Storytelling

            In Professor Barnhurst’s lecture he discusses storytelling and explains the stories have many specific parts to it. I never thought of storytelling having so many different aspects to it and I never thought of it that way until I saw his lecture. It’s very interesting to see how we all tell stories in a similar way to each other and we use the same steps to do so.

            At the beginning of Professor Barnhurst’s lecture, he has all the students speed narrate and tell a recent story about something they really care about to one other person. After that, he had them go into a group of four to look at each others notes and analyze them. He wanted them to figure out if there was a pattern and similarities between all four stories. This introduced the students to different parts of telling stories to other people.

            He then goes on explaining how everyone becomes a narrator when they tell a story and when anyone does, they always announce that they are going to tell a story. They might perhaps say something like “Oh that reminds of…” or “I’m mad because…” That clue, which is called the abstract, lets your listeners know that you are about to tell a story. The setting is the part of storytelling. The setting takes your listener somewhere and the location of your story. It gives them a picture in their head of where you were, who was there, what you were doing, and so on.

Next is the complicating action “And then” or “You won’t believe what happened next”. After that comes the response and the resolution of the story. He continues on with interpretation which is everywhere. Right from the beginning of the story everyone knows and has an idea of what kind of story it’s going to be through their verbal, non-verbal, intentional and unintentional cues. The tone of their voice or the face expression they make help us know whether it is going to be a story about work, school, a secret or private story.

The way we begin a story will always let the listener know what the story is going to be about and lets them determine whether or not they are going to be interested in listening to your story. That’s why framing is important. The first word or sentence that comes out of your mouth should catch the person’s attention. Now when I tell a story, I will be more aware of how I tell it and how I can keep someone interested in what I have to say.