Getting better at oral storytelling?

[jackrabbitunderneath]

I've been told I'm a pretty fantastic storyteller over text. I write a lot. (I need to move some of my stories over to StP). But if you get me in front of a campfire, I can get kinda stuttery. It's like I've never told a story in my life. It's a different candance, I try to draw the scenery with my arms and hands. I can't seem to capture the setting the same as if I were just using words. My dad's a good storyteller, I know I have it in me. Is it just something that comes with practice?

When you're writing, you can type it all out in one go. Then you revisit and revise, you can cut out certain parts. But when I'm storytelling with my mouth, I can't do that as well. It all just flows out in a stream of words. It's frustrating. I guess I could try typing things out and memorizing them, reciting them...

What do you guys do when you're telling stories around a fire? Do you prep it in your head before you say it? I'd love any tricks and tips.

Thanks

 

[lucifer]

The trick is practice in my experience. You get better at the flow the more you do it. Maybe something like mindfulness practice could help the creativity flow easier? It's something similar with freestyle rap and such too to my understanding. You have these stories in your head, just FEEL the story and be there in your head, describe more to your audience.

 

[Jimmy Beans]

I can relate to this. I feel like I'm a lot better at telling stories in text for many of the same reasons you mentioned. You have the freedom to take all the time you need. You can go back, reread it and juxtapose your words to better reflect the picture you're trying to paint. Sometimes I also remember details when I go back and reread my stories and I'm like oh yeah duh, can't leave this part out. Oral storytelling I often forget some of those details and then you have to rewind and say something like "oh wait lemme back up, this other thing was an important part of the story" and then it just gets muddy and your story isn't as linear as you'd be able to write it in text.

I don't really know that I can offer any advice on how to get better at oral storytelling other than maybe just slow it all down a bit. I can't speak for everyone but for me personally, I'm kind of fascinated watching people sit in complete silence for even like 20 seconds or so here and there as they're thinking of the words they want to use before they just go blurting out whatever. If you're telling a good story and I'm captivated, I'm absolutely willing to sit through those silent moments while you contemplate what you're going to say next. I love watching the gears turn.

There's also a couple props you could use to make those silent times less awkward while you're formulating your next sentences. Tell your story with a drink in your hand. Nobody gets mad at someone telling a story that pauses every now and then to take a drink of their beer, water, etc. Or if you smoke, make sure to light one up before starting your story. This will give you several acceptable pause breaks to take a drag and in that time you can take a moment for yourself to make sure you're not missing any key aspects to the story.

I think just understanding that you don't need to rush your story, and knowing that the audience isn't going to up and leave if you pause for a moment could help. If you've ever tried to learn something on guitar, it's kind of the same. You don't focus on the tempo at first. You focus on the technique and form. Once you've gotten the technique and form perfected, you slowly begin increasing your tempo until you can play it at the right tempo while also maintaining perfect technique.

 

[sevedemanos]

I've been told I'm a pretty fantastic storyteller over text. I write a lot. (I need to move some of my stories over to StP). But if you get me in front of a campfire, I can get kinda stuttery. It's like I've never told a story in my life.

relatable.

in general people have never listened to me much so have been in the habit of staying quiet / opaque in social situations for most my life.

but what you wrote here reminded me of that time i was courtordered to a few alcoholics anonymous meetings.. came time for me to talk about myself — not books, trains, work, music etc.. and i found i had no idea what to say. def a muscle im not accustomed to using. very different from the usual sort of conversations one has everywhere else. very strange.

have always found relating / conveying experiences are similarly difficult. and its also rare that you find yourself talking to people that can appreciate the humorous parts.

but practice makes perfect, as they say

 

[laughingman]

Hey there jack. Oral storytelling is defiantly something you can improve upon with practice and repetition. I'm not much of a writer. But I like to think I'm good at telling stories verbally. Your desire to draw the world your trying to talk about with your hands is a very normal and human thing to do. I do it and a lot of public speakers do it for beater or worse. As for the speaking part of your story there is a lot more emphasis on rhythm and timing then there is on context and clarity. listening to speeches and comedians and then reading there words will sort of show you this. A good speaker can indicate a punch line or suspense with there tone and intimation. Or can underline the gravitas of a phrase with there timing. A good story is as much in the telling as it is in the content. A skilled comedian can get an audience to laugh reading a grocery list. My advice is listen to a few good speakers and imitate them. Listen to a few sentences or a joke. Then repeat it back to yourself over and over out-loud. Then listen to them again. Then try again. You will pick up the subtle differences and develop your own voice and style, (i tend to use a lot of simile and hyperbole). practice telling your own stories about things you feel passionate about. Then retelling stories that you hear from others. Then translating written stories into verbal ones.
Or you can play DnD with some very role play heavy theater majors if you have that available to you. That also helps.

 

[daveycrockett]

I have so many stories. Alot and most I haven't put on here. Sit me next to a fire with a beer close your eyes, point to a random place on the map and I'll tell you about places people and shit you wouldn't believe existed. If you're having trouble telling stories maybe it's the crowd and not you.
One time...lol...I was around a bunch of stupid assholes.
No disrespect to anyone on this site at all just met some people out there Im not around anymore for a reason.

 

[FromNowhere]

Most in-person communcation is non-verbal. Work on being more comfortable and present in your body. The words you speak will then flow as naturally as your writing. Seemingly without effort.

 

[pcflvly]

I reckon I'm a storyteller and have the reverse issue. Extemporaneously, I can immerse an audience. The stories roll off my tongue and I find myself reliving the magic. I've published three books so far about what happened and so much of what happened was what I said. Unfortunately, the dialog doesn't translate to text. I didn't have a script. So, in the books I only know how profound it all was by the reactions which I did record. The books are good but would be excellent if I'd made some recordings of what I said.

 

[pcflvly]

For example, this story is read and not told. There are innumerable nuances which I might have included if I was telling the story versus reading it. This is from my book "Full of the Blood of the Land"

 

[pcflvly]

Some of you know the characters in this story, "A Great Night of Bad Music"