Story Weaving, Callbacks, And Self-Deprecating Humor

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Many years ago, a young aspiring columnist asked an established author what it takes to be a writer. “To write, you need to find your pen,” said the wordsmith. “To write well, you need to find your voice.”

“Find your voice?” What does that mean?

I never understood that expression. It seemed like a cop out. It’s what you tell a young buck when you don’t have a real answer. After all, everyone is looking for that magic bullet, that sure-fire secret that makes you a success.

Well, after years of writing, it dawned on me the answer to “How can I be a good writer?” is obvious. You need to find your voice. I can’t tell you what it means, but I can tell you it’s true.

I can, however, tell you what you need to do to find your voice. It’s actually quite simple. You must write. Often. Incessantly. Without regard for the blue pen of the editor.

Eventually, you’ll notice you’ve created a mental template that guides your word craft. You may even have multiple templates if you write in different ways for different audiences. For example, you wouldn’t write a romance novel the same way you write an action-adventure thriller.

What can be said of writing can also be said of speaking. In fact, those “magic” elements you find in good writing also have their place in good speaking. They might come out differently (i.e., writing is often more formal and more structured than speaking), but the concepts remain the same. For example, story weaving, callbacks, and self-deprecating humor engage the audience in ways that can leave a lasting impression. Here’s why:

Story Weaving. As the name implies, this idea most clearly resembles writing. Whether using a pen to extend your voice or using your vocal cords, you’re taking a story and threading it through a larger narrative. In a speech, it isn’t the main subject of the lecture. The drama inherent to this story teases the audience into wanting more. Think of this as leaving several cliffhangers throughout your broader presentation.

Done well, story weaving doesn’t distract from the topic while providing a resonating echo of the theme. It generally presents a metaphor or supporting message to create an emotional connection with your audience.

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and John Kennedy’s inaugural speech both used story weaving in a similar way. They each used their speeches to weave the story of the nation’s founding throughout their primary premise. Lincoln reflected on a nation “conceived in liberty” and “dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” to emphasize how Gettysburg merely extended the fight for freedom that began with the Revolutionary War. He wanted his audience to embrace the concept that preserving our Union harked back to this shared heritage.

Kennedy, on the other hand, played a more subtle hand. He told the story of the American Revolution to inspire what he called a “new generation of Americans” to carry on the legacy left them by the Founding Fathers. His rhetoric technique had the audience imagine themselves as part of America’s ongoing story. This inspired a patriotic ire that connected our country’s past with the present.

Callbacks. This element works in conjunction with story weaving. Story weaving makes callbacks more effective and more natural to the ears of the audience. A callback refers to something said earlier. Comedians use them on unsuspecting audiences. Oddly, they may seem unrelated to the plot line of a narrative. The very nature of sticking out like a sore thumb, however, makes the principal motif more apparent. Callbacks can be utilized as “Easter Eggs,” inside jokes between the performer and the audience.

The movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off contains plenty of callbacks to Ferris’ supposed ailment. They appear just in time to further antagonize his sister, who knows he’s playing hooky just to spend a day having fun. Whether it’s being asked to donate to a collection for Ferris’ “surgery” or seeing the water tower with the phrase “Save Ferris,” she’s constantly tormented.

These callbacks remind us that Ferris is breaking the rules. Sure, it’s wrong, but is it that wrong? There’s a certain appeal to the renegade spirit of mavericks who buck the establishment. That’s what Ferris Bueller represents. Every time we see a reference to his lie about being sick, it brings us closer to his character. We are, after all, in on his secret.

You can use callbacks in your speaking to create a rhythm to your presentation that emphasizes your core messages. Callbacks make it more likely that message will stick with the audience.

Self-deprecating Humor. If you notice one thing about these elements we’re discussing, they all encourage audience participation. They draw the audience into your performance. You become more accessible, more likable, and, therefore, more credible.

You might also notice, as we’ve progressed in this essay, they each become more humorous. Story weaving can introduce opportunities to tell jokes. Artfully timed callbacks can bring laughs, too. But nothing works better when it comes to funny as self-deprecating humor.

We’ve all been told to start a talk with a joke. It loosens the audience up. It also loosens you up. But what if you’re not comfortable telling jokes? What if you’re concerned your joke might offend people? Making fun of yourself overcomes both obstacles. Making a joke at your own expense lightens the mood and makes you more relatable. It also reduces the likelihood you’ll offend someone.

Ronald Reagan was a master at self-deprecating humor. He constantly poked fun at his own age. This dampened concern that he was too old to serve as president. He also used his role as a politician to ease anxiety in serious situations. After taking a bullet in a failed assassination attempt, Reagan famously quipped to the doctors about to operate on him, “I hope you’re all Republicans.”

This witty remark not only calmed a nation’s nerves, but it endeared Reagan to the public. The self-deprecating line showed he could remain funny and poke fun at himself, even in the face of adversity. Not many could reduce tension and inspire confidence after being shot.

Self-deprecating humor works because it builds rapport with the audience. It makes you seem humble and approachable. It encourages your audience to connect to you and be supportive of what you’re about to say.

Try incorporating these techniques into your next presentation. Practice weaving a story into the body of your talk. Treat it as a subplot that supports or complements your main story. Find ways to reference what you said earlier with a witty callback or two. Finally, don’t be afraid to make fun of yourself (in an appropriate manner). Starting a speech with self-deprecating humor can be good for you and your audience.

You’ll find these tools reinforce your message and better engage your audience. By strengthening your public speaking skills in this way, you can improve your ability to communicate and connect.

What should you do the next time you want to captivate and move your audience? Use the methods described above. You’ll not only leave the audience smiling, but you’ll be amazed at how satisfied you will become.

Jack Kemp: All American

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A lot of people were much closer to Jack Kemp than I, but a lot more people did not know him as well as I did. Only a few remaining Americans can say what I can: “I was there at the beginning.”

Jack Kemp, who passed away in 2009, emerged on the national scene not in the political arena passing historic legislation, but on the gridiron field and into passing history. He was forged in a time when most Americans believed in and followed the Boy Scout Law. He played among those people, he lived among those people, and, eventually, he came to represent those people. I know. I was one of them.

Friends, conservatives, liberals, and countrymen, I write not to rebury Jack Kemp, but to Continue Reading “Jack Kemp: All American”

Why America’s Founding Secretly Influences You

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You don’t have to be an American to say you’re an American. That was the whole idea of the American Experiment – it was meant for all nations, not just those uppity Tea Partiers who frolicked in Boston Harbor a few centuries back. But this experiment didn’t start with the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence or even the United States Constitution. It began with a collection of oppressed runaways and an accidental metaphor that endures to this day.

After reading a perhaps too rosy account of the Plymouth Colony by the Pilgrims Edward Winslow and William Bradford, excitement grew in England to establish more companies to Continue Reading “Why America’s Founding Secretly Influences You”

‘There Must Be A Pony In Here Somewhere!’

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If you’re old enough to remember simpler times, you’ll recall this title as the punch-line to one of President Reagan’s favorite jokes. The gag revealed not only Reagan’s engaging sense of humor, but also a lot about his political philosophy and his outlook on life.

The essence of the story goes something like this. It’s Christmas morning and two young brothers hurriedly amble towards the Christmas tree to discover their gifts. On one side lay piles of wonderful toys for one of the boys. He looked at it and sorrowfully said, “They’ll all be broken in a day or two.” The other boy’s gift, on the other side of the tree, was nothing but a pile of manure. He quickly grabbed a shovel and began to dig, joyfully telling his dour sibling, “There’s must be a pony in here somewhere!”

It’s the age-old tale of the wonders of optimism contrasted with the annoyance of Continue Reading “‘There Must Be A Pony In Here Somewhere!’”

Sorry, Mr. President, It’s Not “Flee” New York, It’s “Free” Western New York

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If you’re from Greater Western New York, you love it. That makes you part of a long tradition. American patriots felt the same way during the Revolutionary War. In 1779, George Washington dispatched General Sullivan to thwart the British and their Iroquois allies based in Western New York from continuing their lethal terror attacks on the small towns and settlements along the edge of the then New York frontier. When Sullivan’s troops first laid eyes on the beautiful landscape, they immediately knew where they wanted to spend the rest of their lives: Western New York.

Why would you be any different? And yet, living in Western New York too often becomes a burden. Although not as bad as it was decades ago, outsiders continue to disrespect our region. We’ve been the butt of late-night TV jokes. Organizations routinely bypass our bounty, lured by promised riches from others. Even our own state leaders forsake us. We’ve seen this as recently as when the New York-Albany axis decided to use our Continue Reading “Sorry, Mr. President, It’s Not “Flee” New York, It’s “Free” Western New York”

George and Me

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Bush turned to me and said, “C’mon, let’s put our arms around each other to show everyone we’re friends.”

You may not remember this. Leonard Zelig was the kind of ordinary everyday man who  you’d expect to live an ordinary everyday life. Somehow, though, he managed to find himself regularly appearing with extraordinary celebrated people during extraordinary celebrated events. Leonard Zelig isn’t a real person. Never was. Yet Woody Allen’s brilliant 1983 mockumentary Zelig left theater-goers thinking he was.

It seems like we all have our Leonard Zelig moments. We live each ordinary day in an ordinary way. Then, fate brings us face-to-face with extraordinary people in extraordinary times. Think about the times you’ve found yourself at the same shop with a movie or TV star – someone who seems so distant because our only connection to them is through some unapproachable media context. When we’re young, that can be a very exciting thing. As we age, we come to understand those distant stars are no different than us.

Like you, I’ve had my fair share of close encounters. Like the time I rode the train seated across from Pearl Bailey. (Don’t remember her? Read “My Lunch with Pearl Bailey,” Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel, September 13, 1990, to find out more about the incident and the subject.) I always tried my best to be polite and respect the person as a person. (Except in the case of John Dean, who, while having dinner with him, I bluntly said, “You Continue Reading “George and Me”

How Has Your Life Changed in the Past 30 Years?

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By Raphaël Thiémard from Belgique (Berlin 1989, Fall der Mauer, Chute du mur) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Where were you in 1989? Were you glued to the television watching the Berlin Wall come down, symbolizing the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the dawning of democracy in Western Europe? Perhaps, instead, you marveled at the picture of the one lone protestor in Tiananmen Square stare down a column of tanks as China decided it would not experience the same fate as its communist rival. Back on the brighter side, evil nemesis Ayatollah Khomeini died, although that didn’t seem to change much. Oh, yeah, and George H. W. Bush was sworn in what many expected to mark the beginning of Ronald Reagan’s “third” term.

Maybe, rather than the geopolitick, you preferred the here and now of the budding world of technology. You probably couldn’t believe this “486” chip just introduced by Intel could make “home” computers (that’s what they were called then) operate so fast. Little did you know you’d need that extra power to best use Microsoft’s new entry into the business software market with its product called “Office.” (And, if you were like most of us, you’d have thought only a fool would believe Excel could supplant Lotus’ 1-2-3.) Less interested in home computers? How about home video games? Nintendo releases something called a “Game Boy,” an 8-bit handheld system featuring interchangeable cartridges that revolutionized the industry.

High tech not your gig? No doubt you spent time waiting in line at the post office to buy a Continue Reading “How Has Your Life Changed in the Past 30 Years?”

Leadership Lessons of Ronald Reagan

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February once offered two holidays: Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12th and George Washington’s birthday on February 22nd. In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, moving “Washington’s Birthday” from February 22nd to the third Monday in February. Gone was “Lincoln’s Birthday” and the holiday soon became the generic “Presidents’ Day” we celebrate today (though the federal government still officially calls it “Washington’s Birthday”). It is in the spirit of “Presidents’ Day” that we mark February as “Presidents’ Month.” We will do so by devoting each weekly Commentary to the leadership lessons learned from the four presidents born in February.

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. After a workmanlike acting career, Reagan served as governor of California before becoming our nation’s fortieth president. He remains one of the most popular and successful of our chief executives and is often referenced by Republicans and Democrats alike. (On a historical note, it wasn’t always that way, and those old enough to remain recall how the establishment’s reaction to Reagan’s inauguration was just as dour as what we see happening with President Trump today.)

Much has been written about Reagan’s leadership style and how it fueled consistent accomplishment. Some characterizations of Reagan unintentionally revealed the secret of Continue Reading “Leadership Lessons of Ronald Reagan”

Why Trump Won’t Lead The Reagan Revolution

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In the spirit of this week’s Presidential Inauguration, I’m going to do something I rarely do: I going to share with you a personal correspondence. Early last year, just as the Republican primary was starting to get interesting, a classmate of mine who writes for the National Review went full speed into the “Never Trump” camp. In March, I penned this letter to her:

Maggie:

Too bad most of the comments on your “Good-Bye Reagan Revolution!” article are ad hominem attacks on you; thus, have no validity. I’ll speak to you on a more personal level since we grew up together in the midst of the Reagan Revolution. First some background, in case you forgot (and I have no reason to believe you remember). In 1979/1980 I was (and Continue Reading “Why Trump Won’t Lead The Reagan Revolution”

Here’s What I Learned When I was a Professional Political Pollster

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agreement-survey-scale-1-1236335-660x395Imagine being a physics and astronomy major at a school interested in politics and government where the most popular major is political science and economics. It’s tough. You can’t engage in discussions, you can only listen. You know nothing, unless the conversation turns towards nuclear energy policy (which it almost never does) or space exploration (which it doesn’t ever).

That was me heading into the 1980 presidential primary season. I was nothing more than a naïve cheerleader. I wanted to be more, but what? In an ocean of future neo-cons, think tank thinkers, and government policy makers, I was merely a small deserted isle that didn’t even merit a place on the map. I tried and tried to think of a way I could add value, to discover something in one of the classes I took that would generate at least interest, if not respect, among my more politically knowledgeable classmates. About the only unique differentiator I offered was that I had lived in Jack Kemp’s congressional district, but that was just a novelty of coincidence.

Then it struck me. While all these talking heads spent their class time debating the merits Continue Reading “Here’s What I Learned When I was a Professional Political Pollster”

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