How to tell a story

"Listeners will often forget the words you speak or the reasons you give during a presentation, but they will not be likely to forget a well crafted story that you tell," said Gertrude Schliff Johnson, founder of the Faith and Values Story Circle.

Mrs. Johnson, a religion teacher at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady for 30 years, found that using storytelling in the classroom transformed her teaching.

"I will never return to that time when my teaching focused mainly on principles, words and reason," she said. "I cannot now imagine my classroom without the humanizing touch of stories."

Something for everyone

"It's not hard to become a storyteller," said Sister Ellen Secci, CSJ, a storyteller and director of the Holy Ground Story Studio. "As many people as possible can do this."

Mrs. Johnson agreed, saying, "None of us lacks experience in storytelling. We each have an innate ability, which we use on a daily basis, to share stories of personal importance. Our most meaningful communication with others often takes the shape of stories."

Choosing a story

In selecting a story, Mrs. Johnson said it is important to think about the audience. "Know your audience," she said. "You don't want [a story] that's too complex."

Mrs. Johnson has also found that stories used in presentations should be brief. She suggests three to five minutes as a target length.

Preparation

If the story is written, Sister Ellen suggests reading it over and over again out loud and thinking about it. "Daydream the story," she said. "Continue to visualize the story when doing ordinary life tasks."

Learning the sequence of the story, rather than focusing on memorizing the precise words, is also key. If it is memorized and the teller forgets a word, they may become stuck, Sister Ellen said. But if the plot is memorized, a teller can continue to tell it using other words.

Testing, testing

Mrs. Johnson advises, "Use your normal voice. One does not have to be an actor to tell a story well, and different characters do not need to be given different voices."

Both women said the story should be told into a tape recorder. This help the teller to hear how the story sounds; additionally, by listening to the tape repeatedly, the teller can continue to learn the story.

The story should also be told to test audiences. "Tell it to as many people as will listen," Mrs. Johnson said. "Ask for their responses and suggestions as to how to make it more effective."

No-no's

Storytellers should never interpret the story for listeners. Said Sister Ellen, "The moral teaching is in the story. The answer resides in the listener. Don't tell what it means."

Mrs. Johnson agreed, saying, "Refrain from interpreting the story by summarizing it in words or reason. One of the worst ways to kill a story is to say, `Now, what this story really means is....' Allow your listeners to draw their own conclusions."

Old tales

"Don't leave it to the last minute to find, choose and learn a story. Good storytelling involves thoughtful consideration and preparation," Mrs. Johnson said. "Don't just tack your story on as if the ideas were the main point and the story were just a simple illustration. Accord the story an important place, one that gives full weight to its inherent value."

(For more information on the Faith and Values Story Circle, contact Gertrude Johnson at 374-0637 or at [email protected]. To reach the Holy Ground Story Studio or Sister Ellen Secci, call 449-9024 or [email protected]. Marnie Gillard and the Story Studio can be reached at 381-9474 or at [email protected].)

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