Life is a Story | lafayette-christian

Calling all storytellers - that’s pretty much everyone! You have a story — you are living it right now! There’s at least one inside you — you’ve experienced it or you’ve heard it or you’ve read it.

We’re having a storytelling party on July 19th that many of you signed up and paid for more than a year ago and it’s finally coming to pass. We’ll have some home-made appetizers and drinks, it’ll be out in Founder’s Grove and will be an informal gathering of friends.

BUT - we need some more “tellers” to fill the listeners’ ears with interesting, poignant, funny, fulfilling, inspiring, informative stories. (Or - we’re also interested in a good reading of a short poem or someone else’s story, too, if you prefer.)

Read on — Didn’t sign up but you have a story to tell? I have a few “storyteller freebies” I can offer!! Let me know and I’ll work you in.

I’m talking about 3 - 5 minutes - nothing fancy, nothing professional or even super-polished. There is nothing like a personal story (or one that you particularly like that someone else wrote) to engage each other.

I’m happy to help edit, if you wish, and I’ll provide any encouragement, assistance, coaching or hand-holding you might need to get over the “oh I can’t do that” hump. If you’re a “do-it-yourself” type, that’s fine, too - all we ask is that you edit carefully, time yourself and practice out loud (as many times as you can) before you present your offering. The closer you can get to “note free” the better, but don’t let that stop you - read every word if you need to.

You will never have a more forgiving audience than the one you’ll find on a summer’s eve sipping wine at the Church on the Trail! Please seriously consider participating as a teller as well as a listener.

Here are some tips for good storytelling that can help make your short story compelling:

3 Acts - Stories are best when they have a beginning, a middle and an end.

Personal is best! Whether it’s your own story or someone else’s that you’re re-telling (or even reading), finding a personal, emotional connection to the story will make it compelling for your audience. If you’re engaged, we will be.

Beware of detail! Too much detail kills forward momentum. Cut the details ruthlessly - you will always know more than your audience cares about. As one mentor said: “If your hero’s eyes are sparkling, we don’t need to know what color they are.”

The beginning doesn’t have to be the beginning. Don’t necessarily start at the beginning. Find your story’s maximum point of interest before the climax and consider starting there… capture our attention and then fill in the context or backstory after you begin then find your way back around to the climax.

Chronology can be boring. Even though a lived experience happened in a certain order, it doesn’t need to be recounted on a timeline.

Embrace struggle. States of mind that we usually prefer to avoid on a daily basis can be the very things that make stories interesting: conflict, disagreement, misunderstanding, failure, unrequited passion.

Please contact Dave with any questions or suggestions. We will need to know what our lineup looks like at least a week in advance. We would LOVE to have you!!’

dcpinkham54@gmail.com
925-282-9024