Want a book about how to use stories better ?

The StoryMaking Book came out on Amzon just before Christmas. It’s also a perfect book to start your year with. Why?

It’s a lighthearted (but serious!) business-book-with-exercises that one beta-reader described as “Sort of like if I was in a workshop with you where we have fun and there is some important work being done too“. And how about these other responses?

• It made me take a look at my practice, how I do what I do and re-evaluate a few things.
• I felt compelled to start acting on the content immediately!
• StoryMaking” is a “don’t leave home without it” field guide for the serious communicator
• I feel it could be a great guide book for ‘green’ speakers, presenters, business owners AND more seasoned ones too
• …it’s an incredibly useful book
• Like a precious gem it’s not large, but it is incredibly valuable to anyone who wants to elevate their communications

When can I buy?

Amazon. There you are, as simple as it gets! Here’s the link for the UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/StoryMaking-stories-just-tell-them/dp/1068328703 but it should be pretty easy to find automagically on Amazon whatever part of the world you’re in!

… so what’s not to love ?!

What does it look like, physically?

It’s a light read – about 140 pages, but with plenty of space and illustrations. Is that what you meant?

More seriously, it’s full colour with a mix of formal text, informal asides and practical exercises to really help you understand what’s what and embed what you learn in how you act. Think of it as an intense-but-fun, one day seminar with me leading it.

Can I try a sample?

Of course.

There a short extract (just a page) from the introduction here.

The chapter on how to find stories is popular. There are a few pages of the simplest tools here.

I use the acronym SOAP to talk about different types of stories (their origins etc). A stands for Audience and there’s a couple of pages here that contain personal confession as well as the formal content!

What was it like to write the book?

Damned hard work to be honest! I was trying really hard to balance the authority of being a world expert in “this sort of thing” with the feel of an informal workshop. I was clear I didn’t want to write anything dry. It had to include my personality – it’s a book about stories after all. But at the same time it’s not a story-book: it’s a book about using stories so the foundations on which the lighthearted text sits…? Well that’s pretty hardcore.

I wrote it at the same time as I was researching and designing a MainStage keynote presentation on this very topic to the Professional Speaking Association of UK & Ireland. I had half an hour on stage to talk to a few hundred of the world’s best professional speakers about how to do it better. Lots of them were more successful than I am, so the pressure felt pretty intense.

My Imposter Syndrome is real, I tell you!

Still, it kept me off the streets and out of trouble!

How did the gig go, you ask? Well it turns out that speaking about StoryMaking is a hit…

What else do you have cooking? How can I connect?

The Academy is coming! I’d hoped to launch the Academy and the book together, but it wasn’t to be! I’ve got huge gigs coming up, and some pretty messy personal stuff too, so rather than do a half-baked job of the Academy I’m concentrating on the book for now.

The new expected launch of the Academy is later this year. Watch this space!

Connecting? I’m on LinkedIn a lot: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-raybould-presentations/ Let me know you’re connecting ‘cos of StoryMaking when you say hello 😉

And the more lighthearted stuff goes to Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonstorymaking/ Simon StoryMaking seems to have nice ring to it. See you there!