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The art and the art of oral narration
The use of visual images
This is because we can remember things of a visual nature much more easily than non-visual concepts. This is one of the reasons why, although we forget people’s names, we can remember the circumstances in which we find ourselves. For example, it may be that thirty years ago we drove on a certain road. We remember the road, even if we cannot remember the names of the streets. The pictures are there. It is the same when we put together a series of images in our heads when someone has told us a story.
This ability to remember is reinforced by the fact that the subconscious cannot differentiate between something that has been vividly imagined and something that has actually happened in real life. It reacts to both in the same way. Therefore, you can make people laugh or cry when they hear a story. It is because the listener has voluntarily given up his conscious critical faculties for the story. His subconscious is no different. For them, it really happens!
You’re not the star
The master storyteller is not there to be seen. He or she is also not there to be heard, but as a channel for the story. When a narrator does it well, almost everyone disappears, and the listener is carried away by the visual images that the narrator brings to life in his or her mind. In a way, two things happen at the same time: the listener sees and hears, but the focus, the main attention is on what is happening inside. But going back to the real and imaginary experiences.
We know that real experiences can change the way we see the world. What is less familiar is that we can change the way we see our world by listening to a story. A master storyteller knows this. That’s why he or she chooses their stories carefully. It’s practically a moral obligation.
Does it help to play the role?
The man or woman who can tell an oral story exceptionally well is likely to have a lot of acting experience as well. Maybe it hasn’t been taught. In many cases it is innate. When you move from storytelling to dialogue with imaginary characters, this art of acting comes to the fore. It’s almost as if one is able to jump from one character’s actions and reactions to another. If the narrator is able to imitate different accents, dialects, and swearwords, these will almost automatically come from his voice. The same applies to sound effects. In fact, anything that enhances the story but does not sound artificial will serve the purpose.
How many stories does a master storyteller tell?
The writer once met a man who is the official storyteller of a Scottish clan. To become the clan’s storyteller, he is said to have known more than three hundred stories from the clan. This is a tradition from the old days before the word was printed. Perhaps the same could be said of certain old storytellers from American Indian tribes and our own Australian Aborigines. History was the only real link to the history of the tribe.
The writer – who is considered by others to be a master of storytelling – believes that one should know far fewer stories than these. As long as they tell the stories well… very well. Moreover, it is generally accepted that this storyteller is a master of storytelling for that reason. They have mastered both the art and the craft. In other words, they are really effective at what they do.
Improve your stories
The words you use, the gestures and sound effects you make should serve to make the story real in the minds of your listeners. You do this by using the right kind of words; gestures that flow naturally and sound effects that enrich the story. Nothing should seem artificial. And, unlike comedy, nothing should be suddenly incongruous. An apparent natural spontaneity is a way forward. Let’s take a look at this.
Vague words and thoughts, be concise, be clear
First, the words you use. If a word is not simple and easy for the listener to understand, it is not a good word. The listener may not know the exact meaning of that word or term, but it should be easy to interpret in the context of our sentence. For example, you could use a nautical term such as “A huge wave launched the ship at the ends of its beam. The term beam end may not be familiar to the listener, but the fact that the ship is in a storm would be enough to make clear what is happening. And you can always paraphrase to make it doubly clear. “Her railing just below her, the water spilled over her deck.”
Don’t get too technical
On the other hand, don’t use technical terminology sentence by sentence that the listener is unlikely to understand. For example, if you were a doctor, you could use some of the more common terms that laypeople also understand. The Achilles tendon, artery, and biceps are all fine. The femur may not be. The term “tibial artery anterior,” without carefully explaining what it is, would leave a lay listener confused at first and if he or she were to hold back, angry… or asleep.
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