Become an incredible storyteller

"The tale is hard to believe; But as long as there are children, mothers and mother-grandparents in the world, the memory will live on."

Once upon a time

Michel de Certeau and Luce Giard (1983) assert that "the oral has a foundational role in our relationship to others and to culture ", and that this oral tradition has been with us since the dawn of time. Tales and myths are so closely related that it's sometimes hard to tell the difference.

The storyteller's skill lies in addressing an audience with a story, without knowing it by heart, and letting his or her emotions and instincts of the moment add a detail or nuance capable of creating a shift sufficient to take us into a terrifying, magical or fairy-tale universe, unless the absurd takes hold of the tale.

The storyteller is a creator, and the spoken word frees us from the weight of written knowledge that is sometimes too heavy to bear. The storyteller is an oral writer (Coulet 1994), and makes people want to read. For Amadou Hampâté Ba, the storyteller is a living book, and when an old storyteller dies, a library disappears. So if the art of the storyteller is to invent his words in public. Here are a few ways of doing it...

Staging the spoken word

Here are 12 practices that will transform storytelling into an emotionally-charged experience.

1. Circle and whispered tales behind participants' backs
   Participants sit in a circle with their eyes closed. The storyteller circles the circle and begins to tell a story in a low voice, moving behind everyone's back and modulating his voice as he tells the story. Participants have to listen attentively, and are invited to let themselves be lulled by the changes in sound and emission points, which vary according to the story's twists and turns.
   
   
2. Paper cone and whispered tales in the hollow of the ear
   Participants stand in a circle. Each has a paper cone, which they place over their ear. The storyteller begins to tell a story in a low voice. Participants listen attentively and repeat the story to their neighbor using the paper cone.
   
   
3. Human bookshop Choosing your storyteller from a seated row
   Storytellers are seated in rows. Participants can choose their favorite storyteller and listen to a story together.
   
   
4. Eyes-closed storytelling, holding hands
   Participants stand in a circle, eyes closed, holding hands. The storyteller begins to tell a story, sometimes pausing and leaving a gap in the story before resuming. Participants have to listen carefully and imagine the missing parts of the story.
   
   
5. Storytelling in a circle, face to the floor, face to the center
   Participants stand in a circle, lying on their stomachs, face to the center. The storyteller begins to tell a story. Participants in this unusual position must listen attentively and imagine the story.
   
   
6. Back-to-back storytelling
   Participants stand back to back. The storyteller begins to tell a story. Participants listen attentively and imagine the story. They have the support of their partner's body to enhance the sensations of the tale.
   
   
7. Storytelling in bird language
   The storyteller tells a story using sounds, a mash-up of inaudible words. He plays only with mimicry, volume, silence and prosody. Participants have to listen carefully and imagine the story based on this non-verbal communication.
   
   
8. Tightly-knit storytelling
   Participants stand in a circle. The storyteller begins to tell a story. With each turn, and each significant event in the story, participants move closer together, until their bodies touch and the outcome of the tale is revealed.
   
   
9. Storytelling with slide show
   The storyteller uses a slide show to accompany his story and create a sense of immersion. The photos follow each other very quickly, preventing the text from being synchronized with the image and creating a hypnotic effect, as the brain cannot see and hear at the same time.
   
   
10. Storytelling in costume
    The storyteller tells a story wearing a costume to set the scene. This costume can be accompanied by another diegesis [the space-time in which the story proposed by the fiction of a tale unfolds] to reinforce the impression of being transported elsewhere.
    
    
11. Itinerant storytelling with a donkey or live animal
    The storyteller tells a story while traveling with a donkey. The presence of animal power reinforces the aura of the words, giving them extra vitality, as at any moment the donkey can move unexpectedly and bring new meaning to the story. Storytelling in the open air also summons the power of the place.
    
    
12. Storytelling to the sound of the drum, lying on the ground on a mat
    Participants listen to the story interspersed with the melody of a drum, as if in a trance.
    

Storytelling techniques

These 12 storytelling practices are combined with techniques such as :

• The use of props
  Props can help bring a story to life. For example, you can use puppets, costumes, hats, masks, musical instruments and more.
  
  
• Creating memorable characters
  Characters are a key element of a captivating story. Try to create memorable, endearing characters who will elicit the audience's empathy.
  
  
• Use sound effects
  Sound effects can help set the mood and bring a story to life. For example, you can use nature sounds, city sounds, machine sounds and so on.
  
  
• Using dramatic pauses
  Dramatic pauses can help build suspense and keep the audience's attention. Try pauses at key moments in the story to build anticipation.
  
  
• Using mental images
  Mental images can help make a story more vivid and memorable. Try describing scenes in detail to help the audience visualize the story.
  
  
• Using non-linear storytelling techniques
  Non-linear storytelling techniques can help maintain audience attention by creating anticipation and confusion. Try telling the story in non-chronological order or using flashbacks.

By combining staging and technique, the story, narrative, testimonial or tale will take on a whole new dimension. If you're a teacher or trainer, you can also turn your lessons into an unforgettable experience; what's important is to create an atmosphere (Gruny 1989).

Illustration: nicoletaionescu - DepositPhotos

Sources :

La grande oreille http://conter.lagrandeoreille.com/

Le point du fle https://www.lepointdufle.net/penseigner/contes-fiches-pedagogiques.htm

Marguerite GRUNY, "ABC de l'apprenti conteur : une expérience d'heure du conte auprès d'enfants de 7 à 13 ans : quelques conseils et informations : quelques contes", Bulletin des bibliothèques de France (BBF), 1989, n° 5, p. 472-474.

Online: https: //bbf.enssib.fr/consulter/bbf-1989-05-0472-003 ISSN 1292-8399.

Coulet, M., (1994) L'expérience du conte. BBF t39 n°6 1994

De Certeau, M., and Giard, L. (1983). L'ordinaire de la communication. Dalloz.
https://www.persee.fr/doc/reso_0751-7971_1983_num_1_3_1092