story teller
I am getting ready for a big presentation I have next week. I get to talk all about the research I've been doing and have been spending way too much time playing with power point in preparation.
Oddly enough I don't feel much stage fright. I feel confident about my knowledge of the subject and for the most part enjoy performing in front of a crowd (the Leo in me finally coming out). However, I am realizing how much I suck at story telling. As I understand it, this is a crucial aspect of an engaging presentation. I keep wanting to get ahead of myself, spill facts before the time is right, and I can't figure out which parts of the story I should tell first. I know when I do this I end up sounding like a geek spouting factoids - which is not how you engage an audience. I have a really hard time separating the tale I am trying to tell into a linear monologue. The fact is this part is related to that part which is also related to the previous parts and they seem so integral; so how do I flatten it all out and not confuse people?
Intellectually I know that a good story carefully builds as it is told. I have seen some really good story tellers, am an avid reader, and love movies and television primarily for their plot lines yet internalizing what I have watched is a whole different story (haha).