Introduction to Personal Storytelling

As an introduction to the course, Antonio tells you a personal identity story about where he was born, his upbringing, his vocations, studies, and career so far. He also talks about the writers, filmmakers, architects, and politicians, among others, who have inspired him.

Explore how a personal story can be used as a tool for connecting with and persuading listeners, then look at some of the many mediums that can be used.

Move on to take a look at the differences between an incident, an event, an action, and static data, the importance of causality in order to connect events, the story arch, and typical ways to organize information to generate a plot. Antonio also explains the importance of conflict and narrative tension as a focal point and learning curve within the story.

Learn about the power of narrating with the five senses and knowing which emotions you want to evoke while writing. Next, discover all about "magic items," one of those crucial details that help the protagonist overcome a challenge or conflict they face.

Of course, every story should have a moral or cultural lesson shared by the audience— learn why this is and how best to communicate it.

Familiarize yourself with the narrative structure of the five personal stories used by professionals: the "who I am", the "why I'm here," the "visionary," the "educational," and the "values in action." Storytelling is also a useful technique in tense situations, generated by skepticism and disbelief, where you need to choose the most appropriate type of story to come out on top.

Wrap up the course with a few tricks, some resources, and pieces of advice for improving your personal storytelling skills.