Page 18 - November 2019

PERSPECTIVES
“The Greatest Story Never Told”
Paul Fanning, DTM
No, you won’t find it in your local bookstore, accomplished in my personal and professional
and most assuredly it won’t be playing at a theater development. One of my strongest skills, or at
near you. No use consulting Google, Amazon or least in my mind, is that of being a storyteller. I
any of the other on-line services, and you can’t grew up in a family that cherished the printed
download it onto your device as an “e” book. word, loved books and read a variety of genre that
Why? It’s simply because it’s the greatest story allowed my mind to grow and often wander into
never told! I see you in the front row thinking fantasy or magical worlds. I vividly remember in
“he’s off his rocker again” or words to that effect. seventh grade being sent for testing at the school
Yet it’s the words I’m talking about. District headquarters because I wouldn’t read
We are communicators. We use words- the Uncle Wiggly books required for the class
written, spoken and visually by our gestures (go ahead-use Wikipedia to find out what that
and actions during a speech. But I am amazed means) when I was tackling James Michener’s
how many fellow Toastmasters get so frustrated, “The Source”. My grandfather, a compositor
discouraged and disgusted with themselves and for a newspaper and amateur chronicler of
even quit the Toastmasters education program history and my mother an author and rural
because they don’t know what they want to say newspaper columnist, provided living examples
in their speeches. They get so caught up in the of wordsmiths. They encouraged me, mentored
rules and formulas for crafting the “perfect me and gave me the freedom to express myself
speech” that they can’t get as far as putting pen freely. It was from them I emerged with the skill
to paper. Why, you ask? Horror of horrors, they of a storyteller, fortified by success at numerous
have taxed their brains and they can’t come up campfire skits and impromptu plays at church,
with a speech topic! How can that be? Let me Boy Scouts and school. Vivid descriptions, vibrant
illuminate further this world-wide dilemma. It’s word pictures and vociferous material bolstered
almost a bigger fear than speaking itself. me to forge on. Thus, with this background,
I have learned to wear many hats since finding something to speak on has not been as
becoming a Toastmaster. Club member (switch), much of a challenge as it was a true delight.
club officer (switch), mentor (doff yet another), You’re sitting at your (insert your favorite
coach and educator. Each hat has required me writing place here) and you now have a
to develop a skill set or master a craft that I have 5-7-minute speech to prepare. Hopefully you
18 ONE COMMUNITY
haven’t left this to the last
minute or it’s five minutes before your
club meeting. What is your theme? Something the tail. You are on your way to becoming a
relative to the level and path you’re working dynamic storyteller or modern troubadour in
on? What’s it going to be? Is there a specific your club! Way down in the deep recesses of
topic or story you want to relate to your fellow your mental computer you remember that there
Toastmasters? And then panic sets in! Your are only three parts of any given speech—a
mind goes blank-your eyes glaze over-you can’t beginning, a middle and an end. Simple, right?
even think of your own name! Help! And now Now what are you going to say?
grasshopper. . . relax, don’t fret about it, simply A former Toastmaster this week gave me a
begin to use your expansive mind to come up simple formula to speech craft that he learned
with something. Even the youngest millennial in the 1950’s. It was called PREP. The first P
has had personal experiences worth relating to stood for your point or statement you want to
others. Perhaps even to remember a family story make. The R was for reason(s) for this point.
or even something that happened to them that E represented your example(s) of the point.
day. As for me, being a historian, I can always The final P was again for the point and your
find something to tell a story about in over restatement of that point. It was just another
8,000 years of recorded history. As I use public way of looking at speaking or storytelling. The
transportation every day can be an adventure word also reminds you of one of the keys to a
and a story or two. great story—PREP. Try it out for yourself when
Clearly, you will now be taking the tiger by you can.
VOICES! |NOVEMBER 2019 19