Being a teacher, writer, mother, and grandmother I have been sharing stories for years. Not only to entertain but also to teach values. Young and old alike love a good story. The impact of a well told story can have a impact those listening. I was excited to read this book, because I want to do the best job possible with those whose attention I have but for a short time.
I appreciated the author showing me how to share without notes. I have a tendency, especially if the account is to teach, not just share a personal experience, to use way too many notes. I don’t want to miss a point but then I fall into the trap of relying on the notes and not letting my presentation flow. Having his 14 exercises in an outline form made to easy for me to start practicing and improving. His red flag not to memorize stories and the reasons against it showed me some things I had not thought of before.
He described Jesus as the Master storyteller, because He knew His audience and adapted the His message to them. Mr. Walsh warns us not to make the mistake of not knowing our audience. This will enable us to modify what we are sharing to different age groups and genders as the all process what they hear in different ways.
When we present a story, we usually think of the people just hearing us. The author points out that we should stimulate all 5 senses to appeal to our listeners. They don’t want to just listen to our story; they want to experience in every way and become a part of it. A list of 7 tools we need during our talks are included and explained, and these you don’t have to go out and buy!
My favorite part is the 3 chapters on telling Bible stories. This is the most important type of story we can convey. We are doing the Lord’s work and sharing His message. These times can have far reaching, eternal influence on those we talk to. This book was not only motivating but also very helpful. I am eager to implement the things I learned!
I received this book free from Moody Publishers, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.