The Last Handshake: Episode 4 Principle 4: Relatable

Summary

"The Last Handshake: Episode 4" discusses the importance of relatability in storytelling, illustrated through the author's personal connection to a friend's cancer diagnosis, paralleling his father's battle with the same disease.

Abstract

In "The Last Handshake: Episode 4," author Tim Maudlin delves into Principle 4: Relatable, emphasizing the need for stories to resonate with readers' experiences. He shares his emotional journey upon learning about his friend Jim's cancer diagnosis, which mirrors his father's struggle with the illness. Maudlin reflects on the impact of Jim's encouragement and his regret at not expressing gratitude. The narrative underscores the power of relatability in storytelling, as the reader can see themselves in the author's story, fostering a deeper connection. The episode concludes with a teaser for the next principle, Intrigue, and an invitation to subscribe for more insights using the ACRONYM template.

Opinions

The author believes that a story's relatability is crucial for reader engagement, allowing them to see themselves in the narrative.
Maudlin conveys a personal opinion that stories should evoke empathy and connection, particularly in the face of shared human experiences like illness and loss.
He expresses a sense of urgency in acknowledging those who have positively influenced us, as illustrated by his need to express appreciation to Jim before it's too late.
The author's use of his own life events to demonstrate storytelling principles suggests a conviction that real-life experiences are the most potent material for storytelling.
There is an implicit opinion that storytelling is not just an art form but also a tool for personal growth and interpersonal connection.

Episode 4

Principle 4: Relatable There needs to be something in your stories that people can relate to. Something they can understand, something to establish a connection. And when done right, the reader will see themselves in your story.

The news I got about Jim was something my family was also going through.

I hadn’t seen Jim in a while and I was starting to wonder why? This was unusual. I was used to seeing Jim at gospel meetings. Then one day, I heard the news from a mutual friend. Jim has CANCER!

All of us know someone, whether a friend or a family member, that has had cancer. Unfortunately, no one is immune to the effects of this disease. Cancer touches all of our lives.

The news about Jim was especially hard for me because my Dad had cancer too. Dad’s cancer had gone into remission but it had come back. Now, there were two men I looked up to who had this horrible disease.

Like my Dad, Jim had been such a strong individual and for him to have cancer really concerned me. I saw the toll it was taking on my Dad.

But there was something else that troubled me. Jim had encouraged me all of these years and I had never told him how much he meant to me.

There was no question of what I needed to do!

Coming next: Principle 5: Intrigue I knew Jim had cancer but I didn’t know how much time he had left. I just knew I had to tell him what he meant to me before it was too late.

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I’m Author, Storyteller, and Template Architect, Tim Maudlin. This story about stories was brought to you by the ACRONYM template.

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This article was originally published on my website at DoWhatYouCanNow.com

The Last Handshake: Episode 4 Principle 4: Relatable

A story about stories

Stories, the tapestry of our lives.

Episode 4

The Last Handshake: Episode 5 Principle 5: Intrigue

A story about stories

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