Monday, September 9, 2013

Storytelling -Original Social Media

For weeks now, I have been practicing my stories for the Lititz Storytelling Festival which approaches like an avalanche this coming weekend.

Yep!  I knew what stories I was going to tell.  I really only needed one or two or maybe three.  I have timed them and written them out and re-arranged them.  I gathered props.  Yep!  I was ready.

Then, yesterday?  I tossed them out.  Well, not literally.  I just felt that the first one was  not right for this venue.  And the other one?  Too gimmicky.

Now what could I do?  I closed myself up in my office and dragged out all the stories that I knew.  And I picked four different, shorter stories - stories that I love.  Then I called a fellow storyteller - who was not home - but his lovely wife was.  She listened to my dilemma and said, "Tell the story YOU want to tell."

This is excellent advice.  If I am not in the telling business because There are stories want to tell, then what I am doing?  I have stories I want to share.  Some are personal.  Some are those rare stories that speak to you when you read them. 

It does raise the problem of how one designs a storytelling performance.  My Friday night stories mesh well together.  My Saturday afternoon stories, well, I think I can make the link.

But do they need to mesh?  Does the audience want continuity?  So many questions, so little time.
 http://www.storypartners.net/images/lititz_tourist_magV2_bgEditor_1365192874015.jpg

Come to Litiz.  If my stories don't speak to you, perhaps Ed Stivender's stories will; or Kim Weitkamp's stories, or Chaz Kiernan's stories or one of the other fabulous tellers' stories.  Come. 

Storytelling - as the T-shirt says - is the Original Social Media.

No comments:

Post a Comment