Effective Storytelling: A manual for beginners
Reviewed By MaLisa Horton
This website can be found at the following URL http://www.seaner.com/~eldrbarry/roos/eest.html
This site is visually appealing with simple, yellow and black graphics at the beginning. It includes the author's name and the use of bold type and bullets to draw the reader's attention to specific information. The site includes many links to additional information about the author, his interests, his family, and storytelling information.
The author of this site does not mention any formal training in the art of storytelling only an interest and use of the skill in his missionary type work. However, it seems the author, Mr. McWilliams, has reviewed some professional materials as his page(s) read much like a synopsis of a storyteller's guide. He does include one link to a professional source by Baker and Greene. Therefore, the information should be verified in authoritative sources prior to making it your own.
His site is a promotional site for the art of storytelling and includes additional links for contacting Mr. McWilliams where he states that creating web pages is one of his many hobbies. With that said and seeing that no update information is provided with only one source mentioned, enjoy the information. You might consider employing some of his tips for telling stories and remember to validate his tips in professional resources.
Reviewed By Willie Braudaway
Effective Storytelling: A Manual for Beginners by Barry McWilliams is found at http://www.seanet.com/~eldrbarry/roos/eest.htm
Barry McWilliams of Everett, WA is an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church of America who started telling stories in Reach Out Summer Vacation Bible Schools and often uses story telling in his teaching and preaching. He creates his own relatively simple html web pages which do not use frames. There are no consistent navigation aids to get you around. Very easy to get lost and find oneself running around in circles. Copyright at bottom of this page is 1998; however, the home page is copyrighted 2001. Email address is provided.
This is a fairly good beginner's manual - a good overview of what it takes to be an effective storyteller. Scope of coverage includes: · Introduction · Finding stories · Characteristics of a good story (from Baker and Green, Storytelling Art and Technique, pp. 28) · Adapting to our audiences · Preparation · Particular oral storytelling skills · Beginning a story · Some attention keepers · Concluding · Finally…and most importantly (the more you practice - the more skilled you will become) Visually, the web site is boring - black-and-white with a few rooster and duck graphics repeated ineffectively. The information is presented in short paragraphs or as bulleted lists preceded by italicized pithy sayings. The tone is chatty and concise. Additional information is provided through links such as: · Link for "good books available" takes you to Good Books on: Story Telling - Recommendations of My Favorites http://www.seanet.com/~eldrbarry/roos/books/strybks.htm which is an Associate Bookstore of Amazon.Com Books allowing the reader to purchase any of the titles by clicking on the linked titles.
· Link for stories "on the internet" takes you to The Joy of Story Listening http://www.seanet.com/~eldrbarry/rabb/joy.htm which is a pathfinder of useful internet sites for sources of story materials, authors and writers of literary tales, and connections to on-line libraries.
· Link for "be aware of copyrights" takes you to Source Etiquette http://www.seanet.com/~eldrbarry/rabb/joy.htm#etiq which is a very basic discussion on who owns copyright for personal, family, and original stories; folklore and folktales including specific versions; and published literary tales and poetry. He sums it all up with the statement "you need to research copyright law."
McWilliams is a generous storyteller and urges visitors to "copy and use this document." This is fairly good abbreviated checklist of reminders on how to be an effective storyteller.