Things You'll Need:
- An imagination
- A niche category of storytelling
- Writing skills
- A notepad full of ideas
- Acting classes
- Contacts, contacts, contacts
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Step 1
Read good stories. The first step to creating good stories that will attract listeners is knowing how to recognize good writing. Track down authors and short stories and authors that have won awards, and learn from the pros.
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Step 2
Keep a notepad on hand at all times. By writing down your life experiences, stories shared with you by friends or even fun phrases you read in a magazine, you’ll have material for when it’s time to come up with new ideas.
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Step 3
Try your hand at writing. If gigs are coming slower than you’d like, practice putting your stories on paper and see if you can get them published. For a list of outlets, check out “The Writer’s Market,” a book for freelance journalists and authors.
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Step 4
Define your niche. What are your passions, and about what are you most knowledgeable? Storytelling can involve props, music and a variety of themes. Some tellers specialize in historic folktales while others focus on tales about family, about animals or about the sea. Hone in on one specific category to make yourself more memorable.
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Step 5
Decide what you want to communicate in each story. What is the purpose of your work? Are you trying to teach listeners to another culture or help them understand positive family dynamics? Are you trying to communicate something simple to children or something more complex – about politics, the environment, religion, etc. But keep it simple. Don’t get on your soapbox about controversial topics or you will quickly lose your audience.
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Step 6
Don’t be too serious. If you want a following of fans–and if you want to make money–be lively. Work on livening up your facial expressions and learn how to incorporate humor into your work. It may not come as easy as you think, so consider taking a few acting classes.
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Step 7
Be wary of copyright laws. If you include in your presentation a description or a story you heard elsewhere, give the right person credit – or at least make it clear that part of the work is not your own.
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Step 8
If you’re offered a gig, take it. In the beginning, do not overly concern yourself with where and when you should work. Seek out venues other than professional storytelling festivals and events, where seasoned storytellers usually take center stage–churches, birthday parties, a local festival, a coffeehouse, a school or a children’s museum. Once you make connections with the people who bring in presenters like yourself, stay in touch, send them tapes of your work and ask them for other people they may know in need of a storyteller.
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Step 9
Ask for a contract. It can be formal or simple, but get in writing the date, location, time and duration of the event you need to be at, the type of stories the client would like, the promised compensation and the type of audience to expect.
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Step 10
If you’re traveling for a gig, try to book other events while you’re in town. You’re likely to get more publicity if you are putting on multiple events.
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Step 11
Join a network of other writers, speakers and storytellers. Search online for groups of creative men and women who set out to specifically encourage each other, critique each other and network on a regular basis. You will learn from each other, refer work to each other and make friends along the way.
Comments
emilywhitby1 said
on 6/13/2009 Thanks for a helpful article on becoming a professional storyteller. My husband and I have been telling stories together for ten years and would someday like to turn professional! 5*