A Tale is a Tale is a Tale
© Virginia Marin
- A story. A storyteller. My search for the mortar
which binds these two began at StoryTella very busy list home page which serves as the internet
home for authors, professional storytellers, librarians,
musicians, folklorists and teachers.
Here, one can learn all about storytelling from real storytellers who traverse the earth meeting with groups of all sizes for storytelling. Storytelling does not necessarily begin with having a story to tell. It actually begins with impetus, that force with which a body moves against resistance...don't be shy, take a chance, make the plunge, show your stuff, shift your gears, set the stage, brave the storm, lift your sights and tell a story!
Then comes the mortar mix that bonds the teller and the tale...
The first logical step for the storyteller is finding a story which fits him like a glove. He then looks for folktales, meaning from the oral tradition. These could be fairy tales, hero tales, tall tales, wisdom or ghost stories, animal stories and fables, love stories, myth, legend, literary tales, or real life stories from history or personal experience.
Folktales are made for telling. They are simple, direct and lively with built-in memory aids. They can be found anywhere: in adult and children's book and recording sections of libraries and book stores; in old journals and family scrapbooks; Bibles; magazines; trunks and boxes in dusty attics; at book-fairs or simply listening to others tell their tales.
I have found that some of the more expensive paper doll books lend themselves to storytelling. The Laura Ingles Wilder series is only one example of adventure-folk tales. In addition to the wardrobe, there are location and environmental scenery props which make this series ideal for storytelling.
Storytellers learn their stories in many different ways. Some read or listen to a story over and over. Some meditate on it. Some type or write it out. Others make charts or props to support the story. Some parts are
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