I know that sounds a bit funny, since we call what we do, story "telling". But the truth of the matter is that a good storyteller will "show" us what's going on first and then the words come. This is also what good actors do, and we should try to emulate them.

Think about a dog. When a dog is happy to see you, the first thing it does is wag its tail. Actually, when my dog is happy to see me, she wags her whole body. Her tail is going. Her feet are tapping. Her head is going from side to side. She can't sit still. And if I do tell her to sit, she sits...but her whole body is still shaking, as if she is going to burst!

That's what storytellers should do too. If you were telling the story of what happened when you came home, you could merely say, "My dog was excited to see me." Or...
You could SHOW us how excited your dog was FIRST. BE your dog. Let us see the excitement and anticipation in the dog. Often, you won't even have to say the words. We see it, we know what is happening.

Sometimes, these actions are quite subtle. It might just be the beginning of a smile, or your eyes opening wider, or taking a breath. Often, the action starts just a fraction of a second before you TELL us. You begin to crack a smile...as it gets bigger, you continue by telling us, "Her face grew brighter as her smile filled the room." If you merely say the words without the actions, and without the intonation of your voice, the story falls flat.

So wag your tail first. Tap your feet first, Shake your head first. Then bark. Then tell us, "Oh she was so happy to see me! She knew that every time I came home...she got a treat!"