The Seven Deadly Sins of Storytelling outlines things you must not do when telling stories. Turning it round the other way, here are Jennifer Aaker’s recommendations:
1. Tell the important bits first: make it interesting
2. Show, don’t tell
3. Use plain words
4. Make people the protagonists (lose the passive tense!)
5. Make it true
6. It’s OK to fail
7. Stories come from everywhere.
Read her words here.
