What stories do you have about memorialization? Preserving the memories, how do we do it? How have you done it?

In the early days of the Apple Macintosh computer, Steve Jobs and the team that created the Macintosh wanted to memorialize their work. The world had never seen anything like the MAC. Do you remember that iconic, classic commercial with the Orwellian society; the girl running with the hammer and smashing the big screen? Did you know that it was only shown on TV once, on the Super Bowl? Only once!

The original MAC was inspired by Job's study of calligraphy, and it had many cursive fonts, a far departure for the few static fonts that the PC or even the original Apple had. But the manual didn't list all the fonts. The team knew that the users would play around with the keyboard. With some seemingly random combinations of different keystrokes, one could get some very interesting characters on the screen.

But they wanted to memorialize all of their efforts. How could they do that? They had their signatures etched into the cabinet that held all the parts. Most people never saw it. But for the dreamers, the nerds that ventured to open up the cabinet, they would find the names of the creators, etched on the inside in stone (or plastic), so to speak, for all eternity.

How can you "etch yourself" into your story?

  Read the whole story here

We're all familiar with the "Golden Triangle" of storytelling. In order for storytelling to take place, one has to have a Teller, a Story and an Audience. They are all equally important, and the relationship between all three is of utmost importance.

But wait, there's more! 

This graphic "map" for storytelling should be your guide for all performances, both planned and unplanned. Colleague Pam Faro wrote a blog (read it here) that has some great questions about each of the elements. And, as she says,

"Often, it’s the case that specific answers are not even what is needed – but the questioning process itself is what leads you forward, deeper and farther into your story selecting, preparation, and telling!"

Here's my "story" example:

Some time ago, I was at Delux, the gourmet burger restaurant owned by my friend Lenny Rosenberg (32nd and Camelback for those who might be interested). 

 

We were in his office, and on the way out, passed by the private dining room where a group of eight business women were having a dinner meeting. Lenny stepped in to check on them, and pulled me in. He introduced me as “a great storyteller”. The ladies couldn’t resist asking me to share a story with them. –
NOW – What do I do?

 

I had about five seconds (maybe six) to decide if I should tell, and then what story. The quick questions:

 

Teller? – Me. Lenny had already pumped up my abilities, and we had already shared a laugh or two. Rapport had been established.

 

Audience? – High-powered, strong, decisive (and by the sound of their laughter, fun-loving) business women.

 

Story? – The Castle of the Faithful Wives (clever, strong women who save the lives of their families).

 

So I asked them (a calculated measure to see if they were really ready for a story), “Would you like to hear a story about strong women?” — I think I had them in the palm of my hand.

 

I kept it short, two to three minutes, and made sure that the reveal of the “women carrying their husbands away from the castle, on their backs” was both humorous, and drove home the point of clever, strong women.

 

They laughed, cheered in triumph, and gave me (and the story) a great round of applause.

There are all sorts of different patterns in our lives: ripples on a pond; sounds of a bird chirping; mosaics in an art piece; the waves on the ocean; speech patterns in your language and don't forget the patterns of the hero's journey!

These and many other patterns that are played out in the stories we tell; both in the patterns of life and the story itself, and often in the language we use.

All of these patterns are a part of your story. Patterns are important, so we can recognize and relate to them in the story and also in our own lives and stories. So, in some ways, it is our job to represent these patterns in a way that will assist the listener in recognizing theme. How can you highlight or emphasize these patterns for and with your audience?

• Repetition
• Call and response
• Descriptive language
• Use of metaphors and similes
• Alliteration
• Assonance
• Sounds
• Gestures and body movements
• Facial expressions
• Rhyming
• Pauses
• ...and many more

Here's a phrase that most of us know, "But wait, there's more!" This could be used effectively in a story where someone continually screws up or, perhaps, comes out smelling like a rose. The phrase merely emphasizes that this is a pattern that happens over and over. Double down with this phrase by using call and response with the audience!

Here's another example:

It was a tiger, a tiger, stepping in time. One could see right through him...waiting...waiting...to commit his carnivorous crime.. His stripes were moving, growling and howling, making ripples in the forest. Waiting...waiting...waiting to dine.

Look at your story. Look for and listen for the patterns...then use them!
 

Thinking a lot about words and language in my storytelling classes. So I thought it might be fun to re-visit a tip from 2013. Enjoy!

Remember Andy Kaufman's character on Taxi? Latka Gravas. He was from "the old country" and spoke a strange language. There were only a few words that were defined like:
"Yaktahbay"  - behind/butt
"Nik nik" - sex
"Ibi da" - "yes" or "that is so"

Most of the language was gibberish, or at least sounded like that. But you could always understand what he (and Carol Kane as Simka) were saying due to their facial/body expressions, intonations, etc.

Try this as an exercise, and do it with a coach, friend, group of friends or at a trusted story circle or guild gathering.

Tell the story in gibberish. "Blah, blah, blah" or whatever. Use your body, face, voice, and anything else you can to convey the meaning of the words, just don't use the words. Jeff Gere from Hawaii has used this exercise with pairs. The pairs tell each other a story, then choose one of the stories to "tell" to the group in gibberish.

Remember that this is an "exercise" so, go "over the top" with your gestures and everything else. You can always pull back later, in a real telling. But in this exercise, be outrageous and have fun!

Then, get feedback from the group. What did they think the story was about? Could they distinguish between different characters? Did they get a sense of the setting? Did they have a sense of time passing? What they tell you about what THEY thought you were saying, doing or conveying will be invaluable!

Oh yeah...one more thing...You might want to think about performing a story this way for an audience! What, you say? Outrageous? Crazy? Can't be done? Donna Washington tells the story of the Three Little Pigs with NO words at all...just sound. And it works!

Now go back to your words and do ALL the same movements and gestures. Now you should have a great story!

Did you ever work on a story, have it pretty much “done”, but then think, “It’s still not quite there?” It might be the language, and/or the phrasing. Here's an exercise for exploring the language of your story: Turn it into poetry, then back into prose. Don't be nervous. . .it's only an exercise.

Little pig little pig, let me in, let me in.

Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin!

The wolf approached the house of sticks

With the two little pigs inside.

He could smell the scent of their porcine flesh

And was ready to eat their hides.

 

He disguised his voice and knocked on the door

The piglets began to squeal.

They knew the wolf was inviting them to dinner

And that they would be the meal.

The wolf approached the house of sticks, with the two little pigs inside. He could smell the scent of their porcine flesh and was ready to eat their hides. (speed up here get increasingly louder) He disguised his voice and knocked on the door. The piglets began to squeal. They knew the wolf was inviting them to dinner, (perhaps a long pause here) and that they would be the meal.

The wolf would gut the hut of sticks

With the pigs in their digs inside.

He was bent on the scent of their porcine flesh

And meant to put a dent in fresh hides.

Well, it's really, "Fool me once, I should turn this into a story!"

Self-deprecating (make sure you spell and pronounce that correctly) stories can be of great value. Stories where you are fooled or become the butt of a joke AND you show you can take it act as great demonstrations of strong character.

These types of stories are especially effective in business settings. But wait, you are thinking that you don't want to show your employees that you are a fool. Just the opposite (well, not a fool so much as that you can be foolish). The leader who can make fun of herself/himself and show that she/he is human can gain respect and admiration from her/his employees.

I tell my story of being duped by the other dancers in a show I did where I was the only one with one black shoe and one brown shoe on stage. This story shows that I could laugh at myself, and that I could change. It shows that I am vulnerable and human.

That's how I would want people to see me.

Since today is April Fool's Day, think of a time you were fooled. Think of a time someone played a joke on you. Could you take it? Were you able to laugh it off?

Time to tell us that story!

On Sunday, I watched the movie of Fiddler on the Roof. Some parts I liked, some I didn't. But here's the thing, a FLOOD of memories came back to me...all connected to Fiddler. I was in a National Touring Company of Fiddler on the Roof in 1969. Yikes, that was 49 years ago. But more important than how long ago, are all of the stories for the six months I was on Tour...AND...all of the other stories that were connected, in any way, to my Fiddler experience.

I could tell you stories about my roommate and now life-long friend Jeff. I could tell you many stories about things that happened while on tour. Like the time Herschel Bernardi (who replaced Zero Mostel on Broadway) visited us on-stage at the end of the show.

There are many connected stories:

• The "Fruma Sara - Humma Humma" story; an apocryphal story that turned out to be real with my friend Margey Cohen
• Another Margey Cohen story from our Dinner Theatre production of West Side Story
• A story about a New York producer who taught me the value (monetary) of stage hands.
• The Time Theodore Bickel came to an Equity meeting and played us a concert
• The time I met producer Hal Prince and he said, "If it doesn't serve the play, take it out."
• Many connections with choreographer Tommy Abbott and other shows he had done.
• Spending six weeks in Los Angeles, with more and more connections and stories.
• My "chance" encounter with Dee Wallace-Stone (the mother in E.T.) and our "date".

The list goes on and on. I could spend an afternoon (at least) telling Fiddler-related stories. The string-of-pearls would reach from here to Broadway!

So, here's my tip:

Pick one time, one period, one event in your life. Then see how many stories are connected to that one thing. The stories may be directly connected, but then one story might branch off into another whole set of connections and stories. Make a list of the stories. Better yet, make a diagram that shows all the stories and all the connections. Now there's a plethora of personal and fact-based stories!

One student said he couldn't find a Folktale that resonated with him because he is "not like other people. It takes me longer to think and make decisions." I said, "So you feel DIFFERENT than other people?" "Yes", he said. "Then perhaps you could search for a story about a boy who feels different?" He agreed.

In that light, here is a TIP from August of 2013.

Storytellers are repeatedly asked, “Where do you find your stories?” This question is asked by students, just starting out in the community, and also by listeners who seem to be amazed at discovering there is more to telling than reading aloud from a children’s book.

Kindra has written several books and courses on storytelling and she has a NEW book coming out in just a few weeks!

She has a great blog and produces many video blogs (vlogs) about storytelling and business storytelling. She has some great tips and great stories as examples!
  Check out her blog here.

Gwyneth Paltrow starred in a movie called "Sliding Doors" that used that premise. Some years ago, LynnAnn Wojciechowicz told a story at a guild meeting. Not a "true" story, but one about how she "hoped" things had turned out in her family. It was quite compelling.

These types of stories are "fantasy", of course. But they can be quite good stories, and are considered "kosher" as long as he teller lets the audience know the nature of the tale you have crafted. Make sure you don't leave out this IMPORTANT part.

The quote above is from Hamlet's speech to the players, Act 3, scene 2. Only a fair instruction for using gestures.

I've been thinking a lot about gestures lately. My students have asked about them. I did a search and I was surprised to discover that I have never really had a tip about them before in depth. This is strange, as I believe they are a huge and integral part of telling.

The dictionary defines a gesture as:

A movement of your body (especially of your hands and arms) that shows or emphasizes an idea or a feeling.

Now, that covers a lot of ground! How does the beginning teller decide about gestures? If you look at the definition, you can reverse the process. You can ask yourself,

What movement of my body (or my hands and arms) would show or emphasize this specific idea or a feeling?

If I am talking about a bird flying up in the sky, I would probably look up - not just with my eyes, but with my head, and maybe even turn my body and shoulders upward to emphasize.

If I followed the flight of the bird across the sky until it landed on a nearby branch, I might use my hand and arm to indicate its path, ending with pointing at the exact point of the bird's destination. I might also show with my body, perhaps a small step or a lean backwards to show my surprise at how close the bird was to me now.

At this point, you may want to look at Sean Buvala's wonderful video about gestures. I have recommended it before. Sean speaks about the three elements of gesture: Intend, Activate and Linger. Also, look at the gestures Sean uses for the flight of the bird, and the piece of cheese falling to the ground. Then come back to the next paragraph and we'll talk a little more about gestures.

Sean's gesture for the flight of the bird was different than my suggestion, but that's OK. YOU must decide for yourself (perhaps with the help of a coach) what the best movements are to emphasize an idea or feeling.

I believe there is another part of using gestures that is important: It is that gestures start somewhere - go somewhere - linger (as Sean states) - and then usually come back to somewhere (resolve themselves).

Bill Harley says, "Relax, breathe, take a moment to find your home. This is what you will always come back to." This is usually your arms at your sides. For Sean, it is with his arms slightly bent at the elbows. In the second part of the video, Sean's "home" is with his forearms resting on the table. Most of the time, your gestures come back to (or resolve to) home. But sometimes, like when the fox snatches the cheese, one gesture morphs into the next. But as Sean says, it is still a conscious, intentional decision about what gesture one is using.

So first you must ask yourself what gesture will emphasize the idea or feeling; then, make a conscious decision to use it. Understand where it is coming from; where it is going; make it intentional; activate it; linger and then resolve it.

Rehearsal and practice is the place to "play" with different types of gestures until you get them "right" for your story.

Wherever you may be performing, you must create an atmosphere that is conducive to the process of storytelling. Whether it be on a stage in an auditorium, a classroom, a breakout room at a conference, under a canopy at an outside fair, or a street corner where you may be busking, How can storytellers create a space where listeners will feel welcome and want to join you in creating a story? And remember, this must happen BEFORE you tell your first story. There are several things to consider. The first, and most important, as always, is: who is your audience?

Your audience: Is your audience mostly adults, children, teenagers, mixed? What are the demographics, or "make up" of the audience? Are they from an urban or rural area, the deep south, the bible belt?  Are they middle-management executives or a group of church-going housewives? One must always consider the audience, not only in choosing stories, but also, how you will be perceived. And this starts even before you walk into the space!

Your introduction: How will you be introduced? Who will introduce you? Have you written an introduction? Will the MC be reading it word-for-word? Do they know you? Will they be speaking off-the-cuff? What are the things you WANT the audience to know about you? What are the things you DON'T WANT them to know? Will this audience welcome you if they are told you recently won an award for the "sexiest story slam", or would it be more prudent to leave out that information? I dislike having the MC "read" an introduction; I also dislike reciting a long list of accomplishments. I prefer to spend a few minutes with the MC to make sure they are comfortable letting the audience know the two or three most important things about you. And make the "last" thing that the MC says be on the lighter side, or even a humorous, perhaps cryptic statement. 

"And before becoming a storyteller, Mark travelled all over the country as Winnie-The-Pooh - and perhaps he will tell you a story about that! Please welcome, Mark Goldman."

Your entrance: How will you come into the space / walk onstage? Where will you be just before you come into the space? I absolutely abhor when performers come from the farthest place away from the stage, walking slowly to the front! Don't make your audience wait for you. Be close to the stage when the MC is about to finish the introduction, so you are there, ready to go. If the MC is center stage, it's always nice to connect with them, with a handshake or hug, or even a simple nod/bow to them. Those first few seconds, yes - seconds, as you enter or come on, tell the audience something about you. Have energy, smile, maybe even nod, point or wave to a friend in the first few rows. Be warm and inviting. Show the audience they can expect something wonderful.

Engage your audience: Smile! Greet them warmly. If appropriate, it can help to thank them and let them know you are happy to be in their city, or with their organization. Share something that connects you to them: "Over the years, I have adopted three shelter dogs, and it's great to be here with you folks who work so hard to rescue and find forever homes for all the animals." Now I have them in the palm of my hand.

Children: An entirely different animal than adults! You will want to decide if they will sit on the floor, in chairs, in rows or a half circle. What will be the best configuration? If it's a classroom, discuss with the teacher(s). If it's outside, choose a place with the least distractions. Keep your entrance and beginning short and sweet. "You all look great today. Are you ready to hear some stories?" Don't keep them waiting with long-winded explanations about storytelling. Don't give them time to get distracted. Get to it! 

Your story intro: Now you need to set the stage for them to listen to your story. If you are at a storytelling conference, and your audience is made up of all storytellers, you may not need an intro to your story. You may want to simply take a moment, breathe, and then begin the story. Or perhaps you want to engage the audience, to make sure they are with you. A question or statement can work as a teaser to get them interested and want to hear more.

Children: "You all know that stealing is wrong, right? Do you think someone can 'steal a smell'? Well, let's listen closely as I tell you the story of Stealing Smells"

Teens: "Have you ever been accused of stealing something, but you didn't do it? I know I have. Sometimes it's hard to prove you didn't do it. And sometimes people won't even listen to you. You know, I've got a story about that. It's called Stealing Smells."

Adults: "Stories come from all over the world. And sometimes, one story can originate in many different places and cultures. The story I am about to tell you has origins in India, Peru, and even Europe. I would like to share with you my version of Stealing Smells"

"Ladies and gentlemen - gather 'round to hear
some fantastical stories!
Stories of kings and queens, witches and wizards,
the high and mighty, and the downtrodden too,
and maybe a story of people just like you!
Come near, come near, and you will hear:
stories that make you laugh, stories that make you cry,
and stories that make you remember
that look in her eye -
the feel of his skin -
stories for everyone - come closer, come in."

ˈmedəˌfôr,ˈmedəˌfər

noun

1.    a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
"“I had fallen through a trapdoor of depression,” said Mark, who was fond of theatrical metaphors"

synonyms: figure of speech, image, trope, analogy, comparison, symbol, word painting/picture
"the profusion of metaphors in her everyday speech has gotten pretty tiresome"

2.    a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, especially something abstract.

"the amounts of money being lost by the company were enough to make it a metaphor for an industry that was teetering"

Ah, metaphors, similes, figures of speech! Words and language; great tools of the storyteller. When you listen to great story tellers or spoken-word artists, one of the first things you notice (hear) is the language they are using; the words, the phrases. Their prose is made up of poetic lines that peek the interest of the audience. They spark the imagination of the listeners. They paint pictures that fill the minds of those who want to know, "What happens next?"

How can you find this type of creative language; phrases that make your audience lean forward with their ears perked up like a coyote, listening to the front, side and even to the back? 

Here's an exercise that I do with my Community College classes, but one could do it on your own too.

Focus in on ONE object. I start with fruits and vegetables. Let's take an avocado. We usually go around in a circle, with each student taking ONE aspect, using each sense: sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, describe the item using a metaphor or a simile. You can try each one by itself.

Sight: This avocado is as green as the rolling hills of Ireland
Touch: This avocado has the skin of an alligator
Sound: The wind whistles past this avocado, skipping lightly over it's bumps.
Smell: This avocado has the scent of dark green and light green all at once.
Taste: The thrice tastes of the avocado: The outside is rough and bitter; the inside is smooth and creamy; the pit is as hard as my ex-lover's heart!

After you have done this with several different items, focus on your story. Try to use each of the senses (one at a time) in a metaphor or simile to describe a character, a setting or an object in your story.

Jack was as lazy as the hare who took a nap in the middle of the race with the tortoise!
That cow would not give milk! She was as stubborn as an old mule and as dry as the desert could be.
Jack and his mom were so poor that even the rats went to bed without dinner.
The sight of those "magic" beans made Jack's head start spinning like a carnival carousel.
That con man saw Jack coming from a mile away; a brain as small as one of his beans; and a cash cow, money-on-the-hoof.
As jack and the cow neared, kicking up the dry, dusty road, the con man began to salivate with impending glee. That spot on the path became the oasis he had been waiting for.

Etc., etc., and so forth!

I use a thesaurus too, to find other words or phrases to spark a good metaphor!

Try with adjectives too: as tall as, wide, smart, dumb (as a box of rocks), beautiful, fast, creative, silky,, etc.

Use your "image engine": See Jack, staning there, with the cow tethered to himself. What's the image that comes to mind? What does he look like?

STORYTELLING STUDENTS: For extra credit - Send an e-mail to mark@storytellermark.com  before 2pm on Thursday Jan 31st with a metaphor or simile about our STORYTELLING CLASS. EX: Our storytelling class is a three ring circus with acrobats, jugglers, trapeze artists and a clown as the ringmaster! Note: You can't use a circus in YOUR metaphor. - Possible five points.

Storytelling Rule #2: Tell Stories your audience loves.

And as often as you can, lift up your audience!

Find stories that are joyful, happy, funny, heart-warming, etc. Yes, you can tell the scary stories; the ghost stories... but save them for that special night or performance. Most audiences want to be lifted up. They want to know that things turn out all right. They want to know that there is hope. So, tell those stories.

Sad or maudlin tales will leave the audience in a down mood. If the body of the story is that way, try to make the ending successful or uplifting. Did the protagonist meet the challenge? Did he/she overcome the hurdle? Did he/she slay the dragon? I hope so. If they didn't your audience may not come back for the next set, or show!

Yes, there are times when one needs to tell a difficult story. Certainly, in school, a story is a better way to relate history than a simple list of events. But even then, it is helpful to find an ending that exalts, or brings us back to a good place.

Life isn't always happy and uplifting, but that's part of the role of a storyteller.

Disclaimer: There are always exceptions to the rule.

Do you want the audience to know where you are going, or you want to keep them guessing? And, why would you want to do that?

I remember one of the first stories I ever heard from Donna Washington was the story Sir Gawain (What Women Want). I remember she began, and hesitated as she said, "This is the story of one of the knights of the round table, sir..." All of the kids in the audience began to yell out, "Lancelot!" Donna made one of those faces only she can make and chimed in, "Gawain! Who's telling this story, anyway?" She intended that pause like signaling in the wrong direction, so she could make a funny break, knowing that most people would think of Lancelot.

There are some comedians who do this on a consistent basis so the listener always feels a little off balance. Every time the teller signals right, they go left as a comedic device.

There are stories where you may want to signal correctly. Perhaps you could do some "foreshadowing" early on in a ghost story. This would let people know what might be in store later on. When you subtly signal that you are going right... and you DO go right, the listeners will be with you. You may even hear several audience members even say, "I knew it!"

Where and how do you want to lead your listener in the story? Then decide all the points along the way that you would do that... then signal.

Trust yourself. Each time you tell a story, use that "inner" ear to listen to yourself. Was the story well done, the way you told it? Might you have changed a word or phrase here or there? Did you use a new word or phrase that you believe would work better for you and your audience in the future?

Usually, if you spontaneously come up with a new work, phrase, gesture, it means you are "in the zone" and things are working well for you. Trust yourself. This could be a new addition to the story. Or, often, after the telling, you realize something was a little off and you have an idea of how to change it for the better. It probably means you are right.

The workshop I did in Tucson went very well. But afterwards, I began to think of ways I could not only improve it but change it to make a whole new workshop.

Trust yourself. Trust that you are working well in the moment. Trust that your ideas are valid. Trust that you can make changes for improvement. Trust that it will all work out right in the end!

First, get a pad of paper (like legal or letter size). You are going to make a "Tally Sheet" of everything you have done in storytelling; not just this year, but since you started as a teller. You can separate categories like, telling at the library; telling at schools; telling at slams etc.

You can estimate, for instance: if you tell almost every month at your guild meeting, put down 10 - 12 marks for each year you have done that. If you tell every other week at a swap or open mic, make 26 marks (OR write the number 26 for each year).

Did you win an award? Mark it down. Take a class? Mark it down. Did you attend a workshop? Mark it down. Did you facilitate a workshop? Mark it down. Try to think of EVERYTHING you did concerning storytelling. Mark them down. Did you read a new story, craft a new story, give someone a suggestion that helped them with a story, spent a luncheon talking about story, ANYTHIING?

Then, add up the tally and write down that number in LARGE numbers on the sheet.

That's a indicator of your life in storytelling. It's quite a lot, huh?

BE PROUD. Be proud of all the things you have done that have helped to form your journey as a storyteller!

If you are planning a historical or other fact-based tale, these are links you should bookmark!. In fact, you should bookmark this page from Karen as it is an invaluable resource!

Here's the link:
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2018/12/making-history-come-alive.html

For even more go here:
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2018

PLUS: It's searchable on almost ANY topic! 

Thanks Karen!

rep

In light of the TIDBITS below, I am reposting this TIP from 2016.

When we start out as a storyteller, we usually begin slowly, choosing stories one at a time. Finding stories that we "love" isn't always easy to do. I remember taking days of searching and reading stories on line and in books until I found the first story that I liked and thought I could tell.

Just a note here: In storytelling class, we begin with Folktales or Fairytales because they already have the basic structure that beginners need to learn. Next come Legends that still have a structure but deal with larger concepts and archetypes. Then, we progress to Fact-Based where we need to choose and add structure to the "elements" of the story. Personal stories come last (even though we think they are the easiest to tell) as they need more structure and attention to theme and emotions.

By the end of our first course, we should have 4-5 stories that we are "ready to tell" when the need arises, or the call comes in. Aye, there's the rub... when the call comes in... what then? What if the client wants a set of stories that we don't have? Christmas stories; Earth Day stories; stories for children; stories of exploration or adventure; etc. Whoa...now what? Time to start building our repertoire!

What kind of stories might we get a call for? Since Christmas is almost here, let's start with Holiday stories. What stories will fit a particular season or time? Christmas; Hanukkah; Easter; Thanksgiving; Memorial Day; Earth Day; Sadie Hawkins Day (look it up); etc. Remember that some stories can fit into several categories. For instance, a story about what we are thankful for might fit BOTH Thanksgiving and Christmas. An Earth Day story might also fit into stories about Values or Making Choices.

While searching for stories you "love", remember that you must also have some sort of affinity for the potential audiences you might have. If you DON'T connect with a particular audience or "type" of story, then DON'T tell that story, and don't tell to that audience. Pass the gig along to a colleague. I don't do Sacred Stories. I would pass that along to Sean Buvala or Donna Martin. I would pass on Irish stories and pass the gig to Liz Warren, or Laura Rutherford. But when the Jewish Community Center calls...I am there in a heartbeat!

Don't forget that listening to other tellers is a great way to gather stories. You certainly will not want to tell a story the same way that someone else does but find a way to make the story your own. Find three or four different versions of the story, then pick and choose which parts you like. Delve into why you love this story, what connections to your own life can you discover? Then you are ready to claim it and make it yours.

Make sure you find a way to keep a list, or keep track of all the stories you tell, and the ones in progress. You can use a simple pencil and paper, a Word document, an Excel spreadsheet, etc.

You may want to try my Storytellers Database. This is an online program that allows you to keep track of all your stories, when and where you have told them, and what the themes and content of the stories are. Check it out, there are short video tutorials to walk you through the process step-by-step. Here's the link: Storytellersdb.com.

As you move along in this process, you will be building your repertoire with many different stories that will fit for many different situations. Your "blocks" will begin to be different from each other, and they will begin to pile high.

Two things to remember as you add one block, one story at-a-time. to your collection - my first two rules of Storytelling:

1. Tell stories that you love!
2. Tell stories that you believe your audience will love!

Stuck? Can't think of a story idea to craft? It happens. Here's a tip from 2013 that may help.

How many new storytelling students have voiced that lament? How many of US have ever felt that way? Even experienced tellers get "tellers block" from time to time. Here are a few ways to pull yourself out of the doldrums, refresh your spirit and re-charge your storytelling engine:

• Music
  Playing music changes your mindset. My go-to genre is Show Tunes. They energize me. I sing along out loud, and with the shows I have done, remember the great times and fun. Often, I remember small incidents that I can turn into stories.
   
• Exercise
  I ride my bike, sometimes around the neighborhood, sometimes on the canal. Exercise gets the body going. Take a look around you, see what stories may be lurking, “just around the corner.”
   
• People Watching
  Europeans know how to do it. Just sit and observe. One of the best ways is to sit at a small café or coffee shop. Inside or outside, you’ll see lots going on. Watch people interacting with friends, loved ones, and even strangers. What are they talking about? Can you eavesdrop? Can you make up a story about them?
   
• Pets
  Walk the dog, or just sit with your pet. Watch how they play. My dog can play fetch for hours. Cats can make a cardboard box their playground for an entire afternoon. I wonder what they are thinking. There’s great subject matter here – especially if you approach it from the first person, point-of-view of your pet!
   
• Housework
  Kill two birds with one stone. Washing dishes (by hand) can send you straight to the food that was on it the night before. Or maybe you just start to think about “where did that mug come from? Who gave that to me?” Or even, “Why did my ex and I split this set of plastic patio-ware? Neither of us has a complete set?” Now there’s some fodder for a tale!

It's the Holiday season, and more than other times of the year, this is when you should be MOST prepared to tell a story. Here's a reprint of a tip from back in 2013, but still relevant.

If you need a story for a particular holiday or event, I recommend Karen Langford Chace's Catch the Storybug Blog. It is searchable. Click here to see the results page from a search for Christmas. There's a lot of info on Christmas...and a LOT of links to stories.

Parish did illustrations for magazines like Life and Collier's. He spent some time here in the southwest, and that influence can be seen in many of his illustrations of the shimmering light on mountains.

Parish did not use paints. instead, he used translucent "glazes" that he mixed himself. He was adamant about how his work was reproduced, and even had his printer lay down the ink in the same order of "layers" in which he used his glazes. He painted many winter evening or nighttime landscapes like the one below.

How many times have you read this newsletter and thought, "I've got a great tip too!" Here's your opportunity to add your tip for everyone to see, 

Post your tip in the comment section below (one tip only please). Long or short, I don't care. I want to see what you've got. I want to hear from you...ALL OF YOU! 

Let's make a "collective" of all the tips out there. 

Don't forget to include your FULL NAME as your FB account may not reflect that.

I'm not the only one who has tips for storytellers. Let's hear from YOU!

INSERT YOUR TIP BELOW!

Storytellers shouldn't steal someone else's story, especially a personal story. If you want to tell a folktale or fairytale you have heard, research it, find at least THREE different versions. Then, craft your OWN derivative version. Make it your own, not just a poor copy of someone else's.

But you CAN borrow techniques, and sometimes even concepts and ideas. You still have to make them your own when you craft a story. One of my students used this line in a story: "I could breathe in the turkey." It was a thanksgiving story. I wrote it down for use later. It was a great line and concept, "breathing in" an aroma. I use it in my version of Stealing Smells.

Pam Faro has amazed me many times with the way she uses pauses and breathing. I have borrowed those techniques and use them in many of my stories. When I craft a story, I remind myself about these techniques and ask myself, "Where can I use them to enhance my story?"

Kim Weitkamp has a way of looking at her audience that can actually "ask a question" or say, "Uh oh" without speaking a word. I stole that concept and now wonder, "When can I use just a look, instead of words?"

The great Bobby Norfolk tells his tales with sound and movement. He is the original "beatbox" man. He has sounds for all the animals, walking, running, sneaking, grabbing and all manner of happenings in his tales. Other people do that, but Bobby is the master. I wonder how I could use that effect? Could I make some sound with my voice that would enhance a part of my story? I can't do it the way Bobby does, but I wonder...

Last week one of my students told a fact-based story. When he got to the point in the story where one character is going to a dance, and he knew that a girl he liked would be there, the character said, "I'm going to meet my future!" What a great line. In addition to borrowing that sentiment, I may have to give him extra credit!

How often do you see a "theme" announced for an open mic or a slam and think, "I don't have a story for that"? According to Donald Davis and Mathew Dicks, we need to develop a "Storytelling Lens" and see things or events in our lives as potential for a story!

Liz Warren had told us long ago that every night, before going to bed, Donald writes in a journal about all the "people" he met, and all the "places" he visited. These are reminders of events that could turn into stories later on. I ran across a similar technique developed by storyteller Mathew Dicks called "Homework for Life." He explains it in the video below and shows how you can develop a way of thinking about everyday events with a "storytelling lens". It's a great way to create tons of personal stories.

There is a story about an exchange between Jerry Seinfeld and a young comedian. The comedian approaches Seinfeld in a club one night and asks him for advice about marketing and getting exposure.

 

Exposure? Marketing? Seinfeld asks. Just work on your act.

 

Seinfeld, a pure stand-up, a comedian’s comedian, is appalled by the question. It’s offensive to his legendary heads-down work ethic. But to the kid, this was a surprise. Isn’t that the kind of question you’re supposed to ask? Isn’t that how you get ahead?

...the unintended consequence of, what one might call, total brand and business control, is that it diverts attention away from the most essential part of any creative profession. You know, making great stuff.

In the news industry, they're called "sound bites". Often, a sound bite is not only NOT the "whole" story, it's not even the "right" story. Many times, a sound bite is used to "spin" a story a certain way, sometimes to the detriment of the person in the story. As Elmer Fudd says, "Be vewy, vewy careful", about what you read on the internet (or anywhere else" that may not be the whole story.

That said, certain types of sound bites, or cryptic phrases can be used by storytellers to "set up" the listeners to think one way, and then later reveal that it meant something else. Once again, Elmer's advice is crucial here. Be careful and wise about how and when these are used.

A student of mine began his "fact based" story:

"My name is Tom, and I was the property of Benjamin Franklin."

He then continued on to tell us all the ways that he was treated by Franklin: "Had to sleep in the barn; only got fed once a day; was punished with a beating when he didn't obey, etc."

What were we all thinking? That Tom was a slave... but in fact, the teller revealed at the end of the story that Tom was Franklin's dog. This was a very effective technique, using the "assumption" that we all had to show us the analogy of the way a dog is treated to the way slaves were treated. It was well done.

The caveat here is that once an image is placed into the listeners' minds, it may be hard to change. Consider the following statement.

The man insisted that the girl sleep in his bed!

What's your initial reaction? What are you thinking, feeling? As a "sound bite" it could be very disturbing. If one goes further, the image of the man could get worse and worse.

They argued. Their voices got louder. The girl did not want to and said, "There is NO way I will do that!" The man countered, "I will just find a way to force you to."

Pretty strong words, evoking high emotions, right? The longer one continues with this thread, the harder it may be to come back from a dangerous feeling or assumption.

But what if THIS were the scenario:

The man insisted that the girl sleep in his bed! "You are the guest in my house. the couch is too hard. I insist that you take the comfortable bed and I take the couch!"

Well, now, that's a whole different kettle of fish - isn't it?

It can be an effective technique, But we always have to ask ourselves, "What will the listeners be feeling? Do I want them to feel, assume that? If I go too long, will I be able to get them back? Will it all SERVE the story?

Stories that start one way and later shift can be very effective. But remember to "Be vewy, vewy careful!"

In my Art of Storytelling classes at Glendale Community College, we are about to tell Fact-Based stories. At first look, this genre seems to be one of the more difficult ones for students (and some seasoned tellers) to get their heads around. The trick here is, how does one make this story more than just a "report" or a mere "list of events"? One of the best ways to do this is to change the POV to first person.

I've written about "point of view" before. Here's a bit more about the first person POV.

In a biographical story, one could choose to tell from the point of view of the central character; be Ben Franklin, Einstein, Edison, Tesla. Another way is to choose some other character in the story to tell from their POV. Tell from the POV of the Parent, Lover, Partner or Teacher of the central character. Tell the events of a historical story from the point of view of a, seemingly uninterested, bystander or observer of the incidents. Perhaps the Butler, Carpenter or even the pet belonging to one of the characters.

A few semesters ago, one student told the story of the Twin Towers in Manhattan, but not about the attack. He told the story of how the Towers were built, from the POV of a steelworker that had helped to build the towers. He told of his pride in building the towers and at the end, his sadness at their destruction. It was brilliant. 

Another student told the story of Mark "Marky-Mark" Wahlberg...from the point of view of his Mother. This was a great choice. We hear of his turbulent youth and how he went to jail, as his mother lovingly said those ubiquitous words, "But he's really a good boy!" This showed us not only the "events" of his life, but his mother's struggle to deal with his self-destructive behavior, and eventually her pride and love at his success as an actor.

A gifted student told from "second person". He told from the POV of a close friend, attending the funeral of the "main" character. He was talking to his deceased friend, "Johnny" and told of the good times and difficult times they had together. It was heartfelt, emotional and very compelling!

And recently, a student told the story of Persephone from first person. It was filled with emotion. She really showed her feelings being torn apart between loving her mother and loving Hades. The level of intensity could not have been reached by telling from the POV of the Narrator.

Telling from the first person can lend a creative element to the story and bring the audience closer in to the experience. Especially in a case where they may not relate to the main character, they may be able to relate to the character telling the story. Try it and see. Who else might be in the story that would "tell" it from an interesting point of view?

Addendum to this tip - 

When I re-post a tip from an earlier issue, I worry somtimes that folks will say/think, "Oh yeah, I read that before. So how about a NEW tip?" That was before I got this message from Tom Tjarks in Colorado. Obviously, he wasn't a subscriber when the tip was originally posted:

I read your newsletter every week.  The tips are great.

 

I have been wanting to tell history stories but couldn't get them above being a report for school.  This week's Tips explained how to do this.  My favorite example of using someone else to tell the story is "Ben and Me".  I look at that story in a new way now.  I will use the suggestions in this week's newsletter to develop some history stories.  There are many good true stories waiting to be told.

 

Thank you

We're all familiar with the "Golden Triangle" of storytelling. In order for storytelling to take place, one has to have a Teller, a Story and an Audience. They are all equally important, and the relationship between all three is of utmost importance.

But wait, there's more! 

This graphic "map" for storytelling should be your guide for all performances, both planned and unplanned. Colleague Pam Faro wrote a blog (read it here) that has some great questions about each of the elements. And, as she says,

"Often it’s the case that specific answers are not even what is needed – but the questioning process itself is what leads you forward, deeper and farther into your story selecting, preparation, and telling!"

Here's my "story" example:

Some time ago, I was at Delux, the gourmet burger restaurant owned by my friend Lenny Rosenberg (32nd and Camelback for those who might be interested). 

 

We were in his office, and on the way out, passed by the private dining room where a group of eight business women were having a dinner meeting. Lenny stepped in to check on them, and pulled me in. He introduced me as “a great storyteller”. The ladies couldn’t resist asking me to share a story with them. –
NOW – What do I do?

 

I had about five seconds (maybe six) to decide if I should tell, and then what story. The quick questions:

 

Teller? – Me. Lenny had already pumped up my abilities, and we had already shared a laugh or two. Rapport had been established.

 

Audience? – High-powered, strong, decisive (and by the sound of their laughter, fun-loving) business women.

 

Story? – The Castle of the Faithful Wives (clever, strong women who save the lives of their families).

 

So I asked them (a calculated measure to see if they were really ready for a story), “Would you like to hear a story about strong women?” — I think I had them in the palm of my hand.

 

I kept it short, two to three minutes, and made sure that the reveal of the “women carrying their husbands away from the castle, on their backs” was both humorous, and drove home the point of clever, strong women.

 

They laughed, cheered in triumph, and gave me (and the story) a great round of applause.

The video in Tidbits talks about inventions that were invented in MIT's Media Lab - inventions that changed the future of the world. Here's a quote that struck me:

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."

Here's a REPRINT of a tip from May/2016 that I believe has some relevance.

This week's tip comes from colleague and Irish teller Yvonne Healy. Yvonne did a workshop on Family stories and I found one exercise particularly interesting and exciting. I believe it has many uses!

Quite often, people don't believe that they have done anything worth "telling" about. They feel their lives are "ordinary" vs. extraordinary. This exercise in a group, or with a person you are interviewing can put a whole new perspective on that concept. And... it forces the teller to use their creativity!

Interview a family member (or friend or colleague) and have them tell you something they did. It could be something simple that they feel may not be very "interesting", but have them tell it anyway.

OR - in a group, partner up and have your partner tell you something they did that seemed extremely mundane, like putting away the dishes, or dusting the shelves.

The next step is to project yourself 5000 years into the future. What would the world be like? Now tell the story back to the family member (or partner) but tell it as a GREAT MYTH. How did that one thing that they did affect the world in the future? How might they be remembered in the folklore of the future?

A long, long, long time ago, Mary dusted the shelves in her house, and did a particularly good job. So good, in fact, that when her friend Jane came over, she noticed the excellent job Mary had done. She was also so pleased that there was no dust in the house as Jane had such bad allergies. Jane told so many people about Mary dusting the shelves and how wonderful it was, that they all decided to follow suit and do the same in their own houses. They even took it a step further and cleaned and scrubbed everything. Each time someone visited a home, they marveled at the cleanliness and vowed to clean their own homes and office spaces with great energy and pride. This spread far and wide, across the country and eventually, around the world. And that is why the earth is such a clean place today, in the year 7016!

There is great creativity in this exercise for the teller, finding a way to frame the story in a different way (and time). And there is great power in having that person hear their tale as a Great Legend, or Myth of the future!

GCC Storytelling Students - Extra Credit: Do this exercise with a family member or friend. Then send me a written version of your Myth of the Future. Approximately 150 words. Make sure it includes: the mundane event; the progression of events and the result in the future (present). Include a description of the person's reaction to your myth/story. E-mail to mark@storytellermark.com by 2:00pm Tuesday - Sept. 18th. Possible 20 points.

---

Research for storytellers is not an option, it's a responsibility

At the 2018 FEST (Federation for European Storytelling) conference in Ljubljana, Heidi Dahlsveen presented the results of a survey that FEST commissioned to lay the groundwork for the EU grant project titled Professional training and development of storytellers on a European scale. Basically, FEST created a survey asking questions about how storytellers work, how they learn, how they are trained, and what skills they think would be most important to incorporate in a "European storytelling curriculum." A little over 300 storytellers filled out the survey. While there were many fascinating, intriguing, and occasionally baffling results in Heidi Dahlsveen's presentation, there was one that particularly caught my attention:

 

On the list of professional and artistic skills that storytellers think are important to their work, "research" was almost at the bottom.

Michael has a great, joyous take on life: Don't worry, be happy. And "Don't stop till you get enuf."

That's my tip for today, at the age of 70! Here's what I have learned: DON'T STOP!

That's ME in the middle between my two nephews, 45 years ago! I've never stopped being "Pooh" or "Grover" or "The Old Witch" or any of the other characters I have played in my life. I am always ready to PLAY!

Don't stop learning
One of the things I noticed at my first conference (and all the other ones too) is that the "seasoned" headliner tellers also went to other people's workshops and presentations. They didn't merely sit around and play the role of "I'm done." They continued to learn about their craft. Could the rest of us be as diligent? ---Don't stop!

Don't stop listening and looking.
Look around you, what do you see? What do you hear? There are stories all around you. There are wonders and marvels to see and hear. Be on the lookout for them and all that they can tell; you and teach you. ---Don't stop!

Don't stop loving.
Honor the lost loves by letting them go, and don't be afraid to love again. 
Love the ones who don't love, no matter what. It may be the only thing they respond to.
Sending out loving vibes and messages can change the world,,, one person at a time.---Don't stop!

Don't stop doing what makes you happy.
Show others that you ARE WHO YOU ARE and NOTHING will get in your way. Don't stop!

Don't stop believin'.
Believe in yourself and others. Believe in success - it comes in all forms. Don't stop!

Don't stop telling.
No matter where you are, how old you are, how experienced you are. In Camelot, King Arthur, at the end of the musical, admonishes a young boy:

Each evening, from December to December
Before you drift to sleep upon your cot
Think back on all the tales that you remember
Of Camelot.

Ask ev'ry person if they've heard the story
And TELL IT STRONG AND CLEAR if they have not.
That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory
Called Camelot.

---Don't stop!

GCC STORYTELLING STUDENTS: Extra Credit - Sometime today or tomorrow morning, STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN. What do you hear? What do you see? What wonders or marvels are you aware of?

• A small child eating French fries at the food court, but with the joy of a gourmand having a roasted lamb shank.
• A puppy, trying to keep up with its owner, constantly looking up for acknowledgement and love.
• Two lovers, sitting on the steps, where the world around them has faded away, and they can only hear their own voices as they try to stave off their fears and doubts.

Write at least 150 words about the wonder around you. Tell me a story of what's happening, or what you see and hear. Paint a picture for me. Email it to me at mark@storytellermark.com before 2 pm Tuesday, Sept. 4th. - Total POSSIBLE points: 20.

First of all, let me say that I love this woman. She is a consummate actress. She played Anij, the 300-year-old woman whom Piccard fell in love with in Star Trek Insurrection. She had such a calm persona and could slow down time.

I have seen her in many other movie and TV roles. Recently, she played the lead in Hello Dolly on Broadway. One might think, "Broadway Musical", Dolly, energetic music and dancing, the role created by the flamboyant Carol Channing. Just get out there and do it with energy and a big smile! But no, this prolific actress talks about "her" Dolly before the play starts. Who was she? What was she like growing up? What's her back-story?

Listen as she tells you about who this character is, how she relates to her, and how she deals with and portrays the emotions on stage.

NOTE: You must scroll down to click on the video, but it is well worth it!

What might happen to YOUR story if you took the time to think about and incorporate the Back-Story of your story's character(s)?

GCC STUDENTS: Look up the term "backstory" and read the Tip in the LIINK above. Then send me an E-mail (mark@storytellermark.com) with your thoughts on how a backstory affects one's story & telling - at least 125 words. Do this before 2 P.M. this Tuesday for a maximum of 10 extra credit points.

This is not just a question that children may ask. Certainly, many newbie tellers ask, "How do you find stories?" There are many answers to the question. If we put aside, for the moment, folk tales, fairytales and other traditional stories, we are left with a variety of genres, including personal, fact based, family, etc. So where do these "non-structured" stories come from? The answer, again, is "many places".

I am told that the great Donald Davis writes in his journals each night. He jots down all the people he encountered, and all the places he experienced. Donald has always said that a story starts with people and places.

Many coaches and teachers tell us that we need to know what the story is about before we begin. More and more, I am not so sure about the timing of that. I believe that before we tell in front of an audience, yes, we must know that. But we may not know the real answer at the very beginning. Just as a new baby has no real idea of what they will become, or "grow into", stories can get started without knowing the outcome.

Be on the lookout!
For what? Be on the lookout for ANYTHING that will spur your imagination and creativity. It could be a melody you hear; a piece of clothing you or someone else is wearing; a shard of glass along the sidewalk; a curious sign in a shop; words that a passerby utters; a photo; the way two people are interacting in the mall...or anything that stops you for a moment and makes you think.

Be open to what is around you. A story may not come from one single element. Perhaps it will be the succession of three things happening one day. Perhaps it will be different pieces of advice that people have given you. Maybe it starts with you noticing the colors of the things around you, or the shape of the clouds. What are the connections? What are the similarities, or differences that could have some meaning for you?

You don't always have to "start at the beginning" or know everything about the story and the characters. Sometimes you just have fragments or pieces that you are not sure how they fit together. That is when the creativity and crafting begin. Trust the process, and don't be too impatient. It may take time for the images to coalesce.

Wait and see all of the things that come out of that magic hat...then take your time to decide...what could they be? What story would they tell?

You know that old adage, "The answer is right in front of you!" Quite often, it's true. And in storytelling, Antonio Rocha has a theory about that. He believes it's true in more ways than one.

When you are speaking as the narrator, it's fine to gaze around and speak to the entire audience. But when you are speaking as one character to another, one should speak directly to the front.

Most of the time, we are taught that when there are two or more characters in your story, that the way to portray them talking to each other in a dialog is to cheat your body to one side and speak as one of the characters. Then, do the opposite side and speak as the other character.

This is the best representation I can find of cheating left to right and speaking to the front.

Antonio's admonition is to always speak to the front, no matter which character you are. The change in your posture, voice and manner will show the audience which character you are. I have struggled with this concept, but after time, I have realized that there is great power in your character speaking straight forward. Becoming the other character and speaking to the front as well can be quite mesmerizing.

Don't worry about the people at the sides of the audience (if they are surrounding you in a half circle). They will see a bit of your side, but they will see your energy going towards the front of you...because that is where the person you are talking to is.

They're right in front of you!

Many of you know that I am a bicycle/camping enthusiast. Over the years, I have modified and purchased newer and newer gear for camping and cooking at the campground. Of course, every camper has their “favorite” camping stove: the lightest; the smallest; the quietest; the best gas burner, etc. Everyone believes their choice is “the best.”

Connect with the people around you; your friends; relatives; co-workers; people you meet every day and any day. Take time to listen and understand them. This will give you great insight into their story and who they are. It will help you later in crafting stories.

Connect with the people in your "tribe". As I mentioned in the News article above, these are the people that will help you in your journey. I don't just mean as teachers or coaches. I mean as colleagues who have "been there" and who can help you navigate the waters of our profession and business. They can link you to others in our tribe and be conduits to higher levels in your role as a storyteller.

Connect with those who have gone before you. Read about them, learn about them from your colleagues; watch videos of them and learn how they used story to energize and connect to their audiences.

It's all about how you connect with the world around you.

When David Letterman did the segment on his late-night show, it was five to ten minutes long. He would interview the owner and get details about the pet, its background, how the pet learned the trick, etc. It all made a good story.

Does your pet have a special trick, or talent? Tell us the story!

I taught all of my rescue dogs (I've had three now) a special trick. They knew the difference between Kosher and Treif. Kosher food has certain parameters and has been blessed by a Rabbi. It is OK for Jewish people to eat. Treif is the opposite of Kosher and is NOT OK to eat. If I set out a treat and tell the dog it's Treif, she does not eat it. When I tell her it is Kosher, she goes for it! People would always ask, "How did you get him/her to do that?" With my male dog, I would say, "I circumcised him!"

My particular favorite in the video at right is the one with the dogs bringing in the groceries!

Perhaps you could combine your personal story about an animal with a folktale or fairytale. I reference Sean Buvala here, who has a wonderful story about a cat, when Sean was sharing an apartment in college. It's one of my favorites! Click here.

So, think about your own pet. What talents do they have? Could you describe it? Make a longer story out of it? Combine it with a few other short "tales" for a String-of-Pearls? 

Come on... you can do it... sit up now... that's it! Good boy... Good girl!

Perhaps you should read the article and blog referenced below before looking at this tip.

Laura Packer has done an excellent job of discussing the differences between traditional and personal narratives in this edifying blog. Click here to read the blog.

This piece is a great PRIMER on storytelling and the two genres! Laura gives us great perspectives on both types of tales and, in the end, asks us not to draw a line in the sand between the two, but perhaps build a bridge instead. SHe has an example of her doing that within the blog. Well done!

---

Done? OK, here goes.

Not ready to go full blown on incorporating a personal story into a traditional one? That's OK. You can still make a small link, and enhance your telling of a folktale or fairy tale.

Recently, I told the story of the Two Brothers. It's about their love for each other, and how they sacrifice their own gains to give to the other. Instead of merely beginning the story, I made a reference to my own family, I told of how I did not have any brothers, but did have two sisters. I spoke of how, in our early years, we had a great deal of sibling rivalry. Somehow, when we all got past the age of eighteen, we began to truly show our love for each other. To this day, we are all very close.

This type of personal intro can make an instant bridge and help you connect to the audience even before you start the story. It told the audience a little about me, helped them get in touch with their own feelings regarding family, and set up the premise of the story about two loving brothers.

So, before your story, tell your story.

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean- neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master-that's all." (Just for fun, see Tidbits, below.)

Aye, yi, yi, there's the rub, "Which is to be master!"

Yes, many words can mean many different things. And as storytellers, there's more: many words that sound the same can mean even more things! This concept can be used in storytelling for many different effects.

Simple alliteration (repetition of the same letters or sounds) can be of use. In my story, The Princess and the Storyteller Frog, I say that "Frogs from all over the kingdom, came hopping and hoping to marry the princess."  This adds a bit of humor as "hopping" and "hoping" are similar, but different.

Take today, for example: "Many people in the office had their work eclipsed by the eclipse. Using the same word with a slightly different meaning can add interest.

Using the same word that has vastly different meanings can cause people to think more, be more curious, or just listen more closely. I have always loved the word, "stem" because it has fairly opposite meanings. It can mean the stem of a plant, or something that holds something else up. It can mean to stop something, like, "Stem the tide." Or it can mean to originate, as in, "This river stems from the north fork." or "This type of thinking stems from inaccurate information." Here's one: "It's unnatural to stem the flow of a river that stems from the depths of the earth."

Using words that sound alike, but are spelled differently, also forces the listener to be more involved. They often have a poetic effect. "The eyes of all were focused on the voters, and when it was over, the ayes had it. And I was not the only one who was eyed with hatred." 

And just for fun, you could use the WRONG word for what you mean as in "spoonerisms" or "Malaprops". (see below) 

For a lesson in words, meanings, rhymes, etc. go to see a "spoken word" slam or performance. These "poets" use words and language to their advantage in creating images and connections. 

They have heeded Humpty Dumpty's advice, and are "well heeled" in the art and use of words and language.

It's a question that little kids ask all the time, over and over again!

"No, you can't have cookies for breakfast." - "Why?"
"Because we don't eat cookies at breakfast time."  - "Why?"
"Because cookies aren't breakfast food." - Why?"

Yes, that was a real conversation I had many years ago with my nephew when he was 2 years old.

But it's also a question that coaches will ask (and should), over and over again. Question number one:

"Why are you telling this story?"

The first response is usually, and hopefully, "Because I love it." This is a good start. My first rule of storytelling, and what most seasoned tellers will share with you is that you MUST "Tell stories you love!" So, if this is your answer, then you are on your way...but wait, there's more.

"Why do you love it?

"I love the way Goldilocks is different in this version. I try to make her less of a criminal when she goes into the Bears' house. I love the way I have changed the ending and Goldilocks stays with the Bear family."

Great! You are clear about the things in this story that you love. Knowing what draws YOU to this story is the first step and is crucial in the process. Now, on to the next "Why?", just a bit deeper:

"Why are these things different in your version? Why are these things important to you?

"Because I can relate to Goldilocks. When I was younger, I didn't feel like I belonged in my family. I wanted to have a different family; one where I felt like I fit; one that was warm and loving; and one where everyone responded with love, instead of anger. 

Excellent! You have identified the essence of the story for you; what the story is about. Knowing and understanding this part is very important...partly because it takes you to the next "Why?"

"Why will OTHER people love it?"

"Because it's about wanting something different and good in your life; the desire for love. It's about wanting closeness and loving connections."

Aye, there's the rub! These are universal feelings, and that's what we are looking for in a story! Just because YOU love it is not enough. Other people must be able to relate to the story in some way, otherwise you will lose them part way through the tale. If they can't relate, they won't listen. But touching on universal feelings and emotions is one of the keys to a great story.

The process continues, in a good coaching session, or in your own crafting; what's the answer to all the whys?

Why does Goldilocks want a different life and family?
Why does the Bear family look better to her?"
Why does she "break into" their house?
Why does she do the things she does; eat the porridge; sit in the chair; lie on the bed?
Why aren't the bears angry when they discover the damage that has been done?
     Or if they are angry, why don't they show it the way Goldilocks' family did?
Why do these actions connect with the essence of the story?

If you and your story answer these questions, then you have a great tale that YOU love and the AUDIENCE will love.

So, when you are crafting your story, remember that annoying little kid who keeps asking "Why?" - Then be that kid!
 

P.S. Thanks to Mark Compton for reminding me of this and for a great conversation! (in 2016)

Wherever you may be performing, you must create an atmosphere that is conducive to the process of storytelling. Whether it be on a stage in an auditorium, a classroom, a breakout room at a conference, under a canopy at an outside fair, or a street corner where you may be busking, How can storytellers create a space where listeners will feel welcome and want to join you in creating a story? And remember, this must happen BEFORE you tell your first story. There are several things to consider. The first, and most important, as always, is: who is your audience?

Your audience: Is your audience mostly adults, children, teenagers, mixed? What are the demographics, or "make up" of the audience? Are they from an urban or rural area, the deep south, the bible belt?  Are they middle-management executives or a group of church-going housewives? One must always consider the audience, not only in choosing stories, but also, how you will be perceived. And this starts even before you walk into the space!

Your introduction: How will you be introduced? Who will introduce you? Have you written an introduction? Will the MC be reading it word-for-word? Do they know you? Will they be speaking off-the-cuff? What are the things you WANT the audience to know about you? What are the things you DON'T WANT them to know? Will this audience welcome you if they are told you recently won an award for the "sexiest story slam", or would it be more prudent to leave out that information? I dislike having the MC "read" an introduction; I also dislike reciting a long list of accomplishments. I prefer to spend a few minutes with the MC to make sure they are comfortable letting the audience know the two or three most important things about you. And make the "last" thing that the MC says be on the lighter side, or even a humorous, perhaps cryptic statement. 

"And before becoming a storyteller, Mark travelled all over the country as Winnie-The-Pooh - and perhaps he will tell you a story about that! Please welcome, Mark Goldman."

Your entrance: How will you come into the space / walk onstage? Where will you be just before you come into the space? I absolutely abhor when performers come from the farthest place away from the stage, walking slowly to the front! Don't make your audience wait for you. Be close to the stage when the MC is about to finish the introduction, so you are there, ready to go. If the MC is center stage, it's always nice to connect with them, with a handshake or hug, or even a simple nod/bow to them. Those first few seconds, yes - seconds, as you enter or come on, tell the audience something about you. Have energy, smile, maybe even nod, point or wave to a friend in the first few rows. Be warm and inviting. Show the audience they can expect something wonderful.

Engage your audience: Smile! Greet them warmly. If appropriate, it can help to thank them and let them know you are happy to be in their city, or with their organization. Share something that connects you to them: "Over the years, I have adopted three shelter dogs, and it's great to be here with you folks who work so hard to rescue and find forever homes for all the animals." Now I have them in the palm of my hand.

Children: An entirely different animal than adults! You will want to decide if they will sit on the floor, in chairs, in rows or a half circle. What will be the best configuration? If it's a classroom, discuss with the teacher(s). If it's outside, choose a place with the least distractions. Keep your entrance and beginning short and sweet. "You all look great today. Are you ready to hear some stories?" Don't keep them waiting with long-winded explanations about storytelling. Don't give them time to get distracted. Get to it! 

Your story intro: Now you need to set the stage for them to listen to your story. If you are at a storytelling conference, and your audience is made up of all storytellers, you may not need an intro to your story. You may want to simply take a moment, breathe, and then begin the story. Or perhaps you want to engage the audience, to make sure they are with you. A question or statement can work as a teaser to get them interested and want to hear more.

Children: "You all know that stealing is wrong, right? Do you think someone can 'steal a smell'? Well, let's listen closely as I tell you the story of Stealing Smells"

Teens: "Have you ever been accused of stealing something, but you didn't do it? I know I have. Sometimes it's hard to prove you didn't do it. And sometimes people won't even listen to you. You know, I've got a story about that. It's called Stealing Smells."

Adults: "Stories come from all over the world. And sometimes, one story can originate in many different places and cultures. The story I am about to tell you has origins in India, Peru, and even Europe. I would like to share with you my version of Stealing Smells"

"Ladies and gentlemen - gather 'round to hear some fantastical stories!

Stories of kings and queens, witches and wizards, the high and mighty, and the downtrodden too,

and maybe a story of people... just like you!

Come near, come near, and you will hear:

stories that make you laugh, stories that make you cry,

and stories that make you remember that look in her eye -

the sound of that voice - the feel of his skin -

stories for everyone - come closer, come in."

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.

Storytelling is a way for people to make sense of things that don't make sense.

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.

That teacher was strict.

He loved her.

She was angry

This weekend, I found myself in a perplexing situation. I attended a performance that I was looking forward to. Several colleagues had said it was a great piece to see. As the performance began, I found myself "not liking" many of the elements of this presentation. I was falling back into the old habit of judging, and I seemed to look for more things that I didn't like. 

During a break in the performance, I stood outside and wondered why I was so negative? Were my expectations too high? Was I expecting something different than I got? Why was I not enjoying myself or the presentation?

When they started up again, I prodded myself to "watch and listen with the intent of appreciation." I changed my attitude. I began enjoying myself and the performance. I kept finding things that I DID enjoy and appreciate about the people and the presentation.

This lesson was about my attitude and approach to the situation. There were still some parts of the performance that I was not enamored of, but I focused on the good. I did not have the opportunity to speak with any of the performers afterwards, but if I had, I would have given some of them my appreciations.

I think the more important part was that I walked away with a positive feeling vs. feeling grumpy because I didn't like everything.

So, remember - listen for appreciation!

This is what I say at the beginning of every semester of teaching The Art of storytelling. One of my goals in class (and in life) is to say "yes" more often. There was one student that absolutely could not get up in front of the class to tell. She just froze. She asked if she could tell her story just to me. Unconventional...but I said "yes"...and she did fine.

I think it might be good advice for storytellers too.

Don't get me wrong - there are times when we should say no:

But more often than not, we are presented with situations where we automatically say "no".

• We shy away from a story because we are fearful we can't do it justice.    
  -- Say yes and commit to learning the story and getting some coaching!
• We decline an offer to tell several months in the future because we don't have enough repertoire.
  --- Say yes and do research to find more stories, especially that fit the group you will be telling to.
• We decline an invitation to a concert because we don't think we will enjoy it.
  --- Say yes and attend, and truly observe and listen. Ask yourself what you learned by listening. 
• We decline an offer from a friend or colleague to "help" us in any way. We don't want to "put them out."
  -- Graciously accept the offer and know that you are allowing that person to experience the joy of giving.
  
  Note: One of my biggest regrets was while biking in the Netherlands, when a woman invited me to join her and her family for a meal. I don't know exactly why, but I said no. I missed a great opportunity!

There are many, many more times that I think we should try to say yes.

• Say yes to yourself when you believe you have done a good job.
• Say yes to rewarding yourself in some way.
• Say yes to taking on new stories or genres and trying them out
• Say yes to asking for help from a coach or trusted story-buddy.
• Say yes to taking classes and workshops to better your telling

Like Nike says...Just (say yes and) do it.

One of my most treasured objects is a Grover puppet that I have had for over 40 years! I take it with me on almost every trip. I entertain children (and adults) in airports, on planes, in parks or wherever people may need to be engaged or entertained. There are many stories about me and Grover!

Here's a picture of Grover on a trip in France with my buddy Carl, and a sweet little gal named Orian. She is the daughter of a couple that owned a small campground that we stopped at along the river Seine. Grover spoke French to her and made her laugh!

And here's a story I had almost forgotten, tucked away in the shadows of my memory. Circa 1975. I was living in NYC and working as an actor/dancer. I was about to head out with another tour in just a few days. I saw a notice in one of the trade magazines that Jim Henson was auditioning for puppeteers. I had just three days until I left on the tour. I called and was told there were no more time slots. I begged the woman on the phone and said I HAD to meet with Henson. She did find a slot for me and I met both Jim Henson and Frank Oz (the real-life voice of Grover) They ran me through some character voices and then, I couldn't resist telling them that I did Grover. They wanted to see, so I pulled him out of my bag and Frank Oz and I talked Grover to each other for a few minutes... A few of the most memorable minutes of my life! I didn't get the job, but I do have the story.

We all keep and hold dear, certain things that are significant to us. Close your eyes. Think about something you have that is important to you in some way. Maybe it's a photo. Maybe it's a book someone gave you. Maybe it's a piece of jewelry or a small trinket. Perhaps you have some sort of talisman that keeps you grounded or inspires you. Do you have a special object that reminds you of someone or something in your life?

There's a story behind that! Let's hear about it. Where do you keep that object? What does it look like? How did you come by it? When did you get it?  What power(s) does it hold for you? All of these can make a story, a great story about you and your life!

As storytellers, we not only need to make sure these two things are clear to the audience, but we need to "Enhance the moment, and make sure the audience understands what's happening, and that they are (most of the time) on the edge of their seats, wanting to know what's next.

Let's address the first one first. We always have to ask ourselves, "Are we clear about what's happening?"

Are your pronouns are clear?

The King was in the throne room. The Jester entered. He belched and they both laughed. 

Who belched? It's not precisely clear. We can generally assume that the last person spoken about is the one connected to the pronoun...but it may not be completely clear.

Make sure your navigation is clear.  A term I learned from David Novak. How do you get from one scene or place to the next? Have you ever been listening to a teller, and all of a sudden, you're not sure how they got from the throne room to the dungeon? Make sure that you are being clear about when and where the characters are, and how they got to that point. If suddenly, the Queen speaks, make sure she has entered the scene. Otherwise, your audience will be puzzled.

Are the directions clear? I mean, are the directions that people are coming and going clear? Do you need to use terms like east and west, or up the hill and down the hill? At minimum, say that the King was coming from one direction and the Jester was running in the other direction and they collided. It's also important that your gestures, body movements and head/face/eyes are coordinated with your words.

Be consistent. Did you state that the Chalice was on the shelf at the right? Then don't attempt to pick it up from the table in front of you. Once again, make sure your words are consistent with your gestures and movements. Recently, one of my students told a story about breaking his arm. In one scene, he held up his right arm. In the next scene, he wrote on a cast on his left arm. After the story, when asked, he said, "I don't really remember which arm it was." Ah... then make a decision: one or the other. 
 

Now, let's talk about what happens next. There are many ways that this can be handled.

Make a statement that piques the audience's interest:

Sampson was a great warrior. But today was not a day for victory.

This makes us want to know "Why? Tell us more."

Ask us a question. Again, something that makes us want to know or understand more.

People can steal money or things, but do you think someone can steal a SMELL? We'll soon find out.

We'll be listening now, and assuming we won't really know until the END of the story!

Take a pause; not too short; not too long... just the right length.

A pause after an important event or statement can "tease" the audience into sitting up and waiting for the next thing that happens.

If you walk away now, I will follow you to the ends of the earth and destroy you!

A pause here makes us want to know if the character will be leaving or not. A short pause might indicate the next scene, the Queen in her chambers, struggling with her decision. A long pause can indicate the passage of time and/or a change of location, like a new chapter in a book. Then...

The Queen stands outside a small hut by the road. She is not dressed in finery. She has hidden her crown in a sack with some other personal items. She does not want to be seen as the Queen. She nocks at the door.

Now we know she has made the decision and has left. We want to know what will happen to her. Will the King eventually find her? What then?

Sometimes, we want it to be evident. There are times when you want the audience to assume or know what happens next. Either you want them to be included in the "joke" or prank. Or, you may want them to assume one thing will happen, and then surprise them with another.

Consider the graphic for this tip. Clowns coming from one direction. A rack of pies, unseen, around the corner, coming towards the clowns. We have an expectation of what will ensue.

We were in the dressing room and were all putting on one brown shoe and one black shoe. I went around the stage to the other side to make my entrance. (We should all know what happens next.) When we all stepped on the stage, I was the only one with one brown shoe and one black!

Those are just a few suggestions for making your audience sit up and want to hear more.

I could tell you stories about my roommate and now life-long friend Jeff. I could tell you many stories about things that happened while on tour. Like the time Herschel Bernardi (who replaced Zero Mostel on Broadway) visited us on-stage at the end of the show.

There are many connected stories:

• The "Fruma Sara - Humma Humma" story; an apocryphal story that turned out to be real with my friend Margey Cohen
• Another Margey Cohen story from our Dinner Theatre production of West Side Story
• A story about a New York producer who taught me the value (monetary) of stage hands.
• The Time Theodore Bickel came to an Equity meeting and played us a concert
• The time I met producer Hal Prince and he said, "If it doesn't serve the play, take it out."
• Many connections with choreographer Tommy Abbott and other shows he had done.
• Spending six weeks in Los Angeles, with more and more connections and stories.

The list goes on and on. I could spend an afternoon (at least) telling Fiddler-related stories. The string-of-pearls would reach from here to Broadway!

So, here's my tip:

Pick one time, one period, one event in your life. Then see how many stories are connected to that one thing. The stories may be directly connected, but then one story might branch off into another whole set of connections and stories. Make a list of the stories. Better yet, make a diagram that shows all the stories and all the connections. Now there's a plethora of personal and fact-based stories!

Personal stories seem to be the "Tales du Jour" these days, but if you think there's no personal information in your traditional fairytale or folktale, think again.

What parts of YOU or YOUR OWN LIFE connect with your traditional story? 

In Liz Warren's book, The Oral Tradition Today, Susan Klein states:

"When something within a folktale resonates with your own story, it calls to you to be its voice. And then the responsibility begins. You do whatever you need to do to get to the root of what it means to you and the truth that resides in the story."

I believe this is true for all types of stories one chooses to tell, not only folktales, but other traditional, non-personal tales. By telling a story, we always show parts of who we are. We must know all the pieces in the story to which we connect. That gives the story life.

Look at the setting, the Place. What's your connection? Look at the theme or the Point of the story. How does that connect to you? What's the struggle; the Problem? Where in your life can you relate? Look at all the characters. How do you relate and connect with each one?

"But wait, I don't connect at all with the antagonist, the villain in my story."

Ah, don't speak too soon my young friend. First, ask yourself if there has been anyone in your life that you might cast in the role of antagonist. You could model your character after that person. Or maybe, just maybe, there is a part of you that could imagine having that much anger. Or any other feeling one might need for your story.

Here's a modified Venn diagram of feelings and how they intersect.

Human beings are not 100% good or evil (characters may be, but humans are not). We are all made up of different "parts". We all have many different parts inside of us, both positive and negative. The negative parts may be small, but it is important to recognize them. You may not think you have anything in common with a murderous villain.

Hopefully, you have never murdered anyone, but perhaps you have been so angry at someone that you felt huge rage at them. Or perhaps you have been bothered repeatedly by the incessant buzzing of a thirsty mosquito, and when it finally lands on your arm, you give it the hardest slap you can - MURDERER! - Use that feeling for your character!

You must find ALL the personal connections to your story, then make conscious decisions about how you can reveal those parts in your story. How can you use specific language, your voice, body, gestures, facial expressions, etc. to reveal the parts of yourself in each character or scene?

All of this gives your story life. Give your audience the gift of the different parts of you and your life...even when it's not a story about you...but it is...but it isn't...but it is.
 

Quite often, when crafting a story, we may be limited on the time we have to tell. It is often necessary to "cut out" parts of the story that we "love" or truly believe that are absolutely necessary. This can be difficult.

Recently, one of my students came to me and complained that she would not be able to perform her story in the required time limit of 5 - 8 minutes. She had "tried and tried, but just couldn't cut out any more" of her story. Each time I attempted to elicit what she might need to "let go of" she attempted to "tell" me all of the words of the story that she felt were necessary. I didn't want to hear the story, I wanted her to focus on the "elements" or "chunks" of the story. We seemed to be getting nowhere.

Her story was the recent Disney version of Sleeping Beauty, called, Maleficent. I wanted to ask her to tell me what the story was about in just a few sentences, sort of, "Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl." I hesitated, as I felt she still was not focusing enough. So I asked her to tell me in ONE sentence, what the story was about.

She thought for a moment and then said, "It's about how Maleficent's faith in humankind is restored." Great! That's the core, the essence. Now, rather than having to "cut down", we can build more from the inside out.

What questions do we need to answer in order to flesh out the narrative?

How is her faith restored? - Through Aurora's love and innocence.
  - If her faith is restored, that means she lost it, or it was destroyed at some point.
How was it Destroyed? - She was betrayed by her lover and her wings were cut off.
How did she feel and what did she do? - She was enraged and she put a curse on his child, Aurora.
After the curse, why was she intrigued by or drawn to Aurora?

What brought about the next piece, etc.

As each question is answered, another piece of the story/puzzle unfolds until all of the questions are answered from beginning to end. Now, she has all of the important elements of the story and only has to decide how much description goes with each. She has built her story from the inside out vs. the other way around.

So, next time you are struggling with how to cut your story down, try the reverse. Try building it one step at-a-time from the inside out!

Been thinking about this lately, as students ask me, "How do I find a story?" So, here's a tip from August 2016.

The age-old question: Where do stories come from? An original story, one you create yourself, obviously comes from within you! Yes, but how did you start? Where did the idea for the story come from? 
Ay, there's the rub. 

The answer is that stories can start with anything: an idea; a feeling; an observation; a picture or photo; an object; a person; a fleeting thought...anything. So where does one start? It depends on whether you want to be specific, like a story about a sibling you care about, or just improvise, and see where things go.

Here's an example of improvising. Remember that this is ME improvising. Your thoughts are different, and your mileage may vary!

Consider a bowl of oatmeal; a seemingly inanimate object. 

Start by thinking about all the ways you might describe this object: 
Go ahead and make your own list FIRST.
Before you look at mine.

It's food in a bowl
It was dry and room temperature at first
I added water and heated it up (microwave)
Now it is hot and moist/mushy
The pieces of oatmeal now stick (cling) to each other
It has a slight nutty flavor

Do any of these things start to gel in your mind? WHAT ABOUT YOUR LIST? Do they suggest anything else to you? Can you connect the dots in some way? Brainstorm - don't limit yourself or judge anything that comes up. Just imagine and roll with it. Don't worry about a beginning, middle or end, or all the elements of a good story. You will sort it all out later. Now is a a time for wild energy and imagination! Look at YOUR list and imagine the possibilities.

The next step depends on what you have listed and thought of. There are a myriad number of directions one could go. As I looked at my list, I focused on the words, "Mushy, hot, clingy, nutty." I began to think about, "What if two oatmeal flakes were talking? What would they say?

Oat #1: Hey baby, what do you say?

Oat #2: You're such a dry flake!

Oat #1: Oh yeah? Well, we're about to get all wet, and things are going to heat up!

And just as the 1st Oat predicted, so it was...

Oat #1: Ooo baby, you're so hot!

Oat #2: You're all wet! Don't be so mushy.

Oat #1: Don't be that way. Why, with just a little brown sugar, you'd be so sweet. We could cling together...maybe even spoon a little.

Oat #2: You're really a little nutty. Be careful, you might just be consumed by all that talk.

And indeed, eventually they both were!

These and many other patterns that are played out in the stories we tell; both in the patterns of life and the story itself, and often in the language we use.

All of these patterns are a part of your story. Patterns are important, so we can recognize and relate to them in the story and also in our own lives and stories. So, in some ways, it is our job to represent these patterns in a way that will assist the listener in recognizing theme. How can you highlight or emphasize these patterns for and with your audience?

• Repetition
• Call and response
• Descriptive language
• Use of metaphors and similes
• Alliteration
• Assonance
• Sounds
• Gestures and body movements
• Facial expressions
• Rhyming
• Pauses
• ...and many more

Here's a phrase that most of us know, "But wait, there's more!" This could be used effectively in a story where someone continually screws up or, perhaps, comes out smelling like a rose. The phrase merely emphasizes that this is a pattern that happens over and over. Double down with this phrase by using call and response with the audience!

Here's another example:

It was a tiger, a tiger, stepping in time. One could see right through him...waiting...waiting...to commit his carnivorous crime.. His stripes were moving, growling and howling, making ripples in the forest. Waiting...waiting...waiting to dine.

Look at your story. Look for and listen for the patterns...then use them!

GCC Students - What are the patterns in your fact-based story? Pick one. First  tell me what it is. Then tell me how you would highlight it in your story. I want this to have some WEIGHT!, not just a couple of sentences. Send it to me in an E-mail before 2pm tomorrow, Tuesday 4-3. (max points 30)

Crucible:

1: a vessel used for melting a substance with a high degree of heat
2: a severe test 
3: a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development [My note here – a good story!]

“More weight.” These are the last words of Giles Corey in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. He was “pressed” with heavy stones to make him confess to crimes of witchcraft. Each time he cried out, “More weight.” And the last stone crushed his chest. – Now there’s a story!

And there’s the problem!

Most of us believe that we have to have gone through some sort of tremendous, terrifying, earth-shaking, life-changing “crucible” in our lives before we can craft a good story. (Read Marian Giannatti’s post about "who would listen to my story")

But wait…here’s the good news. Personal stories are not just about the horrific, larger-than-life, oh-my-god moments. They don’t have to be like that. And here’s the best part, they probably SHOULDN’T be like that!

Those “I shot the sheriff”, “I was a foreign spy”, “I fell into the volcano” stories may be interesting to hear, but they are not the stories that most of your audiences will be able to RELATE to. And that’s the real key to a good personal story. It should be universal and relatable.

Universal means that your story is about widespread, common feelings; emotions that most people have experienced and can say, “Yeah, I’ve felt like that!” That’s what you want. You want them to nod their heads in acknowledgement and think, “Yup, for sure, I’ve been there!” Not that their own experience must be exactly like yours, but the more they can relate to the feelings and metaphorical situations you share, the better the connection between them and you.

So, for storytellers, the real crucible is coming up with a simple, relatable story and crafting it in a way that will connect with your audience. Themes of falling in love; falling out of love; unrequited love (do you see a theme here?); the joy and fear of the first day on a job; the desire and uneasiness of wanting to fit in and be accepted; overcoming the fear that you are a fraud. Overcoming those internal struggles can be even more daunting than falling into that volcano!

These and other seemingly ordinary struggles to survive may be the ones that have been quietly resting inside your audience, ready to be awakened and perhaps enlightened by your story.

Don’t think you have to have climbed Mount Everest; tell us the story of how you conquered your fears by climbing Piestewa Peak. We’ll be there with you, all the way to the top!
 

The famous actress and teacher, Uta Hagen described many techniques in her marvelous book, Respect for Acting. I have previously spoken of The Endowment Exercise (click here) as a way to give life to objects in your story.

Here is another exercise that will assist you with using detail in your stories. Remember, this is an exercise to flesh out a large amount of detail. Once you have done that, you must still make a decision regarding how much of that detail you will use.

The exercise is to “Re-create TWO MINUTES of your life.” Remember, just brushing your teeth can take the whole two minutes. Take two minutes out of your life, and then re-create it on stage. For the storyteller, this means re-create it in the detail of describing what is happening.

To begin this exercise, I am reminded of storyteller and mime, Antonio Rocha, whose admonition was to clearly "observe".

Authenticity comes from research and observation. One must observe without judgment.

So, now we must make sure we are observing the details (without judgement) of just two minutes of our life. This could be something that YOU are doing, or something that you are watching or experiencing.

• Waiting to get on the bus, behind people with large packages.
• Waiting in line at the grocery store, behind a person, slowly counting out their change for the exact amount to give to the cashier.
• Shopping the produce section of the grocery store, you or observing someone else (or both of you).
• Watching a bird in the park, hop around, occasionally pecking at the grass for something to eat.
• Watching a mother and child at the airport (after three hours of waiting for the plane).
   
• Watching your dog eat its food
  I open the large, twenty-pound bag of dry dog food. I reach in and grab the measuring cup that I have left inside the bag, for convenience. I scoop up the measure of the dry kibble and gently drop it in her heavy, green, plastic, bowl. I throw the measuring cup back into the bag and seal it up with its zip-style closure. I back away to give her room. I look down at her and say, “There you go. Ready for breakfast? Go ahead, eat your breakfast.”

She looks up at me, and then looks toward the bowl. She sits. I know that she won’t approach the bowl until I walk away. I leave the kitchen with another, “Okay, go eat your breakfast.” She waits for a few seconds, then approaches the bowl. She puts her nose down closer to the food and sniffs for a moment.

She appears to start to eat, but in reality, she merely picks up two pieces of the kibble and walks out of the kitchen and onto the living room carpet. She puts her head down and tosses one piece about six inches in front of her, and the other, drops just under her chin. She eats the closest piece, then stretches her neck to grab the other piece in front of her, and crunches on that one. She doesn’t acknowledge me but walks slowly back into the kitchen and her bowl. Once again, she picks up two pieces of food and comes back to the living room carpet. She repeats the two drops, and separately eats them again. This process is repeated at least one more time, with great accuracy. Eventually, she will the go back to the kitchen and stay to eat the rest of her food, directly from her bowl.

I don’t know why she has that particular routine. She has always done it that way. I wish I could ask her why. Actually, I have asked her, out-loud, several times. "Why do you do it that way?" She never answers.

Well, that's just about two minutes of detail. What to leave in, what to take out? That's the $64-dollar question! The answer: It all depends. What's the story about? How long is the story? How long is the set? If the set is one hour, and this is a 20-30-minute story, all about your dog, you may want to keep all of it. If the story is shorter, and not specifically about your dog, you night need to edit it down. As always, Salt to taste (click here).

Remember - TWO MINUTES in real time!

Feel free to post your own two minute detail narrative in the comment section below, for others to read!

GCC STUDENTS:  Yes, I know it's Spring Break, but I am still offering extra credit. Here's a big one. Do the exercise above. Then re-create the details of the two minutes with a narrative, similar to the one about my dog.  You can pick ANY two minutes of your life. E-MAIL the narrative to me in a WORD document. mark@storytellermark.com MAKE SURE YOU PROOF YOUR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR! Must be received by me no later than THURSDAY Mar 15 at 2:00 PM (giving you two extra days than normal.) Totaal POSSIBLE points=25.

This exercise connects with the storytellers’ adage that each time you tell a story, it’s a little different. The audience is different. You are different. It can never be exactly the same.

Think of a place you have been to. Then think what it was like to visit that place? Who else was there? What was the day like, the weather, the sky? Think of how you felt there. Describe the sensory details involved: touch; taste; smell; sight; hearing. How did it all make you feel inside? What emotions grabbed you, or poured out? How long did you stay? What was it like to leave? Think of all that…

Then, think of another time when you visited that same place. What was THAT time like? Perhaps you were alone, or with different people? Perhaps the weather was different…or maybe the temperature. Perhaps you had different food? How was the visit different or similar to the other time?

Tell us a story about your experience(s).

It's like the old Word-Play game where you ask a person to give you a proper noun, an adjecttve, a verb, a noun, an emotion, a verb, and animal, etc. 
The results: MARK, HASTILY, GRAB, TABLE, SAD, TALK, TURTLE.
Then you drop-in the words to this "sentence".

MARK HASTILY would GRAB the TABLE and feel SAD, because he wanted to TALK with the TURTLE. 

Here is the "poem" that is used in the exercise, with the inserts indicated by underlines. 

I am From

I am from a product from your state, a product from your state and a product from your state.

I am from  something that describes your home 

 

I am from  a plant in your home, something else in your home .

 

I am from a childhood memory of your family, and a childhood memory of friends

 

I am from  something that describes who your family is.

 

I am from  something your mother (or father) used to say, and  something your father (or mother) used to say.

 

I am from  your home town, something your home town is famous for, &  something your home town is famous for

 

I am from  a childhood memory, what words (or emotions) describe that memory

 

I am from  a picture from your childhood.

I Am From

I am from cactus, cotton and copper.
I am from the place with my dog.
I am from silk plants and dirty dishes.
I am from dinners together and sledding behind Skippy Klutznick’s house in the winter.
I am from givers and teachers, and large noses
I am from  “Pick up your clothes”, and  “If Kenny jumped off the roof would you jump off the roof?”
I am from Chicago, deep dish pizza from Uno’s & Due’s, and Jewel’s grocery store.
I am from The Elephant’s Dilemma, the comfort of sitting next to Aunt Bea on the couch, reading about the elephant who went to the circus, but really just wanted to swim in the river. Over and over and over again. “Youhoo…comink in swimink today?
I am from that little guy, standing with his hands in his pockets, waiting, just waiting.

In reality, you can make up your own series of "plugin of words or phrases". Yes, these could all be separate "prompts" for personal stories, or put together like a "string of pears". I especially like the poetic feel of this. And don't forget, you can always change the order of things. Play around with it. The possibilities are endless.

GCC STUDENTS: Do this exercise and then describe what the process was like for you and what you learned! E-mail me a WORD file with your work by 2 pm Tuesday - Feb 27. Possible 20 points.

noun

1.    a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
"“I had fallen through a trapdoor of depression,” said Mark, who was fond of theatrical metaphors"

synonyms: figure of speech, image, trope, analogy, comparison, symbol, word painting/picture
"the profusion of metaphors in her everyday speech has gotten pretty tiresome"

2.    a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, especially something abstract.

"the amounts of money being lost by the company were enough to make it a metaphor for an industry that was teetering"

Ah, metaphors, similes, figures of speech! Words and language; great tools of the storyteller. When you listen to great story tellers or spoken-word artists, one of the first things you notice (hear) is the language they are using; the words, the phrases. Their prose is made up of poetic lines that peek the interest of the audience. They spark the imagination of the listeners. They paint pictures that fill the minds of those who want to know, "What happens next?"

How can you find this type of creative language; phrases that make your audience lean forward with their ears perked up like a coyote, listening to the front, side and even to the back? 

Here's an exercise that I do with my Community College classes, but one could do it on your own too.

Focus in on ONE object. I start with fruits and vegetables. Let's take an avocado. We usually go around in a circle, with each student taking ONE aspect, using each sense: sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, describe the item using a metaphor or a simile. You can try each one by itself.

Sight: This avocado is as green as the rolling hills of Ireland
Touch: This avocado has the skin of an alligator
Sound: The wind whistles past this avocado, skipping lightly over it's bumps.
Smell: This avocado has the scent of dark green and light green all at once.
Taste: The thrice tastes of the avocado: The outside is rough and bitter; the inside is smooth and creamy; the pit is as hard as my ex-lover's heart!

After you have done this with several different items, focus on your story. Try to use each of the senses (one at a time) in a metaphor or simile to describe a character, a setting or an object in your story.

Jack was as lazy as the hare who took a nap in the middle of the race with the tortoise!
That cow would not give milk! She was as stubborn as an old mule and as dry as the desert could be.
Jack and his mom were so poor that even the rats went to bed without dinner.
The sight of those "magic" beans made Jack's head start spinning like a carnival carousel.
That con man saw Jack coming from a mile away; a brain as small as one of his beans; and a cash cow, money-on-the-hoof.
As jack and the cow neared, kicking up the dry, dusty road, the con man began to salivate with impending glee. That spot on the path became the oasis he had been waiting for.

Etc., etc., and so forth!

I use a thesaurus too, to find other words or phrases to spark a good metaphor!

Try with adjectives too: as tall as, wide, smart, dumb (as a box of rocks), beautiful, fast, creative, silky,, etc.

Use your "image engine": See Jack, staning there, with the cow tethered to himself. What's the image that comes to mind? What does he look like?

GCC STUDENTS: For extra credit - Send an e-mail to mark@storytellermark.com with a metaphor or simile about our STORYTELLING CLASS. EX: Our storytelling class is a three ring circus with acrobats, jugglers, trapeze artists and a clown as the ringmaster! Note: You can't use a circus in YOUR metaphor. - Possible five points.

Dig out a photograph you have. Could be old; new; of you or a friend; or a place you visited. Or it could be a photo/image from a book, or an illustration you like, or any image.

1. Write down who and what you see in the picture, everything. 
2. Write down who or what may be there, but is not visible in the picture.
3. Describe What is happening RIGHT NOW in the picture.
4. Describe what happened BEFORE the photo was taken.
5. Describe what happened AFTER the photo was taken.

Somewhere in step 3, 4 or 5, SOMETHING NEEDS TO HAVE CHANGED.

You should now have a beginning, middle and end...a story. 

And YES, there is a story to this photograph. Ask me about Winnie-The-Pooh and Nana!

Origin: A variation of Cathy Ward’s lesson plan, “What Do You See? Visual Literacy and Story Structure” found in Sherry Norfolk & Jane Stenson's book, Literacy Development in the Storytelling Classroom, Libraries Unlimited, 2009.

Just ask them! And here's a great way to do that:

Some of you may remember the NSN Storytelling Conference that was held here in the Valley a few years ago. I had made arrangements with many of the local tellers to pick up the Presenters/Tellers at the airport and shuttle them to the hotel in Mesa. The ride was about 30 minutes. What a great time (with a captive audience) to ask the questions you really wanted to know! Now, what do you do if you don't have someone like me to organize that kind of thing? DO IT YOURSELF!

Got a seasoned performer coming to your town? Contact the organizer and offer your services as that performer's "chauffeur/concierge". Tell them you want to shuttle them from the airport, to and from the hotel to the venue, or anywhere else they may need to go. Make it your role to be their "guide" and confident while in town. 

OR... contact the teller yourself! Several years ago, I read that Donna Washington was coming to town to do a series for the Mesa School District. I had never actually met her, but she was the first professional storyteller I had seen when she had visited and performed at South Mountain College some years earlier. I immediately sent her an e-mail (several) and said I wanted to meet her and take her to dinner while she was here. We had the best time (she is as giving as she is funny). I learned a lot during those few hours we spent together. And now, we are also good friends! 

Make yourself available to a seasoned Teller. They will love it!

Most tellers I have met and come to know are the warmest and most generous people in the world. Look at my "Experts" page HERE. These are all people I approached at conferences or festivals and merely "asked" if I could get a video of them speaking about storytelling. To date, NO ONE has ever refused me!

Put yourself out there. Sow some storytelling seeds. You will be surprised at what you will reap!

Make sure you describe what you want your audience to know. Don't leave "gaps" in the story that will be open to interpretation. Because if you do, we will surely make up our own version, because story is in our DNA. 

Back in the 1940s, psychologists Fritz Heider and Marianne Simmel made  a simple animated film. Heider and Simmel used it in an experiment: They asked people to watch the film and describe what they saw happening.

Try it yourself and see what you experience.

What Heider and Simmel discovered is that many people who watched this abstract film of simple shapes roaming around were quick to see a story unfold. In those simple shapes, viewers often saw characters with emotions, motivations, and purpose.

Humans have this need to "fill in the gaps with story". We do it all the time. We see two people interacting and make assumptions about what is going on. We "make up a story" about what we see. We see a beggar on the street corner and we make a story for ourselves. It's often unconscious, but we fill in any gaps or lack of knowledge with some kind of story. Whether we give that person some money is based on what we believe their story is...unless we ask them to "tell" us their story. Then we must decide if the story is credible, do we believe them?

This is just a little tip (poke) about how we make up stories about what we see around us. Those stories are often shaped by our "filters"; they are colored by our past experiences. The next time this happens to you, try to be aware of your need to find the story in what you see. Then ask yourself if there might be "another" story going on, or perhaps a third or fourth version.

How does all this affect your telling? How might it affect the audience "listening" to you tell? For a storyteller, there are always more questions.

Did you ever work on a story, have it pretty much “done”, but then think, “It’s still not quite there?” It might be the language, and/or the phrasing. Here's an exercise for exploring the language of your story: Turn it into poetry, then back into prose. Don't be nervous. . .it's only an exercise.

Little pig little pig, let me in, let me in.

Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin!

The wolf approached the house of sticks

With the two little pigs inside.

He could smell the scent of their porcine flesh

And was ready to eat their hides.

 

He disguised his voice, and knocked on the door

The piglets began to squeal.

They knew the wolf was inviting them to dinner

And that they would be the meal.

The wolf approached the house of sticks, with the two little pigs inside. He could smell the scent of their porcine flesh, and was ready to eat their hides. (speed up here get increasingly louder) He disguised his voice, and knocked on the door. The piglets began to squeal. They knew the wolf was inviting them to dinner, (perhaps a long pause here) and that they would be the meal.

The wolf would gut the hut of sticks

With the pigs in their digs inside.

He was bent on the scent of their porcine flesh

And meant to put a dent in fresh hides.

You remember it. The memory is as clear as if it happened yesterday. It could have been yesterday; it could have been a long time ago. But you can see it, it's like a movie in your head. That moment when...

We all have those "moments" that are significant in our lives. Perhaps it's one of those firsts or lasts, pivotal moments that make or mark a change in our life path.

There are many such moments in Frank Capra's holiday classic, It's a Wonderful Life. Like many of us, Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey experiences ups, downs and challenges that continually test his character.

Watch how Capra captures the nervousness, the doubt, the internal conflict of both characters in this "love" scene between Stewart and Donna Reed. Their subtle expressions, breathing and hesitations set against the fast talking dialogue on the other end of the phone are powerful images.

What if you were to tell this story? How would you do it? What words and language would you use to describe what is going on? What body movements and facial expressions would show us what is happening? How would you use your breathing and voice and eyes to help us see the images for ourselves?

Now think of one of your own "moments". Maybe it's not a love scene, or an earth shattering incident in your life, but it was important to you. It was a moment you will never forget. The memory is crystal clear in your mind.

Now tell us about that moment when...

• How did they make me feel? - How did they do that?
• Did they paint a picture that I could see in my mind? - How did they do that?
• Did I understand the essence and the flow of the story? - How did they do that?
• Did the beginning engage me? - How did they do that?
• Did the ending come to a clear conclusion and satisfy me? - How did they do that?
• What parts of themselves did they use most? - How can I find the best parts of me to use?
• Did they lose the audience at some point? What was needed to hold the audience's attention?

Janice Del Negro has said that, "A story is always different, depending on who's telling it."

Near the beginning of the new bio-pic, I, Tonya, Margot Robbie, as Tonya Harding, tells the audience, "There's no such thing as truth! Everyone has their own truth." And that's exactly what we get in this masterfully crafted film. Perhaps you remember the "incident"? Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan battled it out on the ice back in 1994 to go to and win the Olympics. And then, a "thug" bashed in Nancy's knee. And then, there appeared to be ties to Tonya's ex-husband. And then, there was speculation that Tonya had known about the planned attack. And then, well...it all seemed just too bizarre to be real...but it was.

Tonya eventually admitted that she had known about the attack "after the fact", but had not reported it. She was given jail time, and banned from the skating competition world forever!

Perhaps you have known of other bizarre stories. And maybe you have wondered, "How do I even begin to craft this story?"

Director Craig Gillespie decided to tell this story from the perspective of ALL of the players. Much like Kurosawa's Rashomon, (depicting four different versions of a murder); the movie is based on real-life interviews with Tonya's mother, and the other people involved. Gillespie intercuts these so-called interviews with more vivid, live-action, that reflects each one's perspective.

As you might guess from the trailer, it's a wild and crazy ride! But, then again, Tonya's whole life seemed to be a wild and crazy ride. I can't imagine any other way to craft this story other than the way it was done. Even down to the last frame and tag line! BTW, if you go to see it, stay for the credits and you will see Tonya's real epic skate, when she was the first women to hit a triple axel, and parts of some of the real interviews!

Don't be fooled into thinking this is all done in "first person"; switching perspectives. It's really "second person" as each character is speaking to an interviewer (and ultimately the audience) as, at the end, Tonya asks us, "Isn't that what you came to see?"

And if you do go, keep one eye focused on the crafting, to help you the next time you have a difficult story to approach!

P.S. There is creative license: After watching the movie, Tonya told Margot Robbie she "wished" she had said that explitive to the judges (she didn't).

Storyseeds are more like the beginning of a thought, or perhaps a question. These are all recent posts by Laura:

• Are you sure your reflection didn't just wink at you?
• A willow falls in love with a stream.
• Are you sure you’re awake?
• They leaned over, their heads almost touching as they peered at the petri dish. His hair smelled like hope and mystery. "Is... is it waving at us?"
• He turned the corner before you could get a good look, but was that really...
• Are you sure your reflection didn't just wink at you?
• A willow falls in love with a stream.
• Are you sure you’re awake?
• They leaned over, their heads almost touching as they peered at the petri dish. His hair smelled like hope and mystery. "Is... is it waving at us?"
• He turned the corner before you could get a good look, but was that really...

Here's an idea that I had:

Consider a photo...what does the image conjure up? There cold be many aspects and ways to interpret it. Then, consider all the different ways to begin the story. Don't worry about what comes next...just begin:

• The city was waking up, and the mist of clouds began to rise toward the sky. Was today the day that he would be successful?
   
• She turned onto the bridge, half shrouded in the low mist of clouds. She gave no thought to driving into the fog, as she had done it many times before. But as she emerged on the other side, what she saw was not what she expected.
   
• He stood at the center of the bridge, bathed in the clouds. He stared into nothingness...all around him. Even the water below was shrouded in the mist. "Good", he thought. "I'm glad I can't see it." He breathed in the moisture. He could taste the tears of a thousand sorrows that had stood on that bridge before. He stepped up on the ledge and breathed again, as he held the cold, steel railing damp with the morning dew. And then...
   
• She awoke on a rocky surface. Her whole being was in that kind of haze when you're not sure if you have really woken up, or if you are still in the dream. She had no idea of how she got there, or where she was. As far as she could see, there were clouds. She saw a sun rise in the far-off distance, and then, as the clouds began to slowly lift, they revealed a bridge, and then water, and then, a city. A city that shone gold in the sunlight's reflection.

You can fid your own: Pick ANY book off of a shelf; open it to a random page; read the first sentence from a paragrah. Or read the last sentence. Continue on from there.

Look around the room. What do you see? Begin a story by describing what you see. The ideas to begin a story are endless.

"Hello, I'm looking for a storyteller who can entertain at my party with some holiday stories. Christmas stories would be fine, I will also have a lot of guests that are Jewish, so I would love some Hanukah stories too."
(NOTE: There are approximately 1000 different ways to spell Chanukkah!)

"Oi vey!", you think. "What will I do? I don't have ANY holiday stories."

Don't despair,
Or pull out your hair.
Don't feel sad or left in the lurch,
Now is the time to start your search!

Stories of the holidays, or even other specialty stories aren't that hard to find and then craft. One should approach them as any other story you might be looking for, just as you would search for a folktale or fairytale. You may want to review my TIP about Building your repertoire

The internet is always a good place to start. A simple Google search for "Christmas stories" shows 5 million results. "Hanukkah stories" shows 2.5 million results. One can narrow the search criteria to fit your needs. Note, if you're not sure how to narrow the results, ask a 16-year-old for help!

Search online for magazines, or periodicals like Readers' Digest, or The Guardian. Once on their page, do anther search for holiday stories.

A stop at the library can open a whole new world, especially for those who haven't frequented the "original" reference resource! The Librarian knows all the best books and places to find them in the vast recesses of the place one should practice quietness. They might even share a story or two that they love with you. I'm sure they know many.

Check with your colleagues, in person or online. Storytellers are always ready to help each other with suggestions or resources.

Suffice it to say that there are many resources for finding the right holiday stoy to tell. Oh yeah, and donn't forget that you can always write your OWN holiday tale!

See Tidbits below for a simple litttle story that I have been using for many years.
 

This is what I say at the beginning of every semester of teaching The Art of storytelling. One of my goals in class (and in life) is to say "yes" more often. There was one student that absolutely could not get up in front of the class to tell. She just froze. She asked if she could tell her story just to me. Unconventional...but I said "yes"...and she did fine.

I think it might be good advice for storytellers too.

Don't get me wrong - there are times when we should say no:

But more often than not, we are presented with situations where we automatically say "no".

• We shy away from a story because we are fearful we can't do it justice.    
  -- Say yes and commit to learning the story and getting some coaching!
• We decline an offer to tell several months in the future because we don't have enough repertoire.
  --- Say yes and do research to find more stories, especially that fit the group you will be telling to.
• We decline an invitation to a concert because we don't think we will enjoy it.
  --- Say yes and attend, and truly observe and listen. Ask yourself what you learned by listening. 
• We decline an offer from a friend or colleague to "help" us in any way. We don't want to "put them out."
  -- Graciously accept the offer and know that you are allowing that person to experience the joy of giving.
  
  Note: One of my biggest regrets was while biking in the Netherlands, when a woman invited me to join her and her family for a meal. I don't know exactly why, but I said no. I missed a great opportunity!

There are many, many more times that I think we should try to say yes.

• Say yes to yourself when you believe you have done a good job.
• Say yes to rewarding yourself in some way.
• Say yes to taking on new stories or genres and trying them out
• Say yes to asking for help from a coach or trusted story-buddy.
• Say yes to taking classes and workshops to better your telling

Like Nike says...Just (say yes and) do it.

Friend and colleague Layne Gneiting is a storyteller, adventurer and Leadership Trainer. Last week, he posted a request for suggestions about what to include in an Adventure Journal. Some suggested physical aspects, like a pocket for a pen or a pocket for ephemora (I had to look it up. it means: things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time, usually written or printed)

I had a few thoughts about what sections might be included. I thought about discovering the journey and the adventure. I wondered about the Five Ps ©Donald Davis: People; Place; Problem; Progress and Point. This is one way to look at the essential elements of story. I thought these might apply to an Adventure Journal I replied to Layne with these possible prompts or sections:

People
    Who were the people you met? Describe them. What were they like? What did you discover?

Place
    Where were you? Describe the place(s). What was it like? What did you discover?

Problem
    Was there a problem? More than one? Rate the difficulty. How did you deal with it?
    What did you discover?

Progress
    What was the progress of this part of the journey/adventure? Did you learn from a Mentor?
    How did you change? What did you discover?

Point
    What are your thoughts about today? What were the highlights/lowlights? What did you discover?

This is not so much a new piece of the structure or flow of a story, but I think it is an essential component of story that as tellers, we should be aware of and consider.

STORYTELLERS - I Invite your thoughts in the comment section below.

I love to cook. I love stories. I'm a big fan of cooking shows on TV. What's that got to do with Storytelling - A lot!

If you watch any of the shows on the Food Network, you'll notice that there's always a STORY behind the dish, cooking style, recipe or other part of the program. We all know that stories are the best way to connect with people. On the "reality" show, The Next Food Network Star, the "mentors" & judges are always asking contestants, "Where's the story?" And those chefs that can successfully deliver a story, along with good cooking are, the ones that win!

In addition, they are always asked to describe the food with more than just, "It's yummy, wonderful, delicious, tasty, etc." Their descriptions have to be full of adjectives (descriptors) that paint a picture of the food and make the viewer want to try it or cook it. 

There's a new show on The Food Network: Guy's Big project. From cooking maven Guy Fieri and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It's about finding the next Food Roadshow. One of the exercises for the contestants is to have them describe a dish. The winner last week was a gal who said, "If you like hot, ooey-gooey, cheese, that S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-S, you'll love it!" She stretched the cheese way out with both hands to demonstrate. She was the front-runner for the day!

I've spoken about this before (click here). Don't just say, "They fell in love." Use colorful descriptors to paint the picture, like, "One look at her alabaster skin, and Cupid’s arrow struck his heart!" Find metaphors or similes that capture the underlying essence of what you want to say. Think in images. Think in "outrageous, over-the-top images. You may have to scale back a bit from the flowery, but start big. You can always cut back.

Watch some of these cooking shows to get a handle on stories, and descriptors!

I had the occasion to hear an interview with the great Carl Reiner over the weekend on NPR (my favorite radio station that has ALL the good stuff). For those who may be too young to remember, Reiner is a producer, writer, director, comedian and much more. He has won 20 Emmy awards for TV, and numerous other awards in the entertainment industry.

He created and produced the Dick Van Dyke Show, Your Show of Shows with Sid Caesar, partnered with Mel Brooks for the 2000 Year-Old Man, and many, many more legendary comedy enterprises. If you have never seen the Dick Van Dyke show, Google it and watch an episode on Youtube! It’s a classic!

“Alright, already, so what’s the tip?”, you ask. Wait for it… Wait for it…

Reiner talked about how he created the iconic, classic Dick Van Dyke Show. The era of “variety review” show on TV was at an end. A lot of Westerns were sprouting up. Reiner had read a lot of scripts submitted to him but didn’t like any of them. His wife told him, “YOU write something.” At first, he wasn’t sure he could do it, but then asked himself, (wait for it)

“What piece of ground do you stand on that nobody else stands on?”

His answer, “I live in New Rochelle with my family and I write in New York for TV.” So that’s what he wrote. Originally, he cast himself in the lead role, but it didn’t play. Eventually, he found Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Now, storytellers, when you must create a new story, whether personal or traditional, and you don’t think you have a story inside you, ask yourself:

“What piece of ground do you stand on that nobody else stands on?”

What is uniquely you or yours? What is it that says “You” and no one else? What do you know that no one else knows? Therein lies the beginning of the tale! The foundation, the essence that will point you in the right direction!

Thinking a lot about words and language in my storytelling classes. So I thought it might be fun to re-visit a tip from 2013. Enjoy!

Remember Andy Kaufman's character on Taxi? Latka Gravas. He was from "the old country" and spoke a strange language. There were only a few words that were defined like:
"Yaktahbay"  - behind/butt
"Nik nik" - sex
"Ibi da" - "yes" or "that is so"

Most of the language was gibberish, or at least sounded like that. But you could always understand what he (and Carol Kane as Simka) were saying due to their facial/body expressions, intonations, etc.

Try this as an exercise, and do it with a coach, friend, group of friends or at a trusted story circle or guild gathering.

Tell the story in gibberish. "Blah, blah, blah" or whatever. Use your body, face, voice, and anything else you can to convey the meaning of the words, just don't use the words. Jeff Gere from Hawaii has used this exercise with pairs. The pairs tell each other a story, then choose one of the stories to "tell" to the group in gibberish.

Remember that this is an "exercise" so, go "over the top" with your gestures and everything else. You can always pull back later, in a real telling. But in this exercise, be outrageous and have fun!

Then, get feedback from the group. What did they think the story was about? Could they distinguish between different characters? Did they get a sense of the setting? Did they have a sense of time passing? What they tell you about what THEY thought you were saying, doing or conveying will be invaluable!

Oh yeah...one more thing...You might want to think about performing a story this way for an audience! What, you say? Outrageous? Crazy? Can't be done? Donna Washington tells the story of the Three Little Pigs with NO words at all...just sound. And it works!

Now, if you want to go back to words...check out the tidbit below!

To choose something you already poses and make small changes to it vs. choosing something completely different or new.

Storytellers are always trying to find new stories to increase their repertoire. This is a good thing to do. But, sometimes it is also good to go back and look at an old "stock" story you may have, and see what subtle changes you might make to it and see what happens. You may even find a way to tweak an old story that might connect to a new one.

Do you remember the movie, Dances with Wolves? The title is also the name of Kevin Costner's character. It's the name that the Sioux gave him after they saw him "dancing" and romping with the wolf who had become his friend.

There is a whole "sub story" of his relationship with "two socks". The slow process of building trust; the moment when Two Socks decides they are friends; the way they protect each other; the angst when the soldiers shoot Two Socks.

The Sioux all had names that described who they were in some way: Stands with a fist; Kicking Bird; Wind in his hair. They all had a story behind how they came by their name.

Here's a story prompt:

If you were to have a "Native American" name, what would it be? What phrase or few words would describe who you are?

I have used this prompt in therapy sessions many times and it is always quite revealing. My name would be, "Loves to laugh and make 'em laugh." There are several stories behind that descriptive moniker...but that's another story.

What would your name be? Now, tell us a story (or stories) about why you would be called that. It might be one specific incident, or there might be a "string of pearls" (several stories) that would reveal what is behind that name.

Think about it. Maybe chat with a friend. Be creative. Maybe it's something everyone knows about you...or something that very few know.

Hello, what's your name? Tell me a story about it.

Always one of my favorite quotes! From Lewis Carrol's Through the Looking Glass:

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean- neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master-that's all."

Aye, yi, yi, there's the rub, "Which is to be master!"

Yes, many words can mean many different things. as storytellers, there's more: Many words that sound the same can mean even more things! This concept can be used in storytelling for many different effects.

Simple alliteration (repetition of the same letters or sounds) can be of use. In my story, The Princess and the Storyteller Frog, I say that "Frogs from all over the kingdom, came hopping and hoping to marry the princess."  This adds a bit of humor as "hopping" and "hoping" are similar, but different.

Take today, for example: "Many people in the office had their work eclipsed by the eclipse. Using the same word with a slightly different meaning can add interest.

Using the same word that has vastly different meanings can cause people to think more, be more curious, or just listen more closely. I have always loved the word, "stem" because it has fairly opposite meanings. It can mean the stem of a plant, or something that holds something else up. It can mean to stop something, like, "Stem the tide." Or it can mean to originate, as in, "This river stems from the north fork." or "This type of thinking stems from inaccurate information." Here's one: "It's unnatural to stem the flow of a river that stems from the depths of the earth."

Using words that sound alike, but are spelled differently, also forces the listener to be more involved. They often have a poetic effect. "The eyes of all were focused on the voters, and when it was over, the ayes had it. And I was not the only one who was eyed with hatred." 

And just for fun, you could use the WRONG word for what you mean as in "spoonerisms" or "Malaprops". (see below) 

For a lesson in words, meanings, rhymes, etc. go to see a "spoken word" slam or performance. These "poets" use words and language to their advantage in creating images and connections. 

They have heeded Humpty Dumpty's advice, and are "well heeled" in the art and use of words and language.

The other day, I was surfing the net and an ad popped up on my screen for one of the "Master Class" series of web programs. The site https://www.masterclass.com/ features a wide variety of successful professionals teaching their craft in a series of online video classes. James Patterson, Kevin Spacey, Steve Martin, Dustin Hoffman; all "masters" of their own craft offer lessons on how to be better.

This time, on my screen was a class by playwright and Filmmaker, David Mamet. He has written and/or directed such films and plays as: Glengary Glen Ross; The Untouchables; American Buffalo; Speed the Plow; Wag the Dog and Oleanna.

The ad caught my eye, because I know David. We went to High school together! Click here for the trailer.

The trailer has some interesting thoughts from Mamet on writing that may also be relevant to storytellers. He says:

You can't learn about drama without writing plays, putting it on in front of an audience and getting humiliated.

Your job is to tell a story. The story has a hero, and he or she wants ONE thing.

I'm not any less confused than you are, I just got in the habit of doing it.

You gotta stand being bad, cause if you don't you're never gonna write anything good. We're given a great gift and responsibility, which is to tell stories as honestly as we can. And experience things in the process that are beautiful.

So, Get out there and tell; no matter what. Tell, tell, tell. The more you tell, the more you learn. The more you learn, he better you get!

Quite often, when we tell stories, whether personal or traditional, we touch upon images and similar stories inside the minds of the audience members. Have you had people come up to you after a performance and say, "That story reminded me of my Grandmother." Or, "I wrote a story about that when I was in high school." Or perhaps you have heard a story that made you feel you needed to craft your own version of that tale. Good stories give birth to other ideas and images inside of us. Stories beget other stories. 

Are you listening with just your ears, or your whole body? Just as tellers need to tell with their whole being; tellers must listen with their whole being. What images do you see or imagine? What conflicts arise for you? What sounds do only you hear? These are all pieces that you can use to beget a new story. This is just one reason why listening to other tellers is so important. You must listen to your own stories too. Maybe there is a story that needs a companion, or a follow-up tale.

To create new stories: read more stories; listen to more stories and storytellers; listen to your own stories; research more stories and events in history; search out more legends of the past... Then go out and beget!

One of the most searched-for communication skills on the Internet is “how to tell a story.” I would like to give you a quick step-by-step guide to this process of story telling, drawn from my 30+ years of being a professional storyteller. This is the fast and quick method to learn a new story.

1. Decide on a story. Sounds elementary, but at some point, you need to find a story that you love. If you are having problems, search the Internet for some simple Aesop fables or find some good stories at a site like Storyteller.net .

 

2. Break the story down into an outline of events so that you can remember the episodes of each story.

 

You have two choices for step three. Do one or both if you would like...
 

Read the entire article here.

One of my favorite new TV shows is Forged in Fire (History Channel)! It’s a reality/competition between four “bladesmiths”. They are given three hours to create a knife or other weapon from raw material. We watch as they design their knives, select the raw steel and place it in the forge. They deftly hammer, bend and shape the metal to their liking, then hone it and polish it to a fine edge. Well now, there’s a metaphor for storytelling!

There are bladesmiths, blacksmiths, locksmiths, gunsmiths and so, we might call ourselves storysmiths.

We begin by designing the story. What type will it be? What will it be about? How will we use it; What audience will the story be for, etc. Then we choose our materials: Who are the characters; the setting; the time; the “who-what-when-where-why and how” of the story. We put them all together in the forge and heat them up. We mix them and then hammer out each scene and section. We have a vision in our head and continually heat and reheat; shape and re-shape our story until it is the “rough” look of our vision.

Then we cool, or quench it. We grind away the unnecessary parts. We hone it to a fine, sharp edge. We polish it to a high luster. We may decide to add etching or more visual detail. And even after it seems finished and it is used over and over, we examine the edges and continue to reshape and re-sharpen it.

I think it’s a great metaphor and concept. Don’t get too excited though, I already checked and storysmith and storyforge are both taken as websites!

But don't be lazy! Summertime (especially here in Phoenix where it's so hot and we NEVER go outside) is the perfect time to work on stories! The storytelling scene usually gets smaller during summer. Summer school is almost over and there are fewer events to attend. Now is the perfect time to stay cool inside and revisit and revive your stories.

The dog-days of summer are a great time for re-crafting old stories. Have you gotten a little rusty, or even dusty with some stories? Time to dust them off; scrub them and polish them to shine anew. When you first told them, they were new to you and your audiences. What will make them new and bright and shiny again? 

Here are a few tips/prompts to try a re-fit for a story that may have lost some of its luster:

• Change the Voice. Tell from a different point of view, or from a different character's point of view. Want to challenge yourself? Try telling the story in "second person" (one specific character speaking to another specific character or group).
   
• Change the setting or the time frame, modernize the story. What would happen if Little Red Riding Hood lived in New York City, and it's 2017?
   
• What connects those three short stories? Can't find the connection? Maybe it's YOU as the teller? How could you bring them together as a string of pearls?
   
• Re-discover what's special about your protagonist. Make this quality the focal point of your story. How does your protagonist feel about having this power/ability? Were they always this way? Did they acquire this quality along their journey? Highlight it and tell us more about it.
   
• What's the point of the story? Are you sure? Delve deeper into the meaning of the story for you. Maybe your initial thoughts and decisions have changed since you first told it. Take a leap of faith.  What if the point were something completely outrageous?

Those are just a few of the possibilities that you might try. Here's one more that's well suited for your summertime re-crafting:

• Take a moment to physically become your protagonist. Stand the way they would stand. Put your body in the shape of what it feels like to BE them. Breathe in the way they would breath. Breath in that quality that they have and can use for good. Then...step outside into the summer heat, and speak as your protagonist.

Did you find something new to use for your story?

When the wound goes deep, inside your heart, you need a different kind of salve. Stories can be the balm that helps the healing process, even if it is just for the moment. Grief is a deep wound. So deep that often, the pain persists for a very long time. Grief is different for every person. Each person's way of dealing with grief needs to be different; personal; there is no, "on-size-fits-all." And the old adage, "time heals all wounds" is not necessarily true. Time may help, but the grief may never be fully healed...and that's okay. 

My mother passed away last week. She had been in a nursing home for three years. In many ways, the person she had been, vibrant; aware; dynamic was lost years ago. I know that her internal struggles and pain are now gone, and for that I am thankful. We were always very close, so the finality of her death has wounded me, severely. 

Here is where stories can help. Stories about someone who has died, remembering their actions, words, triumphs and foibles help to keep the good parts of them inside us, always. Stories of similar people or situations can help us as we relate with the characters (real or fictional). And philosophical stories, stories with a "message" can help us to put things in perspective in relation to our whole world. Stories help us to make sense of the world we live in, which often does not make sense.

For those of you, like myself, who have been wounded by the loss of a loved one, I offer a balm of stories that may aid in your healing. My dear friend and storytelling colleague, Laura Packer, lost her sweet husband, Kevin, three years ago. Part of her healing process (and it IS a PROCESS) was to write and tell more stories, both in oral and written form. Her pieces are heartfelt, deep, revealing and quite poignant. Even before my mother passed away, her stories of Kevin helped me to begin to make some sense regarding my mother's impending loss of physical life.

For anyone who may be dealing with deep wounds of any kind, I offer Stories from Laura's blog, called True Stories, Honest Lies, and hope that her posts may help you, even in some small ways.

And here's another source, National Storytelling Network's Healing Story Alliance special interest group. It is the web page of many storytellers who have been using story to heal in many different ways and situations.

And one more piece...yes, writing this tip has also helped me in my healing process.
 

Most of us tell stories in either First Person or Third person. It's called Voice or Point of View. First Person uses "I", i.e. "I went to the store." Third Person (Omniscient - all knowing) uses "He, She, They." "He went to the store. They went to the store"

But what about that other choice? What about Second Person? Second Person uses "YOU". "YOU went to the store. YOU are the one who forgot the milk. YOU are the one who disappointed the kids."

More precisely, Second Person is a specific person or character talking to a specific person, character or group. It could be the Wife talking to her Husband. "Why didn't you pick up the milk? You have ruined our dinner." Or, the Wife talking to the Kids. "None of you finished your milk! Your father made a special trip to get it. All of you, go to your room!" It could be a much larger group, like a group of friends at your birthday party, "You have all made me feel very special. And you are the ones who I care about the most."

When deciding from which voice to tell your story, don't forget Second Person. It can be a powerful tool. The narrator can only go so far in showing emotional content. Imagine three different voices.

Third Person, Narrator
"He told her he never loved her. He said she was worthless."
This can only go so far in communicating the emotional impact.

First Person - The Wife
"My Husband told me he never loved me. He said that I was worthless."
First Person goes farther with emotions and can convey the feelings of the main character more clearly.

Second Person - The Wife Talking to the Husband
"You told me you never loved me. You said I was worthless."
But Second Person can reveal a higher level of emotions when it portrays the actual person speaking to another.

Third person is one of the most often used voices in singing. Think of many of Taylor Swift songs where she is talking to a former boyfriend. Many religious songs are specifically talking to God. Other love songs: You Made Me Love You; You are the Sunshine of My Life - Happy Birthday is actually sung in Second person!

Second Person is a little more difficult to pull off in storytelling. One should pay attention to time and place. To switch, one can use the phrase, "And remember last July when you refused to go on vacation with us? That was very hurtful. And don't forget my birthday three years ago. You completely forgot it! When I reminded you, you didn't even apologize!"

Storyteller Corinne Stavish tells many bible stories using Second Person, with the Woman in the story talking to God.

So, don't look only at the two most often used voices in the storytellers' bag of techniques. Consider Second Person, especially when you want to intensify the emotion of the story/character.

Want a challenge? Craft three different versions of your story; one in First Person, one in Third; and one in Second...and see what happens.

One is to "tell" them through narration: "Mary was honest and caring." "John was a spiteful gossip."

Another way is to describe the action (still "telling" but a bit closer to "showing"): "John went on and on, with his gossip and rumors. Mary was not pleased."

The third option is to "show" through dialogue: "Did you hear about Betty? She was literally throwing herself at every man at the party. God only knows what happened afterwards!" Mary cut him off, "I don't believe it! I like Betty. I don't like rumors and gossip. I won't let you cast doubt on her character."

Having your characters interact with dialogue truly reveals who they are through their actions and words.

I recently came across an article by trainer and coach, Anett Grant in the Business Journal: 3 reasons why dialogue is the critical catalyst to great storytelling. Although she is talking about storytelling in business and organizational presentations, it fits for most other storytelling too.

Caveat: Be careful about falling into "He said this - She said that!"

The next time you find yourself "narrating" about who your characters are...consider dialogue.
  Read the article here

Here's a reprint from September, 2014 that seems appropriate, given the Tidbit below.

I will be forever indebted to storyteller, friend, colleague and educator Laura Packer. In a workshop she presented in Phoenix she said, "Use and trust your image engine."

In my Art of Storytelling classes, I use the story of Stealing Smells to demonstrate many different aspects of storytelling;

One concept is, that I have an image in my head and use my voice, body, gestures and facial expressions to portray the character as I see him (without describing him). Each member of the audience sees their OWN image based on my performance. I use a similar image of the bearded man, in this graphic, for the character of Mordechai the Baker. I Then ask the students to describe the image that THEY saw in their heads.

Then, I repeat the process by using a DIFFERENT image (the skinny fellow with glasses) and perform him differently. Then I ask the students to describe THAT character. By trusting my image engine, I can quickly become the character, without hesitation. 

This process is both about having a "back story" for your character, and also trusting your "image engine" and letting it take you where you need to go.

Do you have your engine gassed up and ready to go?

While on the Storytelling England/Ireland Tour recently, I had an epiphany, of sorts. One of my expectations for both last year's and this year's tour was that we would all gather at the end of the day and share stories. Favorite personal or traditional stories, or just stories from our day of adventure. It never seemed to happen that way. Most of the time, we met for dinner and reminisced and laughed about what we had experienced that day with each other. Afterwards, we were all too tired to tell or pay attention to any formal stories.

This year, there were a few times when we each went in different directions, and then, during dinner, we related what had happened. But they were mostly anecdotes again, and not formal stories.

However, on our last full day in Dublin, we gathered in the morning to hear some stories that had been delayed for one reason or another. We found a quiet spot in the hotel lobby with comfortable chairs for us all. We were all fresh, rested and ready to hear and appreciate each other's stories. So, next year I will try to schedule more stories at the beginning of the day vs. hoping we will have time and energy at the end of the day.

When we did hear stories, we applauded and told the teller we liked or loved their story. But I realized that in a small group like ours, we needed a little more (my own feelings here). I believe we needed some appreciations. Not only to round out the experience for both teller and listeners, but as a small "teaching" portion of the tour. Appreciations always give us an opportunity to hear what others liked and why. Agreeing (or tacit disagreeing) allow us to make choices regarding how we might use language, techniques, etc. to our own advantage when telling.

We actually told more stories on this tour than last year. Perhaps that was because we had more tellers vs. students. What was truly exciting were those times when we spontaneously stopped and told stories to each other. On the first train ride, we had a car all to ourselves, so, naturally, we turned it into a storytelling car. And on our one hike, the magical forest provided a great setting for traditional tales!

So, when planning events, make sure, when you can, that you start with stories. Don't wait till your time or energy runs out.

We're always looking for stories! But are we looking in the right places? If we are only looking for traditional stories, and/or personal stories from our own lives, we are missing a lot! Remember that the first skill of a storyteller is listening. But what shall we listen for? Here's a thought - OTHER people's stories!

There's a treasure trove of stories out there from people all over. The ones in the coffee shop, or the airport, or on a bus. Talk to the person next to you on the plane. Don't spend six hours without finding out something about them. One of the most famous stories is from Steven Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

In the section on Paradigm Shift, he recounts the tale of being on the subway and encountering a man and his children.

I remember one Sunday morning, on a subway in New York; people were sitting quietly- some reading, some lost in thought, some resting or sleeping- Then suddenly, a man and his children entered the subway car. 

The children were so loud that instantly, the whole climate changed. The man sat down next to me and closed hi eyes, apparently neglecting the situation. 

 

The children were yelling back and forth, throwing things, it was very disturbing and yet the man sitting next to me did nothing. 

 

I could not believe that he could be so insensitive as to leave his children like that and doing nothing about it. 

 

So finally, with unusual patience, I turned to him and said, “Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people. I wonder if you couldn’t control them a little more.” 

 

The man lifted his gaze as if to come to consciousness of the situation for the first time and said softly, “Oh, you’re right, I guess I should do something about it, we just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago. I don’t know what to do, and I guess they don’t know how to handle it either. 

 

“Your wife has just died? Oh, I’m sorry! Can you tell me about it? What can I do to help?” Everything changed in an instant. 

In 1845, Henry David Thoreau Left Concord, Massachusetts for a small woodland community on the shores of Walden Pond. Seeking "the simple life"

Thoreau used the time there to write his first book, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. The experience later inspired, perhaps, his most famous work, Walden.

Thoreau went to Walden to get away from the distractions of the urban life, to find some calm and solitude in the quiet of the woods and pond.

That was in 1845! There are exponentially more distractions in our lives today than Thoreau could ever dream of. We often hear of people, "unplugging" which really means from the internet and even the phone. But if one stays in the urban environment, there are still cars, traffic, appointments, etc. that can keep us from achieving a desired, higher state of consciousness.

Like Thoreau, many authors have sought our "retreats" where they can go and concentrate on their writing with less of the "outside world" seemingly interfering with their process. Storyteller Kim Weitkamp recently "locked herself away" in a cabin to work on more stories. Local storyteller and comedian Bryan Lee went north to a secluded hideaway to finish a book he is writing.

Where or what is your Walden? Where is the place that allows you to unplug from the normal rat race, and pull back from the chaos or distractions in your life? Maybe it's somewhere close to home, but far enough away from the norm that you can quiet yourself. In the short-term, maybe it's something small, like getting a massage, or having a relaxed, two-hour dinner either solo, or with a trusted friend. Perhaps it's a weekend "staycation" by a local hotel pool where they bring you drinks with little umbrellas, just to be decadent.

Is your Walden just a few hours from your home? Maybe in the woods or the mountains? Or is it farther? Could it be across the country? Back in the home where you grew up? Or is it across the ocean? 

In my trips to England, I rejoice in the culture and spirit of history that exudes in the physical surroundings, and the local people. When I bike to a nearby city, I can revel in the serenity of the quiet countryside and forests in between. Setting up camp; cooking and sleeping solo with the stars above allows my whole body to breathe. Often, the story ideas come at night when the gentle breeze ruffles my tent. I can hear the voices of the characters calling to me.

Have you found your Walden? If not, it may be time to search for it. And when you do find it, even if it's a small or short-term one, make sure you visit it, as often as you can!

What parts of YOU or YOUR OWN LIFE connect with this non-personal story? 

Liz Warren's book, The Oral Tradition Today, Susan Klein states:

"When something within a folktale resonates with your own story, it calls to you to be its voice. And then the responsibility begins. You do whatever you need to do to get to the root of what it means to you and the truth that resides in the story."

I believe this is true for all types of stories one chooses to tell, not only folktales. By telling a story, we show parts of who we are. We must know all the pieces in the story to which we connect. That gives the story life.

Look at the setting, the Place. What's your connection? Look at the theme or the Point of the story. How does that connect to you? What's the struggle; the Problem? Where in your life can you relate? Look at all the characters. How do you relate and connect with each one?

"But wait, I don't connect at all with the antagonist, the villain in my story."

Ah, don't speak too soon my young friend. First, ask yourself if there has been anyone in your life that you might cast in the role of antagonist. You could model your character after that person. Or maybe, just maybe, there is a part of you that could imagine having that much anger.

Human beings are not 100% good or evil (characters may be, but humans are not). We are all made up of different "parts". We all have many different parts inside of us, both positive and negative. The negative parts may be small, but it is important to recognize them. You may not think you have anything in common with a murderous villain.

Hopefully, you have never murdered anyone, but perhaps you have been so angry at someone that you felt huge rage at them. Or perhaps you have been bothered repeatedly by the incessant buzzing of a thirsty mosquito, and when it finally lands on your arm, you give it the hardest slap you can - MURDERER! - Use that feeling for your character!

You must find ALL the personal connections to your story, then make conscious decisions about how you can reveal those parts in your story. How can you use specific language, your voice, body, gestures, facial expressions, etc. to reveal the parts of yourself in each character or scene?

All of this gives your story life. Give your audience the gift of the different parts of you and your life!

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to be invited to present at the Rocky Mountain Storytelling Conference in Golden, Colorado. The keynote was given by the incomparable Janice Del Negro. Watching Janice is mesmerizing and an education in itself.

In this age of the Moth and the proliferation of personal stories, Janice steeps herself in 398.2 - Folktales and Fairytales. Commonly known as the "traditional" side of storytelling, Janice seems anything but. The tales she tells are from a great "tradition". But the way she crafts and tells them is clearly out-of-the-box.

One might ask, "How can this be? aren't traditional stories supposed to be 'sacred'? One shouldn't be able to change them just to suit one's mood'" This is where Janice excels.

She reminds us that Folktales and Fairytales that we read in literature are merely ONE person's interpretation of the story at ONE point in time. That is the version that is preserved on the written page. But that may not necessarily be the only version that is valid. Do we, as storycrafters, have the right to change a traditional story to suit our own, or the audiences' sensibilities? An emphatic "YES" is her response!

In the opening night's concert, Janice took us through an irreverent yet amazing version of Rapunzel, continually reminding us that, "A story is always different, depending on who tells it."

She does remind us that "Maintaining the original story-arc is important. It's how one interprets it; that is what makes the story yours and unique." Think of Disney's Maleficent, where true love's kiss is not that of a lover, but, in this case, of a loving aunt.

So, when you love a particular story, but think it might need some changes in the way that YOU tell it, rejoice! Think outside-the-box. Make creative choices and support them. Remember, "A story is always different, depending on who tells it."
 

My students are always telling me, "I don't have any stories. My life is boring."

If we take change as a premise for storytelling, then we can look for a good story in those times in our lives when we did change, when we did learn a lesson. Think back for a moment and ponder all the things you may have experienced in your life when you learned something; when you had a great epiphany, or a small one. When the lightbulb turned on; when you actually, "Saw the light!"

What do you do differently now than you did in the past? When did you make that change? WHY did you make that change?

Look back to those times of change and lessons for inspiration in crafting a personal story. You may just help someone struggling with similar challenges.
 

If you were lucky, or had given it some thought, you had an answer (read excuse). Maybe you had even prepared the answer in your head as the moment of truth approached. And then you were ready to tell your story. It's a little different today, but you're sort of in the same boat! You need to explain yourself.

I'm talking about you, as a storyteller. When people ask you what you do and you are bold enough to identify yourself as a storyteller...then what? They always ask, "What is that? I didn't even know that existed. Exactly what do you do?" Just like that little kid, you need to be prepared to explain yourself. Only this time, it's a little different...but you still need to be prepared!

What do you tell people? In a few words or sentences...or even one sentence; are you prepared to delineate what it is that you do? For many years, it was considered the "elevator speech". Have a speech ready to tell if you were in an elevator and only had the time from the ground floor to the top, to tell your story. Storyteller and Coach Sean Buvala, like many others, believes the elevator speech is dead. He recently wrote a great piece about "Four Sentence Storytelling" as a way to explain what you do. Here's the link to the article.

Very much like storytelling, you want to give them something specific, but also want to make them want to hear more:

I use stories to entertain people.

I use stories to teach different concepts in life.

I use stories to help children and adults explore their imagination.

Or maybe it's a combination of two or three things - here's mine:

I use stories to entertain people and to teach individuals and organizations how to communicate through stories.

Usually, you will get a secondary question: "How do you do that?" Be prepared to explain further.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a story about a boy who is bored and wants company, but he miscommunicates by yelling and lying that the wolf is there. And of course, after too many times, no one believes him. And then no one believes him when there is real danger. So, the story is not just about lying, but also about the consequences of how, when and what we communicate.

The message here is (much like crafting a story) be prepared! Don't just go over it in your head. Craft the message, practice it out loud - with a friend or colleague. Have your story (message about what you do) ready.,

And be ready to explain yourself!

I created a form that I use in my Community College Storytelling classes that has proved to be quite useful. The students must fill it out prior to even practicing their story in small groups. The information may change once they have told/practiced the story, or even several times before they do their required telling in front of the entire class

The form has some basic information about the story (title, origin, genre), but also has a few sections that I believe are important to help understand and craft the story in a more thoughtful and conscious way.

I recently updated the form and I am offering it here for evaluation and feedback. You may use the "comments" section at the end of this Newsletter, just as one does on Facebook.

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A PDF and WORD version of this form may be found at
http://www.storytellersworkbook.com/Story_Preparation_Sheet.pdf
Feel free to download it, edit and use for yourself or your students as needed (with attribution)
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In addition to "ums" and "ers", one of the most difficult habbits to break speakers (or tellers) of is "extra words", such as, "like" and "you know." Mali has written an incredible piece titled, "Like - You Know." I show it to my students each semester. I think it says it all.

Here are two aspects of telling stories about strong emotional times or incidents that must be attended to: the teller’s feelings and the feelings of the audience. One must pay close attention to both!

The emotions of the teller – you!
How close are you to this story, in terms of time? Did it happen last week or last month? Maybe it was over a year ago, or even more. Most importantly, have you dealt with your emotions regarding the incident? Have you been able to come to some sort of closure on it? If not, then it may not be the time to tell it.

Many of us want to tell our story of a difficult time in our life. We want to share these things with others so they can relate to the feelings too. But if our own emotions are still “on the edge” about it, we may not be able to tell it in a way that the audience will be able to hear it, and stay focused on the story.

If the teller is too emotional, perhaps their voice is cracking; perhaps the tears come to easily or they even break down and sob. These things divert the audience from the story and from their own lives, and make them want to “comfort and take care of” the teller. This is not the role they should be place in.

Tellers must clearly find a way to deal with their strong emotions so that they are able to control the way they tell the story and not be overcome or overwhelmed. They must be able to craft and tell the story without losing themselves.

The emotions of the audience.
The seasoned teller is always aware of the audience. First in crafting the story, then in telling it. You can’t control the emotions of every single audience member, and it is possible that one of them will be overcome with emotion. But we must try to be aware of what is happening with our listeners.

Our role as teller means that we must take care of our audience. We must provide a safe space for them to hear our story, relate to it in their own way, and come out feeling “okay” or resolved in some way. They must leave with some measure of hope, and not despair. If we are drowning, it will be impossible for us to help anyone else.

One way to accomplish this is to infuse a small bit of humor in your tale. There is almost always a bit of humor in the tragedies of life. Humor is a release for humans, a small break in the constant barrage of deep emotions. Look for it in your story. Find a way to craft it into the narrative. It will likely serve both you and your audience.

Ask yourself, "Am I strong enough to tell this story?" Then ask yourself, "How can I give that strength to my audience?"

Here's one of the things that I love about storytelling vs. my "old" career as an actor. Storytelling changes with every performance. 

When performing in a play, especially with other actors, you are "locked in" to certain choices, over and over. It's hard to deviate from those choices lest you throw off the production. You can't shout out one phrase that you spoke softly the night before (unless you warn the other actors). You can't change the actual language of the play. The other actors will not know their cues. 

On the last night of a show, in a one-week or six-month run, performers are aware that "we will never do this again." Often, they decide to do "funny" (hopefully) things on stage. These "bits and pieces" mostly become little "inside jokes" for the cast, and the audience is completely left out. Not what a storyteller wants. 

In storytelling, I can change the story each time I tell it, AND I can be fairly confident that I will have another opportunity to tell that story again, in the future, when I can make different choices and see how effective each decision may be. Except for rare occasions, I never have to think, "This is the last time I will ever tell this story."

So, make good choices in your crafting and within each telling. Be confident that what you do "today" will be fine. And the next time you tell, you can make different decisions...and those will be fine too!

Recently, one of my students came to me and complained that she would not be able to perform her story in the required time limit of 5 - 8 minutes. She had "tried and tried, but just couldn't cut out any more" of her story. Each time I attempted to elicit what she might need to "let go of" she attempted to "tell" me all of the words of the story that she felt were necessary. I didn't want to hear the story, I wanted her to focus on the "elements" or "chunks" of the story. We seemed to be getting nowhere.

Her story was the recent Disney version of Sleeping Beauty, called, Maleficent. I wanted to ask her to tell me what the story was about in just a few sentences, sort of, "Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl." I hesitated, as I felt she still was not focusing enough. So I asked her to tell me in ONE sentence, what the story was about.

She thought for a moment and then said, "It's about how Maleficent's faith in humankind is restored." Great! That's the core, the essence. Now, rather than having to "cut down", we can build more from the inside out.

What questions do we need to answer in order to flesh out the narrative?

How is her faith restored? - Through Aurora's love and innocence.
  - If her faith is restored, that means she lost it, or it was destroyed at some point.
How was it Destroyed? - She was betrayed by her lover and her wings were cut off.
How did she feel and what did she do? - She was enraged and she put a curse on his child, Aurora.
After the curse, why was she intrigued by or drawn to Aurora?

What brought about the next piece, etc.

As each question is answered, another piece of the story/puzzle unfolds until all of the questions are answered from beginning to end. Now, she has all of the important elements of the story and only has to decide how much description goes with each. She has built her story from the inside out vs. the other way around.

So, next time you are struggling with how to cut your story down, try the reverse. Try building it one step at-a-time from the inside out!

Last night's Oscar Awards should serve as a warning to us all. Murphy could be lurking around every corner!

Hollywood icons Faye Dunaway & Warren Beatty, together again, 50 years after winning Oscars for Bonnie and Clyde. Consummate professionals, in their element; what could go wrong?...oops. And a quick note to award recipients...don't count your Oscars...oh well...you get the idea.

Michael D. McCarty has a workshop called "Gigs from Hell" that pays tribute to Murphy's Law. Suffice it to say: BE PREPARED. You never know what might happen.

In many of my previous tips I have included one concept that should be addressed as a principle, by itself. It is the concept of first, knowing yourself ...and accepting who you are.

In Hamlet, Act I, Scene III, Polonius says to his son Laertes"

This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

One student said he couldn't find a Folktale that resonated with him because he is "not like other people. It takes me longer to think and make decisions." I said, "So you feel DIFFERENT than other people?" "Yes", he said. "Then perhaps you could search for a story about a boy who feels different?" He agreed.

In that light, here is a TIP from August of 2013.

Storytellers are repeatedly asked, “Where do you find your stories?” This question is asked by students, just starting out in the community, and also by listeners who seem to be amazed at discovering there is more to telling than reading aloud from a children’s book.

Lately, I've been thinking about "legacy". What is the legacy we leave behind for the future? So here's a REPRINT of a tip from May/2016 that I believe has some relevance.

This week's tip comes from colleague and Irish teller Yvonne Healy. Yvonne did a workshop on Family stories and I found one exercise particularly interesting and exciting. I believe it has many uses!

Quite often, people don't believe that they have done anything worth "telling" about. They feel their lives are "ordinary" vs. extraordinary. This exercise in a group, or with a person you are interviewing can put a whole new perspective on that concept. And... it forces the teller to use their creativity!

Interview a family member and have them tell you something they did. It could be something simple that they feel may not be very "interesting", but have them tell it anyway.

OR - in a group, partner up and have your partner tell you something they did that seemed extremely mundane, like putting away the dishes, or dusting the shelves.

The next step is to project yourself 5000 years into the future. What would the world be like? Now tell the story back to the family member (or partner) but tell it as a GREAT MYTH. How did that one thing that they did affect the world in the future? How might they be remembered in the folklore of the future?

A long, long, long time ago, Mary dusted the shelves in her house, and did a particularly good job. So good, in fact, that when her friend Jane came over, she noticed the excellent job Mary had done. She was also so pleased that there was no dust in the house as Jane had such bad allergies. Jane told so many people about Mary dusting the shelves and how wonderful it was, that they all decided to follow suit and do the same in their own houses. They even took it a step further and cleaned and scrubbed everything. Each time someone visited a home, they marveled at the cleanliness and vowed to clean their own homes and office spaces with great energy and pride. This spread far and wide, across the country and eventually, around the world. And that is why the earth is such a clean place today, in the year 7016!

There is great creativity in this exercise for the teller, finding a way to frame the story in a different way (and time). And there is great power in having that person hear their tale as a Great Legend, or Myth of the future!

By that I mean that it is slowly dying. A couple of weeks ago, it started acting strange. It wouldn't save any WORD files, then it other programs began to crash. When I tried to download new versions of the programs that were giving me difficulty, they didn't download or install correctly. It was in a Cyber Coma, and my pain followed quickly after!

Now, that might not sound like much of an "obstacle", but it could be. In reality, getting the Newsletter posted along with EVERYTHING else I do where my computer is an integral part of my life is a BIG THING to me. It is an obstacle that I need to get over.

Remember that, like the Hero's Journey, there must be some obstacle that your protagonist must overcome, whether it is slaying the dragon, capturing the Golden Fleece, solving the riddle of the Sphinx...or finding a way to fix or replace a computer.

What skills does your protagonist posses? How have they used those skills in the past (long ago and recent past)? How might they use them in conquering the "trouble" that has befallen them? Who is the "helper" who can advise and encourage your protagonist? Are there humorous parts to this story? Or is it a more serious tale? Who is your audience? Can they relate to the trouble and struggle your protagonist must endure? Will they be elated once the obstacle is conquered?

MY struggle is almost over. I have purchased a refurbished computer and am cloning my old computer before it dies on me. I must remember that it is close to ten years old (I am using OFFICE 2007!). I know that it's tiime is near and that I should be happy that it lasted this long, as the life expectancy of most computers is only 4-6 years. It was good to me, but it's time to let it go.

Your hurdles, and your protagonist's may be large or small, but remember that story is about the struggle, and the triumph once the obstacle is overcome!

Think of a PLACE you have lived. Now you can expand on that by listing as many "places" you have lived that you can remember. You can also start with places you have worked, or gone to school. Alternatively, you could start with PEOPLE you know. Friends, family, co-workers, the list(s) can be endless.

Start describing the place. It's not necessary to "look for" a story, just look at the place. Walk around in that place. Take your time. As you begin to describe it, you will find more and more details. As you describe and SEE all the things around you in that place, the memories and the story begins to come into focus.

Remember that you are looking for the "trouble" in the story, your world turned upside-down. But don't go to the trouble too quickly. First remember what your "normal" world is like. The more you walk around in that memory, the more you will remember, and the more you can describe the picture(s) you see to us, your audience.

One of the things that Donald kept stressing is to "not rush the process". Take your time, walk around that place, walk with that person from your past. Make sure you can see them in YOUR memory, so that you can describe them clearly, then WE can see them in our minds too. Let the seeds of those memories grow. Keep coming back to them so you can remember more, and see more.

It takes time to build the clear memories and to build the pictures. And in the telling, it takes time to describe it to us.

Let us see the richness of what you experienced.

In that vein, here's a reprint of a tip from March/2014 - then read the Tidbit below for some enlightening thoughts!

Last week, Sean Buvala produced a fantastic concert in Avondale, One Story, Many Tellers. Five tellers told different (and distinct) versions of their images of Beauty and the Beast. All the stories were quite marvelous. One teller, Elly Reidy had a slightly different slant with her story. In the Q & A afterwards, she shared with the group that she is always looking for the "back story" and asking herself "What if?" She asked herself, "What if Beauty and the Beast were already married before the curse was placed?" The result was a very powerful story!

The magic of asking ourselves "What if?" has limitless possibilities.

What if...the characters were all animals, instead of humans?
What if...the characters were all humans, instead of animals?
What if...this was on another planet?
What if...this took place 1000 years ago...1000 years in the future?
What if...the genders were reversed...or all men...or all women?
What if...there were no police?
What if...we only saw ourselves through the eyes of our lover...or our enemy?
What if...all the characters were blind...or deaf...or deaf and blind?
What if...the punishment for every crime, even jay-walking, was death?
What if...all the characters spoke in a language that none of the listeners understood?
What if...we heard what each character was saying...and what they were feeling?
What if...insert your own questions here.

Okay, your turn. - Start asking the questions!
 

Once upon a time, there lived a small boy named Jack. Jack was a bit lazy, and not too bright. He lived with his widowed mother in a small house, not too far from town. They were very poor, and struggled to make ends meet.

Or...

Once upon a time, there was a widow who lived in a small house, not too far from town. She was quite poor and struggled to make ends meet. She had a son named Jack, who was a bit lazy, and not too bright.

In the first example, it seems clear thet Jack is the protagonist. But in the second example, it may be a bit fuzzy. Yes, I know it's a subtle point, but stick with me here. (Illustration by Violeta Dabija)

Generally, we meet the protagonist very early on. There may be a bit of exposition before they enter: we may see the robbers, stealing from the bank, and holding hostages until, in walks Dirty Harry, our hero/protagonist. Perhaps the one factor in example number two above is that we make the "mother" an archetypal character by not naming her. Jack has a name, so we begin to assume that he is the main character, but in some situations, it may be murky.

Most of us know that the "protagonist" is thought of as: 

The leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.

Here's a bit of information you may not have been aware of. From the original Greek, the translation is "first actor":

Well, click on your own animals instead!

Our pets are a great source for stories. Perhaps there was that one time when your pet did something amazing or so outrageous that it justifies a whole story. Or maybe it was a string of incidents (a string-of-pearls) that can be woven together into a story. Or maybe-just maybe, you can combine a "pet story" with a traditional folktale or fairytale - like Sean Buvala's classic "The Demon Cat" story.

Think of all the times you have said, "Let me tell you what my [insert your pet's name here] did! Think of how you could craft that story for an audience larger than just your friend. Watch Sean's video here, and don't forget one of the most important rules for storytelling, "show, don't tell!" (see my previous blog on this)

Also remember to focus on "universal themes" so that everyone in your audience can relate to it.

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When we start out as a storyteller, we usually begin slowly, choosing stories one at a time. Finding stories that we "love" isn't always easy to do. I remember taking days of searching and reading stories on line and books until I found the first story that I liked and thought I could tell.

Just a note here: In storytelling class, we begin with Folktales or Fairytales because they already have the basic structure that beginners need to learn. Next come Legends that still have a structure, but deal with larger concepts and archetypes. Then, we progress to Fact-Based where we need to choose and add structure to the "elements" of the story. Personal stories come last (even though we think they are the easiest to tell) as they need more structure and attention to theme and emotions.

By the end of our first course, we should have 4-5 stories that we are "ready to tell" when the need arises, or the call comes in. Aye, there's the rub...when the call comes in...what then? What if the client wants a set of stories that we don't have? Christmas stories; Earth Day stories; stories for children; stories of exploration or adventure; etc. Whoa...now what? Time to start building our repertoire!

What kind of stories might we get a call for? Since yesterday was Christmas, let's start with Holiday stories. What stories will fit a particular season or time? Christmas; Hanukkah; Easter; Thanksgiving; Memorial Day; Earth Day; Sadie Hawkins Day (look it up); etc. Remember that some stories can fit into several categories. For instance, a story about what we are thankful for might fit BOTH Thanksgiving and Christmas. An Earth Day story might also fit into stories about Values or Making Choices.

While searching for stories you "love", remember that you must also have some sort of affinity for the potential audiences you might have. If you DON'T connect with a particular audience or "type" of story, then DON'T tell that story, and don't tell to that audience. Pass the gig along to a colleague. I don't do Sacred Stories. I would pass that along to Sean Buvala or Donna Martin. I would pass on Irish stories and pass the gig to Liz Warren, or Laura Rutherford. But when the Jewish Community Center calls...I am there in a heartbeat!

Don't forget that listening to other tellers is a great way to gather stories. You certainly will not want to tell a story the same way that someone else does, but find a way to make the story your own. Find three or four different versions of the story, then pick and choose which parts you like. Delve into why you love this story, what connections to your own life can you discover? Then you are ready to claim it and make it yours.

Make sure you find a way to keep a list, or keep track of all the stories you tell, and the ones in progress. You can use a simple pencil and paper, a Word document, an Excel spreadsheet, etc. You may want to try my Storytellers Database. This is an online program that allows you to keep track of all your stories, when and where you have told them, and what the themes and content of the stories are. Check it out, there are short video tutorials to walk you through the process step-by-step. Here's the link: Storytellersdb.com.

As you move along in this process, you will be building your repertoire with many different stories that will fit for many different situations. Your "blocks" will begin to be different from each other, and they will begin to pile high.

Two things to remember as you add one block, one story at-a-time. to your collection - my first two rules of Storytelling:

1. Tell stories that you love!
2. Tell stories that you believe your audience will love!

Note: Reprinted from my blog article, April 2012.

It’s an old joke, but it still holds true: A young man with a violin case under his arm stops an older gentleman on the streets of New York City. The young man asks, “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” The older gentleman replies, “Practice, practice, practice!”

I’m not a fan of practicing in front of a mirror, although it does work for some people. If you start that way, so you can observe yourself, eventually I believe you must move away from the mirror, and at minimum, face the empty room. Otherwise, you will always be focused on “what you look like” vs. being in the moment of the story, even in rehearsal.

One of my favorite tellers is Regi Carpenter. She is a mesmerizing storyteller who has won many awards and performed at many storytelling festivals, including Jonesborough. She is also on the faculty of Ithaca College in New York. In February of 2012, Regi decided to tell at Massmouth, a story slam in the Cambridge area. She won that week, and returned several weeks later to compete in the final “mouthoff”. She won first place. The prize? A one week stay in a villa in Tuscany, Italy!

Wherever you may be performing, you must create an atmosphere that is conducive to the process of storytelling. Whether it be on a stage in an auditorium, a classroom, a breakout room at a conference, under a canopy at an outside fair, or a street corner where you may be busking, How can storytellers create a space where listeners will feel welcome and want to join you in creating a story? And remember, this must happen BEFORE you tell your first story. There are several things to consider. The first, and most important, as always, is: who is your audience?

Your audience: Is your audience mostly adults, children, teenagers, mixed? What are the demographics, or "make up" of the audience? Are they from an urban or rural area, the deep south, the bible belt?  Are they middle-management executives or a group of church-going housewives? One must always consider the audience, not only in choosing stories, but also, how you will be perceived. And this starts even before you walk into the space!

Your introduction: How will you be introduced? Who will introduce you? Have you written an introduction? Will the MC be reading it word-for-word? Do they know you? Will they be speaking off-the-cuff? What are the things you WANT the audience to know about you? What are the things you DON'T WANT them to know? Will this audience welcome you if they are told you recently won an award for the "sexiest story slam", or would it be more prudent to leave out that information? I dislike having the MC "read" an introduction; I also dislike reciting a long list of accomplishments. I prefer to spend a few minutes with the MC to make sure they are comfortable letting the audience know the two or three most important things about you. And make the "last" thing that the MC says be on the lighter side, or even a humorous, perhaps cryptic statement. 

"And before becoming a storyteller, Mark travelled all over the country as Winnie-The-Pooh - and perhaps he will tell you a story about that! Please welcome, Mark Goldman."

Your entrance: How will you come into the space / walk onstage? Where will you be just before you come into the space? I absolutely abhor when performers come from the farthest place away from the stage, walking slowly to the front! Don't make your audience wait for you. Be close to the stage when the MC is about to finish the introduction, so you are there, ready to go. If the MC is center stage, it's always nice to connect with them, with a handshake or hug, or even a simple nod/bow to them. Those first few seconds, yes - seconds, as you enter or come on, tell the audience something about you. Have energy, smile, maybe even nod, point or wave to a friend in the first few rows. Be warm and inviting. Show the audience they can expect something wonderful.

Engage your audience: Smile! Greet them warmly. If appropriate, it can help to thank them and let them know you are happy to be in their city, or with their organization. Share something that connects you to them: "Over the years, I have adopted three shelter dogs, and it's great to be here with you folks who work so hard to rescue and find forever homes for all the animals." Now I have them in the palm of my hand.

Children: An entirely different animal than adults! You will want to decide if they will sit on the floor, in chairs, in rows or a half circle. What will be the best configuration? If it's a classroom, discuss with the teacher(s). If it's outside, choose a place with the least distractions. Keep your entrance and beginning short and sweet. "You all look great today. Are you ready to hear some stories?" Don't keep them waiting with long-winded explanations about storytelling. Don't give them time to get distracted. Get to it! 

Your story intro: Now you need to set the stage for them to listen to your story. If you are at a storytelling conference, and your audience is made up of all storytellers, you may not need an intro to your story. You may want to simply take a moment, breathe, and then begin the story. Or perhaps you want to engage the audience, to make sure they are with you. A question or statement can work as a teaser to get them interested and want to hear more.

Children: "You all know that stealing is wrong, right? Do you think someone can 'steal a smell'? Well, let's listen closely as I tell you the story of Stealing Smells"

Teens: "Have you ever been accused of stealing something, but you didn't do it? I know I have. Sometimes it's hard to prove you didn't do it. And sometimes people won't even listen to you. You know, I've got a story about that. It's called Stealing Smells."

Adults: "Stories come from all over the world. And sometimes, one story can originate in many different places and cultures. The story I am about to tell you has origins in India, Peru, and even Europe. I would like to share with you my version of Stealing Smells"

"Ladies and gentlemen - gather 'round to hear some fantastical stories! Stories of kings and queens, witches and wizards, the high and mighty, and the downtrodden too, and maybe a story of people just like you! Come near, come near, and you will hear: stories that make you laugh, stories that make you cry, and stories that make you remember that look in her eye - the feel of his skin - stories for everyone - come closer, come in."

You will meet someone fantastic soon
You will find a better job
You will receive a gift soon
Your status will improve

Those are fortunes! Maybe someone in the fortune cookie Political Correctness Division went to the boss and said they had to change things. So now most of the fortunes are really "statements" or "sayings" like: You are a good person; People like you; or You love yourself. Not that these aren't good things to tell folks, but I want a FORTUNE!

Imagine my surprise when I opened my cookie that evening to find the fortune with the message:

You create your own stage.
The Audience is waiting.

Hmmm... Was this a statement? Was it a fortune? Perhaps both! Perhaps a great inspirational message and reminder that as storytellers, we must often "create our own stage". We must create our own space to perform, and when we begin our story, we must create a place for the audience to come along with us.

We must trust that the audience is waiting for us. Sometimes, it is a skeptical audience who is not sure that a story would be of interest. But often, it is with an audience who is listening with open ears an open eyes, waiting; waiting to be whisked off to a magical place where they can slay a dragon or heal a sick princess, or conquer a snowy mountain peak.

In either case, WE are the creators! And yes, the audience is waiting, skeptical or not. They are waiting for us to invite them in, to take them with us on a fantastic journey, together, forming, shaping and creating a world where they can hold their breath and yet, still breathe. A world where they can peer over the edge, yet not fall. A world where they can be hero, villain and victim all together, know all of the emotions combined, and still feel safe.

WE create that stage. And, yes... Our audience is waiting!

How will you create your next stage? - Perhaps next week will shed more light on the subject!

Storytellers respond to audibles too...but you have to make sure you are listening. In storytelling, the audibles can be subtle, and each storyteller/listener may react or respond in a similar but slightly different way. In Liz Warren's book, The Oral Tradition Today, she tells of a festival where the first teller told a story about Spam. Each teller, in turn, integrated Spam into their own stories! The audience loved the ongoing "theme" and was even anticipating when it would pop up in the next story. It was a great way for all tellers to come together and play off of one another.

Good MCs listen for audibles. Last week at the Glendale Tellabration™ event, Mark Compton was the MC. In my story of The Kite, I said, "I was off and out the door before my mother could warn me to be careful." When I finished the set and left the stage, Mark commented to the audience, "Don't run off and out the door before we get a chance to thank you." And then the audience applauded. It is the mark of an MC and a teller who is a "pro".

At the Jonesborough Festival last month, Clare Murphy, who has a deep (but velvety) Irish Brogue, started out by telling the crowd, "I'm going to give you a few minutes to get used to my voice." When Bil Lepp followed with his own set, he said the same thing! The crowd roared with laughter at the absurdity of his statement. It was a brilliant response to an audible he had heard from Clare.

Once again, we are back to the first step in storytelling: listening. When you are performing with others, don't sit there, waiting to go on, worrying about your set; listen to the other tellers. Be aware of what you hear and what you might be able to incorporate into your set or story. Listen to your audience.

Perhaps someone lets out a loud, "Oh my goodness, gracious!" Find a way to use that later...or even respond immediately: "Yes! That's exactly the way the little girl reacted! Everyone say it with me." The audience responds. Then, every time you get to where she is afraid (or speaks), have the crowd repeat it with you.

It takes time and practice to develop the listening skills to respond to audibles. If you're not sure, don't respond, but after the show, ask a colleague if they think it would have worked. Eventually, you will be able to read the audience and know if it's right!

Now get out there and listen: "Rumplestiltskin...Rumplestiltskin...398.2...398.2...hut...hut."

In my Art of Storytelling classes at Glendale Community College, we are finishing our section on Fact-Based stories. At first look, this genre seems to be one of the more difficult ones for students (and some seasoned tellers) to get their heads around. The trick here is, how does one make this story more than just a "report" or a mere "list of events"? One of the best ways to do this is to change the POV to first person.

I've written about "point of view" before. Here's a bit more about the first person POV.

In a biographical story, one could choose to tell from the point of view of the central character; be Ben Franklin, Einstein, Edison, Tesla. Another way is to choose some other character in the story to tell from their POV. Tell from the POV of the Parent, Lover, Partner or Teacher of the central character. Tell the events of a historical story from the point of view of a, seemingly uninterested, bystander or observer of the incidents. Perhaps the Butler, Carpenter or even the pet belonging to one of the characters.

A few semesters ago, one student told the story of the Twin Towers in Manhattan, but not about the attack. He told the story of how the Towers were built, from the POV of a steelworker that had helped to build the towers. He told of his pride in building the towers and at the end, his sadness at their destruction. It was brilliant. 

Another student told the story of Mark "Marky-Mark" Wahlberg...from the point of view of his Mother. This was a great choice. We hear of his turbulent youth and how he went to jail, as his mother lovingly said those ubiquitous words, "But he's really a good boy!" This showed us not only the "events" of his life, but his mother's struggle to deal with his self-destructive behavior, and eventually her pride and love at his success as an actor.

This semester, a gifted student told from "second person". He told from the POV of a close friend, attending the funeral of the "main" character. He was talking to his deceased friend, "Johnny" and told of the good times and difficult times they had together. It was heartfelt, emotional and very compelling!

Telling from the first person can lend a creative element to the story and bring the audience closer in to the experience. Especially in a case where they may not relate to the main character, they may be able to relate to the character telling the story. Try it and see. Who else might be in the story that would "tell" it from an interesting point of view?

Addendum to this tip - 

Hi folks, just a quick thought on Tuesday morning: When I re-post a tip from an earlier issue, I worry somtimes that folks will say/think, "Oh yeah, I read that before. So how about a NEW tip?" That was before I got this message from Tom Tjarks in Colorado. Obviously, he wasn't a subscriber when the tip was originally posted:

I read your newsletter every week.  The tips are great.

 

I have been wanting to tell history stories but couldn't get them above being a report for school.  This weeks Tips explained how to do this.  My favorite example of using someone else to tell the story is "Ben and Me".  I look at that story in a new way now.  I will use the suggestions in this weeks newsletter to develop some history stories.  There are many good true stories waiting to be told.

 

Thank you

Many of you know that I am a bicycle/camping enthusiast. Over the years, I have modified and purchased newer and newer gear for camping and cooking at the campground. Of course, every camper has their “favorite” camping stove: the lightest; the smallest; the quietest; the best gas burner, etc. Everyone believes their choice is “the best.”

Back in the 1940s, psychologists Fritz Heider and Marianne Simmel made  a simple animated film. Heider and Simmel used it in an experiment: They asked people to watch the film and describe what they saw happening.

Try it yourself and see what you experience.

What Heider and Simmel discovered is that many people who watched this abstract film of simple shapes roaming around were quick to see a story unfold. In those simple shapes, viewers often saw characters with emotions, motivations, and purpose.

Humans have this need to "fill in the gaps with story". We do it all the time. We see two people interacting and make assumptions about what is going on. We "make up a story" about what we see. We see a beggar on the street corner and we make a story for ourselves. It's often unconscious, but we fill in any gaps or lack of knowledge with some kind of story. Whether we give that person some money is based on what we believe their story is...unless we ask them to "tell" us their story. Then we must decide if the story is credible, do we believe them?

This is just a little tip (poke) about how we make up stories about what we see around us. Those stories are often shaped by our "filters"; they are colored by our past experiences. The next time this happens to you, try to be aware of your need to find the story in what you see. Then ask yourself if there might be "another" story going on, or perhaps a third or fourth version.

How does all this affect your telling? How might it affect the audience "listening" to you tell? For a storyteller, there are always more questions.

Not too long ago, there was a discussion on FB about where you stand on the spectrum between story"teller" and story"performer".  Back in January, one of my tips was to try going "Over the Top" in your performance style. Here's one more way to practice and discover:

Ask yourself, "where am I on this line?

TELLER--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PERFORMER

Wherever you are is OK. "As an exercise", try moving as far as you can to one side or another. On the TELLER side, see how "conversational" you might be able to be (a la Katherine Windham). On the PERFORMER side, see how "outrageous, over the top" you could be; costumes, props, music, voice, etc.

It's an "exercise". It's a tool to use to clarify what may or may no work for you. Explore each segment of your story from different points on the line. As Karen Langford-Chace says, "I wonder if. . ."

If you want to learn more about moving towards the "performer" side in order to enhance your telling, mark your calendar for The next Journeys Storytelling workshop on November 12th with John Genette.
  Click here for info on the Journeys Workshop

In the early days of movies, they put "THE END" up on the screen. This way, everyone in the theatre knew the movie had ended; the story (or at least that part of the story) was over. 

As time went on, movie makers realized that there might be better ways to end the story. Many had what became known as a "tag" line. The last sentence uttered tried to "put a button" on the whole story.

Casablanca:
"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Back to the Future:
"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads!"

At some point, dramatic images either told us what the protagonist was feeling, or answered the question that we were all asking. Case in point: Planet of the Apes

Like beginnings, there are some traditional endings that can work well:

• And they all lived happily ever after.
• That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
• And from that day on, the monster (giant, devil, ogre) was never heard from again.
• ...but that's a story for a different time.

But is there a different approach the storyteller can take, other than merely telling us, "That's the end of my story"?

Endings in storytelling are crucial. They're almost more important than beginnings, as it is the last thing the audience hears. So, first of all, make sure we HEAR the ending. Don't let your voice trail off into the vapor.

Crafting an ending is not always easy. Here are some things to think about when pondering the end of the story

• Tell us how the character felt
  • I finally learned what it was like to have the shoe on the other foot!
• Tell us how the character(s) changed
  • From that moment on, Truth and Story always walked hand-in-hand.
• Reveal the answer to the question we have been asking
  • The baker shall be paid with the sound of the coins.
• Reveal the "surprise" we have been waiting for
  • And on their backs...each of the wives were carrying...their HUSBANDS!
• Give us a glimpse of the future
  • So he promised that every day he would tell her stories. And every day she listened, laughed and loved him even more.

​Think about your story. What's it about? What did you want the audience to know or feel? What can you say to us that will wrap up the story? Not necessarily in a pretty pink ribbon. But what will help give the audience closure, or at least closure for the moment. What will make us think about how the future will be?

Sometimes, be very careful here, you can ask the audience to decide: "And what do you think was in the boy's hand?" Make sure this type of ending question will not make them angry and wishing you had just told them.

And as always, PRACTICE your ending, out loud, over and over again.

Get out there, get involved and just DO IT!

As you can see from the rest of the newsletter, there are a TON of storytelling workshops, opportunities to tell, concerts, conferences and Calls for Proposals. Last week's Tidbit was about this newsletter, indicating that if you don't send me information, I can't post it. - You can't win if you don't play!

The same goes for Storytelling. You have to get out in the community and get involved.

If you want to be a better storyteller:

1. Go to workshops.
2. Go to conferences
3. Go to concerts and listen to other tellers
4. Send in a proposal for a workshop
5. Send in a proposal for a story concert or fringe
6. Get some coaching
7. Write a blog
8. Write a newsletter
9. Write a book
10. Etc., Etc., Etc.

If you want to be known in the storytelling community (locally AND nationwide):

• See 1-10 above

All of the above will help to improve your storytelling! Even if you don't get accepted for one (or more) of your proposals, going through the process will open your eyes and you will gain much clarity for your telling. Attending a workshop will add skills to your storytelling bag. Going to concerts and hearing other tellers can help you absorb techniques and observe different styles. Celebrating in others' successes will put you in a positive frame of mind for your own telling!

I absolutely understand the economics of being a storyteller and I understand that some of the above may be financially out of reach for some. 'Nuf said. But there are many local events that are inexpensive - and many are FREE - GO TO THEM!

Be like Nike! Just do it!

I've been thinking a lot about gestures lately. My students have asked about them. I did a search and I was surprised to discover that I have never really had a tip about them before in depth. This is strange, as I believe they are a huge and integral part of telling.

The dictionary defines a gesture as:

A movement of your body (especially of your hands and arms) that shows or emphasizes an idea or a feeling.

Now, that covers a lot of ground! How does the beginning teller decide about gestures? If you look at the definition, you can reverse the process. You can ask yourself,

What movement of my body (or my hands and arms) would show or emphasize this specific idea or a feeling?

If I am talking about a bird flying up in the sky, I would probably look up - not just with my eyes, but with my head, and maybe even turn my body and shoulders upward to emphasize.

If I followed the flight of the bird across the sky until it landed on a nearby branch, I might use my hand and arm to indicate its path, ending with pointing at the exact point of the bird's destination. I might also show with my body, perhaps a small step or a lean backwards to show my surprise at how close the bird was to me now.

At this point, you may want to look at Sean Buvala's wonderful video about gestures. I have recommended it before. Sean speaks about the three elements of gesture: Intend, Activate and Linger. Also, look at the gestures Sean uses for the flight of the bird, and the piece of cheese falling to the ground. Then come back to the next paragraph and we'll talk a little more about gestures.

Sean's gesture for the flight of the bird was different than my suggestion, but that's OK. YOU must decide for yourself (perhaps with the help of a coach) what the best movements are to emphasize an idea or feeling.

I believe there is another part of using gestures that is important: It is that gestures start somewhere - go somewhere - linger (as Sean states) - and then usually come back to somewhere (resolve themselves).

Bill Harley says, "Relax, breathe, take a moment to find your home. This is what you will always come back to." This is usually your arms at your sides. For Sean, it is with his arms slightly bent at the elbows. In the second part of the video, Sean's "home" is with his forearms resting on the table. Most of the time, your gestures come back to (or resolve to) home. But sometimes, like when the fox snatches the cheese, one gesture morphs into the next. But as Sean says, it is still a conscious, intentional decision about what gesture one is using.

So first you must ask yourself what gesture will emphasize the idea or feeling; then, make a conscious decision to use it. Understand where it is coming from; where it is going; make it intentional; activate it; linger and then resolve it.

Rehearsal and practice is the place to "play" with different types of gestures until you get them "right" for your story.

In my class at GCC this semester, I have a student in a wheelchair who has multiple physical challenges. He approached me and stated that he wants to go on the England trip this year. I had two DISTINCT REACTIONS - One was - OMG how could I take this man on the trip. What are his limitations in traveling, especially in a foreign country? How much work would it be to assist him at every turn on the trip? My second reaction was, How great it would be to have this bright and funny storyteller on the trip, and how much fun would he have? So I set up a meeting with him and his fiancé to discuss the logistics of the trip.

I was fortunate enough to have listened to the podcast before we met. If I hadn't I probably would have focused on the CAN'TS and asked him, "What are your limitations?" Instead, I said, "Let's start from the aspect of what you CAN do? What are your abilities?" He not only told me what he could do, he showed me! He jumped out of and back into his wheelchair. He showed me how he can maneuver. He is quite able to navigate many situations both in and out of his wheelchair. His fiancé also assured me that she would be there to assist him with things that might be difficult. 

I am well aware that I have no experience with assisting a handicapped person on a trip such as this, but I am educating myself, and going with a mindset of CAN.

What if we approached our storytelling like that? In the past, I have looked at the negative side of things. I didn't feel comfortable with Myths. I didn't know any, there were too many difficult names to remember, too many twists and turns in the stories. But what if I started from CAN? I CAN tell stories of heroes and triumph. I love to tell stories of love and betrayal. I CAN tell stories of power struggles between the week and the strong. Hmmm...aren't all those things contained in myths and legends? I believe so.

When approaching storytelling, or any other challenge, if one leads with I CAN, one usually ends up with I WILL and I DID!

The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.

Research was done on the correlation between drownings and eating ice cream. It was found that as drownings increased, so did the amount of ice cream that people ate. What did that mean? Perhaps that when people ate ice cream, they went swimming and then drowned?

 

The context was left out of the research equation. When one adds the context that each of these events, increased drowning and increased ice cream consumption, both took place in the summer, it becomes more apparent! That's the time when both events increase. People eat more ice cream in the summer, and people go swimming more in the summer, so there are more drownings. So, although there is some correlation between the two, with the addition of context, there is no causation here. But our minds try to put it in the context we know, and unless we understand the context, we see the wrong images.

Just for the heck of it, this week, I scanned through my previous tips in the Newsletter - over 200. I found that there were over 120 times I mentioned the word "listen". There were eight tips where "listening" was the focus. So, why the heck am I talking about listening again? Because it's so important! Next time someone is talking to you, just listen. Don't respond, or think of wht you will say when they are finished. Just listen, intently to what they say, and HOW they say it.

Re-create two minutes of your life. Just two minutes! Waking up; looking in the mirror the first of the morning; putting on your shoes; shaving; brushing your teeth; tweezing an eyebrow; making a bowl of cereal; preparing to walk the dog. 

Research is how I, as a storyteller, build the world in which my story lives. When the time comes to actually craft my story, I have to remind myself of my mother’s wisdom – don’t let your index cards show. 

I've written before about putting too much information in your story in Connect the Dots and Can't See the Tree for the Branches, but Harriet has a slightly different slant on the subject. And it's a great way to put things into perspective regarding what you keep in and what you keep out of your story. It packs a lot of weight, especially coming from her mother!
  Click here for the entire article on Harriet's blog

I think I have learned that concentrating so hard on trying to "fix" something that I believe needs to be fixed almost never fixes it. Most of the time, I am able to take a break, walk away or stop for just a few minutes even. I said "I think..." Sometimes I don't remember to take a break. Sometimes I forget that I don't need to "fix" everything, or make everything perfect!

Sometimes, a story is great, just the way you tell it.

"No, you can't have cookies for breakfast." - "Why?"
"Because we don't eat cookies at breakfast time."  - "Why?"
"Because cookies aren't breakfast food." - Why?"

Yes, that was a real conversation I had many years ago with my nephew when he was 2 years old.

But it's also a question that coaches will ask (and should), over and over again. Question number one:

"Why are you telling this story?"

The first response is usually, and hopefully, "Because I love it." This is a good start. My first rule of storytelling, and what most seasoned tellers will share with you is that you MUST "Tell stories you love!" So, if this is your answer, then you are on your way...but wait, there's more.

"Why do you love it?

"I love the way Goldilocks is different in this version. I try to make her less of a criminal when she goes into the Bears' house. I love the way I have changed the ending and Goldilocks stays with the Bear family."

Great! You are clear about the things in this story that you love. Knowing what draws YOU to this story is the first step, and is crucial in the process. Now, on to the next "Why?", just a bit deeper:

"Why are these things different in your version? Why are these things important to you?

"Because I can relate to Goldilocks. When I was younger, I didn't feel like I belonged in my family. I wanted to have a different family; one where I felt like I fit; one that was warm and loving; and one where everyone responded with love, instead of anger. 

Excellent! You have identified the essence of the story for you; what the story is about. Knowing and understanding this part is very important...partly because it takes you to the next "Why?"

"Why will OTHER people love it?"

"Because it's about wanting something different and good in your life; the desire for love. It's about wanting closeness and loving connections."

Aye, there's the rub! These are universal feelings, and that's what we are looking for in a story! Just because YOU love it is not enough. Other people must be able to relate to the story in some way, otherwise you will lose them part way through the tale. If they can't relate, they won't listen. But touching on universal feelings and emotions is one of the keys to a great story.

The process continues, in a good coaching session, or in your own crafting; what's the answer to all the whys?

Why does Goldilocks want a different life and family?
Why does the Bear family look better to her?"
Why does she "break into" their house?
Why does she do the things she does; eat the porridge; sit in the chair; lie on the bed?
Why aren't the bears angry when they discover the damage that has been done?
     Or if they are angry, why don't they show it the way Goldilocks' family did?
Why do these actions connect with the essence of the story?

If you and your story answer these questions, then you have a great tale that YOU love and the AUDIENCE will love.

So when you are crafting your story, remember that annoying little kid who keeps asking "Why?" - Then be that kid!
 

P.S. Thanks to Mark Compton for reminding me of this and for a great conversation!

Taylor Mali says it better than me.-- or maybe he says it "better than I." (see Tidbits below)

The age-old question: Where do stories come from? An original story, one you create yourself, obviously comes from within you! Yes, but how did you start? Where did the idea for the story come from? 
Ay, there's the rub. 

The answer is that stories can start with anything: an idea; a feeling; an observation; a picture or photo; an object; a person; a fleeting thought...anything. So where does one start? It depends on whether you want to be specific, like a story about a sibling you care about, or just improvise, and see where things go.

Here's an example of improvising. Remember that this is ME improvising. Your thoughts are different, and your mileage may vary!

Consider a bowl of oatmeal; a seemingly inanimate object. 

Start by thinking about all the ways you might describe this object: 
Go ahead and make your own list FIRST.
Before you look at mine.

It's food in a bowl
It was dry and room temperature at first
I added water and heated it up (microwave)
Now it is hot and moist/mushy
The pieces of oatmeal now cling to each other
It has a slight nutty flavor

Do any of these things start to gel in your mind? WHAT ABOUT YOUR LIST? Do they suggest anything else to you? Can you connect the dots in some way? Brainstorm - don't limit yourself or judge anything that comes up. Just imagine, and roll with it. Don't worry about a beginning, middle or end, or all the elements of a good story. You will sort it all out later. Now is a a time for wild energy and imagination! Look at YOUR list and imagine the possibilities.

The next step depends on what you have listed and thought of. There are a myriad number of directions one could go. As I looked at my list, I focused on the words, "Mushy, hot, cligny, nutty." I began to think about, "What if two oatmeal flakes were talking? What would they say?

Oat #1: Hey baby, what do you say?

Oat #2: You're such a dry flake!

Oat #1: Oh  yeah? Well, we're about to get all wet, and things are going to heat up!

And just as the 1st Oat predicted, so it was...

Oat #1: Ooo baby, you're so hot!

Oat #2: You're all wet! Don't be so mushy.

Oat #1: Don't be that way. Why, with just a little brown sugar, you'd be so sweet. We could cling together...maybe even spoon a little.

Oat #2: You're really a little nutty. Be careful, you might just be consumed by all that talk.

And indeed, eventually they both were!

Pacing in your telling gives the audience a sense of time. Is the action moving slowly or rapidly? Rapid words or sentences can indicate frustration, chaos, excitement or even danger. Pauses, or breaths in between scenes or events not only indicates the passage of time, it gives the audience a chance to digest what has just happened, and then be ready to hear the next piece. Altering your pace gives the listeners a sense of how everything fits together in your story; how does it move from one scene to another? What is the difference in emotion, essence and tone from one scene to the next? Pacing helps the audience breathe with the story.

Pacing helps the teller to breathe. It allows the teller to enter into the spirit and essence of each character or scene. It aids in enhancing body movement and gestures to underscore feelings. Pacing helps the teller transition between characters or scenes, to reveal the differences from one thing to another. The hare is quick, excited, boastful and arrogant. The tortoise is slow, methodical, consistent and accepting. The difference in the pace of each character distinguishes them from each other.

Pacing is important in the life of a teller. Be careful to "pace yourself". Give yourself time to do what is needed. You can't do everything at once. You can't be the hare every single moment; you will burn out. When you go to a conference, pace yourself. You may need to NOT go to every breakout session. Take a "breather"; allow yourself to relax and refresh from the intensity.

The moments in between are as important as what they frame; for the audience; for the story; for you!
 

Every audience is different. The practiced storyteller understands how this affects the event. One must assess many aspects of the audience and attempt to adjust their performance and constantly "listen" to the responses of the "listeners".

This caveat goes for teachers too.

This semester's students in my Art of Storytelling course were quite different from previous ones. As a teacher, I must approach each class as a separate entity, with students from diverse backgrounds, of different ages, with different life experiences. I must assess their levels and styles of learning; what style of learning best suits them both individually and as a whole? With all of this in mind, I must also deliver the content of the course according to the syllabus. Sometimes, the task seems daunting, and I struggle to answer the same questions a hundred times or hopefully rely on them to find the answer themselves.

While discussing all of this with storyteller and colleague Layne Gneiting, he had a suggestion. Much like storytelling coaching, it's good to get a different perspective. Layne suggested that, perhaps some students are auditory learners vs. visual learners and literally get lost when reading the information. He wondered if making recordings would help those who fit into that category. 

So if my students (audience) are not "visual" readers/learners, but instead are "auditory" listeners, then I need to adjust, or find a way to augment my written syllabus. (I think I've got the "kinesthetic" down, with lots of "active" exercises in class to stimulate that side of their learning. )

That means I have one month before the next semester to make recordings of myself "talking about" the parts of the syllabus. Perhaps "short" videos explaining each assignment would work to help the students understand in a different way. 

Who knows, the phrase, "It's in the syllabus!" might just turn into, "Did you watch the video?" We'll see...

Listen to your audience listening to you!

Case in point: ignoring the fact that one may need "amplification", a sound system so that they can be heard by the entire audience, will certainly harm their program and could possibly damage their reputation. To guard against this, I always inquire about a sound system, but also always bring along my own microphone and battery operated speaker.

One might ask, "Why are there so many ways to refresh?" Because reloading or refreshing your screen is important in order for you to get the most current information.

And so it is in life, and in the life of a storyteller. One needs to refresh after long periods of intense work. There are many ways to do this. One can simply "walk away" (see my previous post on this). One can focus on something else; get your mind working on something different. One of the best ways to refresh is to "get out of town." And that's exactly what I did this weekend!

I drove up to Flagstaff Friday afternoon and stayed with my friend Carl. Above is the view from his back porch. When there is a small breeze, you can breathe in the scent of the pine needles and just the faintest aroma of vanilla from the bark of the Ponderosa Pines. Relaxing and just "sitting" in the calm and cool with chirping birds was, in a word, refreshing! I drove back Sunday afternoon with a renewed sense of quiet energy, ready to dive back in to work and the 110+ degree heat.

So next time you believe your "internal" screen gets a little scrambled or doesn't seem to have the most updated information or ability, it may be time to hit your personal REFRESH button!
 

Perhaps you have experienced this: after a performance, several audience members pass bay and shake your hand. They smile and tell you that they enjoyed your stories. You are gracious and thank them for coming and for saying such kind words.

Then comes that ONE PERSON. Yes, that ONE who needs to tell you what was wrong, what they didn’t like, or what they think you should change or do differently. NOW what do you do?

Recently, I ate breakfast in a restaurant that was new to me. The food was just “OK”, and the service was fine. But when I asked for some additional syrup with which to finish my waffle, I was told there would be a $1 charge. I balked at this and when a manager came by to check on me, I voiced my displeasure. 

 

One of the owners eventually came to my table to inquire about my remarks. I told her (in a calm, quiet, way that I disagreed with that “policy”. She began to “justify” the up charge, based on their “cost” of the premium product. I told her I understood the economics of the situation, but I still thought it was wrong. The owner continued to argue and tried to “convince” me that she was justified. I was, quietly, not in agreement with her. Eventually, she got angry and barked that she would “take care of” the entire check. Please note: I was not asking for a free meal, merely voicing my (experienced) opinion regarding the up charge

 

From her perspective, she “won”. She got rid of a disgruntled customer (me) and she can continue to believe she is “right”.

 

From my perspective, we BOTH lost. She lost a potential customer and advocate for her business, and I lost a potential place to go back to and eat…and perhaps recommend to others. Had she forgiven the $1 charge  (and lost a few cents profit) and given me more syrup, she would have had a happy and devoted customer who would have told positive stories about her restaurant. Instead, she got so upset that, by angrily comping the check, she lost the entire revenue for that meal, lost me as a customer, and now, I have told many people of my negative experience. 

 

She was so worried about losing the small profit of the up charge that she now lost the cost of the entire meal. Another note: If she had merely been cordial, thanked me for my perspective and apologized that she could not provide the extra product without the charge, I still would have been OK. Perhaps not as happy as getting some more syrup, but at least feeling OK that I had been listened to. Aye there’s the rub!

Remember, "the customer is always right." Message with extreme care. (My italics for emphasis)

• Thank your customer for their business and feedback.

• Be specific about the customer's experience and mention any changes you've made as a result.

• Don't argue with the customer or nitpick the review.

• If you are upset, come back and message this customer another time.

• Remember who your customers are. They may not always be “right”, but they are the ones who hire and come to see you (if they choose to). Respond to them with extreme care.
   
• Thank them warmly and sincerely for their suggestions/observations. Tell them you will consider them and review the possibilities for your next performance.
   
• Don’t argue or try to “convince” them why you have made certain choices (they won’t hear you).
   
• If you ARE upset, tell them (kindly) that their comments really surprised you and you would like to discuss them. Perhaps they could wait until the rest of the audience has filed out and then speak with you further.

I created a form that I use in my Community College Storytelling classes that has proved to be quite useful. The students must fill it out prior to even practicing their story in small groups. The information may change once they have told the story, or even several times before they do their required telling in front of the entire class

The form has some basic information about the story (title, origin, genre), but also has a few sections that I believe are important to help understand and craft the story in a more thoughtful and conscious way.

I recently, AGAIN, updated the form and I am offering it here for evaluation and feedback. You may use the "comments" section at the end of this Newsletter, just as one does on Facebook.

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A PDF and WORD version of this form may be found at
www.StorytellersWorkbook.com
Feel free to download it, edit and use for yourself or your students as needed (with attribution)
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Last night's Broadway Tony Awards made history, much like the show that it honored. Hamilton is the breakout Broadway hit about the nation's first Treasurer...done in rap and hip-hop. The creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda was interviewed on 60 Minutes. The show was nominated for a record sixteen awards...and won a record eleven, including Best Musical!

This is "part two" of the segment. At 9:20 on the timeline, Lin-Manuel describes his thoughts on writing (and creating). I think it has connections to storytelling, the concept of "back-story" and crafting a story. Incidentally, it took him six years to write this show. He states that it took him a year to write one song, In the Room Where it Happens. Here is what he says about writing:

I think of acting and writing as pretty much the same thing. It's about getting into the skin of your characters and seeing where they are and knowing how they've grown up. You have to know all this, like in your bones. What they've come up against, who they are; and then you just start talking as them, and you write until the rust comes out of the faucet and it's clear water; and you write down the clear water.

I think this is simply quite brilliant! In the future, I will certainly attempt to "Write until the rust comes out of the faucet and it's clear water."

P.S. Sorry if the video looks off center (and sorry about the Viagra ad). I tried several different ways to embed it and it keeps shifting. If you desire, here is a link to the CBS page (click on PART TWO).

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hamilton-encore-60-minutes-charlie-rose/

I have previously said that the Brits love to tell stories. They'll tell you a story at the drop of a hat! On our recent Storytelling Tour to England, that happened a lot. Often they would recognize that we were American and would want to interact. Often, they would just want someone to interact with, to talk with, to tell their story to.

But if people don't initiate conversation on their own, the storyteller can be the catalyst for opening up a whole world of stories from mere strangers. On a bus, or in a restaurant, just ask someone where they are going, or where they are from to start the ball rolling. Secondary and tertiary questions can follow, in order to delve deeper and elicit more of their story. Most people are dyeing to tell you their story; they are just waiting to be asked.

I recently ran across a TED talk about the Art of the Interview by Marc Pachter, who has conducted live interviews with some of the most intriguing characters in recent American history as part of a remarkable series created for the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Although some of his talk is about what makes for a great interviewee, he shares that our role as the interviewer is to draw out the "life force" of the person we are interviewing. He says that "The key is empathy because everybody in their lives is really waiting for people to ask them questions, so that they can be truthful about who they are and how they became what they are."

There are other, tangible benefits to merely turning to a stranger and asking a question. I am often amazed that people can sit next to each other on a plane (for nine hours across the Atlantic) and barely speak two words to each other. But many have agreed with me that when they do speak, amazing things can happen.

On a plane home from England several years ago, I engaged a woman next to me in great conversation (for almost nine hours). Among other things, she was a kindergarten teacher in Cambridge, England and the following year, I visited and told stories to her class and four other classes and it was a marvelous experience!

So, don't always be so eager to tell someone your story...ask them about theirs!
  View the TED talk here

Here's a tip for anything you do:

Start EARLIER than you had planned! This way, you will have time to do all that you needed to do, like writing Tips and Tidbits!

This week's tip comes from colleague and Irish teller Yvonne Healy. Yvonne did a workshop on Family stories and I found one exercise particularly interesting and exciting. I believe it has many uses!

Quite often, people don't believe that they have done anything worth "telling" about. They feel their lives are "ordinary" vs. extraordinary. This exercise in a group, or with a person you are interviewing can put a whole new perspective on that concept. And... it forces the teller to use their creativity!

Interview a family member and have them tell you something they did. It could be something simple that they feel may not be very "interesting", but have them tell it anyway.

OR - in a group, partner up and have your partner tell you something they did that seemed extremely mundane, like putting away the dishes, or dusting the shelves.

The next step is to project yourself 5000 years into the future. What would the world be like? Now tell the story back to the family member (or partner) but tell it as a GREAT MYTH. How did that one thing that they did affect the world in the future? How might they be remembered in the folklore of the future?

A long, long, long time ago, Mary dusted the shelves in her house, and did a particularly good job. So good, in fact, that when her friend Jane came over, she noticed the excellent job Mary had done. She was also so pleased that there was no dust in the house as Jane had such bad allergies. Jane told so many people about Mary dusting the shelves and how wonderful it was, that they all decided to follow suit and do the same in their own houses. They even took it a step further and cleaned and scrubbed everything. Each time someone visited a home, they marveled at the cleanliness and vowed to clean their own homes and office spaces with great energy and pride. This spread far and wide, across the country and eventually, around the world. And that is why the earth is such a clean place today, in the year 7016!

There is great creativity in this exercise for the teller, finding a way to frame the story in a different way (and time). And there is great power in having that person hear their tale as a Great Legend, or Myth of the future!

One of the ways to "show, don't tell" in story is to recreate the world around us. What do people and things look like? Sound like? Smell like? How do people move? Speak? Show how they are feeling? For this - observation is the key!

Antonio Rocha has said, "Authenticity comes from research and observation. Real monkeys don’t scratch their armpits. One must observe without judgment." (see the related Tidbits below)

As storytellers and performers, we are constantly recreating the environments, people and actions of our stories. In order to do this with "authenticity", before we can recreate it, we must be good observers. How does a monkey act? How does a baby crawl? How does and eight year old act when they are nervous or worried? A 20 year old? a 50 year old? What is the sound of one's breath when they are fearful? Happy? In love?

We must be good observers not only of behaviors, but of the human condition. What is happening around us; in our family; in our neighborhood; in the world? These things all have a bearing on how we act and react. Elizabeth Ellis has said that "story is all about context." A good observer understands the context in which everything occurs. A good storyteller can then recreate what they have observed and understand, in order to convey the story to the audience.

So be a good observer. You may also need to be a good "eavesdropper", remember, listening is always the first skill, even if it might be surreptitiously!

Antonio said to "observe without judgment." I think this means be careful of the filter that you may already have regarding the context that you are trying to observe. Can you rid yourself of the assumptions and predispositions you may have? Think about being a detective. Be careful about that magnifying glass you are looking through. Is is colored in a certain way? Be cautious, and read the Tidbit below!

Friend, colleague, storyteller and coach Laura Packer is participating in April's A to Z Blog Challenge. She is writing a blog EVERY DAY, each one based on a subsequent letter in the alphabet.

Yesterday, she wrote a brilliant post for the letter "N" titled:
N is for noise - six tips for performance interruption.

Every performer has to deal with interruptions sometimes. It just happens. Live performance is like that. I remind my students that it's their job to be prepared and have some strategies to deal with noise, babies, puppies, trains, etc. They need to be able to maintain their performance, their own comfort and the audience.

To sum it up, her advice is to "Be prepared!" She offers six great tips and perspectives on ways to prepare yourself for the unexpected - YES, there are ways to prepare. It's a great post with great advice from a great coach!
  Read her blog here

They are usually simple and straightforward, and are often humorous.

They are little creation myths, so the time is often "long ago" or "When the world was young."

They usually involve interactions with animals, plants, deities or the elements.

There is usually some sort of conflict or misunderstanding.

The stories are usually built on human foibles like greed, jealousy, etc.

Sometimes the Creator steps in to address a need.

They often end with, "From that day on..." or "That is why the ____ always ____.

Start with your main character.

What are they like in the present, or what characteristic do you want them to "end up with?"

What might they have been like BEFORE that?

What are the human characteristics or emotions that you might want to highlight?
What other characters might be involved? (collaborators/antagonists/friends/helpers)
What is the interaction? What is the cause of the change?

Do you have other storytellers in your community? Use them as a resource. Do you know tellers on FaceBook? Use them. Do you have access to other tellers through a list-serve or other internet avenues? Use them. Do you attend guild meetings? Use them... all of them as resources... often. 

Let's talk story!
Most often, we attend concerts, conferences, guild meetings and listen to each other tell stories. This is great. Experiencing other tellers is one of the best ways to learn. But there is an additional option that we sometimes forget - just talking story!

Two weeks ago, several of us went to Tucson to hear Laura Packer tell stories. On the trip down, we talked about storytelling, tellers and stories. After the concert, we went to dinner and talked story. On the trip back to Phoenix, again, we talked story. Camaraderie and discourse are invaluable tools to glean information and insight from colleagues and friends!

The Pros Do It.
Here's another example, especially for newer tellers. Ask questions...the pros do it. If you are on Facebook, ask your friends and colleagues for their thoughts on a particular subject. Join in when others post questions or pieces concerning storytelling. Join a FaceBook "Group" for storytellers (there are many). Exchange ideas with other tellers or artists.

If you are a member of NSN, you can get access to the List-Serve Discussion Group. Quite often, one teller will post a request for a particular type of story and receive dozens of replies.

Margaret Read MacDonald

Dr. Margaret Read MacDonald has been telling stories for well over 40 years. She has written and published 90+ books or CDs. She was a librarian, a folklorist and has taught storytelling all over the world. She is a fountain of storytelling knowledge! And yet, last week she used the List-Serve to ask for help with identifying "transition" stories. She wrote:

A school is holding an assembly to help their students (elementary) think about transitions…moving on to another grade and class next year. Any ideas? Sounds like a logical request for matching stories, but I am stumped. I can think of ways to torque some of my tales to sort of fit this theme. But there must be just the right story out there that I am not remembering.   

It's a great exercise to see if you can distill your story down to just six words. I have done this with my students with some amazing results. Sometimes, it takes a little coaching to help them focus in on the essence.

Previously, I have spoken about describing your story in ONE SENTENCE. Now, see if you can make it even shorter. Here are some examples:

Played golf. Boss won. Kept job. (I think that was Karen Chace)
Beauty loves Beast. Curse is lifted.
Simpleton plants beans. Giant is defeated.
Princess defeats dragon. Ditches obnoxious prince. (The Paper Bag Princess)
Friends finally visit. Go home tired. (Mr. Wiggle and Mr. Waggle)