Lately, I have been trying to become better at telling stories. Not like made up stories that I got online but like crazy shit that has happened to me or to someone else.

The problem I have run into though is that when I begin telling the story, I can never stay "in the moment". I always get distracted because, although I am amusing myself with this story, I am equally trying to impress my audience. I'll start out really good, but when I begin to notice that they are really enjoying my story, I start setting the expectations of myself to keep the story as good as it is and this makes me lose my train of thought. Most of the time I can get back on track and finish the story half ass, but then other times my audience just loses interest in me and this is not good for my social life!

I'm hoping I was clear enough on this. I just need to figure out how to stay "in the moment" and be clear of distractions. Any suggestions?

Something very important; never force the conversation back onto your story.

If you're telling a story and people start dialogue with you and the conversation moves away from your story, you never bring it back unless the conversation is dead. If your story telling is good; someone else will ask you to carry on.

There's loads of googlable ways to find out how to tell good stories and multitudes of people on here who could help out too so I won't add to that advice pile.

good reply! thanks

It has to do with clarity of thought. Sometimes you are trying to get in every little juicy detail and you get caught up trying to remember things and say them in the right order, then you have to back track, and it ends up fucking up the whole rhythm of your story.

Only you can prevent yourself from fucking up your own story. As with anything, you get better with practice. You can try recording yourself telling the story, then listen/watch it and pretend you are an outsider looking in. What would you find annoying about it? What could be better? This will also help you practice the art of telling stories since you are essentially reciting the story multiple times in a test environment.

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“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!” ~Audrey Hepburn

holy shit thanks man that should definitely help