I recently came across this short podcast of Ira Glass talking about the Basics of Storytelling.  He just nails it! There are a lot of books out right now for lawyers and other presenters about using the art of storytelling to get their message across.  But many of them use classical literature terms.  Trying to think in terms of "Protagonist" is difficult for most people. It is too artificial.  I need to connect with my stories on a gut level and tell it from there so that the listeners connect to the story too.  Ira Glass, with his usual clarity boils the basics down to the graspable concepts. 

Garr Reynold's from Presentation Zen synopsized the main points in the video so well I am just going to paste them in here. 

Summary of Part I (above video)
The old way: Have a topic statement then fill out the facts that support your statement. (This is not to say that logic and evidence and support are not important. Of course, they are important, but they're rarely sufficient.)

In storytelling there are two basic building blocks, says Ira Glass:

(1) The anecdote, a sequence of actions, a story in its purest form, one thing following from another (rather than just disjointed "facts").

"The Power of the anecdote is so great...No matter how boring the material is, if it is in story form...there is suspense in it, it feels like something's going to happen. The reason why is because literally it's a sequence of events...you can feel through its form [that it's] inherently like being on a train that has a destination...and that you're going to find something..."

                                                                — Ira Glass

(1a) Raise questions. Provide the "bait." The anecdote should raise a question right from the beginning. Implied in any question that you raise, however, is that you are going to answer it. Constantly raise questions and answer them. The shape of the story is that you are throwing out questions and answering them along the way.

(2) The moment of reflection. What is the key point? What does this all mean? Why have I asked you to sit and listen for 30 min, etc. It is not just a series of facts/events. Many people get the first part, they tell an interesting sequence of events, but in the end it fails because it doesn't say anything new, it did not have meaning. And sometimes people have the reflection part and the question is clear in their mind, but they fail to put it in a sequence that compels people to follow and engage.

In a good story you need both -- you can flip back and forth between the two. The Anecdote and the Moment of Reflection are interwoven to make a story.