Chapter 11. Applied Storytelling 101: The Individual

"Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter."

—African proverb

"There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you."

—Maya Angelou

"When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened."

—Winston Churchill

"Strange as it may seem, my life is based on a true story."

—Ashleigh Brilliant

"People create stories create people; or rather stories create people create stories."

—Chinua Achebe

We really don't want to review all the storytelling principles already outlined in the previous chapters and apply them to how individuals can build and tell their own stories. After all, a story is a story is a story; and whether it's about a brand, a corporation, an industry, or an individual, the same principles apply. Stories often work on several levels simultaneously. Take the stories of George Washington admitting to chopping down the cherry tree or Abe Lincoln running miles to correct a change-making error. Both illustrate qualities of individual character and, at the same time, are parables on the value of honesty or the triumph of truth over self-interest. How you tell the story, where you place the emphasis in the story line, how you establish the context and characters, all determine which story the audience hears.