Storytelling and Humor Technique Any Speaker Can Use
I’m going to be honest—I don’t think everyone can be funny. We’ve all sat through someone trying to be funny, and it was awkward and painful, like watching a slow-motion car crash. Shoot—I’ve even been awkward and painful at times when trying out a new joke.
But there is one technique I believe anyone can do. And even if it doesn’t make you hilarious, it will at least make your storytelling dramatically more engaging—whether humor is your goal or not.
What’s at Stake?
This is a question actors ask themselves almost immediately when given a role. A story must have conflict in order to be a story. What a character stands to lose or gain shapes how they react—and that’s where the magic happens.
There are different levels of stakes:
- Deep emotional stakes: Love, pride, significance, revenge. (Think: "If I don’t confess my love, I’ll die alone!")
- Medium stakes: Job security, finances, major life changes. ("If I don’t land this job, I’ll have to move back in with my parents.")
- Surface-level stakes: Everyday frustrations. ("I just spilled coffee on my pajamas.")
Now, what happens if the stakes aren’t overcome?
- Low stakes: If I’m putting on my shoes for a walk and my shoelace breaks—meh, no big deal.
- Higher stakes: My shoelace breaks in the TSA line and I’m already late for my flight.
This simple question—what’s at stake?—can completely change the way a story unfolds.
Where Humor Comes In:
The key to comedy isn’t acting funny. It’s playing the moment dead serious—even when the stakes don’t match.
Melissa McCarthy is a genius at this. She takes tiny stakes and treats them like life-or-death situations. One of my favorite examples is this SNL sketch about getting a business loan. She is SO serious – especially towards the end that it’s hilarious but also loveable. Watch here.
But the opposite also works—when something genuinely high-stakes happens, but the character treats it like no big deal.
A perfect example? The Brothers Sun on Netflix. The characters are constantly in life-and-death situations, yet in the middle of a shootout, the brothers are bickering about who Mom loves more. That contrast? Comedy gold that’s brilliantly done. Again – they are serious. They are not trying to “act” funny. Watch here.
How to Apply This to Your Own Stories:
Next time you tell a story—on stage, at work, or even just to your friends—ask yourself:
- What’s at stake?
- How does the reaction compare to those stakes?
Try raising or lowering the stakes and see how that transforms the story to be more effective, urgent, funny and interesting.
And now for my typical sales pitch at the end:
-If you are in need of demo reel footage, I am offering an opportunity to be filmed AND get coached on your material beforehand. You can learn more about it here: https://www.boringtosoaringspeeches.com/demo-reel-experience-workshop
-I also still have a one-on-one coaching deal happening if you are ready to raise the stakes in your speaking career. 🙃 https://www.boringtosoaringspeeches.com/offers/uLbawzDd/checkout
Kindly, Stacy P.
