When you are crafting a life experience that you will include in a talk you’re giving or if you are writing a short story about something that happened to you, do you use the plot arc?
Our aim is to build an upward slope from the beginning, peak it at the climax, and then calm it all out with the ending (resolution).
Usually we think of plots in a novel, but the elements in the diagram here, when used in telling life experiences makes the difference between an okay story and one with impact.
What I’ve noticed at several live events I’ve attended, is the speaker will let the story’s ending trail away and their voices tend to trail away too as if “Glad that’s over with.”
As the attendee, I’m left on the trail with no fork in the road, just a wall. I wonder what the experience meant, how could it inspire me, or how could I relate it to the topic of the presentation? The weak or zero connection left me thinking the story wasn’t important and therefore the rest of the talk wasn’t either.
Tip for today: Choose a relatable life experience to include in your talk or your written work. Craft it with the elements of the Plot Arc and deliver it with belief that it is important.
It would be interesting to read your key points as they relate to Plot Diagram. Use comments to share or if you have questions.
Julaina Kleist-Corwin
Captivate Audiences to Create Loyal Fans
Written Across the Genres
This is such good advice! I love stories that tell me what the author thinks life means, whether the character is real or fictional.
Yes, me too.