As human beings, we are wired to tell and listen to stories. We did it around campfires before the written word came along, and today we do it in books, though presentations, podcasts, video and more. And we still do it around campfires!

But if the book you are writing, or planning to write, is a business book or a thought leadership book, you may be wondering if stories really fit. The answer is a resounding YES! Use stories to illustrate your points, to give examples of how to use the learning your are imparting, to lighten up dry or heavy material.

Stories can be true, or just something you make up to enrich your book. I’m currently ghostwriting a self-help type of book that has a fictional story running through the whole book, illustrating points as they come up and making it more interesting and reader friendly.

Before I moved into writing books full time, I taught my own courses on business writing to groups at corporations and other businesses. Often people would say that they had expected to be bored but they weren’t — my favourite feedback of all! And why? Because I told stories. I told stories that made them think. I told stories that helped them understand. And best of all, I told stories that made them laugh.

You can do the same in your book. If this style of writing does’t come naturally to you, you might wait until you have finished the theoretical or technical material. Then ask a friend to go through it with you and simply tell you when there is a part they don’t understand. Ask yourself what story you could tell to make that part more clear. Could you talk about a past client who had a problem you helped solve with the method you are describing? Can you recall a long-ago incident, maybe even from your childhood, that would clarify the point you are making?

Jot the stories down and incorporate them in your draft. Don’t worry if they are not perfect right away, as you will improve and sharpen them in the editing process.

Makes notes of incidents that happen in the course of your days and think about how you might use them. When I was a professional keynote speaker, we used to joke that speakers never suffered from customer service, because they either got good service or another story for the platform!

What stories could you use to enrich your book?