The Hook to your Story is…

..the CONFLICT. Nobody will be drawn into your story without a conflict. I suggest that you establish the conflict very early on…as soon as your characters are introduced. The earlier, the better. Throw your character into a problem right away and then turn the heat up on that problem.

Take the movie “Titanic” for example. When the ship hit the iceberg, the conflict was firmly established. Then the water rushed in and the conflict intensified. Now, what if the water never rose past the level of their feet? The movie would have sucked! Likewise with your story, you can’t simply establish the conflict, but you need to intensify it too. It has to reach a level where something has to give, where the water is up to their necks.

Do this and watch your audience members lean in closer as they get completely wrapped up in your story. A story is the hook for a speech, and a conflict is the hook for a story. Conflict. Conflict. Conflict is king!

Craig Valentine

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