Everyone has a friend who takes forever to tell a story—here’s how not to be that person

Good storytellers are not always the loudest people in the room; they just know what’s important.

Everyone knows the friend who turns a two-minute story into a 20-minute endurance test. By the time they finally reach the point, half the group has mentally checked out and the original story somehow got buried under unnecessary details about traffic, side characters, and what color shirt someone was wearing. But being a good storyteller is not about being naturally funny or charismatic. Most of it comes down to knowing how to make people care about what you are saying in the first place.

Bad storytelling comes from unnecessary details

A lot of people think storytelling is about including everything, but in reality, good storytellers usually do the opposite. The fastest way to lose people is by over-explaining parts of the story that don’t matter. Listeners don’t need a five-minute setup about where everyone parked before dinner unless the parking lot somehow became central to the story itself. Strong communicators instinctively filter information instead of dumping every detail they remember onto the listener.

The best stories usually move quickly toward the actual tension, conflict, awkward moment, surprise, or payoff. That’s the part people are waiting for. Everything else should support it, not delay it. This is also why some people can make ordinary situations sound entertaining while others can make objectively wild stories feel exhausting. It’s rarely the event itself. It’s the pacing. Good storytellers understand that listeners are constantly asking, “Why am I hearing this?” The people who hold attention answer that question early.

Good storytellers know how to read the room

One underrated communication skill is noticing whether people are still engaged. Some storytellers become so focused on finishing every detail that they stop paying attention to the reaction in front of them. Good communicators adjust in real time. If people look confused, they clarify. If attention starts fading, they speed up. If a joke worked, they leave space for it instead of talking over the reaction. A conversation should feel interactive, not like someone trapping the room inside a podcast nobody asked to hear.

Humor does matter, but not in the way most people assume. Funny storytellers are usually better at timing, self-awareness, and editing themselves. A quick pause, a well-placed observation, or the ability to laugh at yourself often carries more weight than trying to sound impressive. Ironically, some of the worst storytellers are people trying too hard to prove how interesting they are. The story becomes overloaded with explanations, exaggerations, and unnecessary context because they are chasing validation rather than connection. People generally respond better to storytellers who sound relaxed, clear, and self-aware.

And honestly, most people don’t need to become master storytellers anyway; they just need to stop turning simple stories into hostage situations. The people everyone enjoys listening to are simply aware of what matters, what does not, and when it is time to land the plane.