Summer Coaching Sale! Summer is here, and with it comes a plethora of First-Person, True-Tale Storytelling events. The Moth, Dan Hull's Storyline Slam, the new Stories & Cake, and the Arizona Storytellers Project. And there are several other open-mic events where folks are telling personal stories. There have been many discussions regarding Personal vs. Traditional stories. In the end, it's a matter of personal "taste".
The bottom line is that true, personal storytelling is here to stay. That means if you want to be part of that community, you have to come up with new stories (or rework old ones) to fit the theme of each monthly or weekly gathering. I can hep you!
Want to make a great impression? Want people to remember you and your story? Do you aspire to "win the prize" or be the best of the night? Then it's time for a choaching session!
During the spring and summer months, from now until Aug 31st!
I am offering coaching services at just over HALF OFF! My usual fee is $85/hour,
For this special sale, it will be $40/hour+
(we'll often go a bit over an hour for no extra charge)
I can come to you for in-person coaching, or coach via Skype or video calling on smart phones. Whatever works for you!
Send me an E-mail, or call so we can discuss your needs and schedule a sessin.
Here are just a couple of responses from folks I have coached. You can see more here
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for seeing what I could not. I would never have known what this story was about without your guidance, your gentle questioning and coaching. I will continue to work on the story and its deeper wealth of healing and understanding.
Mij, Florida
Your specific tips effectively prodded us to delve deeper into our stories and to bring that depth into the telling. Your coaching process avoids heavy-handed "oughts" and probes each teller to embrace their own style and to expand upon their own specific skills and nuances.
Cassandra, Phoenix
The coaching that you offered me was superb, and I feel that I am on the way to raising my storytelling to another level. You guided me to discover and experience for myself many improvements that will enhance my telling, and you gave me excellent suggestions for further work and practice to achieve them. I look forward to meeting the challenge that you set before me.
Joyce, Phoenix
Be ready-to-go the next time you put your name in the hat!
Tuesday - June 12th, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Hotel Valley Ho, Scottsdale
From family reunions to whirlwind escapes, vacations can be a time to reflect, relax or explore. Join The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com for a night of stories about some of the best – and worst – travel experiences.
Emcees: Megan Finnerty, founder of the Storytellers Project, and Dawn Gilbertson, travel reporter and columnist for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com
Become a subscriber: All Arizona Republic and azcentral subscribers receive a complimentary, gourmet brownie from Fairytale Brownies at check-in. Click here to learn about other great subscriber perks.
Accessibility Note: We are pleased to provide live open captioning for this event, sponsored by the State of Arizona, Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing and provided by Karla Martin. Nearly 1 out of 5 Arizonans have hearing loss and captioning ensures that everyone can enjoy the event.
If you require accommodations related to mobility or seating for this event or a future Storytellers event, please contactinfo@storytellersproject.com.
Build Your Business with Better Storytelling Monday - June 25th - 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Southwest Valley Chamber of Coommerce
289 N Litchfield Road, Goodyear 85338
Find, Craft and Tell Your Great 5-Minute Business Story!
The "elevator speech" is dead and your networking "commercial" won't work in the real world. In their place, you need a pile of well-crafted, time-adjustable stories of your work and purpose, each ready to be matched to the right people at the right time.
In this low-theory, high-activity workshop, you'll learn why you need to know the difference between anecdotes and stories. You'll experience your memories triggered to find your stories. Finally, be guided in the process to outline, craft and tell one of your newly-created stories with another person. You'll leave with customized and immediately useful content.
Taught by Sean Buvala of The Small-Tooth-Dog Publishing Group LLC.
FREE!
A light lunch will be provided but registration with the Chamber is required 623-932-2260. Lunch begins at 11:30 followed by the workshop at Noon.
More Info
The Moth - Endings Wednesday - June 26th 8pm - 10pm
Crescent Ballroom - Doors open at 7 308 N 2nd Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85003
The Moth StorySLAM returns for a night of true, personal storytelling.
ENDINGS: Prepare a five-minute story about the final scenes. The last day of school, the dramatic breakup, or the last time you saw your dog. Doors closing, windows opening. When it's all said and done, how did it go down?
Tickets: $10
*Seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be sure to arrive at least 10 minutes before the show. Admission is not guaranteed for late arrivals. All sales final.
Stories and Cake - Great Men Thursday - June 28th - 7pm
The NEW Space55
1524 N 18th Ave,
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Friends and Story Enthusiasts - Come support Space 55's new curated storytelling series! It starts this Thursday and will be hosted by Kathy Nakagawa and John Perovich.
This month's theme: Great Men
This month's MC - Mario Avent
This month's tellers: TBD
There will be BOTH traditional and personal stories.
LIIMITED SEATING - ONLY 40 TICKETS AVAILABLE!
Want to tell at a future event? E-mail Kathy Nakagawa: nakagawa@asu.edu
Poetry and Storytelliing: Making a Language to Explain Things - Last weekend, on NPR, I heard host Scott Simon interviewing singer Neko Case. She has a solo album out called Hell On. In the title song, there is a lyric that Scott calls out and says, “I love that line, ‘God is a lusty tire fire’, but I don’t know why.”
Neko's response:
That’s what poetry is supposed to be. Poetry, music, art; you’re making a language to explain things that your native language, or any language you know isn’t quite enough for you to explain something. Sometimes it’s really difficult to explain what an emotion is. Art and music and poetry are a way to attempt that and to feel you can stretch much longer than you are capable of. And it feels really good.
Storytellers take note! How do you explain something that's difficult to explain? What is an emotion? You're making language to explain things where normal language isn't quite enough. Many tellers have said something similar:
Storytelling is a way for people to make sense of things that don't make sense.
So, here's a thought: Why would we (storytellers) use "normal language" to describe and recount the elements of a story that does not fit into the "normal" world? I have spoken before about language. Consider the following examples of normal language vs. poetic language:
She couldn't see through the fog ...The mist was a sea of haze that clouded not only her vision, but her mind.
He was afraid ...His fear was like a huge vise that had him so tight in its grip he could not move.
She smiled ...Her lips arched upward and spread a brilliant glow across the room.
Images and metaphors are the tools of the poet, the artist and the storyteller. Next time you get ready to tell a story, look at the language that you use to craft it. Begin to look at words and phrases to see which ones you might transform from normal to poetic. Overall, you must still make sure the language fits your story, genre and style. Remember to make your own language to explain things.
GCC Storytelling Students:- Extra Credit - Possible 30 points total: Use a metaphor or a simile (if you don't know, look them up) and creative, poetic language to describe or change these three normal descriptions:
Storybook Houses
Did you ever want to live in a "Storybook House"? Perhaps the Gingerbread house from Hansel & Gretel; or the Old woman's shoe with all her chidren (well, maybe not with the children around)? Well, there's a fellow in Huntsville, Texas that builds them!
------------------------------------THERE'S A LOT GOING ON EACH MONTH -------------------CHECK EACH WEBSITE OR CALENDAR TO CONFIRM DATES AND TIMES ---------------------------------CALL TO MAKE SURE THE EVENT IS STILL ON
West Side Story Tellers - Storytellers Guild First Saturday of each month - GLENDALE *NO meetings in July & August http://westsidestorytellers.weebly.com
East Valley Tellers of Tales -Storytellers Guild Second Saturday of each month - SCOTTSDALE - *NO meetings in July & August http://www.evtot.com
Storyfind Fourth Saturday of each month (usually - check calendar) - *NO meetings in June & July
SMCC Storytelling Institute
A monthly workshop designed to help storytellers build community and deepen repertoire. See the Calendar
- National Storytelling Network? You should be.
Summer is here, and with it comes a plethora of First-Person, True-Tale Storytelling events. The Moth, Dan Hull's Storyline Slam, the new Stories & Cake, and the Arizona Storytellers Project. And there are several other open-mic events where folks are telling personal stories. There have been many discussions regarding Personal vs. Traditional stories. In the end, it's a matter of personal "taste".
Monday - June 25th - 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Wednesday - June 26th 8pm - 10pm
Thursday - June 28th - 7pm
Last weekend, on NPR, I heard host Scott Simon interviewing singer Neko Case. She has a solo album out called Hell On. In the title song, there is a lyric that Scott calls out and says, “I love that line, ‘God is a lusty tire fire’, but I don’t know why.”
