Here's the secret formula for a TED Talk. Storytelling genres.

I get asked this a lot: What's the formula? As if there is a secret formula for all TED and TEDx talks ever given. When someone asks me it’s usually in a hushed voice, as if I have a secret I’m only sharing with them. It’s adorable, actually.

So lean in because I’m about to give you the secret. But you need to promise you aren’t going to tell anyone. Ok?

Here’s the secret:

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There is no formula.

The end.

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Why do people think there’s a formula?

When someone asks for the secret TED formula, I immediately ask what type of TED talks they like. Generally, they are only listening to one general topic like hard science, social science, psychology, human interest, international affairs, etc. And it is true that if you stay in one lane, it could possibly seem like all talks are the same. To think all TED talks are the same tells me that you need to branch out more. Expand your typical listening patterns. Allow yourself to delight in something you didn’t know you wanted to know. For me this was Suzanne Simard’s “How trees talk to each other.”

Seriously. Trees talk to each other. The Ents are real.*

It's probably just easier to think that there’s a formula and if you discover the secret sauce, the holy grail, the fountain of youth … that you will be an instant sensation. All of your problems go away. You can help millions of people, etc. But I’m here to tell you that there is no formula. Still don't believe me?

Looking for the secret formula distracts you from the hard work of speechmaking. This is why there are so many bad, and I mean REALLY bad, talks out there. It doesn't matter if it's TED or TEDx, politicians, community, etc. We've all listened to really, ridiculously bad talks. And in my experience the bad talks are from people who focus more on polish than the story structure. No intentionality. No rigorous thought about how things fit together. Good talks don't just happen. They are created.

Comedian Lewis Black compares the writing process to stabbing your hand over and over again with a pencil. It's hard, painstaking work that requires diligence, creativity, flexibility, and thoughtfulness.

People I’ve talked to who think there’s a formula tend to want the easy way out. As if anyone can give a TED talk. So the thought goes: just birth an idea, search for the secret elixir of TED, and you will become the next viral sensation. I hate to break it to you but that’s just not happening.

Organizational patterns are not the answer.

Why? Because there is no formula no matter how much someone wants to think that there is. In educational institutions, public speaking textbooks give us “organizational patterns” like spatial, chronological, problem-solution, etc. It’s a cookie cutter approach to communication. You input the information into the organizational pattern and out poops a talk. (Did you pick that up?) I wish it were that easy. It’s not. Organizational patterns do not reflect how anyone talks outside of competitive speech tournaments and public speaking classes. And if you ever hear a speech coach telling you about organizational patterns, run away as quickly as you can.

Instead, writing and presenting a talk is hard. There are no shortcuts. There are no hidden secrets … well, other than this one: people have used non-fiction storytelling genres for millennia.

You read that right. Sometimes people know about these genres; most of the time they don't. While there's no formula for easy speechwriting, there are general storytelling genres that provide purpose, direction, and the guardrails to keep your message on the road and help you avoid accelerating off a cliff.

Storytelling genres are just like literary or movie genres but different because they are meant for non-fiction storytelling. I call this real life storytelling. Some of these genres overlap. Some do not. The difference is that, I’ll say it again, storytelling genres have been around for millennia. As someone with a Ph.D. in Communication/Rhetoric, I’ve been studying and using these genres to create content for years.

What are storytelling genres?

Storytelling genres are, most generally, the shape or form the story takes. Each genre will emphasize some parts over others. While one genre emphasizes the context/situation, other genres emphasize what we wish could be in the future. So, a genre is only useful when you have a clear idea and know what you hope to accomplish (reflection, action, or awareness).

Storytelling genres are a very old concept that few people (not even the best speechwriters or speaker coaches) know about, let alone use. Yet knowing that storytelling genres exist and how to use them are a completely different matter.

So, TED and TEDx talks aren’t any more formulaic than other good speeches. The best ones use a genre, whether they know it or not. Genres are powerful because we use them automatically. It’s like we are drawn to certain kinds of stories. But does this make our talks less authentic? Of course not.

Genres don't make your talks less authentic. They put your message in a form that people recognize. It's this recognition that creates resonance and puts a message in a position to be heard.

There are dozens of storytelling genres out there but I’ll only mention a few here: deliberative, epideictic/ceremonial, forensic, prophetic, constitutive, and friendship. Each of these genres will tell a story in a very different way. They emphasize different things and will shape your message differently. Before we get to the specifics, let’s think about this using movie genres.

What's your favorite movie genre?

What's your favorite type of movie? Action? Horror? Rom Com? Superhero? Drama?

Let's do a thought experiment:

Think about the general storyline (this is a narrative arc) of your favorite movie genre? How are these movies put together? Different genres can do different things. Different genres emphasize different things.

Take some time to think about this genre and what makes it unique. What are the key elements/features of that genre (the where, when, why, how, so what).

Next, what movie genre do you hate? Put the storyline from your favorite movie into that genre. What happens? How does the story change?

While there is no formula for a TED talk (or any talk), there are story telling genres that can help us.

The next few posts will talk in much greater detail about non-fiction storytelling genres.

*Apologies for the Lord of the Rings reference. But who doesn't love the Ents?!