Storytelling Description
Please keep in mind, telling your
story (your oral history) is like playing a game skillfully-some things you do
will be more successful than others.
The theme of this night is "sudden
realizations": stories that begin with
you believing or trusting or loving in one way, but then, in a moment, an
event, a twist of fate, your belief, your trust, your love changes.
Please don't use the words, "Suddenly I realized..." but show how your
realization happened.
Good storytellers don't use scripts
or notes, but they do memorize their first and last lines. Really.
First and last lines. And then they practice their stories a lot with
friends, family, and pets.
Focus your story on the details of a
single event: to spur your audience's interest, specify who your characters
are, get to a serious problem or a strange action right away; then use conflict
to keep things moving. Leave some things to your audience's imagination
by telling what happened: what did you do, not what your feelings were.
Oral histories tell
what really happened, so they are not jokes---but they can be funny or extreme;
oral histories relate a event, so they are not rants or complaining nor are
they advertisements for how great or brilliant you are.
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Westport Historical Society
25 Avery Place
Westport, CT
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Presented by:
The Editing Company/Write Yourself Free
Friday,
November 6th, 7:00 - 9:00 pm Westport Historical Society Gallery
Wine and Hors d'oeuvres
Join us for this unique evening where YOU are the
entertainment! $10 donation Don't be shy, Invite Your Friends
THE THEME:
Funny. Dramatic. Political. Religious. Sexual.
Charming or alarming. There are times in life that act as pivots: a
moment when we suddenly saw the light (or the darkness), a sudden collision
with the law or with a social norm, an incident or accident that led to
enlightenment.
THE FORMAT:
Storytellers and oral historians (AND FRIENDS) are welcome from almost all age
groups (16 or older, please): however, the sponsors need to set an agenda, so,
if you have a story you'd like to tell, please submit a written synopsis and
invite your friends. Stories must be 5-7 minutes in length. We are
offering a "how-to" workshop on October 23rd at 7pm at The Westport Historial Society for those
interested.
REGISTRATION: The fee is a $10 donation to the Historical Society. Please call or email Tish Fried, 454-4522, tish@theeditingcompany.com. Send us your synopsis either by email or mail.
35 Rayfield Road, Westport, CT. Please contact us for story examples and more
information.
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Examples
Here's a story that is a guaranteed
snooze:
So, I was sitting around one night. Chilling with my
friends. And we were watching, like, King of Queens---Kevin James is like
so funny--- when I went to the fridge and got another beer. We'd had like
4 or so, but there was like a twelve pack left. And then, my girlfriend
called, and this & that, you know, we're talking the relationship
talk. And then, she says, this friend of hers made fun of her because she
might be colorblind or something, so she wanted to know if I liked her lipstick
that day. So I'm trying to talk to her seriously about lipstick when on
tv, it got really funny, and then, like, I dropped my beer on the floor, like
the whole can came gushing out....
A better beginning:
The ambulance screamed up to our house at 3 am and
the flashing lights came through the window. My grandfather was face down
on the couch in his t-shirt and boxers, barely breathing, and my father, who
was still built like a linebacker, was slumped in a corner crying like a little
girl. I was 13, pacing and praying like a madman, making my deal with God...
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Patrick McCord, PhD and Tish Fried
Patrick is a fugitive from
Hollywood where he learned that his talents were more analytical than
presentational. Putting
his talents to work more constructively, he earned a PhD in Narratology
(English) at the University of Georgia. He is an award-winning poet, published
short story author, and he has sold teleplays and a screenplay. Before
launching his own writing career, he worked in project development at both NY's
Circle in the Square and LA's Mark Taper Forum. As a college professor, he has
specialized in story- and identity-cognition in film and literature Patrick was
honored to win the prestigious Mitchell Marcus Award in 1991. He is currently
Editor-in-Chief of The Editing Company and creator of the Write Yourself Free™
method.
Tish is the founder and President of The
Editing Company and has lived in Westport for 19 years. Her collaborations have
ranged from memoir to self-help to dramaturgy and copyrighting services. She is currently working on bringing more
storytelling events to Connecticut and is dedicated to supporting writers with
new and unique services. "Whether our clients are writing novels or
non-fiction, the art of storytelling is now front and center in my life. The
best stories are rooted in a personal sense of truth, and discovering that
unique truth---whether it's rooted in experience or in imagination---shouldn't
be labor, but play. That's what our method Write Yourself Free™ is all about."
For more information, please contact us.
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