Today we're going to talk about a new story-telling technique, one that I call "meaningful detours".

But before going into the actual description of the technique, let me tell you a little story.

On my way to the park where I run, there is this narrow street. Old buildings are shadowing the sidewalks and small, hipster coffee shops or eateries are flanked by decrepit, graffiti covered entries. It's a strange mix of fresh and old. During the winter, the street is even stranger, as you have to literally walk in the middle of it, because huge icicles are haunting you from the rococo roofs.

In front of one of these decrepit, graffiti covered entries, I see very often a man. He seems to limp, he looks like he is in his early sixties and he spends a lot of time outside. His face is most of the time red and every once in while he smiles a lot. Sometimes, he sells old books. But most of the time he just looks at people and waits for something.

A few weeks ago, he approached me with a neutral question, something like "nice weather to run, right?" and I answered back, igniting a small conversation. Since then, every time he sees me, we exchange a few words. Sometimes he asks me for money. Sometimes I give him just a few RON, sometimes I don't. But regardless of that, we're always having a good time chatting.

I'm having a hard time defining him as a beggar, nor as a drinker. But obviously, he is both. I tend to think of him as a nice, sociable guy who goes through some hard times. The way he talks, the way he behaves, the way he treats other people even when he's obviously drunk, everything tells that he's a nice person.

The other day when we briefly talked, he asked me for money again and I didn't have any to give. But he smiled and said a few nice words. And I thought, "this is really a nice guy, I don't care if he drinks or if he begs, he really is ok".

And as I came home I realized that kindness and being polite will always serve you. Even if you ask people for money, as long as you're being kind and polite, everything will work out well. You may or you may not get money, but the interaction will be clean.

Keep that in mind when you write. Even if you write selling copy, or some texts in which you are obviously asking for money, be kind and polite. It goes a long way.

As you already realized, this story is an example of a "meaningful detour", a way to tell stories that will immerse your reader in a parallel universe, only to get him back on track, with the message you always had for him. Got it?

Good, now let's move to the assignment area.

Assignment: write a short piece (no longer than 4-500 words), containing an intro, an interweaved story and a finale with a conclusion illustrating something from the story. As always, the topic is at your choice. Don't forget to leave me a comment here, as I may overlook the article if you're just tagging it with `challenge30` and `story`. You have 24 hours.

Looking forward to read your stories!

This is a 15 sessions story telling crash-course I'm doing on Steemit, the goal being to improve the writing skills of all members of this community. You can see the launch post and a curricula including all sessions here. Each session contains an assignment for which you have 24 hours. I will read and review all the assignments, and award a symbolic prize of 1SBD to the "winner".

Links to previous sessions:

Let's tell some stories and have some fun!

image source - Pixabay

I'm a serial entrepreneur, blogger and ultrarunner. You can find me mainly on my blog at Dragos Roua where I write about productivity, business, relationships and running. Here on Steemit you may stay updated by following me @dragosroua.

You can also vote for me as a Steemit witness here:
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Story Telling Crash Course - Session Seven: Meaningful Detours

Looking forward to read your stories!