Ep. 340 FIVE STORY ESSENTIALS – PART 1

26 Feb 2026 · 25 min · Episode 340

Episode Ep. 340 FIVE STORY ESSENTIALS – PART 1

0:00 24:54

Everyone enjoys a good story, and unforgettable stories contain certain essentials. In this episode, Mark and Darren expound upon three of their five story essentials, showing not only how they work, but why. This is PART 1 of 2.

SNIPPETS:

• STORY is a FORCE MULTIPLIER

• Define the HERO/protagonist/main character

• Help your audience to SEE the character

• Give the audience a reason to identify with the character

• Give one physical and one emotional characteristic

• Consider giving a character name

• Be very clear on the hero's DESIRE; declare what they want

• Get to the depth of desire…WHY they have the desire

• Listeners lean in to the WHY

• Establish the CONFLICT, the challenge, the obstacle

• Escalate the conflict, and escalate it even more

• Show the INTERNAL and EXTERNAL conflict

• Use inner dialogue, the voice inside a character's head

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

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