Chad_5_Q

Simmons states in Chapter 5: “Think of a story as a mnemonic device for complex concepts.”

Some pre-literate cultures used stories for that purpose, I understand.

In these cultures, mnemonic stories were chanted, rhythmic and exact. One such story was used by shipbuilders not only to help them remember each step of the process, but also to be spoken in time with their hammer-strikes, like a chain gang.

Consider the last list of 12 you memorized. Did it come from a sheet of paper? From a classroom lecture? I’ll bet if you really thought about it you could come up with only one. It ends like this: “ … three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.”

Taking for granted that couching knowledge in a story helps us remember, think about whether the addition of song and rhythm further aids the remembering process. What do you make of it?

Chad_5_I

Main idea: "In our technological economy, human attention is the emerging scarce resource."

As she does, Simmons uses a broad argument to entice her readers' minds into other lines of thought. Embedded in the above argument is that no matter how much we minimize the "virtual" in virtual reality, it will always play second to actual human contact, that precise sensory combination unmatchable by engineered reality.

It's the reason I have visited Second Life exactly once, thought "Cool," and never returned.

Simmons goes on to state: "In today's world almost anyone you want to influence is operating under a deficit of human attention."

Forgive me for getting a little close to the fire here, but I have in recent years found it rather difficult to engage anyone in hard, held eye contact, and to get it back in kind. As an experiment this week we should try to add hard eye contact to a conversation, even a brief one in hall, say, and report the results in class.

E-mail from Jane Ellery

Hey guys, here is the e-mail I got back from Jane Ellery about our "Health Messages." Think about these this week and I assume we're going to talk about them in class on Tuesday.


Let me take a stab at this, and I have copied Curt Sutterfield, Cathy Whaley, and Gina Edghill who are all involved with the schools in different ways.

You asked for 7 health messages, but I am first going to refocus that a bit to programming areas to see if you think that works with your current thoughts/planning. Some areas I would propose:

Advisory Councils
After School Programs
Staff Wellness
Family/Community Events
School Culture
Resources and Facilities for Change
Key Partnerships
Walking Clubs and Walking Trails
Developing and Implementing Wellness Policies and Plans

If this doesn’t work with your plans, some actual messages that I can think of (and please use your creativity to improve these titles!):

Walking your way to wellness
Eating to fuel our bodies and minds
Great students working in a great community (community engagement)
Make One Change to improve your health
Climbing for fitness
Fun for the whole family
Friendships… I get by with a little help from my friends
Character Counts

I know of that are going on in the schools that should be able to fuel stories in most of these areas. Cathy, Gina and Curt may be able to provide additional insight!

I hope this helps!

Tonya_4_I

This chapter reminds me a lot of my method classes for acting while I was living the good life as starving artist in LA. What especially struck me as simular was the author's example on how to use gestures. The exercise that he uses is what actors refer to as " sensed memory" Actors refer to this technique when facing MOS or silent auditions. In short we are taught that if you can see your audience can see it too. And guess what...it really works.

Vince_Ch2_I

I have to say that a few of these did give me a better take on how to do this correctly. I think I have put too many pauses in some stories that I have told and will have to fix that for future tellings. Though, one thing I didn't like about this chapter is that they poke fun at Garrison Keillor. I love all of the storytelling on Prairie Home Companion. It's one of the few radio shows I still listen to.

Brian_4_Q

I think it all comes down to tone for me. I think, at least a lot of the time, I attempt to influence with tone alone yet I'm not very good at it. I know a lot of people think I'm cocky but often times I'm trying to inspire rivalry or competition because I work best in a competitive atmosphere. Other times my tone is influenced less by the situation at hand but rather something happening in the background.

When I'm pissed at my cat for using his razor blade set to rip open his food bag and pouring it all over the room...I often carry that emotion into other situations. Yesterday is a prime example; that little shit spread the food all over the extra bedroom because I wouldn't give him his second 'snack' of the day knowing his full meal was only 4-5 hours away. I woke up, saw the mess, and it set my mood for the rest of the day. My tone responded by being short and authoritarian...exactly the mood I didn't want to portray but my subconscious held onto it so tightly that I couldn't get away. Perhaps if I used the example that Simmons does in saying to my cat in a sweet, high, sing-songish voice, "oh Aristotle, you fat little bastard..." and letting the emotions around cool to the same tone. He probably would have liked it more than me yelling and chasing him and it would have kept me out of my fight/flight mindset. (I almost need to sleep after an F/F situation because it drives my mood the rest of the day...)

So my question, what's the best way to adjust my mood to make my tone sound genuine? Or should I really care?...because a lot of the time I dont.

Brandon_4_Q

Chapter four tells us a lot about the type of language that we use, the gestures we use, facial expressions, body language, timing, tone and how to make convince listeners to hear our story.

However, the chapter does not touch on the form/process of a story. Are there not typical processes to a story that occur that good stories seem to follow? For example, on a basic level, should the “punch line” of the story come at the end of the story or at the beginning?

Let’s look at the stories of comedians. The “punch line” usually comes at the end, right? The part that makes people laugh is at the end of the story. Everything before the “punch line” is what convinces the people to listen to the story.

Is there a process that a story must follow for it to be engaging? Or can all elements of a story simply be in the message in an effort to get the same idea across?

John B_Chapter 4_I

Did anyone else feel like after reading this chapter, that they were 10 years old again learning the fundamentals of story telling? I can understand the importance of this chapter, but I feel like this should've been the first chapter. Up until now, I have been enjoying the read. Annette, in my opinion, really "dumbed" it down. Humans are naturally expressive, and I think a lot of what Simmons talks about in this chapter are learned throughout the early stages in life.

Erik_4_I

Simmons talks about the importance of the gestures and other non-verbals in this chapter. I totally agree that this is important in storytelling. I think that this is even becoming important in digital storytelling... whereas in the past, digital stories might just be words on a screen, digital stories are now including an increasing amount of multimedia. With this content comes video elements where we actually see moving images of people. Therefore, just like in 'real life,' non-verbals are becoming increasingly important in the virtual world... I think this is an intrinsic connection between the two, because it is yet another example of how the virtual world is becoming more 'real.'

Sarah_4_I

This chapter read much like an Introduction to Public Speaking text book: "Gesture, dress the part, body language, etc." I agree that all this does play a vital role in storytelling. However, Simmons' depth seems a little unnecessary. As with the previous chapter, things felt a little drawn out. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand her audience to be business people trying to become better in their profession, and I would venture to guess that a majority of business people have taken a course similar to Introduction to Public Speaking. If this is the case, Chapter 4 need only appear as a refresher course rather than a full-on chapter seeming to contain new, vital information. But then again, this could just be my desire for sheer facts that clashes with the writing style of the author. She makes good points, yes, however I desire a more streamlined approach.

Matt_4_I

I know this has already been mentioned but I totally agreed with the importance of nonverbal communication. Nonverbals can really help or hurt the understanding of your audience when telling a story. For instance, if you were to tell someone they're doing a great job but your facial expressions and actions made it seem like you were totally ticked-off, it would really confuse them. It's actually kind of fun to try sometimes just to see peoples reactions.

JohnJ_4_Q

What could I do tomorrow that would be better then my speech last time? I'll fill in the answer after I give my speech. I don't want to give away any surprises.

September 11

Alright, this may be a terrible idea, but I thought it would be cool if we all told 9/11 related stories tomorrow night. Where were you? How did it make you feel? Did it change you in any way? Blah blah blah. This could give us all a common theme and it would be cool to see where everyone goes with it. Of course, now that I think of it, this wouldn't really be fair to the international students, would it?

Sarah_4_1

The idea of gesture was encouraged to tell a good story. The concept of drawing a cartoon was the example.
I'm not sure if anyone else ever did this in elementary school, but I remember in 1st or 2nd grade during Halloween and Christmas, our teacher would tell us an "interactive" story. For example, at Halloween, it was a "spooky" story about a witch. She lived in a little tiny house. (fold a piece of paper in half) When you looked at it from the side, it was even smaller. (fold paper again) She wore a very pointy hat. (cut out a triangle). She flew on a very crooked broom. (cut squiggly line) (continue the story for a while while continually folding & cutting)
At the end of the story: and the very spooky jack'o'lantern on her front porch looked just.... like.... THIS! (as you unfold the paper to reveal a jack'o'lantern)
This form of "interactive" storytelling was my favorite thing this teacher would do. The book mentioned that you can't force an audience to listen and pay attention. Obviously this method worked for me fifteen or so years later.

Kyle_4_I

This chapter was predominately about delivering a story with authenticity. Just like acting this is easier for some then others. The ability to use your physical attributes to emphasize elements in a story is a true skill that can be mastered but just like any skill it can be more natural to some then others. I have always struggled trying to be genuine and authentic when telling stories. I could be trying to hard, forcing the issue to make a point. To me being natural is a funny concept because to be natural I have to work at it, its not natural. It also comes down to your residual self image. When you can accurately visualize the facial expressions you make, your residual self image assists you in telling your story. I would love to have a class discussion on residual self image when it comes to storytelling.

Luke_3_I

Simmons tells us to practice our storytelling to get better. She lays down every possible way that (she thinks) that we can communicate. Facial expressions, body language, general appearance, hand gestures...But it all comes back down to chapter one. We have to gain our audience's trust. We have to give them reason to think we are being truthful and worthy of their ears.

What harsher audience is there than a child? They have no shame. They know if you're bull shitting them. Try, just try and keep a toddler's attention. Try to convey to a teenager that you are worth listening to and learning from.

Aren't children the best audience to practice our storytelling? We've got our work cut out for us on these projects, but who better to challenge us?

Sam_4_I

I think Annette introduced a good check list for us on storytelling as follows:
1.Oral Language
2.Gesture
3.Facial Expressions
4.Body Language
5.Sounds, Smells, and Tastes,
6.Irrelevant Detail
7.Virtual Reality
8.Timing and Pause
9.Tone
But as my experience, there seem in most Chinese storytelling occasion, a stoyteller who gives a good story use some kind of gadget, some visual aid or music instruments. please see: http://www.shuoshu.org/Chinese_Storytelling/Professional_Storytelling/ShenZhifengstorysinging.mpg

Jessie_4_I

The parallels between storytelling and acting are something I've been avoiding talking about so far, but since Simmons pointed out the big pink elephant in the room in this chapter I'll go ahead. In this chapter she talks specifically in the section on Facial Expressions about actors needing to conjure up whatever feelings they need to be projecting to make them believable. This is true for some actors, probably most of them, but I've seen many actors pull off some amazing performances on the sheer merit of being incredible liars. There was one actress who had a lead in a musical we did here a few years ago. She had the flu for most of the run. One night she was literally running off stage between scenes to throw up in a bucket and then going back on stage to sing and dance. She was nominated for a regional acting award and performed at the American College Theatre Festival for that year. I could honestly dredge up a million stories from the decade I've spent working in theatre. They aren't that unusual. Does it help to have emotions to draw upon in a performance situation? Sure it does, especially for less experienced performers. But, it isn't really necessary to carry off a good performance. You don't need to believe in what you're saying as long as you believe in your own ability to convince others of it.

Han_4

I like one part which talks about the gesture. Normally people like using gestures when they are talking. Sometimes, we might think the gestures are a little be bothering during the talking if they are used in the appropriate time. However, I do think the gestures are needed some time if they are used very suitably. I think stures can make the stories more interesting and more fun. For instance, if the stories which are about "ction", we must need some gestures to help these.

The author says"The trick is for your gestures to create a picture so that your listeners are seeing the picture rather than your gestures." I like this saying. I think thise sentence has the same meaning whit what I talk about the proper use.

I like using gestures when I am talking because I think they help me make the stories more fun. I do beleieve a good storyteller can use gestures very properly to lure audiences' attention. Sometimes, if the storytellers can have more action during the talking such as walking around on the stage or doing some performances, the stories must be more intriguing than the storytellers just stand there and talk.

Martin_4_89

For some reason, when I was a kid and I was developing a sense of humor, I went in a very dry direction. Nowadays I don't even realize that I'm doing it. I often make jokes/comments without letting on with my facial expressions. This tends to really confuse people and I often hear, "I can never tell if you're being serious."

So, yeah, Simmons, you're right. Facial expressions are kind of important. But, seriously, if I say something ridiculous, then I'm probably not being serious. I'm probably joking. Why do I have to have a gigantic smile plastered on my face for some people to get that? It's kind of frustrating. If I was a character on a British comedy series, then it would be A-OK. But, alas, I am not. I have too healthy a set of teeth, for one thing.

Liz 4: I
Stanislavsky said, “acting is living truthfully in imaginary circumstances”. Storytelling is sharing circumstances truthfully. I find the two intersect in the areas designated by Chap 4. If “words are less than 15 percent of what listeners ‘hear’”, then what we communicate nonverbally is intimately entwined with the story. Prof. Burgon’s Acting 220 was the single most important class I’ve ever taken in college. Conducted like a psychologists sessions with patients, we journeyed deep into where the valued stories are hidden discovering the beauty in sharing them, naturally. My journal from the class is the most important storytelling manual I own. I’d love to share some of his techniques some time. He taught us how to create the "mind picture on our internal screen" that would motivate a physical emotional response in our public demeanor. Instead of portraying happiness, we would think of happy things and our face would succumb. Idealogically right in sync with Simmons.

Chapter 4 is now the officially most highlighted chapter in my book, because it’s 85% more valuable than the rest of the book.

Tim_Chapter_4

We just read in chapter 3 how the story weighs more than facts, now we read in chapter 4 how important the presentation can be.
This chapter goes beyond words and ideas to the mechanics of storytelling.
For the most part, I agree that how you tell a story is important, but I am not sure I buy the fact that it is more important than the story. Sure you need to be able to relate to the audience and not be distracting. But I can’t help but think of how many good stories have been told on the radio that would go against Simmons on this one.
I think about Jean Shepherd and the images he wove in the minds of radio listeners. That’s why he had such a great following, he was able to make the listener see, even feel what he was saying.
"This guy was wearing a pair of blue jeans so worn that it looked like he'd built the Union Pacific railroad all on his own..."
The final bit of advice form Simmons on tone is a bit disappointing. She says you shouldn’t try to control your tone, but rather your mood will determine the tone of your voice. Then maybe she should have written about mood instead.
I do like the idea of practicing stories in front of a video camera. That will likely provide more help than any book. At least you might know what to look for after reading this chapter.

Just a couple of comments on chapter 4...

Ms. Simmons mentioned early in chapter 4 that she often uses a "Far Side" cartoon to illustrate the importance of preparing, and then orders us to imagine a pile of horses and riders... But she never tells us the actual cartoon. I think I know the one though. For those of us who need closure...




Also, she mentioned that sales people know the value of a good story. If you have a few minutes one day, give Sweetwater Sound a phone call and pretend you want to buy a microphone or something. The sales people there are trained to: 1) Tell you Sweetwater's story, 2) Tell you their own personal story, and 3) Find out YOUR story... ALL BEFORE EVEN GIVING YOU A PRICE FOR THE MIC!

Their reason? They truly believe that they are the absolute best place to buy audio gear, because they hire the best audio engineers in the business to make sure you are getting the exact right microphone for your needs. Some customers even get irate because they simply want to get a price so they can call the next store on their list.

Is Sweetwater the cheapest? No, and they don't claim to be, but they still make millions per year because their story sells, and they have the most loyal customer base because of it. (I am not being paid for this, by the way!)

Iris_chapter_4 Q

Reading about the importance of face expression, gesture, body language etc. in storytelling is nothing really new to me but I like her approach not to train particular elements to make a story more convincing but to train your "inner attitude" - to convince yourself before you are able to convince others. She also in my opinion correctly remarks that body language can be read differently (especially when you deal with a different cultural background).

...But reading about the importance of the "visual aspects" of oral storytelling (-what a combination of terms!) made me recognize what an important craft it is to create good radio stories. In radio stories there are no gestures or face expressions or body language....probably the voice expression, sound effects, music and atmo-sound have to replace all this.
My question to this course is: What is it nevertheless that makes you listen to a good radio-story....or do you not listen at all to pure oral storytelling?
(isn't phoning with a friend something similar???...nevermind...)