There are lots of elements to a good story. You need to grab the reader or listener’s attention. You must share the story line with enough description to draw the others into the details of the story. The characters need to feel real or at least interesting. A reader must be able to follow the story line. Does the vocabulary selected bring vivid pictures to the listeners mind? Does everyone understand the vocabulary? Is humor appropriate? How about the conclusion. Will the reader walk away thinking they were moved by the story? Will he remember it long enough to share it with another person?
These questions are often asked by a Composition 101 instructor but they need to be considered by a person advocating for her child. Today, we begin a series on learning to tell your story in such a way that you get people to listen. The listener or reader needs to feel like this is a unique story. It’s not like the other 100 stories that he has heard this year from parents. If a parent can tell her story in a unique way it will grab others attention. This is how to encourage a provider to take a special interest in your child as you seek individualize solutions.
Other the next few Mondays, we will look at various elements of telling your child’s story so people will pay attention. Join me as we learn another aspect of being a great advocate for a child.
