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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781782799870 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Collective Ink |
| Publication date: | 05/29/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 207 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
StoryWorks
A Handbook for Leaders, Writers and Speakers
By Jane Bailey Bain
John Hunt Publishing Ltd.
Copyright © 2014 Jane Bailey BainAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-78279-987-0
CHAPTER 1
Tell Me A Story
YOU are a natural born storyteller. Every day you make up stories and tell them to your friends. You use stories to tell people about yourself and to inform them about the world. Sometimes you tell a tale just to make someone laugh. Many of your stories are unique and personal. They are based on things you have seen or heard, and events you have experienced. By choosing what to include in your tale, you decide what is important. You take real things that happen in your life and weave them into a meaningful sequence of events.
When two people get together, they start to tell stories. Friends meeting in a cafe. Colleagues back at work on Monday morning. Strangers sitting together on a long-distance bus. We meet and we say, Tell me your story.
"How are you?"
"How was your weekend?"
"How is your journey going?"
"Fine" simply doesn't answer the question.
Humans are storytelling animals. Other creatures communicate in different ways – the honeybee's waggle, the dog's warning bark – but only human beings string words together to form meaningful narratives of events. We use stories to explain, to teach and to entertain. When you want people to remember something, a good story makes it memorable. If you have to give an unwelcome message, a clever story renders it more palatable. And when you just want to amuse an audience, there's nothing better than a well-told tale.
Why do we tell stories? Because they are the most effective form of communication. Stories work in many different ways. On the surface, they provide a narrative sequence of events. When one thing leads to another, we assume that the first incident caused the second. This is reassuring: it gives us a sense of meaning and purpose in life. At a deeper level, they speak to us with parallels and similes. They communicate both overt messages and implied meanings. Most of all, stories harness the power of imagery to work their magic on our minds.
Imagery is an incredibly powerful tool both for persuasion and for personal development. Everything that has ever been made – from an omelette to a space rocket – began as a picture in someone's mind. Images provide a representation that can be transformed into a real thing. They provide us with a focus for our thoughts and efforts. And they let us image-ine how things could be different: a metaphor provides the basis for metamorphosis.
When you meet other people, you communicate with them by telling stories. You recall a series of events and you string them together into a causal narrative sequence. In other words, you turn your own experiences into a story. You also listen to other people's narratives. Their anecdotes show you how they have dealt with similar situations. Stories help you to interpret things that have happened to you. They provide possible templates for future action. A good story touches both your mind and your heart. Hearing stories can shift your perceptions and shape your dreams. Telling tales creates new possibilities in your mind.
In The Beginning
Since ancient times, the person who could tell stories has been admired and respected. Our ancestors understood the deep power of stories. When someone wanted to boast, they told tales of their hunting prowess. When they wanted to honour another, they turned their deeds into epic sagas. When they wanted to warn against misbehaviour, they related parables and fables. Myths and legends provided social commentary and recorded earliest history. Wordweavers held the heritage of their people in trust.
For a long time, the only way that tales could be transmitted was by repetition. In hunting tribes, the deepest wisdom was the province of specialists who we might now call shamans or medicine men. Wise elders would use stories to explain the world and pass on practical information. Gradually humankind learnt farming skills and settled communities were established. The agricultural surplus they produced could support an elite class of rulers. Priests were entrusted with sacred stories which were retold with ceremonial ritual. Bards and troubadours travelled between villages carrying news and spreading songs. Folktales survived because women told them to entertain children.
Over five thousand years ago, systems of symbols were developed which allowed sacred stories to be recorded. The earliest forms of writing emerged in the great Bronze Age civilizations of the Middle East. Methods such as Sumerian cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyph were cumbersome, requiring scribes to memorize hundreds of word-symbols. By 1150 BC the Phoenicians were using a phonetic alphabet of 22 consonant letters. The Greeks adopted this around 750 BC and added vowel sounds. This system forms the basis of all Western alphabets. It is simple to learn and easy to read. Finally writing had become accessible to anyone who cared to learn.
The first scholars were a privileged group. Only the wealthy and the clergy could afford to sit around reading and writing manuscripts. It was not until the invention of the printing press that books became widely available. The mass production of books in Renaissance Europe changed the whole structure of society. No longer did people have to rely on wandering minstrels and town criers for news. Information could be acquired – or disseminated – by anyone with an interest. By the nineteenth century, industrial presses were in widespread use. From Bibles to political manifestos, from novels to instruction manuals, the world was flooded with printed matter. Two hundred years later, computer technology added to this verbal inundation.
People have become cynical about the printed word: 'You can't believe everything you read.' Yet we still depend mainly on words for communication. As a speaker or writer, you're part of a venerable tradition. Words have the power to persuade, to teach, and to entertain. This last function is perhaps the most important. Words work best when they are woven into stories. The craft of the storyteller is to spin a thread of narrative. Whether the stories are presented to an audience, or written down in a novel, or related to spellbound children, the wordsmith must first weave a meaningful series of events.
Making Meaning
Stories are far more than just light entertainment. You use them to make sense of your life. We visit fictional worlds because they shed light on our own reality. A tale well told should be both beautiful and functional. Stories enrich our lives and nourish our spirits. They provide a framework for understanding what has happened to us. They give a model for how we could or should behave. The heart does not distinguish between fiction and biography. Both show us how other people have responded to similar situations; they reassure us that we too will survive. In this sense, stories are the language of the soul.
Let's start close to home. The most important story in your life is your own story. You use narrative to make sense of the world around you. When you think about your life, you are constantly formulating a set of questions:
What happened on that day?
When exactly was that?
Whereabouts was I?
Who else was involved?
Why did it happen? Why me?
How has that affected my life since?
Your answers to these questions determine how you see yourself. The explanations you give publicly affect how other people see you. What has happened to you before, and how you see it, has a strong influence on what will happen to you next. As you interpret your past, you are unconsciously developing expectations for the future. These predictions tend to come true, as your expectations influence what you see in the world. Your answers to the questions above lead to self-fulfilling prophecies. You modify your own personal story in the light of what has happened, and this affects what you expect to happen next. In this way, you are constantly developing your own life script.
The stories that you hear affect the way you see the world. Your internal 'library' of tales is determined by many factors. The most influential stories are probably those which you heard as a child. Cinderella; Jack GiantKiller; Beauty and the Beast – these are the figures which informed you in childhood and accompanied you into adult life. They provided role models for your own behaviour and a way of interpreting the people you encounter. Although they are often dismissed as fairytales, these stories formed the first material for you to interpret the world.
As you grew older, these classic tales were supplemented by other sources of narrative. Books, films and plays gave you other ideas for possible roles. Newspapers and magazines portray different ways of being and behaving. They might appear new, but closer analysis reveals that the characters from your childhood recur in these more adult narratives. They may wear different guises, but the hero is still being heroic; the good mother is still supportive; the ogre still lurks outside the door. This is because they are based on universally recurring figures called 'archetypes', which are discussed later on.
You still use stories to make sense of the world. You weave a narrative which helps you to understand your life experiences. This life script is selectively edited in line with your self-image. You tell anecdotes to inform other people about yourself. These tales form the basis of your public persona. You use stories to explain and justify and persuade. They are an inextricable part of your life, because telling stories is what makes us human.
It's Not Personal
Maybe you like hearing stories, but you don't think you have a tale to tell. Think again: we all use stories in everyday life. When you chat over the dinner table, you talk about what happened to you today. When you text a friend, you give them updates about what's happening. When you write a report, you start by saying why it was commissioned. When you go to the doctor, you tell them the history of your symptoms. The best speeches at weddings and funerals are full of personal anecdotes. And obituaries are interesting because they tell the story of someone's life.
You can't beat a good story. Telling tales is simply the best way to get your point across. A story can convey a message, or provide a warning, or create a sense of identity. Books portray a particular world view; plays often have a political agenda. Influential leaders use narrative to inspire their followers. Priests deliver sermons that refer to scriptural stories. Politicians use anecdotes to sway public opinion. Lawyers convince a jury with their interpretation of events. Newspaper editors say that facts tell, but stories sell. That's why the best journalists are good storytellers.
Stories are the best way of selling something too. What you're trying to sell could be a product, or a policy, or just your personal services. You can quote statistics until you're blue in the face but most people respond better to words than numbers. Speakers become more interesting when they are telling a real-life story. Presentations are more effective when they include some personal anecdotes. This is because stories evoke our sympathy, an insight that can be put to good use.
Let's look at some examples of how stories work better than plain facts.
'In Tiruna, less than 15% of the population can read. Only 1 child in 5 attends school, and of these only 1/10 continue their education after the third grade. Female literacy levels are half the national average, with implications for maternal health and childcare.'
"This is Ima. She is twelve years old and she wants to be a doctor. Ima goes to school in her village, but her family can't afford to buy pens or books. For just ten pounds you can provide the things which Ima so desperately needs."
Which gets you to put your hand in your pocket?
'Statistical analysis shows that around 1% of household electrical appliances will suffer a serious electrical fault at some point. Not all insurance policies provide for this type of eventuality.'
"Have you heard? Penny Wilmot's dishwasher blew up in the night. No-one was hurt, but the kitchen is ruined. She's moving in with her mother-in-law for three months while they renovate. Thank goodness the insurance covered it."
Which makes you go home and check the small print on your own policy?
'Drugs are very dangerous. Around 2% of users are seriously affected the first time they try illegal substances. For this reason, convictions for dealing in class A drugs carry a lengthy prison sentence.'
"My name's Nat. I'm a lot tougher than you'll ever be. I've been on the streets. Made my stash. Drugs is easy money, see? But I don't do that no more. It's not worth it. I'm here to tell you about life on the inside."
Which talk gets the teenage boys' attention?
Whatever you're offering, you're much more likely to reach your audience if you can offer them an engaging tale.
Maybe you don't have a product to sell? You're still in the business of pitching your script. You want a new job? A strong application depends on a good CV. And your curriculum vitae is literally your life story. You want to go on a date? Your chances are largely due to how you present yourself. You go to a school reunion? Everyone is busy talking about what they've been up to in the intervening years. Even getting on with the neighbours depends on how you sell your story. Are you a good guy who gives sympathy and support, or an old grump who gets no worse than he deserves? Like it or loathe it, you define yourself by your script. People are narrative junkies: we all respond to a good story.
Tips Of The Trade
Wordworking is a skilled craft. In traditional societies, the person who could tell a good story has always been admired. Whether you are delivering a speech, selling a pitch, chatting with friends or writing a book, you should be able to tell a good tale.
Everyone should know a few stories. Not memorized by heart, but rather the way a jazz musician knows a piece of music: you know the major chords so that you can improvise around them. You can adapt your basic repertoire of stories to suit your audience. (Warning: Children love to hear the same story told over and over again and will correct the smallest variation!) Speakers, writers and storytellers can use their favourite tales like basic recipe ingredients, blending them and adding different details to create a new dish. There are a few professional tricks which can help improve your work. So here are the things to consider when telling your story.
Beginning, Middle, End
Let's begin by studying the structure of a simple storytelling session. The basic laws of narration apply whether you are addressing a small group or a large meeting. The same principles of structure apply for writers too. You'll see in the next section how you can expand this three-step model to novels and scripts.
When you are telling a story, remember to start at the beginning and finish at the end. It sounds simple, but you would be surprised how often people forget this basic rule. One old adage is to 'tell the audience what you're going to tell them about; tell them; and tell them you've told them'. That way, there can be no doubt about the point or conclusion of your talk.
"I'm going to tell you a story about a girl who was afraid of the dark."
When you tell a story, you create an imaginary world. You must start by setting the scene. Choose a point in time, or state of affairs, that are relevant either to your story or to the audience.
"Gill had always hated her sister."
"Do you all live around here? Gill came from this town too ..."
So your story must start at the beginning. Not too early, and certainly not too late. Do we really need to know about the heroine's childhood? Maybe yes: she was a foundling and never felt that she belonged; the bad fairy was not invited to her christening. Maybe not: one of her school teachers was mean to her. That might be important to you, but unless it will be meaningful to other people, then keep it secret. Your audience don't have to know everything about your characters. In fact, authors often know lots of things about their characters that they never tell anyone. It helps them to round out their personalities and make their actions more believable.
But it is equally important to begin at a point which is early enough to set the scene properly. You don't want to start so late that you need to keep adding extra information. Flashbacks can work, but they need to be planned. You shouldn't suddenly say, "It was particularly upsetting for Elaine because she had been bullied as a child." That makes it hard for the reader to follow your story. If you are writing a novel, you might decide to have a moment when the protagonist remembers an earlier incident. If you're telling an anecdote, that just shows you haven't planned it properly.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from StoryWorks by Jane Bailey Bain. Copyright © 2014 Jane Bailey Bain. Excerpted by permission of John Hunt Publishing Ltd..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Part I: The Power Of Story,Tell Me A Story,
Tips Of The Trade,
Doing The Work,
Part II: Tales For Telling,
The Princess,
The Clever Girl,
The Good Mother,
The Wild Woman,
The Grandam,
The Witch,
The Noble Youth,
The Urchin,
The Hero,
The Trickster,
The Wise One,
The Ogre,
Stories For Sharing,
Part III: Practical Resources,
Telling Your Story,
Creating Characters,
Business Applications of Stories,
Bibliography,