How to Tell a Story

Also see: On Myth and Story | The Seven Seas of Story | More Stories

There are two basic assumptions to my approach to Religious Studies: 1) the divide between the finite and the infinite realms cannot be bridged by the intellect; and 2) an authentic "understanding" of another religious tradition's effort to bring the two realms together in an individual's life can only happen to the extent that we are willing to experience that tradition -- on its terms. Learning to tell a story from another's tradition is an act of engagement.

How to Tell a Story. Contrary to what students learn in Speech classes, storytelling is not usually performance art. Everyone tells stories -- just imagine the response of the eight-year-old to the question, "What happened in school today?"

The best way to become a storyteller is to imagine your setting as the dining room table, not the stage at the local theater. The key to success is to let the story itself -- not the storyteller -- capture the attention.

Remember the following:

• Think in pictures, not in words. Visualize your story as a series of images, and simply describe the images to your audience.
• Avoid special voices or other affectations. The best storytellers are the simplest storytellers.
• Related to that, strive for simple language. Avoid adjectives and such description except where critical to the story. Avoid the abstract words, and use the concrete.
• In the words of Ruth Sawyer: Breathe. Take a couple of deep breaths before you actually begin, and pause whenever it works in the story to take an extra breath. If you start to feel winded, pause. Pausing is especially helpful to an audience that is trying to visualize your words.
• If you forget where you are, don't panic. Just pause, and breathe, and it will come back to you. It always does.