(no subject)
i'm either or both a bad story listener/story teller. i always(almost surely) convey the interesting bit right at the front and become either annoyed or impatient when i'm listening and don't receive the same. this primarily applies to stories that involve me or folk i know. i can listen to This American Life all day and love it but when a friend informs me that they've got something interesting to say about someone or something that might relate to me in real life i have no time to waste. if so and so saw a dead person i want you to start at the end of the story with the important parts - there will be time for the drama and build up later.