Becoming a Storyteller

Expectations/objectives: We all have stories. How can we help each other make them more tellable?
Participants will develop one or more stories for telling in the workshop with the possibility of telling at other times and places in the Gathering such as the Junior Gathering, Cabaret, or talent sharings. Participants will assist each other with story selection and development. Experienced tellers will be encouraged to try new material and new approaches. Topics will include: developing personal stories, selecting and adapting tales, framing and setting stories, relating to listeners, finding Quaker themes in stories, healing and ministry through stories, and ethics and integrity in the storytelling community.
Outline: [Each session begins with worship and includes centering/focusing activities.]
First session – introductions,
definitions of storytelling and why storytellers don't agree to one.
finding stories in our personal experiences and practicing a simple form of affirmative critique
resources for storytelling.
Second session – adapting tales from literary or cultural sources,
storytelling ethics and Friends testimonies,
learning a tale for telling.
Third session – developing a tale or personal story,
exploring styles of telling including use of voice and body,
framing and connecting stories,
selecting content and style to meet the needs of teller and listeners.
Fourth session – working on stories in progress,
extensions and applications of stories,
possible guest teller on healing or ministry through stories,
some tellings with children that afternoon or evening.
Fifth session – telling and evaluating,
some tellings in the Cabaret that afternoon.
Advance Preparation [optional]: Attend a local storytelling event, listen to recordings of storytellers, read stories in collections from various cultures, or explore storytelling sites on the Internet. Bring a few stories you might want to tell or share with others.