Ultimate Guide to Storytelling
Storytelling has seen a strong resurgence in recent times. Even in this age of high technology, people realize that stories are powerful. Studies suggest that they stimulate our minds in ways that other art and education mediums cannot. Storytelling is a craft, an art – and an important way of preserving culture, values, and history. Whether you’re interested in finding out more about the storytelling world or you’re already immersed in it and want to connect with others who share your passion, you’ll find an array of helpful resources here.
Storytelling Organizations, Institutes, and Events
The following collection of links will send you to the world’s most prestigious and renowned organizations for the promotion and propagation of storytelling. You’ll find information about gatherings, workshops, festivals, and other events. You’ll also find an extensive directory to help you connect with a storytelling guild or club in your area.
International Storytelling Center — The International Storytelling Center (ISC) is located in Jonesburg, Tennessee and is truly a living museum celebrating the art, culture, and history of storytelling. On the website, you can find digitized collections, make plans to attend a live event or class – or get tickets to the world-famous National Storytelling Festival held there each year.
National Storytelling Network — Another group dedicated to keeping storytelling at the forefront of modern culture, NSN hosts conferences and events, publishes a storytelling magazine, and has resources to help you connect to storytelling groups in your area.
Timpanogos Storytelling Institute — TSI hosts the famed annual Timpanogos Storytelling Festival which attracts visitors from around the world. On the site, you’ll find plenty of fun tidbits for lovers of tale-telling including a frequently updated blog.
Directory of U.S. Storytelling Guilds — The National Storytelling Network put together this extensive link list of storytelling guilds and organizations throughout the United States.
Articles and Presentations About Storytelling
Want to learn more about the power and importance of storytelling? Maybe you already get it, but want some good material to share with others when they ask you what’s so special about storytelling. Check out the following resources. From a famous interview to top-quality videos of TED talks about the art and the value of storytelling and storytellers, you’ll find plenty of great stuff here.
Storytelling by TED Talks — If you want access to a great body of storytelling-related knowledge by some of the foremost experts in multiple fields, look through this gallery of TED Talks featuring talented orators teaching about storytelling through storytelling.
Storytelling Articles — On this page, you’ll find a healthy dose of excellent information about storytelling in different contexts. The articles are all at least a few years old, but they’re no less relevant than when they were written. Browse titles like “3 Things BP Executives Could Learn From an Irish Storyteller” and “Ode to Spammers.” It’s definitely worth a look.
Ira Glass on Storytelling — This YouTube video features Part One of Ira Glass’s segment on storytelling, originally aired on NPR. Glass speaks candidly about how to keep an audience engaged throughout a story, and gratified at its end.
Interview With Robin Williamson — In this archived interview from a 1997 issue of Storytelling Magazine, musician and storyteller Robin Williamson shares some of his insights about carrying on the ancient tradition of intertwining music and storytelling.
Storytelling in Action
If you’re in search of some great examples of storytelling techniques, check these sites out. Nothing is quite like seeing a storyteller live, but the next best thing is watching (free) videos of master storytellers at work. There’s also a place where you can interact with a busy community of fellow storytellers.
Tell-a-Tale — World-renowned English storyteller Richard Martin offers free videos of him telling several of his favorites. Martin is a master at his craft. His stories are not for children – or for the easily offended, but there’s a reason he remains booked for tours in multiples countries.
Malcolm Gladwell: Her Way — Author and staff writer at The New Yorker Malcolm Gladwell tells a tale that’s a little bit sad, and also a little bit hilarious as he shows off his storytelling skills. Gladwell’s understated style is endearing, and his comedic timing is excellent.
Mike DeStefano: Franny’s Last Ride — Watch comedian Mike DeStefano perform his now-famous story about love, life, and death. His authentic, unforced style is a model for other storytellers wondering how to tell the tragedies in a way that honors the emotional rawness while keeping it light at just the right spots.
StoryMash — This is an online community made up of readers and storytellers of all experience levels. This is the place to go if you have questions about how to be an effective storyteller, want to chat with others about techniques and ideas, or just want to take part in fun challenges and contests.
More Great Storytelling Sites
Look here for more organizations that are helping to keep storytelling alive and thriving in our modern world. A live storytelling theater that attracts speakers from around the world, a group dedicated to telling the stories of everyday people, and a place where kids and teens can watch performances by talented storytellers. There’s even a helpful advice piece on what you should think about when deciding how to tell a story out loud.
StoryCorps — This group exists to help tell the stories of America. In one of the largest oral history projects ever undertaken, the nonprofit group has recorded over 45,000 interviews with a diverse array of people – all of which are preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. On the site you can see and hear many of these stories, or record your own.
Converting Literary to Oral Stories — This short article is a great rundown on the fundamentals of turning a written story into a spoken one. To read words on a page is one thing, but to translate them into an oral tale that can enthrall and engage takes some skill – and some discretion.
StoryBee — This one’s for the younger set of storytellers and story lovers. Divided into age-group categories, the videos on this site feature some of the most entertaining storytellers in the country. StoryBee is volunteer-run and entirely free to use.
The Moth — This is the website for the legendary Moth theater in New York City. Started by master storyteller George Dawes Green, The Moth provides a venue for storytellers to perform live and hosts an annual Grand Slam storytelling contest. You can access videos and radio performances on the site, or check the schedule if you’re planning a visit.