Struggling for Words - 16th June 2024
It’s been an odd week. I’m away from home looking after my daughter’s dogs and also been to a funeral, so other things on my mind than the newsletter, hence a bit late. A week late, in fact.
When staying in a new place, it’s always interesting to check out what’s on offer in terms of entertainment, and last night I fell on a real gem. Lichfield, where I am this week), is a small city in the English Midlands and has a vibrant cultural life, including hosting an annual literature festival in March.
When popping in to the local Co-op shop I spotted a leaflet advertising a Lichfield Storytellers event so went along in evening to the pub where it was taking place. I have to admit my heart sank when I saw I was one of an audience of seven, and three of those were the storytellers. However, this soon dissipated when I was greeted warmly by one of the organisers, introduced to the rest of the attendees, and asked to sit near the front “everyone hides away at the back”.
The stories were good and well told, and I have to say I was gripped from end to end. It left me wondering what it is about stories that we love so much. I see the same thing in author readings, and in my writers’ group where we share our work. People listening, hanging on to every sentence with a yearning to hear what will happen next.
Two things occurred to me.
Firstly, it’s the story itself. Are we quickly invested in the characters? Is there a ‘mystery’ at its heart, not necessarily a crime type of mystery but, for example, will the starstruck lovers get together, will the evil Empire be defeated, etc. Is it believable? Interestingly, at least two of the tales were Irish myths with fairy folk and inhabitants of the other world, but it didn’t matter. The world they inhabited, as described by the storyteller, was as real as any.
Secondly, it’s the telling of it. Do the words flow, do they leave the page (or the lips in this case) and fly round our head? Is there light and dark in the language? Are the images clear?
It seems to me that we, as writers, need to strive to provide the performance that a live storyteller can.
All in all, my evening was excellent. So, if you get the chance go along to a storytelling event near you. Remember, stories are not just for children’s bedtime.
The latest episode of A Handkerchief for Maria is posted. In Chapter 19, Maria takes the children on a visit to the hospital and remembers her time in Liverpool, where she got a new job, found a friend, and more that she hadn’t planned.
To read Chapter 19, and all the ones before it, follow the link below.