We all know the first two rules of storytelling:
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Tell stories you love
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Tell stories the audience loves.
Now, the third rule:
If you don't know - don't tell!
As tellers, we want to get as much exposure as we can. We are told by seasoned tellers to , "Tell, tell, tell." every chance we can get. There is, however, one place we should NOT tell: "If we don't know the territory." An admonition that got Professor Harold Hill into trouble in The Music Man. He didn't know the territory.
Suppose you get a call, a colleague has recommended you, or better yet, someone has found your website. They want you to tell stories. Oh Joy! They want you to tell "lap tales" to three and four year-olds. Oh No!
You've never done that. You're not even sure what lap tales are. You've never even seen anyone tell lap tales. You've never worked with that age group. What do you do now?
Turn and run away - but nicely.
Do yourself and the client a BIG favor. Kindly and graciously decline. Tell them:
"This is not my forte. My focus is telling folk tales from the northern region of Yaktimon, tales of blood and death. If you ever have a group that would like those tales, I would be your person. But in this instance, I would feel much better recommending a colleague, or helping you find the right person for this job."
Taking on a "territory" that you are unfamiliar with is a dangerous task. You will be doing a great disservice to your client, their group, yourself, AND to the storytelling community. This is a time to step up and show that you are dedicated to the craft, and not just out there to grab any dollar the may come your way.
So remember: Tell stories you love, tell stories the audience will love, Tell only stories you have practiced (had to throw that in), and only tell stories to audiences where you understatnd their needs. . .and are comfortable with.
- National Storytelling Network? You should be.
As Thursday is Thanksgiving Day, I am taking this opportrunity to thank everyone who has supported me, the website and this newsletter. As you may see by the "Issue Number", we are up to #83! Tha's almost two years!
NSN has announced that it will house it's association operations out of the new Woodneath Library Center, of Kansas City.
This section will be an ongoing post with updates as they come in from NSN
