When I say or write the word “story,” most people probably think of a written story. The thought isn’t wrong, but it isn’t necessarily full-bodied, either. A story can take a variety of forms. It can be told visually. It even can be an oral story.
I wouldn’t have thought much of oral storytelling until recently. I “tell” stories when I create a new video. I see that now, but that wasn’t the reasoning behind the videos when I first started. I started recording videos because I wanted to get comfortable with speaking publicly. It worked, too. I’m still an introvert, but I am not the introvert I once was. My friends who know the before and after Erin often remark on it and wonder what I did with the introverted girl. I don’t know where she went. I’m still quiet in some situations, but I’m much more comfortable with inserting myself into a conversation.
Since my videos accomplished their original goal – to help me overcome what could be called “stage fright” – I can think about them in a different way. I can think about how they contribute to the story I’m telling at Write Right. I think I’ve begun to do that in some ways; my videos tend to complement a specific post. The tricky part is making the video into something that enhances the post. A video does no good if it only rehashes what I’ve already written. It has to add something else to the conversation. It has to add another layer to the story.
What do you think about telling your story in different ways? Are you doing that? If so, how?
Photo: uniondocs (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Erin Feldman
Erin Feldman is the founder of Write Right. She's a copywriter, editor, poet, and artist. She helps people tell their stories. You can find Erin on Google+.
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