  Mystery
This week: The Great Storyteller Edited by: Gaby  
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The Great Storyteller
Some stories are told well, while others are shown. I could go on and on about why your story should be shown rather than told, but the truth is, there are some great storytellers our there who really know how to actually tell a story. While showing makes the reader be smack in the middle of the story, the telling makes them sit on the sidelines and watch it all happen. Neither is wrong. It's all about what the reader likes.
This may seem more like a blog entry rather than a newsletter, but I want to share with you what inspired me to write and what a great storyteller actually does. Perhaps it will help you understand some things better.
For as long as I can remember my dad told stories; he painted them on a canvas, made them come alive on models created out of cardboard boxes. He's always been the artist in the family. I also call him the walking encyclopedia because there isn't a subject he doesn't know about. If asked about a certain subject, he'd go into details and explain how it all works, why, and the purpose, and as much as you might think it boring, he always manages to capture his audience. Everyone gets quiet and hangs on every word he says.
While I enjoyed the children's stories - mind you, I never heard a word about Cinderella or Snow White - I loved listening to him recite the Greek Mythology and how it all came to be. He really does have a way with words and that's one of the things which inspired me to write. The want and need to capture the reader or listener with the words and envision, if not see, their expressions on their faces as the story unfolds.
The question is, did he tell the stories or show them? It really doesn't matter. It's how he did it. You must keep in mind that those who listen or read have their own imagination. Or they simply don't. A new world cannot be created if one doesn't have a vision. Even if you're telling your own story, some may think you have something to tell, while others may say it's boring. It's one thing having to work out the wrinkles to make it better, completely another if you can't captivate a single reader.
Do you consider yourself a great storyteller? Have you ever sat in front of a crowd and told stories where the audience is sitting on the edge of their seats just to hear what's coming next?
Most writers won't do it. I can't remember if I ever did. Perhaps it comes natural to tell a story, but not to write one. Perhaps it's all the same. It may be that story telling is out of our comfort zone and that's why we write. What if you tried to step outside of it and tell a story just to see the reaction?
There's a reason why a lot of writers are introverts, keep mostly to themselves, but enjoy life all the same. It's the same reason why we can share our writing with strangers on Writing.com, but we're unwilling to show them to those who know us. People on this site become our friends, but they are more than that. They share similar dreams, visions, passions. Once we realize that, we open up. We're not afraid any longer.
So how about giving this a chance outside the comfort of WDC? Spring is here, for most of us.Gather around a fire and tell a story! Dare yourself something you're not comfortable with. It doesn't matter even if it's writing a story you think won't be accepted. Try it! Baby steps in the right direction. And if you think you failed, we'll all be here to prove to you that you can do it and to support you along the way!
~ Gaby  |
| |  | Life Is Thick (E)
A layered poem, sort of poking fun at life, mixed with a bit of storytelling . . .
#892792 by Jason  |
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The Run-on King PDG Member wrote:
Gaby your right staying with the predictable is easy but writing outside the box is hard when all you read is predictable. I learned that by reading the newbies and reviewing them you get a lot of in the box. But you also get a lot of out of the box as well. As I do port raids for SAJ, I see a lot of the same thing. I also see a lot of them experiment. Which I believe is your point here.
I find that I read anything in my favorite genres. I stopped being picky and that alone woke me up that there be worlds out there to explore and the different was the spice of life.
I also notice some of us wear blinders that we try and impose on the rest, such as tell verses show. What we forget is some people's tell and show are different then others and it is all tied up in the authors style. I never refuse to read the work all the way because it didn't fit my version of show. Sometimes we find a gem inside a harsh starting.
 We must broaden our horizons.
BIG BAD WOLF is Merry  wrote:
In some cases, there are no Heroes, just Lesser Evils.
Such is life, my friend, such is life.
writetight wrote:
Thanks for the plug last issue, Gaby!
Any time. 
billwilcox wrote:
I've been watching Game of Thongs and I can't quite figure how all the nudity and sex help the story along. I mean if it is there to tell the tale then yeah, use it, but I don't find that to be true. Does that make me a prude? Now nobody loves sex as much as I do, but that's how I got all these kids, and they wanna watch the show too. So I say, "Hey HBO! Tone it down for the kiddies!"
Maybe their original audience hadn't been planned to be kids.  Then again, I grew up where such things as nudity were nothing to hide from the kids. It's all part of life and always will be. *shrug* |
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Mystery: April 30, 2014 Issue [#6277]
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