The Stakes & Suspense Toolkit
by Matthew Dicks • Storyteller, Author & Elementary School Teacher at Speak Up
A 59-time Moth Story Slam winner and 9-time Grand Slam champion who teaches storytelling to individuals and companies like Slack, Amazon, and Salesforce. He is also the author of the best-selling book 'Storyworthy'.
🎙️ Episode Context
Matthew Dicks breaks down the science and art of storytelling, explaining why it is a critical skill for business differentiation. He shares tactical frameworks for structuring stories around moments of transformation, techniques to maintain audience engagement through stakes, and methods to connect personal anecdotes to business contexts.
Problem It Solves
Keeps the audience engaged and wondering 'what happens next' throughout a presentation.
Framework Overview
To prevent audiences from tuning out, speakers must insert stakes—reasons for the audience to worry or wonder. Stakes should be distributed throughout the story, not just front-loaded.
🧠 Framework Structure
The Elephant: A clear signal at the b...
The Backpack: Telling the audience yo...
The Hourglass: Slowing down time with...
The Crystal Ball: Predicting a specif...
When to Use
During lengthy presentations or when discussing dry data where audience attention usually drifts.
Common Mistakes
Front-loading all the excitement/stakes at the start and letting the middle sag.
Real World Example
In the 'Charity Thief' story, Matthew uses a Crystal Ball by predicting that if he fails, the girl will cry in front of 22 classmates and be scarred for life.
If your audience isn't wondering what you're about to say, they're no longer listening to you.
— Matthew Dicks