Exercise 4 Read the following article about setting up a storytelling night.
Write a summary about how to arrange a successful storytelling night.
Your summary should be about 80 words long (and no more than 90 words long). You
should use your own words as far as possible.
You will receive up to 6 marks for the content of your summary, and up to 6 marks for the style and
accuracy of your language.
Start up your own story night
I've always enjoyed hearing people tell stories. So when I heard about The Moth, I was inspired.
This is an organisation in the USA which holds regular storytelling events, giving ordinary people as
well as literary and cultural personalities the chance to tell a tale in front of a live audience.
I decided to start my own storytelling night, and hosted my first one about eight years ago. It is a
fantastic way to meet new people and learn more about old friends. Most of all though, it is great fun
and it is easy to set up your own.
The first consideration is the venue. If you are prepared to make space in your living room, that is
fine. Otherwise, the best thing to do is to rent a room in a hall or community centre, or even in a
café. This last option can be very cheap, or may even be free if people buy food and drink when
they are there. The next thing to do is persuade a few friends to tell stories. Anyone who loves being
the centre of attention will jump at the chance, so get them involved. You might also find that your
quieter friends have brilliant stories to tell too, especially when they have been inspired by a few
other people. But don't just focus on who can tell stories - you need an audience as well, so invite
plenty of people. Nothing draws people together like sharing stories, so these evenings become
networks. People come back month after month, bringing friends who have their own stories to tell.
From my experience, having a theme for the night helps, but it shouldn't be too narrow or too wide.
A theme gives storytellers something to work with and gives the audience a better idea of what to
expect. Something too narrow like 'surprise parties' will give you a set of nearly identical stories.
And if the theme is too wide, you may as well not bother with one at all. Themes that have worked
well include 'lost and found', 'guilt' and 'fame'. One man told us a story about receiving fan mail for
a celebrity who had the same name as him. Someone else told us about arriving late for her friend's
wedding. The stories don't have to be action-packed, but it is worth pointing out to participants that
their stories should be told with honesty.
To stop people from talking at length or taking over the evening, set a time limit for each story -
- five
to ten minutes is usually enough. To decide on a suitable order, find out roughly what each story is
about in advance. This will help to make the evening a success.
It is worth advising those who are new to storytelling to think carefully about their opening sentences.
If they want to grab the audience's attention, they shouldn't start with Well, I woke up one morning
and my friend called me and asked if I would like to go for a walk up the mountain.' Instead, it
is better to begin with 'The mountain suddenly appeared from behind the cloud ...', and then the
audience will want to find out more. Just as important is not to let people use a script. Reading a
story aloud that has been written down sounds just like someone reading aloud - it's not storytelling.
Storytellers connect best with their audience when there isn't a piece of paper between them.
Go ahead and arrange a storytelling night wherever you are. You won't be disappointed!