The 7 Deadly Sins of Storytelling (and How to Repent)

If you’ve ever thought storytelling was just about “sharing your truth,” news flash: you’re probably boring people.

I’ve coached over 300 story drafts for What’s Your Story Slam—with a timer ticking, an audience voting, and no mercy for weak openings. And here’s the thing:

Most stories don’t bomb because they’re bad. They bomb because they break one of these seven sins.

Let’s dive in.

Sin #1 — Thinking your truth is enough

Submission example: “I want to share my journey of resilience…” Eight minutes later, it was all struggles, no scene. No stakes. No moment to hold on to.

Why it fails: Raw doesn’t mean ready. Without structure, your truth is a ramble.

Exercise: In three bullet points, write: – What’s at stake? – What changes? – Why now?

Sin #2 — No change = no story

Submission example: “My 30th birthday. Let’s go skydiving.” We got the edge, the jump, the scream… and then? She walked away the same person, just with a souvenir photo.

Why it fails: If you’re the same person at the end, you’ve reported an event — not told a story.

Exercise: Finish the sentence: “By the end of this story, I was…” If you can’t, dig deeper.

Sin #3 — Turning the mic into your therapy session

Submission example: A fresh breakup poured onto the page — raw emotion bleeding through every sentence.

Why it fails: If you’re still bleeding, the audience feels they need to manage you, not your story.

Fix: Tell from a scar, not a wound. Wait until you can reflect without re-breaking.

Sin #4 — Over-explaining the setup

Submission example: “In 2016, I was living in London. My flatmate was a teacher, and one of her students was from Brazil. She had…” Three paragraphs in, the story hadn’t started.

Why it fails: Attention is scarce. Earn it.

Fix: Drop us into a scene. Weave context in after you hook us.

Sin #5 — Weak openings

Submission example: “Back in the day, I used to…” vs. “The ambulance doors slammed shut, and I realised my phone battery was dead.” Guess which one made the reader hold their breath?

Why it fails: The first is a snooze. The second is a brain jolt.

Exercise: Rewrite your opening to start with: – Motion (“I slammed the door…”) – Mystery (“The letter was addressed to me — but in someone else’s handwriting.”) – Madness (“I never thought a durian would change my life.”)

Sin #6 — Rambling

Submission example: A two-week family trip written in strict day-by-day order: “First we landed… then we unpacked… then we…” By Day 3, the reader was gone.

Why it fails: Rambling isn’t depth — it’s self-indulgence.

Fix: Cut 70% of the timeline. Keep only the beats where stakes or emotion spike.

Sin #7 — Tidy endings

Submission example: A bittersweet job loss wrapped up with: “But it all worked out in the end!” The emotional investment evaporated.

Why it fails: Real stories aren’t spreadsheets. Loose ends can linger in the listener’s mind in powerful ways.

Fix: End with an image, line, or action that shows your takeaway — without spelling it out.

❤️ The Truth?

Your story isn’t about you. It’s about what others see in themselves—because of you.

At What’s Your Story Slam, we don’t do perfect. We do real.

🎯 Your Turn

What’s one thing you wish someone had told you before you shared your story? 👉 Hit reply and tell me. I read every response.

🗓️ Upcoming Events

🎭 Grace Under Fire (Applied Improv) – Aug 31
Learn to think on your feet and handle the unexpected with confidence.

🎤 What’s Your Story Slam – The Great Escape – Sept 9
Our signature storytelling event — stories of breaking free, taking chances, and adventures worth telling.

✨ Find Your Superpower Summit – Oct 31
I’ll be speaking at this global summit on unlocking your unique edge. Join me (and dozens of others) for one powerhouse day.

Forward this to a friend who's sitting on a story. The shortest distance between two people is always a good story

Talk soon,

Anna