Diane F. Wyzga is an attorney, a nurse, and a professionally trained storyteller. She works as both a trial consultant and a communications coach to lawyers. Her company, Lightning Rod Communications, is based in San Clemente, California. A motto at her Web site: "The difference between the right word and almost right word is like the difference between lightning and lightning bug." Read on to see the many right words Diane uses in this interview
Diane, thanks very much for agreeing to participate in my series of interviews of thinkers and practitioners who have ideas that are valuable for the legal profession. Let's get started. The question I typically lead with because I Like to hear how people were drawn to their expertise is . . .
How did you get interested in storytelling in the law? What's the story behind your coming to have this expertise?
Once upon a time, long long ago & far far away in a book and coffee shop in Pacific Grove, CA a book fell off a shelf. I picked it up. The year was 1994. The book was a 20th anniversary edition of best-loved stories told at the Jonesborough, TN story festival. I read a story. I said: I can do this. At the time I had no clue how I would use storytelling; I only knew I was a storyteller. And time would have to take care of the rest.
I joined the local storytelling guild and the National Storytellers Network, traveled to conferences, workshops and festivals, met other storytellers, got mentors, learned stories and found venues to tell them. I told stories at the Different Drummer Bookstore (famous as the only gay and lesbian bookstore in Laguna Beach, CA), for every Rotary within a 50 mile radius of my home, for women’s groups and incest survivor groups, at holiday parties and rodeos, at local hospitals, environmental rallies, grammar schools, colleges and universities, prisons and juvenile halls. Some gigs paid. Most did not.
In time I built up a portfolio of keeper stories. In time I dared to write my own stories, and tell them. Then I went for the big time: I applied to join the National Speakers Association as a professional member. I was accepted. I thought I was on my way to the big time of national speaking gigs. The Universe had other ideas.
I applied to teach a college level course on storytelling at Learning Tree University. Two of my students were long-time practicing lawyers. They came to the course because they wanted to enhance their advocacy and presentation skills. What could I teach a lawyer about storytelling? Robert McKee had the answer:
Storytelling is the art of expressing meaningful change in the life situation of a character in terms of values to which the listener reacts with emotion.
This is what lawyers do all the time! I just needed to overcome law school’s linear analytical training that says he who dies with the most facts, wins. And show lawyers how we listen to stories.
I began teaching that the factfinder listener energetically connives and conspires with the attorney-storyteller because they want to believe the story and do something which matters. In the grip of a heartfelt story artfully told, the factfinder listener’s mind is fully engaged creating a parallel world of social judgment based on their world views and experiences. Now the attorney and factfinder are one: working in concert in a cooperative enterprise considering options, possibilities and outcomes. As of a recent verdict in June, I have 11.11 million reasons why I continue to believe that a heartfelt story artfully told using language with power, passion and precision will engage your jury every single time.
Whether we win or lose, the overall task of any lawyer is to speak for those who cannot. Even when the client loses the case, I believe that the saving grace is this: the lawyer has given the client a singular opportunity to tell their story and be heard. As Maya Angelou reminds us, "There is no greater burden than carrying an untold story."
To reinforce the notion of what lawyers truly accomplish in their day-to-day struggle to find and tell the stories of truth surrounding their clients, I'd like to offer this thought:
The stranger who tells our stories when we cannot speak not only awakens our spirits and hearts but also shows our humanity -- which others want to forget -- and in doing so becomes family.[Mende Proverb, Sierra Leone]
I am intrigued by what you say about overcoming law school's training. Here's a three-part question for you on that topic; I am very much looking forward to hearing more. (1) Would you describe how you do that? (2) Why it is important? (3) What's wrong with facts?