Stories have long been used to pass down history, combat boredom and teach important lessons. Kids can easily become enchanted with the characters and plot of a well-told story. Learning tell a good story can help you reinforce lessons and encourage active listening skills. When storytellers tap into their creativity, stories achieve new life with each retelling. Engaging in the art of storytelling can be a pleasant escape for both you and your audience.
Instructions
1. Use vivid language throughout the story. Infuse imaginative words and eliminate "everyday" vocabulary to avoid telling boring stories. This leaves the audience clinging to your every word as they wonder what you'll say next. Invent new words as a creative way to keep your audience guessing and to set your story apart from others.
2. Maintain eye contact with your audience. This demonstrates your confidence and encourages audience members to pay attention. It also helps you gauge how well your story is being received and gives you the opportunity to make quick adjustments. Scan the room as you relay the exciting details of your story to ensure maximum enjoyment.
3. Make exaggerated movements and gestures. Perform the actions of the characters as you speak to illustrate your story. This keeps the audience entertained and helps them make connections with the plot and characters. It's better to appear overly animated than to appear unenthusiastic.
4. Speak in the voice of the characters. Breathe energy into your stories by giving each character interesting voices and mannerisms. Match the traits of the character to his role in the story. For instance, witches should have cackling voices and squinted eyes while princesses should have sweet voices with doe eyes. Use your body language to drive home the attitudes of each character.
5. Allow your audience time to react to the story. Pause for dramatic effect to build listener interest and ensure your story is actually heard. Avoid rushing through scenes to meet time limits. Good stories are told effortlessly as if the event is currently happening. Commit your stories to memory and practice them regularly, which can make it easier to recover from unexpected audience reactions.
