How to Engage an Audience: Stories, Scenes, Scents
Whatever you think that you want to say, it’s probably not a story. That’s fine as a starting place. But it’s also a reliable way to lose an audience’s attention if you’re not careful. The best way to hold an audience’s attention: tell them a story. Tell them a story that conveys your meaning.
Your story should have two things:
Something that your audience wants to know up front, but must wait to find out. This can be a will-they-won’t-they romance, or a hero running from the villains, desperate to escape. Whatever it is, you should consider: “What does my audience not know, that they want to know?”
Scenes. Actual moments that you can describe in detail.
Your scenes should have two things:
Characters that the audience cares about. For a wedding this is usually at least one member of the couple.
Sensory details. What did the room look like? What did it sound like? What did it smell like?
Speeches without narrative, tension, characters, or sensory details, are remarkably effective replacements for Ambien. You probably are not aiming for that.
