I'm just back from a trip to Newcastle see the "A Bit Crack Storytelling Circle" there at the Cumberland Arms. What an enjoyable outing it was! It was an Open Mic session at the club; a chance for anybody to get up and strut their stuff!
I'd had a couple of stories in mind to tell; a Yorkshire ghost story that I'd already told before elsewhere, successfully. And a completely new story from Kenya about a lady potter, which I'd found in a charity shop book only the day before and learnt at top speed. I was a feeling a bit fragile about doing either of them because I'd shown them (the printed story versions) to an MC of a local folk club on Thursday evening and he'd been really critical of them (he told me to do a funny recitation instead!).
But Pascal, the storyteller MC for the evening, encouraged me to get up and give one of them a go. After hearing several stories I had become a lot more relaxed so I got up and did my one about the lady potter. It's a very short and simple story, and really sweet. It has a magical tree in it! My story went really, really well. The audience just loved it! I got a great round of applause, and lots of people came up to me afterwards to congratulate me on it and to reminisce over their favourite parts of it. Pascal was especially favourable. She told me that the one I'd told there previously, "Sarkless Kitty", still needs a lot of work doing to it, because it is a difficult story. But she said that this one was basically ready to go into my repertoire with very little more needed doing to it. She really liked it! She told me to look for other stories that were similar to it, for the moment. I don't mind criticism when it is from someone who is very experienced and who I respect - it helps me to learn.
After the evening was over I went back with Malcolm (another professional storyteller) and some of his friends to Malcolm's home. Malcom had agreed to put me up for the night. Neil, another friend, was also staying at Malcolm's overnight. We all chatted till the early hours of the morning. One of the friends is the Treasurer of Society for Storytellers. When I told him I was currently unemployed he didn't see that as any problem but as an opportunity for me to get into storytelling in schools! He is very active in that field. Malcolm gave us all tea and biscuits and some of his home-made raspberry wine (I passed on the wine), and it was very, very pleasant. We had a leisurely breakfast before I eventually made my way home again.
I am thrilled to bits about continued improvement of my storytelling. I'd learnt my latest story extremely fast indeed. Only one day and I was up and telling it in public!!!
/act Diane gets up and dances round the room. WHEEEE
Newcastle storytelling jaunt
Congratulations! What an enjoyable time you must have had! While you are dancing and spinning, I will sit here and wave my British Flag at you! Go Girl!
Thank you Doris!
This sounds like a major breakthrough Diane :) I'm so pleased you enjoyed yourself so much. Won't it be brilliant to earn your keep doing something you love so much?
Hope the lead into telling in schools comes quickly
Thank you Philomel.
I am feeling a bit down in the dumps today as I have had problems with an MC at a local folk club.
He said the story that I had told was too long. It was a singaround evening and the club had an extension - everybody got to perform! I had deliberately chosen my shortest story anyway. Stories are longer than songs.
Last week I took in a couple of stories that I was working on to show him. One I had told before, successfully. He looked at it and again said it was too long. I edit the stories! It's not the same length that it is on the printed page. Then he said it was too old and that I should do one that was more recent. The whole point of storytelling is that it is an extremely old artform. I showed him my other story and again he was critical. Will anyone be able to relate to it, he asked. I told him it was a take on Women's Lib. Well, you'll have to tell people that in your preamble, he said. He told me that people need to be able to relate to a story. Well, hey, I know that!
MC suggested I tell funny monologues instead, which is what he does. He showed me his book of what he does, and they were horrible! Very old hat and banal, pure doggerel. I have no respect for this man as a performer. He's a poor performer. He simply reads out his monologues from a file that he has laid on his lap. He makes no attempt to learn them. His diction is poor and he doesn't look at the audience enough. What he does isn't at all like what I do! I'm spending good money on going to workshops to learn, and going to see the top performers. Yes, I'm still a beginner, but it's only a few months, and the learning time to be a good storyteller is long. I'm working hard to improve. I'd have more respect for him if he was a better performer or at least trying to improve. This man obviously has no idea what oral storytelling is.
So, I may go tonight to the club but I won't tell my story. Again it's a singaround night and I could have been telling it. I've tried out the second one that I showed to him (up at Newcastle) and it works, and I've checked the length - no problem.
I'll tell the story there when I feel more comfortable in the club. I'm also a singer, so I may sing a song or two there and get accepted; then he'll be more willing to give me a chance.
This message was edited Jan 12, 2006 7:09 AM
Last night at the club I was still settling in. The MC asked me to perform but I still didn't feel too comfortable about it and was too tense and decided not perform that evening. However I talked to the MC in the interval and it seems that he thought that he was being helpful last week! He'd brought a short piece of a folk tradition along to help me. I'll tell my short Kenyan story next time. It can take a while to get to know people and feel comfortable with a new set of people.
This message was edited Jan 13, 2006 11:41 AM