We’re all familiar with the Peanuts comic strips from our childhood– Snoopy sitting on top of his doghouse working furiously on his typewriter trying to come up with the greatest story every told. Usually they begin in a cliché way (It was a dark and stormy night…) and usually, they’re rejected. Poor Snoopy.
In 2002, Monte Schultz, the son of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, and Barnaby Conrad, an author and artist, asked 30 authors and entertainers to choose their favorite Snoopy cartoon and respond to it with a 500-word essay on the writing life. Snoopy’s Guide to the Writing Life was the result. Here are a few writing tips from Barnaby Conrad– based on his favorite Snoopy cartoon, which you can read here– and ways that you can apply those tips to your next presentation.
“Try to pick the most intriguing place in your piece to begin.”
While you’re brainstorming, it’s important to establish what flow and organization you’re going to follow throughout the presentation. An easy way to decide what to start with is to follow Conrad’s advice and pick the most intriguing information you have. If you engage your audience immediately, they’ll be much more likely to remain engrossed throughout the entire presentation. Start off as strongly as possible.
“Most important, no matter what method you choose, start with something happening!”
It’s easy to rely on explanations, definitions and facts to introduce your presentation, but it’s infinitely more engaging if your presentation starts with a story where something, anything, everything happens. Save the statistics and data for the middle of your presentation (unless that data illustrates a situation unfolding). Rather than have a character ruminate about something, Conrad says, have them do something. Create an introduction where the characters change, the scene changes, or the situation changes. Make something happen. Avoid static displays of information. Engage your audience with a dynamic occurrence at the onset.
“Remember: Always aim for the heart!”
A great little token of advice that’s illustrated in most every Peanuts cartoon. Tug at those heartstrings! Storytelling exists to make people feel something. And making people feel something is the best way to incite them to act. If you want your audience to embrace the message of your presentation and act upon it accordingly, get them to connect with it on an emotional level. You can’t go wrong with an appeal to their heart. If it works for Snoopy, it’ll work for you. We promise.
