Page 37 - 2019 April

LOVE LETTERS

STAGES OF KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER IN THIS STAGE

MESSAGE
For the of a Good Story- Part 2 • What happened that motivated the message of the speech? What started it all?

Dottie Love, DTM • Author Craig Valentine states: If you want the audience to be excited about what you are
saying, start your story with THEIR best interest in mind.
Circumstance • Consider “You Focused” questions in the beginning to get the audience relating to you.
Have the word “YOU” in it. Example of starting speech “You Focused” - “Do you know a
negative person?” Instead of saying: “How many of us know a negative person?”
I did not realize there would be a Part 2 Details of the Story Stages: You asked for it, • Put descriptions to allow the audience to “see”, “feel”, “hear” the scene of your story

article until I started getting comments about therefore you got it! Below are more examples • Setup the complication / the issue / the concern. (I call this conflict)
the article published here in the March edition of what goes into “Story Flow” and you can
of Voices! For those of you who have not read read more about that in the previous article • Give the audience a chance to like your characters in order to intensify the audience

the article, it highlights how good speeches are here on page 38. • involvement
For a short speech, limit with up to 3 people (characters) to help tell the story
designed and flow like a good novel. If you would like more insight into crafting Characters • Use dialogue . . . and let your characters
As a published author, I used a technique of stories and speeches, reference these books • Give advice
plotting the story from start to finish to keep my from your fellow Toastmasters. Happy speech • Teach a lesson
Highlight a main point
•
readers engaged. In my book, Putting the Pep writing! And drop me a note at CsuiteSuccess@ • Always good to have the main character at odds with someone or something
in Plotting, I developed a concept I call “Story aol.com to let me know your thoughts!
Flow” to help writers effectively structure the • Conflict is a complication / what the character is at odds with? Can be: Person vs. another
content of their message. This “Story Flow” can Conflict person / person vs. self / person vs. society / person vs. nature

also be used for speeches to grab the audience • Establish early, preferably after introducing characters
• This conflict will lead directly to climax of the speech
in the beginning and build excitement in the
middle then leaving them with a satisfying,
• Character will have a revelation
thoughtful and thought-filled ending. Let’s
• Causes main character to change based on what they have gone thru
recap what the stages of a good message (in a Climax • If a lesson was learned, let the characters describe how they learned. Don’t preach to

novel or a speech) includes: the audience, and say, “This is what the results will be, therefore do as I say…”
• Instead tell how you learned from the process

Overview of the Story Stages Craig Valentine Gideon Dorothy Elizabeth
For-Mukwai Love ka “Dottie”
1 Begin with the Circumstance that started it all • Wrap up speech with how characters have grown and changed
Resolution • Show change in character pre / post conflict
2 Introduce who is involved in it (the Characters) • Don’t leave questions unanswered
• Offer a “Gift of Learning” in the resolution

3 What went wrong/ or made it a challenge
(Conflict)
• What is the main message?
4 How it all peaked into a crescendo of concern/ • Should be a short phrase of major learning. One sentence will do!
problems (Climax)
Theme • The shorter the better. Make it a “Tweetable Moment”. Here are a few examples:
5 How it ended (Resolution) • Change small, change often
• If you dream it, you can be it
6 What is the major learning (Theme) • You too can be better…

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