| A journey from the page to the stage | | | | things that life has taught you and now have become |
| I promised as President of the North Carolina | | | | your passions. These are the things your stories |
| Storytelling Guild, that I would do a monthly article on | | | | should be about. I have heard so many stories where |
| a topic of interest to storytellers. If I didn't promise, | | | | plenty of things happened, but the story was not |
| then I meant to. And please don't rope and tie me if | | | | really about anything. Does that make sense? If not, |
| I forget a month. But I will do my best to ramble on | | | | email me and I'll explain further. |
| a somewhat regular basis on the lessons that I have | | | | But to make sure you understand this I'm going to |
| learned as a professional storyteller. I do not claim to | | | | say it again. In your search for the perfect story to |
| be a master by your definition. I do claim to have | | | | tell, start with the message YOU want to tell. Then |
| made a lot of mistakes along the way and feel it my | | | | find the story that has that message. Or write one! |
| duty to keep others from making them too. So look | | | | It's easier than you think. |
| at this article (not too closely, good grief, I can't be | | | | And when you tell the story, make sure that the |
| the grammar expert too) as encouragement, advice, | | | | listener knows the message. I am surprised at how |
| and mutterings from a fellow storyteller. Sometimes | | | | often the teller isn't even clear on the message, |
| you will already know everything in the article and | | | | much less the audience. I know it sounds weird and |
| more, and sometimes it may seem overwhelming. | | | | maybe hard to understand. But nobody said creation |
| Just read it and email me if you have any questions | | | | was going to be easy. But you will be glad you went |
| or glowing compliments. If you have any complaints | | | | to the trouble because this is how you begin to find |
| send them to Sylvia Payne. (Just kidding. Get over it. | | | | your voice, your attitude, the kinds of stories you |
| I do that a lot when I write. And I never can | | | | want to tell. Shoot, you may even have the courage |
| remember whether the period goes in or out of the | | | | to start writing your own stories. |
| parenthesis. Don't tell me, I'll only forget.) Today's | | | | I want you to get a journal. Today. By journal, I |
| topic is creation. | | | | mean a notebook with paper in it that can not be |
| Stop fanning yourself. I'm not going to start off with | | | | used for grocery lists or notes to yourself. Call it your |
| a religious discussion. We'll save that for next month. | | | | life journal. This is not a diary. I repeat, this is not a |
| I mean creation in the artistic sense. We are artists. | | | | diary. This is a place to start recording stuff. By stuff, |
| We create. We tell a story. Whether we dance, | | | | I mean anything that gets your attention. I mean |
| paint, sing, or play Beethoven's Fifth on the jaw harp, | | | | scenes that touch your heart, descriptions of people |
| we tell a story. A story about life. And when we tell | | | | on the subway, funny ways to describe a drooling |
| this story we evoke an emotion from our audience. | | | | dog with three legs, what it feels like to get older, |
| We take them to places in their own life or to | | | | rants about voice mail and customer service, |
| distant lands where cultures are different but the | | | | whatever you want to write. You don't even have |
| emotions are the same. We are given our gifts for a | | | | to write in complete sentences. |
| reason. Our voices were meant to tell a story. And | | | | Keep the journal with you at all times. If you're like |
| as artists, we spend our lives finding out what stories | | | | me, you'll have several in different places - your car, |
| are in us to tell. It is important that you find YOUR | | | | by your bed, in your purse. And I'm warning you to |
| story, YOUR message to the world, YOUR voice. So | | | | write this stuff down as soon as you think of it. You |
| for this article I will talk about that stage that | | | | will not remember it tomorrow. What we're doing |
| happens before you learn the story. The part where | | | | here is recording the details in life so that when we |
| you decide what story you want to tell. | | | | sit down to write a story, we're not trying to think |
| Many beginning storytellers already have the passion | | | | of things off the top of our head. We can refer to |
| and the courage to dip their toe into this exciting art | | | | our notebooks which over time will grow to be grand |
| form. But they don't know what stories to tell. | | | | collections of material to use in our art. |
| Where should they look? What stories are they | | | | This is not going to make sense to you right away. It |
| supposed to tell? What are the rules of being a | | | | didn't to me. And sometimes I will write things down |
| storyteller? Do they have to tell a Jack tale? And I | | | | wondering where in the world I will ever use that. But |
| think that many storytellers jump over a step in this | | | | that's not the point. The point is to write. The point is |
| process. They look at what others are doing. They | | | | to get used to looking around you for you material. |
| pick stories, memorize them, and start telling. I know, | | | | Life is filled with more material than you could ever |
| because that's exactly what I did. I'm a writer so I | | | | hope to make up. |
| happened to pick stories that I wrote so I wouldn't | | | | On some of the pages of the journal, give yourself a |
| have to worry about legal issues. But I jumped in and | | | | topic and write about it. Here are some of the topics |
| started telling. | | | | I have used in mine:o Funny names of people and |
| I think that there's an important step you need to go | | | | towns (internet and phone book is a great place to |
| through that doesn't require great skill or manual | | | | look)o Funny names of businesseso Places I |
| dexterity. You must search inside yourself (an | | | | remember growing upo My first loveo What it felt |
| ongoing process by the way) to find out what | | | | like to be a teenagero If I had a week left to liveo |
| messages you have to share with the world. What | | | | Ways to describe a man with a long necko Things |
| stories your heart speaks. | | | | you don't see in churcho The dinner table at a our |
| Professional speakers are taught to speak about | | | | family reunions |
| what they know, what life has taught them. I | | | | You may be saying, "But I don't want to write |
| encourage you as artists to do the same. And to do | | | | stories. I want to take a story and learn it and tell it. |
| so, we must at least wonder what our lives have | | | | That's all." That's fine. You don't have to do this. But I |
| taught us. What lessons have we learned? What | | | | do think it will help you with any story you tell. This |
| sage wisdom have we stored up? What do we have | | | | journal will not only fill up with ideas for stories, it will |
| to share with the world? | | | | fill up with details that you record about life around |
| If you're like me, upon hearing this, you went "huh?" | | | | you - as you see it. |
| and wondered if maybe you should have filled out | | | | Your main goal in storytelling is to tell the story in |
| that Wal-Mart application after all. I went so far as to | | | | your own voice. To be different than the |
| get out a piece of paper and write across the top, | | | | twenty-five other people who may be telling that |
| "Things I have learned in my life...." And I stared at it | | | | same story. To be different than the storyteller they |
| for like fifteen minutes and then went to get some | | | | just saw who told the same story. The key lies in |
| chocolate and an aspirin for my brain cramp. But I | | | | what makes you different. And the details will be |
| came back to it and decided, oh what the heck, just | | | | what make you different. The way you describe |
| start writing. And my list was started. I gave myself | | | | things, the funny voices you use, the way you have |
| no rules, no limits, no boundaries. I told myself it could | | | | of seeing the world from where you sit. This will give |
| be serious, funny, religious, earth shattering or silly. | | | | flavor to your storytelling. When you tell a story you |
| The point was just to write and keep writing without | | | | are telling it in your own way. Whether you ever put |
| thinking. To write about what my life has taught me. | | | | it on paper, like it or not, you're writing. You're |
| And I knew (I was right of course) that in this | | | | creating. You are taking the words and making them |
| process some things would start to take birth. | | | | your own. |
| I came up with four pages of things I have learned in | | | | So don't miss this important step. Before you ever |
| my life. Number one: Life is too short to eat okra. | | | | write or learn a story, make sure you know what |
| Number two: Big hair will make your thighs look | | | | that story is about - the moral - what touches your |
| smaller. Number nineteen: Ten years from now I will | | | | heart. When you know, you're audience will feel it. |
| not remember who headed up the hospitality | | | | And that, my friends, will make all the difference. |
| committee at church, but I will never forget that | | | | Again, if you have any questions, please email me () |
| group of ladies who brought me a prayer shawl | | | | and I will be happy to respond. I suggest that you |
| when I had a miscarriage. Number thirty-two: You | | | | start your journal first, get used to it for a little while, |
| can't always change the road you're on, but you | | | | and then if you still have questions let me know. |
| always change the way you see that road. I can go | | | | I'm excited to walk along this journey with you - the |
| on, but I'm sure you're already thinking of your own | | | | journey to discover your unique voice. Trust me, you |
| life lessons. | | | | have a gift. You were given this gift for a reason. |
| When you have finished your list (which you never | | | | We need your voice. Until we meet again, happy |
| will) you will see the messages (i.e. the morals) that | | | | creating! |
| you have to share with the world. These are the | | | | |