The Simple Storyteller’s Guide: How to Captivate Anyone, Anywhere | Tips for Writing an Attention-Grabbing Hook | How To Write a Hook For a Story

December 6, 2025 - By admin

The Moment That Changes Everything

Let’s begin with a simple truth: you have three seconds. Three seconds to capture a reader’s attention, a viewer’s gaze, a client’s curiosity, or a customer’s fleeting interest. In our saturated world, the opening of your story isn’t just important—it’s everything. Mastering how to write a hook for a story is the single most impactful skill you can develop as a communicator. This isn't just for novelists. This is for anyone who needs to persuade, sell, inspire, or connect. Whether your goal is understanding how to be a good storyteller, leveraging what is storytelling in business, or executing what is storytelling in marketing, it all begins with that critical, captivating opening.

The art of the hook is the gateway to all effective storytelling techniques. It is the practical application of the 5 Simple Storytelling Techniques Anyone Can Use. When you dissect what are some storytelling techniques used by the masters, from Hemingway to Hollywood, from Steve Jobs to successful social media influencers, you’ll find an exceptional hook at the foundation. This guide will not only teach you how to write a hook for a story but will also show you how this skill is the engine for powerful digital narrative and how choosing from what is the best categories for storytelling can shape your opening for maximum impact.

Consider this: what is storytelling in business without a compelling hook to open your pitch? It’s a spreadsheet. What is storytelling in marketing without a hook to stop the scroll? It’s noise. Your ability to craft a hook defines the success of your entire narrative endeavor. In the following comprehensive guide, we will explore, deconstruct, and master the craft of the hook, integrating it seamlessly with the broader universe of narrative strategy. We will repeatedly see how the principle of how to write a hook for a story is the thread that ties together what are storytelling techniques for fiction, non-fiction, corporate strategy, and digital content. Let’s begin.

Part 1: The Foundational Power of the Hook

Why the First Line Owns All the Real Estate

A hook is more than a catchy first line. It is a strategic narrative device designed to trigger an immediate emotional or intellectual response—curiosity, shock, empathy, wonder, or recognition. It plants a question in the audience’s mind that they instinctively need answered. Learning how to write a hook for a story is essentially learning to control that initial spark of engagement.

This skill is fundamental to how to be a good storyteller. A good storyteller doesn’t warm up; they ignite. They understand that attention is a fragile currency. In exploring what are some storytelling techniques, the hook is always Technique #1. Its importance is magnified in the digital age, where a digital narrative unfolds across pixels and screens, competing with infinite distractions. Your hook is your antidote to apathy.

The psychology is simple: humans are pattern-seeking creatures. A compelling hook presents an intriguing pattern or, more often, disrupts an expected one. “Call me Ishmael” is a simple, direct pattern of introduction. “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen” (George Orwell, *1984*) disrupts the pattern—clocks don’t strike thirteen. The mind stumbles for a second and leans in to correct the pattern. That lean is victory.

When we analyze what is storytelling in business, we see this play out in elevator pitches and mission statements. “We’re a SaaS platform for B2B analytics” presents a bland pattern. “We turn your data chaos into your competitor’s nightmare” disrupts and intrigues. The latter is a hook. It applies the same psychological principle as a novel’s opening. Similarly, what is storytelling in marketing at its core? It’s the commercialization of the hook. A great ad hooks you in the first frame or the first headline.

Therefore, the journey to understand what are storytelling techniques must start here, at the very beginning. The hook sets the tone, implies the stakes, introduces voice, and most importantly, makes a promise to the audience: This will be worth your time. The rest of the story is about keeping that promise. This principle holds true whether you’re writing a epic fantasy, a brand manifesto, or a social media caption as part of a larger digital narrative.

The Universal Language of Hooks

The beauty of learning how to write a hook for a story is its universal applicability. The same structures that hook a reader of literary fiction can hook a potential investor, a website visitor, or a TikTok scroller. This universality is why the 5 Simple Storytelling Techniques Anyone Can Use are so powerful—they are built on fundamental human cognition.

Let’s bridge these concepts clearly. Your goal in how to be a good storyteller is to connect. The hook is the initial handshake, the first glance. It says, “I see you. I have something you need to hear.” In the context of what is storytelling in business, this transforms from an artistic pursuit to a strategic imperative. A business story without a hook fails to land its value proposition. It fails to explain “why” before “what.”

Furthermore, when you craft a digital narrative, you are often crafting a series of interconnected hooks. Each blog post title, email subject line, video thumbnail, and tweet is a micro-hook leading to a macro-story. Understanding what are some storytelling techniques for serialized engagement is crucial. The opening hook of your overall brand story must be reinforced by the mini-hooks of your daily content.

Choosing from what is the best categories for storytelling (Quest, Transformation, Underdog, etc.) directly informs the type of hook you’ll use. A Transformation story might hook with the problem (“I was 50 pounds overweight and hopeless”). An Underdog story might hook with the impossible odds (“They outnumbered us 10 to 1, and all we had was our wits”). Identifying your core category is a prerequisite to mastering how to write a hook for a story in a targeted, effective way.

In essence, the hook is the concentrated essence of your story. It is your story’s DNA in a single sentence or moment. Every theme, conflict, and emotional arc you plan to explore should be implied, however faintly, in your hook. This makes the process of learning how to write a hook for a story not merely a writing exercise, but a fundamental story-defining discipline.

Part 2: The Master Toolkit – Types of Hooks and How to Forge Them

Now, let’s move from theory to practice. Here is your comprehensive toolkit for how to write a hook for a story. Each type of hook is a different key, capable of unlocking different kinds of audience engagement. As we explore each, we will connect them back to the broader frameworks of how to be a good storyteller and the 5 Simple Storytelling Techniques Anyone Can Use.

1. The Action Hook (In Medias Res)

What it is: You drop the reader directly into a high-stakes, active moment. The Latin term “in medias res” means “into the middle of things.” You bypass calm setup and begin with conflict, danger, or decisive action.
Formula: Character + Active Verb + High-Stakes Situation.
Example: “As the avalanche of sound engulfed him, Mark realized two things: the concert was a trap, and his eardrums were about to be the least of his losses.”
Why it works: It triggers immediate adrenaline and questions. What led to this? What happens next? It forces engagement through disorientation and excitement.
Connection to Broader Techniques: This hook is the purest incarnation of the “Call to Adventure” from the Hero’s Journey (one of the key storytelling techniques). It also instantly establishes Conflict, another of the 5 Simple Storytelling Techniques Anyone Can Use. In what is storytelling in marketing, this could be showing the moment of frustration a product fixes (“Sarah stared at the broken oven, her dinner party in 60 minutes”).

2. The Mysterious/Declarative Statement Hook

What it is: A bold, strange, or seemingly contradictory statement that challenges the reader’s assumptions and begs for explanation.
Formula: A surprising fact or philosophical claim presented as truth.
Example: “Everyone in my family is born with a twin. I was born with a shadow.” or “The last human died on a Tuesday, but it was Monday before anyone noticed.”
Why it works: It exploits our innate curiosity and need to resolve cognitive dissonance. The mind cannot rest until it understands how such a statement could be true.
Connection to Broader Techniques: This hook excels at Showing, Not Telling a unique story world or rule. It’s a powerful tool for digital narrative headlines on platforms like Medium or LinkedIn, where provocative statements drive clicks. It sets up a Discovery story, one of what is the best categories for storytelling.

3. The Character-Centric Hook

What it is: This hook makes you instantly fascinated by a person. It does this through a compelling voice, a unique desire, a strange habit, or a profound flaw.
Formula: A revealing detail + Character’s name/pronoun + implication of deeper story.
Example: “Elara only stole books she had already read.” or “By the age of twelve, Felix had perfected the art of being invisible.”
Why it works: Humans are wired for social connection and gossip. A fascinating character is an immediate draw. We want to know why they are the way they are.
Connection to Broader Techniques: This is the heart of character-driven narrative. It aligns with the “Ordinary World” setup of the Hero’s Journey, but a uniquely compelling one. Mastering this is core to how to be a good storyteller, as character is the vehicle for empathy. In what is storytelling in business, this could hook with the founder’s obsessive mission (“Anya spent 300 nights testing mattresses on her floor. She was determined to find the perfect sleep.”).

4. The Atmospheric/Setting Hook

What it is: The environment itself is the hook. You paint a world so vivid, strange, or laden with mood that it becomes a character the reader must explore.
Formula: Sensory details + unique metaphor + inherent tension.
Example: “The rain in New Bangkok was acidic, a perpetual, whispering drizzle that etched graffiti into the skyscrapers and the souls of those who lived under them.”
Why it works: It builds immediate immersion and tone. It promises a specific experiential journey—be it gritty, magical, horrifying, or sublime.
Connection to Broader Techniques: This hook is a masterclass in Show, Don’t Tell. It establishes the “world” of the story, which is critical in world-building for fiction and in brand-building for what is storytelling in marketing. A brand selling outdoor gear might hook with, “The mountains don’t care. That’s why your gear must.”

5. The Question Hook

What it is: You pose a direct or implicit question that the narrative promises to answer. The question can be in the text or firmly planted in the reader’s mind.
Formula: A situation that forces a “why?” or “how?”
Example: “What do you do when the person who can save your life is the same person who ruined it?” (Direct). “The letter arrived with no stamp, no address, just my name written in my own handwriting.” (Implied: How is this possible?).
Why it works: It creates an active partnership with the audience. Their brain is recruited to seek the answer, locking them into the story.
Connection to Broader Techniques: This hook is the essence of narrative drive. It connects directly to the “Because” principle—the story exists to answer the “why.” It is incredibly effective in digital narrative, where engagement (comments, shares) is fueled by questions. It’s a versatile tool across what are storytelling techniques.

6. The Dialogue Hook

What it is: Start in the middle of a charged, cryptic, or revelatory conversation.
Formula: “Dialogue that raises more questions than it answers,” she said, action reinforcing mystery.
Example: “‘It’s not the dead you should be afraid of,’ the old woman said, pressing the key into my palm. ‘It’s the ones who remember being alive.’”
Why it works: Dialogue is immediate and intimate. It conveys relationship, conflict, and backstory in a dynamic, natural way.
Connection to Broader Techniques: This hook combines character, conflict, and mystery. It’s a great way to Show, Don’t Tell a relationship or a central story problem. In a business context (what is storytelling in business), this could be a testimonial hook: “‘This changed everything,’ our CEO said on the day we almost went bankrupt.”

Part 3: From Hook to Framework – Integrating with Core Storytelling Techniques

A hook alone is a spark. To create a lasting fire, it must connect to your story’s engine. This is where the 5 Simple Storytelling Techniques Anyone Can Use provide the structure. Mastering how to write a hook for a story is meaningless if the hook is disconnected from the narrative architecture. Let’s integrate.

Technique 1: The Hook as the Catalyst in the Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey is perhaps the most powerful of all storytelling techniques. Your hook often occupies the “Ordinary World” or the “Call to Adventure” beat.

Integration: If your hook is an Action Hook, it likely is the Call to Adventure (the avalanche hits, the alarm sounds). If it’s a Character Hook, it’s likely establishing the Ordinary World in a compelling way. Your job is to ensure the promise of the hook aligns with the journey. A hook about a lonely thief promises a journey of connection or redemption. A business’s origin story hook (“We started in a garage…”) is a classic “Ordinary World” setup for an Underdog journey.

Technique 2: The Hook as the Inciting Conflict

No story exists without conflict. One of the 5 Simple Storytelling Techniques Anyone Can Use is to identify and amplify conflict.

Integration: Your hook should introduce, or strongly imply, the central conflict. A Mysterious Statement Hook (“I am the last gardener of words in a world that forgot how to read”) implies a person-vs.-society conflict. In what is storytelling in marketing, the conflict is the customer’s pain point. Your hook should articulate that pain dramatically: “Staring at a blank screen at 2 AM isn’t writer’s block. It’s a system failure.”

Technique 3: “Show, Don’t Tell” Through the Hook

This golden rule of how to be a good storyteller applies with maximum force to your hook.

Integration: Never use the hook to tell an abstract state. Use it to show a concrete moment. Instead of “He was devastated,” use a Character Hook: “He planted the oak tree the day they buried her, so he’d have a place to whisper ‘good morning.’” This shows devotion and loss. In a digital narrative for a travel brand, don’t say “experience freedom.” Show it: “This is the sound of a 6 AM glacier calving, and your heartbeat matching its rhythm.”

Technique 4: The “Because” Behind the Hook

Every great action has a motivation. Your hook should hint at the powerful “because” that drives the story.

Integration: The Action Hook “She stole the file” is weak. “She stole the file because it proved her father didn’t abandon them; he was erased” is strong. The “because” adds depth. In what is storytelling in business, your company’s “why” is your foundational hook. “We make running shoes (what) with advanced carbon fiber (how) because we believe every runner deserves to feel propulsion, not pain (why).” The “why” is the hook.

Technique 5: The Hook as Act One in Miniature

The Three-Act Structure (Beginning, Middle, End) is a fundamental tool among what are some storytelling techniques.

Integration: Your hook is the opening scene of Act One. Its job is to establish the baseline and then disrupt it. A perfect three-act structure in a hook: “John’s life was a spreadsheet of predictability (Act 1: Setup), until a parrot landed on his balcony and said, ‘Your brother is alive, and he’s in trouble’ (Act 1: Inciting Incident/Disruption).” The rest of the story is Act 2 (Confrontation with this new reality) and Act 3 (Resolution).

Part 4: Specialized Applications – Hooks in Business, Marketing, and Digital Narrative

The theory remains constant, but the context changes. Let’s apply the craft of how to write a hook for a story to specialized fields.

Hooks for Business: The Strategic Narrative

What is storytelling in business? It is the use of narrative to forge strategy, align teams, attract investment, and connect with partners. Every business narrative needs a powerful hook.

The Vision Hook: For leadership and all-hands meetings. This hook paints the future. “Picture a hospital where no nurse spends a single hour on paperwork.” It’s a Mysterious Statement about a better world.
The Problem Hook: For pitches and proposals. This hook aggrandizes the conflict. “Companies are drowning in data but dying of thirst for insight.” It’s a Declarative Statement that creates urgency.
The Origin Hook: For brand building. This hook is a Character-Centric story. “It started with a single, frustrating phone call that dropped for the tenth time.” This humanizes the corporation.
The “Why We Exist” Hook: The core mission statement as hook. This should be a Question Hook answered by the company. “What if technology served human potential instead of exploiting its attention?” This frames the entire corporate narrative.

In all these, the principles of how to write a hook for a story are identical: be specific, create tension, imply a journey, and connect emotionally.

Hooks for Marketing: The Art of the Interruption

What is storytelling in marketing? It is the craft of wrapping a value proposition in a narrative so compelling it interrupts the consumer’s day and reshapes their desire.

The Pain Point Hook: The most common. It’s a Character Hook focused on the customer’s pre-transformation state. “You’ve written ‘low battery’ on your own soul.” (For a wellness retreat). This uses metaphor to Show, Don’t Tell exhaustion.
The Benefit Hook: It hooks with the post-transformation fantasy. “Imagine the email that starts with ‘Congratulations, you’re published.’” (For a writing course). This is a Question Hook (“How would that feel?”) in disguise.
The Curiosity Gap Hook: Classic for digital narrative and clickbait (when done ethically). It withholds key information. “The one ingredient most home bakers forget (and it’s not love).” This is a Mysterious Statement.
The Testimonial Hook: Uses a customer as the hero. ““I went from side hustle to 6 figures in a year. Here’s the template.” This is an Action Hook (the transformation) presented as a declarative result.

Marketing is applied storytelling psychology. Every ad, landing page, and social post is a test of your skill in how to write a hook for a story.

Hooks for Digital Narrative: The Serialized Engagement

A digital narrative is a story told across interconnected digital platforms. It’s episodic and participatory.

The Platform-Specific Hook: You must tailor the hook to the medium. An Instagram Story hook needs instant visual intrigue (Action or Mystery in an image). A podcast hook needs an evocative audio cue or a provocative spoken question (Question Hook). A newsletter subject line is a pure Declarative or Curiosity Hook.
The Series Hook: For a content series or YouTube channel, the overarching channel trailer is your macro-hook. “We explore abandoned places and the stories they left behind.” Each video then needs a micro-hook that fits the series promise. “Today, we found a suitcase full of unsent love letters in a 1950s train station.”
The Interactive Hook: In advanced digital narrative (like interactive websites or ARGs), the hook is an invitation to play. “A cryptic message appeared on our company server. Can you help us solve it?” This turns the Question Hook into a direct call to action.

Building a digital narrative is building a world one hook at a time. Consistency of tone and promise across these hooks is what builds a loyal audience, demonstrating a masterful application of what are storytelling techniques for the modern age.

Part 5: Choosing Your Weapon – Hooks Aligned with Story Categories

Your story’s overarching genre or category should inform your choice of hook. Understanding what is the best categories for storytelling provides strategic direction.

The Quest/Journey Story: The hook should establish the desired object, place, or state, or the moment the search begins. Use an Action Hook (the call to adventure) or a Character Hook focused on deep desire. Example: “The map to Atlantis was finally in his hands, and it was tattooed on a fugitive’s back.”
The Transformation Story: Hook with the “before” state in a compelling, visceral way, or the catalyst for change. A Character Hook showing flaw or a Mysterious Statement about change works well. Example: “On my 40th birthday, I measured my life not in years, but in cubic feet of office clutter.”
The Underdog Story: Hook by establishing the overwhelming odds or the weakness of the protagonist. Use a Declarative Statement of inequality or a Setting Hook of a daunting arena. Example: “The courtroom was a canyon of marble and scorn, and my client’s entire defense fit on a single, crumpled napkin.”
The Mystery/Discovery Story: Hook with the unanswered question, the strange object, or the violated normal. A Question Hook or a Mysterious Statement is ideal. Example: “The physics lab’s most secure vault contained only one thing: a single, perfectly fresh daisy, still wet with dew.”
The Relationship Story: Hook with a charged moment between characters, using Dialogue or a Character Hook that reveals connection or its absence. Example: “They had shared an apartment for three years, and today she finally asked, ‘What’s your last name?’”

By aligning your hook with your story’s core category, you create coherence and set accurate expectations, which is a hallmark of how to be a good storyteller.

Conclusion: Your Hook as a Lifelong Practice

Learning how to write a hook for a story is not a one-time task. It is a lens through which to view all communication. It is the foundational practice that brings together the 5 Simple Storytelling Techniques Anyone Can Use. Whether your aim is to understand how to be a good storyteller at parties, to leverage what is storytelling in business for growth, to execute what is storytelling in marketing that converts, to build an immersive digital narrative, or to simply choose from what is the best categories for storytelling for your novel, it all begins with that first, electrifying connection.

The hook is your promise. The story that follows is the proof. Start by collecting hooks that grip you—in books, ads, movies, and conversations. Analyze them. Which of what are storytelling techniques are they using? Then, practice relentlessly. Write ten hooks for the same story. Write hooks for your day, your project, your dream. Make it a discipline.

Remember: how to write a hook for a story is the art of making someone lean in. It is the craft of turning a glance into a gaze. In a world of endless distraction, that is not just a skill—it is a superpower. Use it to tell stories that matter, in whatever arena you choose. Your audience is waiting. Now, go and hook them.

Your guide for how to be a good storyteller

We crave connection.

We crave connection—it’s what makes us human. One of the most powerful ways to connect is through storytelling. A good story can resonate across time, cultures, and audiences, making people feel seen, understood, and inspired.

While some naturally excel at telling stories, for others, it takes practice. Whether through writing, presentations, or social media, there are countless ways to tell a story. But at its core, great storytelling is about creating moments that listeners relate to, making them feel heard and engaged.

In this guide, you’ll learn what makes a good storyteller, how to refine your narrative skills, and why mastering this art form matters.

What is storytelling?

Storytelling is the art of using language, vocalization, and/or physical movement and gesture to reveal the elements and images of a story to a specific audience. At its core, storytelling involves a narrative, often with a structured plot and characters, conveyed through a variety of mediums such as spoken word, written text, film, music, or dance.

Why is storytelling important?

Storytelling has long been a tool to help affect change. It’s an art and a science to create connections between human beings.

Storytelling can be used as a learning tool. Some of my best professors and teachers have one thing in common: they’re great storytellers. By building trust with their students, good storytellers can influence, inspire, and engage. Storytelling can actually help better equip students to be open to the act of learning.

Storytelling can also be used to help drive behavior change. When you’re absorbed in a good story, you’re transported. I recently read a book that made me cry (multiple times) called Between the Mountain and the Sky by Maggie Doyne.

A story about an American woman who starts a community and school in rural Nepal, this book illustrated the good that the human race is capable of. While I haven’t had any of the experiences shared by the author in the book, I could feel them. In many ways, the book captured the power of storytelling to make a change. As a founder of a nonprofit and leader of a community school, Maggie Doyne used storytelling as a key fundraising tool for her organization.

But at its core, storytelling is about connection. When we look at how connections impact your emotional well-being and mental fitness, it’s significant. In fact, 43% of us don’t feel connected to others in the workplace. Our Connection Crisis report shows that those with low social connections suffer. People who don’t have strong connections experience increased stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout.

Connection makes us feel like we belong. Through stories, we feel that inherent connection to the storyteller, to the characters, and to the heart of the story. In a time when people are increasingly isolated and lonely, storytelling can help bridge the connection gap.

What makes a great storyteller?

We’ve compiled a short list of qualities that make up a good storyteller.

Enthusiasm, energy, and confidence

A great storyteller brings a high level of enthusiasm and energy to their storytelling, which can captivate and invigorate an audience. Their confidence is contagious, making the story more compelling and engaging. Storytellers with this trait effectively use their voice, body language, and expressions to enhance their storytelling.

They listen, engage, and interact with the audience

Effective storytellers are not just speakers but also attentive listeners. They tune into their audience’s reactions—observing body language, facial expressions, and feedback—and adjust their delivery accordingly. This dynamic interaction helps to keep the audience engaged, making them feel a part of the story. Storytellers who excel in this area often pose questions, invite audience participation, or tailor the story in real-time to align with the interests and emotions of their listeners.

They empower others

Storytellers often share narratives that inspire and empower their audience. By showcasing characters who overcome adversity or individuals who achieve great things, storytellers can motivate listeners to reflect on their own potential and take positive actions. Empowering storytelling is particularly impactful in educational and leadership contexts, where the aim is to encourage growth and self-efficacy among listeners.

They embrace vulnerability and authenticity

Authenticity is a hallmark of great storytellers. They share their own experiences and emotions openly, making themselves vulnerable to the audience. This vulnerability helps to humanize the storyteller, making them more relatable and trustworthy. It fosters a deeper, more personal connection between the storyteller and the audience, enhancing the emotional impact of the story.

They create strong connections with others

A skilled storyteller can connect with their audience by sharing stories that touch on universal truths or shared experiences. This helps each listener feel understood and fosters a strong connection. This connection ensures that the story and its underlying messages are remembered long after the telling.

They are adaptable

Great storytellers can adjust their stories to suit the context or the mood of their audience. They are quick to modify the tone, pacing, or even elements of the story based on real-time feedback and audience engagement.

They are creative

They possess a creative flair that allows them to invent or reimagine stories in ways that are original and captivating. Creativity also enables storytellers to use metaphors, analogies, and vivid imagery to enhance the listener's experience and understanding.

They are empathetic

A great storyteller has a deep sense of empathy, which allows them to understand and express the emotions of the characters in the story, as well as to connect with the feelings of the audience. This empathy helps make their stories more relatable and impactful.

Clarity

They are able to communicate ideas and narratives clearly and effectively without unnecessary complexity. Clarity ensures that the audience understands the story, regardless of its depth or the intricacies of its plot and players.

9 tips for how to become a better storyteller

The art of storytelling is a powerful tool. You can master your storytelling technique to help create meaningful connections. Get ready to tell a good story, one word at a time.

Whether it’s a 1:1 or a room full of people, coaching helps you show up with clarity and confidence.

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9 tips for how to be a good storyteller

Know your audience
Think about the goal of your story
Choose the right time (and the right place)
Use a hook to get your audience’s attention
Be clear and concise
Get personal
Be aware of your body language
Practice often
Ask for feedback
Engage your audience
Learn from others

1. Know your audience

There are plenty of types of stories that you can tell. Depending on the audience, some stories will be better received than others.

I was at a comedy club a few months ago and three comedians performed. The first one was the least experienced, and he mentioned that he'd only been doing standup for a year. He was trying out some new material and gauging the audience's reaction.

He received real-time feedback and adjusted his set accordingly. While you might not be doing standup, you’ll want to employ this same sort of strategy in your own storytelling. What do you know about your audience? What context clues or information can you gather? How will you adjust and shape your story based on your audience?

2. Think about the goal of your story

Every story has some sort of goal, whether you recognize it or not. The best storytellers fashion their stories with the desired end result in mind. For some, it might be to make the audience laugh (like comedians). For others, it might be to help drive behavior change. For others, it might be to help educate or drive awareness about a specific issue.

Consider your audience and then think about your goal. What message do you want to send to an audience member? Beyond capturing your audience’s attention, what takeaway do you want them to walk away with?

3. Choose the right time (and the right place)

Stories aren’t always appropriate in the right setting — and stories need to have the right voice.

At a summer wedding in Boston, the bride and groom asked their close friends and family to share personal stories about them. However, one family member went off-topic and told a long-winded story about the bride's family instead of the couple. It was awkward and not the right time or place for that kind of story.

Every storytelling experience has the right time and place. Lean on your emotional intelligence skills to figure out if the story will land well for when (and where) you want to tell it.

4. Use a hook to get your audience’s attention

Have you ever heard a story that you might not have realized was a story? Maybe halfway through the story, you’re wracking your brain around what the story is about. In writing, we call this the “hook” or the “lede” of the story. What is it that will capture your audience’s attention? What will keep them engaged and interested in the story? Is there a good hook to the story?

Think of ways you can creatively present your information that will keep your audience absorbed. By employing this storytelling technique, you’ll be sure to captivate your audience.

5. Be clear and concise

I know that I’m guilty of this when I tell oral stories. Sometimes, I can get long-winded and drone on and on. I add details that aren’t pertinent to the story that I’m telling. Or I go off on a tangent that doesn’t really have anything to do with the story I’m trying to tell.

Well, take it from me: it doesn’t work.

Be as clear and concise as you can with your story. Try asking yourself what details are important for the reader or the listener to understand. If they’re not critical to the story, why are you including them? What about those details make it a more compelling story?

As best you can, try to filter out what information is “must-have” versus “nice-to-have.”

6. Get personal

Personal experiences are just that: they’re personal. It can feel vulnerable and sometimes scary to share personal details about your own life.

But here’s the thing: real-life stories are impactful. It’s a big driver of connection. And by getting personal, you’re better positioned to reach the goal that you’ve identified for yourself.

Think about ways you can incorporate personal details into your story. For example, I was fundraising for NAMI while I was training for the New York City Marathon. I really felt passionate about the cause but I wasn’t sharing much detail about why I cared about this organization.

Once I shared my personal story about my family and my own experience with NAMI, people started to donate to my page. It helped to share those personal bits to achieve my goal. And it opened up new connections for me. People reached out and wanted to share their own stories about mental health. All in all, it was a win-win situation.

7. Be aware of your body language

Body language is big. It can send messages to your audience about your demeanor, your attitude, and your approachability.

If you’re telling a funny story with a scowl on your face and your arms crossed, your audience might not know it’s supposed to be a funny story. If you’re working on your public speaking skills but never make eye contact, your audience might not connect with you.

Try to tap into your awareness. What body language are you using? How can you use body language to your advantage as a storyteller?

8. Practice often

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Well, we may not believe in total perfection at BetterUp. But we do believe in practice.

At its core, practice is about learning. It’s about getting up close and personal with your mistakes and adjusting. It’s about trial and error, figuring out what works (and what doesn’t).

So, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You can always learn from your failures. But do practice — and practice often.

9. Ask for feedback

This last tip is a vulnerable one. You might want to get advice or feedback from a trusted confidante.

I’ve practiced my public speaking skills with my coach. I know that I can lean on her to help me refine my communication skills, which include how I present a story. You can lean on a mentor, a colleague, a teammate, or a friend.

Whoever it is, make sure that you ask for feedback from someone you trust. Feedback is an opportunity for us to grow. And feedback means that the person cares about you because they want to see you succeed. They want you to have your own success story. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.

Engage your audience

A great story isn't just about the words you choose—it’s about how you tell it. To make your story compelling, focus on engaging your listeners with dynamic delivery.

Use tone, voice, and body language to bring the plot to life. A well-told anecdote should resonate with the audience, making them feel the emotions behind the narrative.

Interactive elements, such as asking questions or incorporating humor, can make a funny or heartfelt moment more impactful. Mastering these techniques helps your story become more relatable and memorable.

Learn from others

Great storytellers learn by listening and observing. Pay attention to how skilled speakers use conflict, climax, and pacing to craft a good story. Watching or reading powerful stories can help you realize what makes a story make an impact.

Learn from those who can turn a simple scene into something that makes people laugh, reflect, or see the truth in a new way. The best stories aren’t just told—they are conveyed in a way that makes them unforgettable.

Start building meaningful connections through storytelling

No matter where you are on your storytelling journey, there’s always an opportunity to create stronger connections.

With strong storytelling skills, you can engage and hook your audience. You can help facilitate behavior change. You can be human. You can connect with other humans, too.

With a BetterUp Coach, you can take your storytelling skills to the next level. Virtual coaching can help you refine and perfect your communication skills. And by doing so, you’re one step closer to reaching your full potential. Get started today.

🌸 About Neeti Keswani

Neeti Keswani is the founder of Plush Ink and host of the Luxury Unplugged Podcast, where luxury meets spirituality. As an author, storyteller, and self-improvement coach, she helps conscious creators and professionals align with purpose, identity, and abundance through mindset transformation and emotional healing.
Her mission is to empower people to live with intention, authenticity, and joy — blending inner work with outer success.
Connect with Neeti:
🎙️ Luxury Unplugged Podcast — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/luxury-unplugged-podcast-where-luxury-meets-spirituality/id1551277118
📖 Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/luxuryunpluggedpodcast/
💼 LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/neetikeswani/
🌐 Plush Ink — https://www.plush-ink.com/