Start Right Before The Bear

Wes Kao has a framework for storytelling: 'Start right before you get eaten by the bear.' If you're telling a camping story, don't start with going to REI, booking the campsite, the problematic website, the gas station on the drive. 'No one cares about all that. Start right before your friend left a Clif Bar out in their tent and you all almost got mauled by a bear. Get to the juicy part.'

Parents give instructions the same way they tell stories: with too much preamble. 'Remember when we were at the store and you wanted that toy but I said not today and then you got upset and...'

Your kid checked out after 'remember.'

Start at the bear. 'When you get angry, you can tell me with words instead of hitting.' That's it. That's the whole message. The context about the store, the toy, and the previous conversation? They were there. They remember. Cut to the point.

'Serve a little bit of context right before you get to the juicy part, but that's the idea - cut out all that backstory scope creep.'