---
name: "talk_story_structure"
description: "Structure a talk or lecture as a narrative, not a fact pile: pick a spine pattern (contrast, Monroe, ABT, comparative), write a hook from the audience's present, bridge beats with signpost transitions, and land a closing that earns its ending. Triggers on 'structure my talk', 'help me write a lecture', 'presentation outline', 'speech structure', 'make my talk memorable', or 'how do I open/close this talk'."
---

# Talk Story Structure

## Purpose

Most talks fail because they are stacked facts. This skill turns a topic into a narrative: one spine, a hook rooted in where the audience is right now, transitions that carry them between beats, and a closing written before the rest. Output is a complete talk outline an agent or human can rehearse from.

## Workflow

### 1. Intake: where the audience is, where they need to land

Ask or infer and write down:
- Who is in the room and what do they already believe about this topic.
- What should they think, feel, or do differently when the talk ends.
- The **big idea**: one complete sentence, and what is at stake if they ignore it.

Write the audience's present tense in their words. If you cannot state their "what is" in a sentence, you are not ready to structure.

### 2. Pick one spine

Choose based on intent. One spine per talk.

| Spine | Shape | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| **Contrast** (Duarte) | Alternate "what is" (their current reality) with "what could be" (the future vision), 3-4 cycles, end on the new bliss | Vision talks, keynotes, persuasion with a future at stake |
| **Monroe** (Monroe, 1935) | Attention -> Need -> Satisfaction -> Visualization -> Action | Fundraising, advocacy, sales, any talk that ends with an ask |
| **ABT** (Olson) | Chain of And (setup) -> But (tension) -> Therefore (resolution) blocks per section | Lectures, explainers, research talks, anything that teaches |
| **Comparative** | Two options side by side, stacked evidence, one wins | Decisions, tool picks, strategy debates |

Never blend spines. If the talk wants two, split it into two talks.

### 3. Write the hook from their present

The first 30 seconds start in the audience's world, not yours. Pick one hook type and write the literal opening line:

- **Startling fact or statistic**: one number that breaks an assumption they walked in with.
- **Prop, image, or demo**: "Let me show you something." Show first, explain after.
- **Bold claim**: state what they will walk out able to do or see differently.
- **Personal story**: a real moment from your world that mirrors theirs. Keep it under 60 seconds, make the hero someone the audience can be.

Then write the **link**: one sentence explaining how the hook connects to the big idea. A hook with no link is a gimmick; cut it.

### 4. Beat out the body, one ABT per beat

Each main beat follows setup -> tension -> payoff. For each beat write:
- The beat's claim (one sentence).
- Its tension: the "but" that makes this beat necessary.
- Its evidence: one proof point, verified. See Operating Rules.
- **The transition out**: a signpost line that acts like a crosshead ("That is the problem in the room. Here is what fixes it."). Write it verbatim.

Transitions every 7-10 minutes. Plant **one open loop** per talk: ask a question early ("I will tell you what the number was") and pay it off at least two beats later.

### 5. Write the closing first, then finalize

Write the ending before you polish the middle. Choose one closing:

- **Callback**: finish a story you opened and left hanging in the hook.
- **Circle-back**: return to the opening fact, quote, or question and re-read it with new meaning.
- **Repeat phrase**: build one repeated line to a crescendo (works when the talk already used the phrase twice).
- **Direct ask**: state exactly what they should do, and what happens if they do nothing.

Closings are never a pure summary. After the closing line, the talk is over. No "any questions" slide.

### 6. Run the structure check

Fill the outline template at `references/talk-outline-template.md`, then run:

```
python3 bin/check_talk_outline.py outline.md
```

Fix what it flags, then rehearse the hook and closing aloud once. If either feels clunky spoken, rewrite it.

## Output Contract

A finished outline contains all of:
- Title and big idea (one sentence each).
- Audience present-tense snapshot.
- Chosen spine, named.
- Hook: verbatim opening line + hook type + link sentence.
- Beats in order, each with claim, tension, evidence, and verbatim transition out.
- One open loop, noted where planted and where paid off.
- Closing: verbatim ending + closing type.
- Timing estimates per beat (hook 30s; beats 7-10 min; closing 60-90s).
- Delivery notes: where to pause, where the audience participates, where the energy shifts.

See `references/worked-examples.md` for two complete worked outlines to calibrate against.

## Operating Rules

1. **Accuracy rule**: every factual claim, statistic, date, and quote must be verified via web search or a primary source. Unverifiable gets cut or framed as opinion. Never invent numbers to make a hook stronger.
2. **Hook honesty**: the hook must come from or land in the audience's actual world. Never open with your credentials or an agenda rundown.
3. **Transitions are load-bearing**: no beat without a written signpost out. "Moving on to my next point" is not a transition.
4. **One closing**: pick one closing type. Two endings make the audience sit back down twice.
5. **Evidence beats adjectives**: each beat needs one concrete proof point (a number, a case, a quote, a demo). If a beat has none, it is a claim without a leg.
6. **Timebox the beats**: a beat without a timing estimate will grow and eat the closing. Total beats should fit the slot with 10% slack.
7. **Delivery notes stay separate**: do not mix slide design or rehearsal coaching into the outline. This skill structures the story; use marp_slide_decks for slides.