5 ms·

Mundane actions need interruptions to become exciting and there have to be references to stuff you've mentioned earlier have somewhat of a story. Lame: I was g

by cJ0th 10y ago

Mundane actions need interruptions to become exciting and there have to be references to stuff you've mentioned earlier have somewhat of a story. Lame: I was going to school as usual. After I had arrived the bell rang and our biology teacher entered the classroom. He showed us a movie about wolfs. Better: I was going to school when all of a sudden a wolf started hunting me. It almost got me the second I entered school but fortunately I managed to close the door behind me just in time. When the bell rang our biology teacher entered the classroom and showed us a movie about wolfs! Can you believe it? I grew incredibly nervous when the narrator began talking about wolfs attacking humans. While the movie was still running I turned my head away from the screen for a second and glanced through the door's window. At first I wasn't sure what I was looking at. I only sensed movement. But then it became clear that the wolf which had followed me earlier this morning was strolling down the hall. Somehow he must have managed to sneak in.... Of course, you don't need a wolf chasing you to have material for an exciting story but the general principles still apply I think.

wale 10y ago
cJ0th. This is so spot on
WA 10y ago
Well, so what do you do if there was no wolf chasing you around? Because the question of your parent is: How do I tell mundane things in an entertaining way if nothing entertaining or exciting is happening in my life? One could argue: Then do something exciting, but I think what your parent poster wanted to say is: Some people still manage to tell stories about everyday things but make them interesting nevertheless. They don't experience something exciting in particular. Your example is good, but it actually only works because of the wolf chase.
- cJ0th 10y ago
  > They don't experience something exciting in particular. yes, but that's (somewhat) besides the point. The trick is to look for value in what you've got. A more mundane example: Lame: It was so hot this morning that I didn't want to go to work but I knew that I had to. During lunch I heard from my colleague from the other team that their boss had bought ice cream for them this morning. Too bad I wasn't on their team. Better: It was so hot this morning that I didn't want to go to work but I knew that I had to. The bus I was sitting on drove past an ice-cream vendor. "Man" I thought to myself, "it is so frustrating that I can't get off the bus right now to buy some ice-cream". During lunch I heard from my colleague from the other team that their boss had bought ice cream for them this morning. Too bad I wasn't on their team! When I then finally got out of office the ice-cream vendors were long gone but I still had an an ice-cream hunger to satisfy. So I went to McDonald's and ordered a McSundae. The guy behind the counter sighed and told me "Sorry, we're out of ice-cream since 10 am" I then gave up on my quest for ice cream and thought to myself: "For tommorrow, I need a plan..." In the "lame example" you just complain about two things (the heat and you being in the "wrong" them). In the "better example" you turn your appetite for ice-cream into a story instead.
  - WA 10y ago
    So like: Getting the ice cream is the goal, work is the conflict, other team has ice cream makes the craving more intensive and hopefully, there's some resolution to this journey.
    - gloverkcn 10y ago
      The other thing that makes the anecdotes better is avoiding thinking/emotional statements. Also using smiles and metaphors to give the listener something some color. Try to tie it back to an experience they’ve probably had. ---- How can it be so hot in the morning that you sweat right after the shower? My first shirt? I immediately sweated through it. On the bus I sweated through the second one too. The only open seats were the ones in the sun. That plastic was on fire! I had to shift around in my seat until it cooled enough for me to sit still. At one of the stops I spotted an ice cream cart. The smoke from the freezer floated out as the dude was reaching in to grab one of those drumstick cone. I would have bailed on work, bought the cart, and took a nap inside if we didn’t have that meeting scheduled. A couple hours ago I saw John walking with an ice cream cone. I was like “Where’d you get that?”. Turns out his manager has an ice cream social every week. I tried to crash it, but the break room had nothing but empty cartons in the trash. At this point, it’s like God himself is telling me “Go forth my son, find some ice cream.” So I went to Dairy Queen to get some Blizzard action. You know what? They were out of ice cream! I’m like “How can you be out of Ice Cream? Dairy is in your name!”, He’s smirks and said, “We still have cheese.”. CHEESE?!?!. So I ordered cheeseburger. It’s was good.
erikb 10y ago
Interrruptions are an easy way to increase attention. But it can't be the only thing. Or how do you explain a person studying a painting for hours. There is not the slightest change happening (to the painting) and yet it can be fascinating.

by cJ0th 10y ago

wale 10y ago

cJ0th. This is so spot on

WA 10y ago

Well, so what do you do if there was no wolf chasing you around? Because the question of your parent is: How do I tell mundane things in an entertaining way if nothing entertaining or exciting is happening in my life? One could argue: Then do something exciting, but I think what your parent poster wanted to say is: Some people still manage to tell stories about everyday things but make them interesting nevertheless. They don't experience something exciting in particular. Your example is good, but it actually only works because of the wolf chase.

cJ0th 10y ago
> They don't experience something exciting in particular. yes, but that's (somewhat) besides the point. The trick is to look for value in what you've got. A more mundane example: Lame: It was so hot this morning that I didn't want to go to work but I knew that I had to. During lunch I heard from my colleague from the other team that their boss had bought ice cream for them this morning. Too bad I wasn't on their team. Better: It was so hot this morning that I didn't want to go to work but I knew that I had to. The bus I was sitting on drove past an ice-cream vendor. "Man" I thought to myself, "it is so frustrating that I can't get off the bus right now to buy some ice-cream". During lunch I heard from my colleague from the other team that their boss had bought ice cream for them this morning. Too bad I wasn't on their team! When I then finally got out of office the ice-cream vendors were long gone but I still had an an ice-cream hunger to satisfy. So I went to McDonald's and ordered a McSundae. The guy behind the counter sighed and told me "Sorry, we're out of ice-cream since 10 am" I then gave up on my quest for ice cream and thought to myself: "For tommorrow, I need a plan..." In the "lame example" you just complain about two things (the heat and you being in the "wrong" them). In the "better example" you turn your appetite for ice-cream into a story instead.
- WA 10y ago
  So like: Getting the ice cream is the goal, work is the conflict, other team has ice cream makes the craving more intensive and hopefully, there's some resolution to this journey.
  - gloverkcn 10y ago
    The other thing that makes the anecdotes better is avoiding thinking/emotional statements. Also using smiles and metaphors to give the listener something some color. Try to tie it back to an experience they’ve probably had. ---- How can it be so hot in the morning that you sweat right after the shower? My first shirt? I immediately sweated through it. On the bus I sweated through the second one too. The only open seats were the ones in the sun. That plastic was on fire! I had to shift around in my seat until it cooled enough for me to sit still. At one of the stops I spotted an ice cream cart. The smoke from the freezer floated out as the dude was reaching in to grab one of those drumstick cone. I would have bailed on work, bought the cart, and took a nap inside if we didn’t have that meeting scheduled. A couple hours ago I saw John walking with an ice cream cone. I was like “Where’d you get that?”. Turns out his manager has an ice cream social every week. I tried to crash it, but the break room had nothing but empty cartons in the trash. At this point, it’s like God himself is telling me “Go forth my son, find some ice cream.” So I went to Dairy Queen to get some Blizzard action. You know what? They were out of ice cream! I’m like “How can you be out of Ice Cream? Dairy is in your name!”, He’s smirks and said, “We still have cheese.”. CHEESE?!?!. So I ordered cheeseburger. It’s was good.

erikb 10y ago

Interrruptions are an easy way to increase attention. But it can't be the only thing. Or how do you explain a person studying a painting for hours. There is not the slightest change happening (to the painting) and yet it can be fascinating.