Storytelling

Numerous books and tapes suggest starting a journal. There are workshops offered and methods outlined for journaling. Realizing the power of keeping a journal, I started many. But, even though I believed in the power of journaling — just like students and other speakers I have talked with about journals — ...

I have been preparing for the National Storytelling Conference in Denver, and I received an e-mail from a woman who has been telling all year at her local schools and events, and even giving workshops at other storytelling conferences. And, yet, she expressed anxiety about telling in front of other storytellers ...

When two storytellers successfully perform a story together, the audience is in for a special treat. The different characters in the story are actually portrayed by different voices and personalities and the story is enriched by the variety. This Tandem Telling, however, carries its own set of challenges. When done well, ...

During the first part of 2002, I completed three weeks of jury duty. So, what does that have to do with storytelling? Part of picking the jury members included a questionnaire that we each had to fill out for the judge and the lawyers. Under occupation, I included “storyteller” along with ...

Are you a storyteller, a story lover, a story writer or just someone who loves being opened up to learning, loving and new ideas? If so, you should plan to attend this summer’s National Storytelling Network’s (NSN’s) Storytelling Conference to be held in Denver, Colorado from July 10-14, 2002. I, personally, ...

Anyone who has told stories often knows the importance of time and timing. Used with planning, time can be a storyteller’s best friend. Used without thought, however, time can ruin a performance and rob a teller of credibility, reputation, and the joy of experiencing eager listeners. In this column, I will ...

Do you remember the game Trivial Pursuit? Imagine if there were a version made just for your family! How do you think you'd do? How good were you at the original game? I can remember making up all kinds of excuses for when I didn't know the answers. I would discount ...

Recently when I was asked to give a storytelling program at a Saturday night session hosted by our local MetroParks system, the woman calling wondered if I had a theme in mind. What a good idea! It not only helps with their write-up and advertising of the event, but also helps ...

When writing or telling a story orally, we must pay particular attention to our tenses. What do I mean by this? Several summers ago, I attended a one-week intensive storytelling session with Laura Simms – a renowned storyteller from New York City. There were fifteen of us working on a story ...

You are excited about storytelling. You want to start telling stories, but don’t know where to tell them. You are already telling stories, but want to tell more often. You have stories to tell, but want to practice telling them in a non-threatening environment. You are a storyteller and want to ...