story is a powerful experience for the reader or listener. And most of the stories you’re going to be telling are relatively short.

All the stories I’ve read over the years can be broken up into six categories.

“Who I Am” Stories: help us to define (or redefine) who we are, and how we want to walk through the world. In the marketplace, these are autobiographies or authorized bios. Recommendation: when you’re in a difficult place in life, read the biographies of the people you admire and wish to emulate.

“Why I’m Here” Stories:  Certainly similar to “Who I Am” stories, these stories define a purpose or reason for being.

Teaching Stories: Obviously, these are instructive tales, which illustrate how to live ethical, mindful lives…or simply how to get a job done easier and faster.

Vision Stories: These are the stories we tell to inspire ourselves and others. They may stimulate action and raise morale during hard times.

“Values in Action” Stories: We all live by a set of values. For most, family is important; good deeds, kindness and compassion toward others - these stories transmit the importance of a given value.

“I Know What You’re Thinking” Stories: These are persuasive in nature. Your audience, is skeptical of their ability, their potential for success. This is true even when your audience is YOU! It’s up to you, as a storyteller, to convince them of the reality: the skies the limit (even when the evening news is telling you otherwise). They see things one way, and it’s up to you to illustrate a different, more positive way to see things.

Next time you pick up a book, ask yourself what type of story is being told. And when you tell yourself (or others) your own story - be aware of the six ways you can ‘spin’ the tale!