Gemma Hannah's Online Storytelling Challenge

Storyteller Gemma Hannah of London has put out a call for storytellers: storytellers who are willing to collaborate-- via video-- on a multi-teller version of Anansi and the Box of Stories. Watch her version (see below), then post a video of your telling (on Vimeo). Once she has a variety of versions, she'll produce an edited version featuring storytellers from around the world.

More details at storyweb.co.

Can't quite picture how this will work? Check out John Liu's film "The Art of Storytelling": link

Storyteller Jay O'Callahan on Imagination, Listening, and Appreciation

The 99% has posted a talk by storyteller Jay O'Callahan, in which he shares some of his process for developing stories. Included is an excerpt from "Forged in the Stars," a story commissioned by NASA on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.



The audience for this talk aren't storytellers, so O'Callahan's simplifies his process greatly (you would too, if you only had 20 minutes to explain what you do), but notice how the story he tells to illustrate his point is a story about storytelling. In his telling, he's not telling the story of the moon landing, he's telling the story of Neil Armstrong telling the story of the moon landing.

In Conversation with Ellouise Schoettler

I can't quite remember the timeline of how I met Ellouise Schoettler. I'm sure it was via email first (perhaps on STORYTELL). She introduced herself in person at the Bay Area Storytelling Festival. I ran into her again in Fresno, California, at the Rogue Festival. And then I found her blog, and her online videos. I've learned a lot from Ellouise: we worked together in a MasterMind group, and this year, we each had shows at the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington DC (where I finally got to hear her tell in person... and she had one of the most focused, robust social media strategies for promoting her show of any of the 130+ artists in the Festival). While I was there, she asked me to come be interviewed on her cable television show, "Stories in Focus," and I was delighted to talk with her on camera about my work as a storyteller and storytelling blogger.



Considering we didn't plan our conversation at all, I thought we managed to sound reasonably coherent. Ellouise wanted to keep the conversation lively, so all I knew going in was that I could tell a story (about 10-12 minutes long) and that I should think of a tip to share at the end of the show.

Shout Out: Storyteller Mark Goldman's Advice from the Experts

Storyteller Mark Goldman may be relatively new to the storytelling community, but one thing he's been doing recently is asking professional storytellers for advice to share with everyone. Thanks to Mark's iPod (with a built-in video camera) and YouTube, you can see the results in one-minute video bites. And Mark's recent trip to the National Storytelling Network's 2010 Conference means he's got a bumper crop of new videos.

Check out Mark's "Experts" page: http://www.storytellermark.com/Experts.asp

Shout Out: the 2010 National Storytelling Conference

I'll have more to say about the four days I spent in Los Angeles at the 2010 National Storytelling Conference, but I wanted to publicly thank all the Conference organizers, from those who found the hotel venue to those who read proposals to those who auditioned performers.
I especially want to thank NSN staffers Karin Hensley and Kit Rogers who do a million things behind the registration desk and behind the scenes cheerfully and efficiently, --and a special shout out for the sound crew (Steven Henegar, you're my hero).

Thanks to Mike Speller, Lisa Rowland, and Nancy Donoval for being willing to jump into Ruth Halpern's and my late night fringe show and improvise without knowing what would happen.

Thanks to all those who were willing to stay up late discussing storytelling... thanks Dixie, Eric, Jeff, Nancy, Joel. (I hope I've thoroughly convinced you that personal memoir is an OVERRATED AND OVEREXPOSED PERFORMANCE GENRE AND WE'RE SO OVER IT)

So many workshops, performances... it was impossible to fit them all in, so if we only had time for a hug, a hello, a "how's the conference going for you," a brief hallway chat: I just want to say how glad I am to have made the connection, no matter how brief, if only to prove that you're not just an imaginary "friend" I connect with via a 75 x 75 pixel photo on my computer screen.

It was great fun to meet new folks, meet online friends in person, and catch up with old pals.

Hey, if anything I said or did during the preconference / fringe / showcase / panel / back of the room discussion / late night at the pool bar / early mornings by Starbucks / passing in the hallway raised a question for you... let me know. Email me. I'm delighted to continue the conversation.

Photo credit: Dianne de las Casas