From: Dr Eric Miller

Date: July 2020

 

 

         The "Candid" Storytelling Style

 

Dear Storytellers,

 

Even if you would be telling a children's

story -- with song, and enacting characters

with special styles of speaking and moving --

I suggest you might at times seek to tell

in the "candid" storytelling style. This style

is described below.

 

You might find it useful and enjoyable

to slip "into" and "out of" the "candid"

storytelling style -- no matter the story,

no matter the type of audience members.

 

Listeners may experience this style as

refreshing and surprising, and thus,

as disarming and intriguing.

 

***

 

To tell in the "candid" storytelling style,

 

Seek to speak --

 

Candidly, frankly, honestly, and warmly.

Conversationally.

Effortlessly.

Directly and simply.

Earnestly.

Matter-of-factly.

In a relaxed and straight-forward manner.

In a "down to earth" way.

"Cutting through the red tape."

Providing "a breath of fresh air."

With an easy and natural self-confidence

With emotional fluency (fluency means, flow).

     A confluence is the meeting of 2 or more rivers.

With abandon.

Sometimes getting "carried way" with

     the drama and emotions of a story, 

     when one "really gets into it."

Intimately, as if one were talking with a

     close friend.

Seek to be real.

 

***

 

Seek to avoid --

 

"Announcing" and "declaring" each sentence.

"Putting on a show."

Speaking "down to" one's listeners --

     even if they are children.

Speaking self-consciously.

Speaking in stilted, halting, cautious,

     or guarded ways.

Over-acting.

Being pretentious or artificial.

 

***

 

A key point is to avoid insisting (from

outside the story) that there is drama

and emotion in what one is telling.

 

Rather, one can let the drama and

emotions of a story "sneak up" on one,

"grow" on one, and thus illuminate one's

performance from within the story.

 

Sometimes it is best to start calmly,

matter-of-factly.  If one is excited and

"worked-up" from the beginning, one

can't raise the levels of these emotions

very much in the course of telling the

story.

 

***

 

To be able to tell candidly, it helps

to be very familiar with the story one

would be telling.

 

One would not memorise words.

However, one would plan how one

would be telling the story, and one

would practice telling it.

 

***

 

Here are 2 examples of Dr Eric telling

in the "candid" storytelling style --

 

1) "President Donald Trump and

Dr Eric Miller have a conversation"

(an original story composed by

Dr Eric).

 

2) Tamil Nadu's leading epic, "Silappathikaram"

("Epic of the Anklet") (audio only)

 

Just for general info: an article Dr Eric has

written about the "Epic of the Anklet" is here.