Storytelling for All

So, I noticed something today.
Confidence is inspiring! Try showing someone you believe they can do something new and watch as they rise to your expectations!
Today I tried this with a child and watched a brand new skill develop. He realized he could tell stories.

I love to tell stories, and I always have. But what I'm training myself to do is make up stories on the spot. I was inspired by a very good friend of mine who always had a story ready for any imaginative child.

So this little boy loves to hear my stories, but now I'm teaching him that it's something he can do for himself. We've started slowly, with him filling in the blanks in my story, and then changing it in his own way. We'll build his skills from there. Right now he's having so much fun that I'm sure this is going to be amazing!

You can tell stories children will love! 
I'll share with you some of what I've learned.

The FIRST thing to remember is that all children love stories, it's just a matter of what kind of stories they like. Some children like to hear swashbuckling tales of adventure, and others would rather hear stories about what they did that day. Some children like stories of fantasy and fairies, and others just want everything to be the same as the world around them.
Once you've figured that out, you can let the audience pick the subject. Let them give you one word, just one, that they would like to have in the story. This is a great way to find out what's on a child's mind, especially if they're not very talkative normally.

The SECOND thing is that children are pretty easy to please with stories. It doesn't have to be able to win prizes for the most original plot, or for its characterizations. Model the stories on things you've heard, read, watched or loved. They won't recognize the plot of "Goldilocks and the 3 Bears" behind the facade of changed names and places. Just tell them the story of the time a fierce dragon tried to eat their favorite cereal. Put them in the story, make it about them! This is a time to let them do the things they dream of. If they want to be an astronaut, tell them the story of Astronaut _____ and their trip to Pluto.

The THIRD thing is to keep it simple.
1.) You are telling it out loud, don't add too many characters for them to keep up with in their heads.
     One protagonist is best, maybe one or two friends for the background.
2.) They are following you with their imaginations, don't add too many twists to the plot or you'll lose them.
     One hard decision, hurdle, or battle per story, save some obstacles for the next story.
3.) They want a conclusion they can remember, so make it final.
     If the bad guy is really bad, punish him! If he's not so tough, redeem him! If the character's decision isn't clear, add a defining point.

The FINAL and most important part is to HAVE FUN! The child you are telling the story to can read your emotions pretty easily, so don't worry about getting the story right and just have fun with it. If you are having fun, they will too!


“Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” 
― G.K. Chesterton