stories of adapting

Adapting to our audiences:
The audience has a very important role in storytelling - for their minds are the canvas on which the teller paints his tale. Oral storytelling involves much interaction between teller and hearer. I have observed that our audiences have lost some of the skills to follow a narrated story and see things in their minds. Storytelling has become more difficult. Attention spans are shorter and more demanding, more sophisticated, yet less able to independently imagine or visualize. People seem to need more visual stimulation.



Take the story as close to them as you can.
Keep it brief and simple- especially for younger children - pare down to the heart of the story.
Stimulate their senses so they feel, smell, touch and listen and see vivid pictures.
Describe the characters and settings, and help them sympathize with the character's feelings.
Aim your story at the younger ones when telling to a audience of mixed ages!