Storytelling Techniques

verb to attract and hold the attention or interest of someone

• The speaker's eloquent words captivated the audience during the conference.
• The new documentary on Netflix really captivated me last night.
• The new singer's performance totally captivated the crowd at the concert.
• The painting captivated me with its vibrant colors and intricate details.

noun a short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral lesson

• The moral of the fable teaches us an important lesson about greed.
• I love reading fables before bedtime, they always have interesting stories.
• That fable about the tortoise and the hare is a classic!
• Her success story is like a modern-day fable of rags to riches.

noun a sudden and disturbing vivid memory of an event in the past

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• The novel begins with a flashback to the protagonist's childhood.
• I had a flashback to that time we went camping and got lost in the woods.
• Whenever I hear that song, I always get a flashback to my high school days.
• Seeing the old photo album was like a flashback to a different era.

verb to show or indicate beforehand; to predict or forecast

• The signs foreshow a possible economic downturn in the near future.
• The dark clouds foreshow a storm coming our way.
• His constant complaining foreshows that he's going to bail on us.
• The distant thunder foreshows the impending chaos of the upcoming battle.

noun a picture or diagram that helps make something clear or attractive

adjective illustrative (providing an example or explanation)

• The textbook includes an illustration to help students understand the concept better.
• The magazine article had a cool illustration of the city skyline.
• Check out this dope illustration in the graphic novel!
• His success in the business world serves as an illustration of hard work paying off.

adjective not likely to happen or be true; unlikely

• The chances of success seemed improbable given the current circumstances.
• It's pretty improbable that we'll finish the project on time.
• Winning the lottery is like, totally improbable, dude.
• Her dream of becoming a famous singer felt increasingly improbable as she grew older.

noun a person who performs a monologue, a form of dramatic entertainment or storytelling where one person speaks alone

• The monologist captivated the audience with his solo performance.
• The monologist was really good at telling stories on stage.
• That monologist dude can talk non-stop for hours!
• She is like a monologist when it comes to sharing her opinions.

noun a person who creates or invents myths or legends

• The mythmaker crafted elaborate stories that were passed down through generations.
• My friend is a total mythmaker - he always exaggerates his stories to make them more interesting.
• Don't believe everything that mythmaker says - he's known for making up wild tales.
• As a politician, he was seen as a mythmaker, spinning stories to fit his agenda.

noun a person who narrates something, especially a character who recounts the events of a novel or narrative

• The narrator of the documentary provided a detailed account of the historical events.
• The narrator of the audiobook had a soothing voice that made it easy to listen to.
• Yo, did you hear the narrator in that movie? They were hilarious!
• The narrator of the story served as a guide through the protagonist's journey.

noun a person who writes novels, a novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction

• The novelist was invited to speak at the literary conference.
• I heard that the novelist is working on a new book.
• That novelist's latest novel is lit!
• The novelist painted a vivid picture with words in her latest work.

noun a separate introductory section of a literary or musical work

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• The prologue of the play set the stage for the rest of the story.
• I always skip the prologue of books and go straight to chapter one.
• The prologue of the movie was a total snoozefest.
• The prologue of their relationship was filled with uncertainty and doubt.

noun A puppet show is a performance in which puppets are used to tell a story or convey a message.

• The children were delighted by the intricate puppet show put on by the theater group.
• We should go check out that puppet show at the park this weekend, it looks like a lot of fun.
• I heard the puppet show at the fair is lit, we should definitely go see it.
• The politician's speech felt like a puppet show, with someone else pulling the strings behind the scenes.

noun a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way

• The raconteur captivated the audience with his storytelling skills.
• My friend is such a great raconteur, he always has the best stories to tell.
• That guy at the party last night was a real raconteur, he had everyone laughing.
• She was a raconteur of emotions, weaving tales that touched the hearts of all who listened.

noun a narrative that is shorter in length than a novel

• The author wrote a compelling short story that captivated the readers.
• I love reading a good short story before bed.
• That short story was lit, I couldn't put it down!
• Life is like a short story, full of unexpected twists and turns.

noun a secondary plot or storyline that is subordinate to the main plot in a literary work or film

• The novel contains a complex subplot involving the protagonist's family history.
• There's a side story in the movie that focuses on the supporting character's romance subplot.
• Did you catch that subplot about the secret agent in the TV show? It's so cool!
• The subplot of betrayal adds an interesting twist to the main storyline.

noun a story, especially one that is imaginative or fictitious

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• The novel was based on an ancient tale passed down through generations.
• Have you heard the tale about the haunted house on the hill?
• That party was a wild tale, everyone was talking about it the next day.
• Her success in the business world was like a fairy tale come true.

noun a person who tells or counts something, such as a bank teller who counts money or a storyteller who narrates a story

• The bank teller processed my withdrawal request efficiently.
• The teller at the grocery store was really friendly.
• The teller at the concert was lit!
• As a storyteller, she was a masterful teller of tales.

verb the action of communicating information or instructions

adjective indicating or revealing something

• She was telling the truth about her whereabouts during the crime.
• I can't believe you're telling me this juicy gossip!
• Stop telling me to chill out, I'll relax when I want to.
• His eyes were telling a different story than his words.

verb to revise (an aspect of a fictional work) retrospectively, typically by introducing a piece of new information that imposes a different interpretation on previously described events

• The practice of retconning is often used in literature to alter previously established storylines.
• I heard they're retconning the ending of that TV show we used to watch.
• They're retconning the whole backstory of that character, it's crazy!
• Sometimes in life, we wish we could retcon our past decisions and start fresh.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea.

preposition A word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence.

• The actor's performance in the drama was a departure from his usual roles, as he played a comedic character against type.
• I was surprised to see her cast as the villain in the movie, it's totally against type for her.
• He really went out of his comfort zone by taking on that role, it's so against type for him.
• The politician's decision to support the controversial policy was seen as going against type for him.

noun the quality of being able to relate to or understand something

adjective relatable

• The relatability of the character in the novel makes it a compelling read for many audiences.
• I love watching that show because of the relatability of the characters.
• The meme went viral because of its high relatability among young adults.
• The relatability of the song lyrics resonated with listeners on a deep emotional level.

noun A person who writes or is an expert in writing memoirs

• The memoirist's latest book delves into their childhood experiences in vivid detail.
• I heard that famous memoirist is coming to town for a book signing.
• That memoirist spilled all the tea in their new memoir!
• As a memoirist of life's ups and downs, she weaves a tapestry of emotions in her writing.

noun a common or overused theme or device

• The film utilized the classic hero's journey trope to drive the plot forward.
• I'm getting tired of the whole 'love triangle' trope in romantic comedies.
• That horror movie was so cheesy, it was full of tired old tropes.
• Her constant need for validation has become a trope in her relationships.

noun typography - the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and appealing when displayed

• Kinetic typography is a technique that combines motion and text to create engaging visual content.
• Have you seen that cool video with all the moving words? It's called kinetic typography.
• I love how kinetic typography makes words come alive on screen.
• The words danced across the screen in a mesmerizing display of kinetic typography.