The engine
Every memorable talk runs on three beats. Write one sentence for each and you have a spine.
AND — the world as it was
Set the scene in one concrete image. Not context; a picture.
For [time], [situation] worked like this: [one concrete detail a listener can see].
BUT — the thing that broke
The inciting incident. Something changes, and it must change for someone specific.
Then, on [day], [specific event]. And suddenly [what became impossible].
THEREFORE — what we did and what changed
The response, then the new world.
So we [specific action]. And now [concrete, measurable difference].
Stretch it with three scenes
Take your BUT and give it three scenes at increasing stakes:
- The door: the moment the problem first appears.
- The room: the moment you realise it is bigger than you thought.
- The mirror: the moment you realise what it is asking of you.
End where you began
Return to the opening image, changed.
[Opening image], except now [one concrete difference].
Rehearsal note: if you can say your AND, BUT and THEREFORE in three sentences, you can recover from losing your place anywhere in the talk.
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