Here is a great outline to follow when creating a story. This list comes from a storytelling workshop presented by Dorian Haarhoff at the Toastmasters Conference in Port Elizabeth.

• People
• Place
• Problem
• Pleasant
• Plan
• Process
• Product

Take Little Red Riding Hood for example:

• People   - Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, the woodcutter and the wicked wolf
• Place   - a forest
• Pleasant – Red Riding Hood going to visit her grandmother
• Problem  – the wolf eats and then masquerades as grandmother
• Plan   - chop off the wolf?s head
• Process  – saved by the woodcutter
• Product  – we all live happily ever after

Remember, facts tell, and stories sell ? so go out and write some great stories.

(pic from Wikipedia)

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