This is my first blog, a bit surprising since I write stories and poetry.
Interestingly, as a storyteller, I don’t feel nervous standing in front of people. However, sharing my story here has me a little on edge.
My desire to tell stories probably derives from my grandmother. Oh, the tales she spun. Drove my aunt nuts. “That never happened that way,” she’d declare. Grandmother came to storytelling naturally. Her stories never failed to entertain the family and her
friends.
My storytelling goal is similar, though a little broader. My goal is to provide joyful entertainment and distraction, and sometimes education. My audience shall include the elderly, whether in a retirement center or senior assisted living. My hope is that the
South Mountain Community College’s storytelling courses give me validation and different skillsets for telling the stories.
Learning about the different cultural genres and storytelling styles expands my growing repertoire. I take staying within my cultural
wheelhouse and not telling lies to earn and keep my audiences’ trust infinitely valuable.
Observing the storytelling by Liz and the other students, then hearing their feedback, expands my understanding on both what makes a good story and what makes a good storyteller.
I look forward to learning more about the storytelling processes.
(the image at the top post is from Julian Stodd’s Learning Blog.)
D’Anne Pientka is a retired business systems analyst who writes short stories, flash, memoirs, and poems. She shares her observations, often laced with humor and sarcasm. Some of her poems and short stories have been published in anthologies. When D’Anne’s not writing, she’s playing duplicate bridge.
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