Beyond “Once Upon a Time”: A Structure and Strategy Guide to Story Formats for Speakers & Business Owners

Ways to Make Your Message Unforgettable (With Examples!)

We’ve all heard the advice: “Just tell a story.”

And if you’ve ever heard that and thought, “Okay… but how?” – you’re not alone.

Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we all possess. But here’s the part most people don’t tell you: it’s not just telling a story that matters. It’s how you structure and deliver it that makes it unforgettable.

That’s where many speakers – and business owners – get stuck.

They default to one familiar format: “Here’s what happened to me, and here’s what I learned.”

Many of you have probably heard of the story ARC: the overall shape or structure of a story – how it begins, builds, reaches a climax, and then resolves. Think of it like the “map” of a narrative, showing the rise and fall of tension, conflict, and resolution.

At its core, a story arc usually includes:

1. Exposition (Setup) Introduces characters, setting, and the initial situation.
2. Rising Action Conflict or challenges emerge. Tension and stakes increase as the character pursues a goal.
3. Climax (Turning Point) The most intense or dramatic part of the story — where the outcome of the conflict hangs in the balance.
4. Falling Action Events that follow the climax and start moving toward resolution.
5. Resolution (Denouement) The conflict is resolved (for better or worse), and the story concludes with a sense of closure.

Writers/speakers often visualize this as a curve or mountain — the story starts flat, climbs with rising action, peaks at the climax, and then slopes down toward resolution.

There are also different types of story arcs, like:

• The Hero’s Journey (adventure, transformation, return)
• Tragedy (rise then fall)
• Comedy (chaos to harmony)
• Rags to Riches (steady rise)
• Fall then Rise (a comeback story)

Now, that works… sometimes. But if that’s your only tool, you’re leaving a lot of impact on the table. Because there are dozens of powerful storytelling formats – each designed for different goals, audiences, and emotional effects.

So, let’s change that. Many of these structures below incorporate the Story ARC within it, some don’t, it is up to you how you structure your story…Let’s get started!

Why the Right Story Structure Changes Everything

Let’s say you’re trying to teach a timeless lesson about perseverance.

You could tell a story about a time you overcame adversity.

Or… you could turn that lesson into a parable – stripping away all the fluff, using symbolic characters, and leaving your audience with a truth so simple it’s unforgettable.

Like: “A young bird once jumped before it could fly…”

And suddenly, it’s not just your story – it becomes everyone’s.

Classic structures like parables, fables, and allegories have been teaching moral truths for thousands of years. Why? Because the brain loves pattern and meaning. These formats aren’t just storytelling – they’re memory devices. Values encoded in narrative.

If your message is rooted in timeless wisdom, these structures will do the heavy lifting for you.

Don’t Have a Story? Use a Comparison.

Here’s a secret: not every message needs a full story arc. Sometimes, a single image does the job.

Like: “Your mind is a garden. What you water grows.”

That’s a metaphor – one of the fastest ways to make an abstract idea feel personal. It skips the timeline and jumps straight to insight. A simile or analogy does the same – just with a lighter or more logical touch.

These formats are great when you’re short on time, or when you need to break through cognitive fog fast. Perfect for keynotes, pitches, or any moment when your audience needs clarity – not buildup.

Sometimes It’s Not the Story – It’s the Structure

Let’s talk structure.

You might have the right story, but if you tell it in a flat, chronological way… your audience tunes out.

Instead, what if you start with the ending, then rewind to show how you got there?

Or jump around with flashbacks that slowly reveal the truth?

Playing with sequence – nonlinear, progressive disclosure, even cliffhanger pauses – turns a simple story into a compelling one. It adds tension, mystery, and energy. And more importantly, it engages the audience’s brain – because now they’re part of the puzzle.

Teaching? Combine Story with framework.

If you’re a speaker, coach, or entrepreneur, chances are you don’t just tell stories for fun – you use them to teach.

That’s where formats like the lecture with case studies, step-by-step storytelling, or thematic framework shine.

These aren’t bedtime stories. They’re business tools – frameworks where each step or theme is backed by a story that proves your point.

For example:

You’re teaching a 3-step method for handling conflict.

Each step is followed by a short, punchy story – real or hypothetical – that brings it to life.

Suddenly, your content isn’t just understandable. It’s memorable. And it sticks.

Want to Go Deeper? Layer Your Storytelling.

Let’s say you’re telling a story about leadership. But instead of one linear thread, you use two stories – from different people, different contexts – that converge on the same truth.

That’s a parallel narrative – a fantastic way to compare perspectives, build contrast, or showcase transformation.

Or you use a story within a story – maybe one from your past that reframes a story you’re telling today. That’s a nested narrative, and it adds depth, intimacy, and reflection.

These are more advanced formats – but when used well, they create real emotional impact.

Make the Audience the Character

Here’s a fun one: instead of telling your own story, invite your audience into one.

“Imagine you just walked into your office… and every single team member is staring at you.”

Hypothetical journeys and role reversals pull the audience into the scene. They don’t just listen – they feel. They become the character. And that shift turns passive listeners into emotionally engaged participants.

You can also flip the perspective: tell the story from the villain’s point of view. Or the bystander’s. Or even an object’s. That kind of twist can break bias and build empathy – fast.

The Power of Timing: Where You Place the Lesson Matters

You can take the same story and change its entire impact just by shifting when you reveal the lesson.

• Lesson at the end creates surprise and emotional payoff.
• Lesson up front gives clarity and lets the story become “proof.”
• Lesson in the middle reframes the rest of the story.
• Lessons scattered throughout keep engagement high during long talks.

This isn’t just a storytelling trick – it’s a strategy. If you want your message to convert, timing matters just as much as content.

HOW you tell the story – the words you use, the feelings you intentionally provoke, the images you conjure up in their minds – ALL of it matters and should be well thought out and strategically determined. 

Will you engage in hyperbole or exaggeration to heighten emotion or drama to showcase a point? Maybe you will downplay big moments, called understatement, to encourage the audience to lean in.

Often we use vivid, sensory immersion to paint the picture for them to better understand the story. Or well place foreshadowing and cliffhangers to keep their interest and have them hanging on every last word.

These are all examples of Emotional Amplifiers and Timing Devices (like the pregnant pause) and need to be intentionally determined and inserted for full effect and impact.  Too much is too much, too little is not enough.

I get it, we are professional speakers and speaker strategists and coaches so we are doing this all day every day…so it is like a second language to us and may feel like a foreign language to you. That is ok! 

How to Choose the Right Story Strategy and Structure is an art and a science, and it is not easy. Plus, it changes depending on the situation.

But let’s make this practical. Ask yourself:

1. Audience – What do they expect? What would surprise or delight them?
2. Message – Are you trying to inspire, teach, or persuade?
3. Time – Do you have space for a full arc, or do you need to get to the point?
4. Action – What do you want them to do because of this?

Once you’ve answered those, you can match your structure to your goal. That’s how you move from storytelling as entertainment… to storytelling as strategy.

Just remember, your stories are the most powerful marketing asset you already own. But if you’re only telling them one way, you’re only using a fraction of their power.

Once you master how to tell them – in dozens of formats that fit your message and audience – your stories stop just being told… they will start converting.

So don’t stop at “Once upon a time.”

Get strategic. Get intentional. And start using stories the way they’re meant to be used – to change minds, shape culture, and move people to act.

Download our 19 Types of Story Structures (with Emotional Amplifiers and Lesson Placements)