More on ROI

I've been getting some interesting online and offline feedback to my post a few days ago regarding "return on investments". Thanks for the conversations, folks.

Just a quick thought 'cuz there aren't enough cliches in blogs already:

"If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got."

And also, here is one of the comments I posted for that other post:

You are right, folks can stay home. But...How many good stories do you know where a journey must be set out on, the growth obtained and the journey home a changed person?

That is the power of going off to a conference like ours. And like many stories, there are monsters to defeat. In the case of the OISBC, some participants found that the monster was themselves and their old belief systems.

There are few stories that say, "see how much I learned never leaving my house." There are exceptions and they are few. One of the past participants of the OISBC included in her comments about the camp that a person needs to come ready to focus ("make it a retreat") on the volume of information we deliver. The power is not just the information. The power is in the journey, the setting-aside of time, the sacrifice of one's gold, the entering into and of energized space. Journey to the conference.


The journey tho', if we believe in the truth of the stories we tell, is pretty darn important.
Journeying to the same place, over and over again, loses its ability to teach. Time for folks to set out on a new path.


Being a full-time storyteller is not for everyone. It takes a lot of sacrifice, as any small business does.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

Take a Listen Now! In Depth for the "Outside In Storytelling Marketing Camp."

Our most recent marketing workshop was in February. Part of that camp experience was a follow up conference call. We recorded that call and it's here for you to listen to now (click here). If you are on the edge about attending the next camp in August 2008, please listen to these folks talk about what they've learned and how they are applying the learning from the camp.

"Sean, there were so many wonderful things that came 'at' us in the boot camp, that I have just started working on just a little bit of it at a time. One of the things that became very clear to me was that I really needed to spend time redefining my niche. I thought I knew. I knew what I enjoyed. Even my mission statement didn't truly reflect what is was I actually do. So I spent time trying to refine that and working on my niche some more. That is just one of the things ( I learned). I am going to name two or three more..." - Call Participant, North Carolina

The audio is a bit rough in places, such are the wonders of conference call technology. One of the things I like about this call is that you can hear Priscilla and I working through some thoughts about marketing one of her events. This is the kind of give and take that happens at the camp- something you can't just get from listening to the camp audio recordings.

You can register for the next camp at our website. Use the promo coupon code: dryheat to save 20%.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

The Return on the Investment

Hey storytellers and other working artists....So, what’s the ROI on the conferences you keep attending every year?

The email or the posting (I get many) reads something like,

“I go to so many conferences that I just can’t afford to come to your 'Outside In Storytelling Marketing Boot Camp.' You should (do something that makes it nearly painless for them) to attend.”

So, if you will, let me talk to your CEO for a moment. Yes, you have one for your small business and that small business is YOU. I know, it will be hard to quit being an Owner for a moment, but I need to talk to your CEO, the one who makes real life, bottom-line decisions.

Dear CEO- maybe you need to convince this storyteller that it’s time to ask a real question: “How much ROI (return on investment) are you getting from going to the same conference(s) every year, seeing the same people, taking yet another version of the same workshops you take each year?”

Hold up there. Your Owner side is popping up and saying, “But I like the people, the setting, the friendship, the fun” of the conferences I keep going to year after year after year.” Your Owner may be right in that those things are important for one part of your spirit, but your CEO needs to step in and focus on your bottom line. So, again, CEO, what is the ROI in these same conferences every year? Is it time to take a break this year and attend the “Outside In Storytelling Marketing Boot Camp?"

One woman left the OISBC last year and went out and made nearly $1000 with a simple change in her marketing strategy. Paid for her workshop in just one week. Others report new publicity from the tips they learned at the workshop. I can't assure you that you will do the same. You might do better.

So, what’s the ROI on the conferences you keep attending every year? You know, the real ROI, the one that pays the gasoline bill, the electric bill and puts food on your table? You know, the real ROI that knows the economy is changing?

Somebody will write me and tell me that I don’t understand how important relationships are and how they need to go to the conferences to be refreshed. Those folks probably are not ready for the life-changing, career-reorienting content of the “Outside In Storytelling Marketing Boot Camp.”

I also get told to “apply” to present the OISBC at various conferences. That would mean spending my money to fix your business. No thanks. You are welcome to make arrangements to bring the OISBC to your area for a reasonable fee. I am one of the most flexible national-level folks out there.

This isn’t arrogance. For some, it is a wake up call to understand your business and seize the freedoms of doing what you love. You can do it.

The OISBC could change your bottom line. It will change the way you think about your storytelling small business. It will affirm your vocation as well.

What if one just one technique from the OISBC brought you ten more gigs next year? That would more than pay for the costs associated in coming to the OISBC. If it wouldn’t, then you need to charge more. If you can’t charge more, then you need to go get a more traditional job or you need to move somewhere where you can charge more.

Take some time off from one of your regular conferences and come spend time at the OISBC. We’ll treat you like gold and challenge you like crazy.

So, what’s the ROI on the conferences you keep attending every year?

Click here to register for the August 2008 Boot Camp

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

Storyteller.net May 2008 Podcast Is Here!

The latest Storyteller.net Podcast is now available. You can listen right now when you click here!

The May 2008 edition features stories by Tim Ereneta (in the picture to the left) telling "Isabella and Her Brother" from his performance at the "Emergent Storytelling Series," Mary Garrett telling "Heaven and Hell" from her new CD, Sean Buvala telling his version of the "Lion and the Mouse," recorded live at a school show for small children (your speakers will get a workout on that one) and Debra Morningstar who tells "The Grasshopper's Song" from her new CD.

The coaching moment this month is from Priscilla Howe recorded at the "Outside In Storytelling Marketing Boot Camp."

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

Small is the New Big

In a quick response to Tim's latest blog post:

Tim, with respect for you, I disagree. I really want to agree. I really want to believe change is on the horizon. But, it’s not.

To be even more honest, my compassion is fatigued. I’m still waiting for that apology call from the BOD after the Eric Miller fiasco. Did you get your call yet? I know, it is never going to happen. And really, does anyone believe the ED resigned of her own accord? If that is true, then we really do lack leadership.

Tim, It’s not a battleship, in my opinion. That is too modern a reference. Rather, it is an old-timey, rusted bicycle that has been given a new coat of paint, right over the rust. Then, they added one of them new-fangled battery powered lights to the front. “See how pretty it is, children?” There is nothing new here, with the exception of the location change. This is not even the first time an online forum has been tried and failed for the NSN. What is going on?

The Marketplace solution is already in reach, has been for years with the clear knowledge of the last two Chairs, with zero out of pocket expense from the BOD. Don’t see that happening, do we? Saying collaboration is desired is smoke screen, as I have experienced it.

Now, instead of taking the money that is already on the table, we’re supposed to do benefit concerts for the NSN? Sigh.

The solutions for the NSN are:

1. Allow it to die and resurrect Phoenix-like with a new mission, a new look, a new name, new energy. Nothing says “we mean to change” like letting something, well, change.

2. The new organization must work with existing organizations in true collaboration, reaching out to heal the many wounded that have been left in the wake of the NSN’s path over the last few years. The current economy also demands collaboration.

3. The new organization must be de-centralized. Set Godin calls it, “Small is the New Big.” Regional offices in Chicago, Boston, Phoenix the current office in Tennessee (for example) will allow for a fast moving, modern organization that can reclaim the “Mother of All Art Forms” mantle that storytelling should have. The new ED can then choose to work out of any of those offices. How powerful an incentive that will be!

4. If there is not going to be a resurrection, then there needs to be competition. That will be an economic hit, too. However, right now, you can have your national storytelling in any flavor you want as long as it’s 1970 Julep. Maybe, ultimately, that is the problem.

It's time for me to just stop talking about this. Your mileage may vary. Shoot the messenger. Not valid where prohibited by law. I may be wrong. User assumes all risks.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

How to Craft a Story

The essential nature of crafting a story is simple. It applies no matter the final audience, from audience of children to corporate training seminars.

1. Start at the end. “Why am I telling this story? What is the point of my story?” Your listener may not hear the same point, but what is your point?

2. Break the story into parts for “Episodic Telling.” Don't memorize words, rather move through sequences of the story.

3. Dump the parts that are not essential to answering the questions in #1.

4. Use simple words to assemble the parts of the story into one flowing narrative.

5. Tell it to someone. Get feedback. Refine.

6. Repeat

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

Story. Interruption. Storinterrupry. Interrustoryption.

Is some of this ADD we're seeing our fault?

The more I work as a performing artist in schools, the more I think we (the adults aka the system) are somewhat to blame for this ADD (attention deficit disorder) epidemic.

There are exceptions, but during the last year as a storyteller, I've noticed the following are rather standard at every school in which I have performed or done a residency:

...Classrooms placed next to the choir and orchestra rooms- with that constant noise coming in and out of classes that are not music classes.

...Adults who use whistles a bit too much.

...Adults who, while I am performing, walk right in front of me as I am speaking.

...Bells, tones, chimes going off continuously during sessions.

...Unplanned, verbal, over-the-speakers announcements given in the middle of sessions.

...Militaristic guarding of who can and can not walk around, near, through or about locations, doors, and sidewalks. Cafeterias are guard-dog-like guarded from who may and may not step into those spaces.

...Cavernous Cafeterias/Gyms, poorly designed for sound, being used for school presentations, with echoes and reverb so bad I had to move parts of the shows.

...Children, lots and lots of children, being called out of presentations to go to yet another piece while the first piece they are watching is ongoing.

...Story interruption story interruption storyinterrupstory stinterrutory storyinterstoy storyinterstory story interrupstory interruption. story. bell.

...Adolescent students slamming energy drinks as if they are drinking bottles of water.

...Computer tech people talking on phones while performances are going on.

...Teachers who talk, in small groups in the middle of the audience, the entire time the children are watching the performance. Woe to the presenter who dares correct these teachers, too.

...Adults who yell at entire assemblies of children for not being quiet right after the presenter asks them to participate.

...Corn-syrup laden treats given to children as "after school" snacks.
I enjoy doing the school shows. In being honest, however, the distractions are so bad in some cases that I have trouble concentrating with my own version of ADD and Fog. How do we expect children to survive this? If our corporate offices ran like this, there would be meetings about efficiency and solving the "noise crisis."

I understand that teachers are, usually, doing the best they can in these situations. And I know that ADD, in some cases, is biological. It will be interesting to see how many people leave me flaming comments before they even read this last paragraph. I'll get to rest my case then.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

Guest Speaker for August Marketing Camp Announced

I'm happy to tell you that full0time storyteller Priscilla Howe returns as one of our guest speaker for the August 15-17, 2008 "Outside In Storytelling Marketing Boot Camp."

“Practical- a road map- a clear plan for implementation makes the fuzzy part of the money clear.”
Kori, New Mexico

As you know, we will have a different guest speaker at each event. I decided to invite back Priscilla as a type of "living lab" regarding the information we talk about at the Boot Camp. As a respected and working teller, it will be interesting to hear Priscilla talk about the new ideas she learned at the camp last time as well as tweaking the already excellent things she does to market her work.

Priscilla and I also have some very different ways of looking at some of the same issues, so it makes for a diverse presentation, too.

The camp registration is now open. You can find out more at http://www.outsideinstorytelling.com

Use the code dryheat to save on your registration.

There is a limited number of spots on this event. We learned so much from the last camp and made some big tweaks. I believe that we will now have an even better experience than the February camp, a camp that was highly praised by the first group of students.

“I think my mind set has been permanently altered by this event. The breadth and depth of your knowledge and your passion to share it are simultaneously humbling and inspiring.”
-Liz, Arizona

We've also moved to a hotel that has a more affordable room rate, if you wish to stay overnight.

“Spend the night. Treat it as a retreat. Prepare to rethink of yourself as a business. Be critical and grow!”
-Carol, Arizona

You can find out more at http://www.outsideinstorytelling.com.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

"Make the Perfect CD" Workshop Coming Soon!

Hey folks! Come get some serious coaching BEFORE you make your next CD.

Our next live "Make the Perfect CD" workshop is:
May 3-4, 2008 in
Glendale, Arizona.

The flyer is read for you! Come get it at:

http://www.storytellercoach.com/recording_flyer.pdf

Registration info is at http://www.storytellingworkout.com

Here is the first hint: don't use the type of microphone shown in the picture!Our workshops are fun and focused. They are not pick-up groups! Rather, they are professional gatherings where we take the time and $$$ we have invested and use it to train you.

....K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

I. We. Me. Us.

So, if you have ever lived through a stroke or the stroke of your significant other (I have), then you know that a stroke is not something that you would wish on your enemy. In this TED talk, there is a new perspective. If the video does not play in the player, then go to this link to see it. It's 18 minutes of re-orienting and worth your time. I. We. Me. Us.



The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

Roadblock #3: Echo Chambers

Let’s continue the “10 Roadblocks to Your Success as Professional Teller” series. Today I am writing about number 3: You are talking to the same people over and over again who are talking about the same subjects over and over again.

In looking through my latest copy of Storytelling Magazine (no online options as it is a printed magazine you can get only as a membership benefit or paying the $7.50 each cover price), I was scanning all the advertisements for storytelling festivals. Going from festival ad to festival ad, you’ll see mostly the same featured faces. Miss a storyteller this year at your festival? Fear not, because they’ll be back in two to three years.

Very frequently, we are hearing the same voices. Most are talented. But they are the same voices. The same sounds reverberating at our audiences. It is an echo of the echo of previous events.

Storytelling, festivals and otherwise, suffers a bit from an “echo chamber” effect. To help explain what I mean, I looked for a good definition online. I found one in Wikipedia, the best source never to be believed: Metaphorically, the term echo chamber can refer to any situation in which information, ideas or beliefs are amplified or reinforced by transmission inside an ‘enclosed’ space.

There are a number of conversations going on about storytelling, but they are behind closed, protected doors. Tim Ereneta writes much more eloquently about these things than I do. Some of the most common of these groups are the Storytell listserv, the new professionalstoryteller.ning.com and Storytelling Magazine. There is the Festival circuit as mentioned above. On the local level, you probably have a guild you participate in. I am part of all these lists and groups.

In most of these online groups, there are few fresh new discussions. Safe topics and queries get rehashed. There is often a fine sense of community once you find your way past the virtual gate, once you learn the rules. Community is valuable, but does it spread the word and power of storytelling? Mutual admiration is good and sometimes deserved, but there is little real critique of the work of storytellers both near and far. Part of this gentleness is due to the usually generous nature of we middle-aged storytellers. However, the other part is in fear. “If I make a direct statement, someone might do the same thing about my work.”

For example, in trying to develop a recognized Storyteller.net award system for storytelling recordings, the biggest problem was trying to find a panel to judge submissions. I am unwilling to be a panel of one like other award programs use. I could not gather a panel as not one storyteller wanted to be identified as part of the group that passed opinion on another storyteller.

First: “Your CD is great!
Second: “YOUR CD is great!”
First: “Oh, thank you. Your CD is great.”
Second: “Thank you, your CD is great too.”
First: “Oh, really? Yes, your CD is really great.”
And on and on and on, echoing down the line.

As I listen to other tellers describe things to me directly, it appears to me that many storytelling guilds in the U.S. are simply social clubs. There is much patting on the back, much nurturing, much caring community. Guest speakers are always other storytellers who do little to rock the boat or bring in fresh ideas. After the meeting, it is lunch and snacks. “I will say nice things about your storytelling so you’ll say nice things about mine.”

In these enclosed spaces, in these echo chambers, storytelling withers.

Generally, I do not think any of these groups or membership in them are a problem. What is the problem is our collective lack of outreach to the world. What is the problem is our fear of critique. In testing our new “Outside In” coaching method, the biggest challenge is having the coaching group have a non-apology-wrapped opinion about the work of another teller.

I suggest that we open the doors and windows, let the echoes out and begin to hear new voices or old voices in new ways.

New Conversations In Our Guilds
Invite guest speakers from outside of your storytelling group and indeed from outside of the storytelling artform. Stop separating the “youth tellers” from the adult tellers, throw them all into the same room at the same time. Invite such people as accountants, yoga teachers, marketing consultants, musicians, theater critics, painters and others to attend. Learn from them. Maybe you will even end up teaching them.

Find new ways in your guild to coach each other, being fresh, supportive, honest and challenging. Make this article a subject of your next meeting. Hash it out, own what’s real, congratulate yourselves if these thoughts do not apply to your group. Try something new if your guild has become an echo chamber of warm-fuzzy thoughts.

New Conversations In Our Festivals
Fight to eliminate the “regional teller” or “new voices” labels. Sure, bring in one of the circuit-riding hired lips. Have fun as most are lively, talented folks. Then, fill the rest of the event with your own local talent, talent you are growing in your freshly-refocused guild meetings. Remember the theater critic from the paragraph above? Invite them to the festival and hope they write about you or talk about you in their newspapers, TV and radio programming.

By the way, the idea that “if we do not book XYZ teller, then we won’t have an audience” is letting fear dictate your festival or event roster. Remember, when you started, no one knew who XYZ was. And if XYZ teller joined a monastery tomorrow, took a vow of silence and never spoke into the echo chamber again, would you shut down your festival?

New Ways to Communicate In Our Online Presences
Keep participating in the closed groups if it helps you. And, for every few postings you have in these groups, post something on your open, public Blog that the general public can read, see, agree or disagree with and learn from. Be a visible storyteller. Develop a thick skin and put yourself, and your opinions, out there. Develop a professional “social network” right out in public, where young people and others can see we are active, real and engaged. Post your videos and stories for all to see and hear.

We have lots of “niceness” echoing in storytelling. Why not knock down some walls and let’s have some “freshness” resounding as well?

(The illustration at the top of this article was done by www.gapingvoid.com. Warning: don't go there unless you can handle adult language and directness about marketing.)
The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

More Pics from the February Marketing Camp

Register for the next camp at this link.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

Participants Comments from the 2/2008 Marketing Camp

“I think my mind set has been permanently altered by this event. The breadth and depth of your knowledge and your passion to share it are simultaneously humbling and inspiring.”
-Liz, Arizona

“Whew! My head is full of all I learned at the boot camp. Great job, Sean! Do It! It is inspiring, encouraging, exhausting and well worth the time and money.”
-Priscilla, Kansas

“I learned a lot! Very realistic and practical information. This camp got everyone thinking about their niche and how to be an audience-centered storyteller. Thanks!’
-Laurina, Arizona

“Go!”
-Veronica, Texas

“If you are giving any thought to being a storyteller, do not fail to attend the OISBC. You will see that you will be joining a group of professional artists and that you must always be open to the possibility of professional growth such as can be offered by the Camp. You will more deeply respect your fellow tellers. You will realize that even if you are not interested in making a large sum of money, you must charge adequate fees for your work out of respect for yourself and other tellers as well. You will understand the many complicated, challenging (and fun) tasks that face a person who wishes to be a true storyteller, i.e. have listeners to tell to."
-Joyce, Arizona

“Lots of pertinent information presented by an experienced leadership team who understands the nuts and bolts of making the marketing portion of the artistry simple enough for anyone to understand.”
-Priscilla B., North Carolina

“Spend the night. Treat it as a retreat. Prepare to rethink of yourself as a business. Be critical and grow!”
-Carol, Arizona



“Needed information. Very informative!”
-Elizabeth, Arizona

“Practical- a road map- a clear plan for implementation makes the fuzzy part of the money clear.”
Kori, New Mexico

“Stimulating, in-depth look at all aspects of marketing, including hands-on opportunities to play. Great hints that you won’t find any place else. Value packed!”
-LynnAnn, Arizona

“A real kick in the right direction. You’d better show up to Sean’s workshop if you have any intention of doing professional work. Get started now!”
-Sandy, Arizona

“Definitely Attend.”
-Khabir, Indiana

“Absolutely worth the time and money. Easy to understand. Practical Knowledge.”
-Cyndy, California

“Yes, you should go. This is a practical, hands-on training set that deals with the nuts and bolts part of storytelling for beginner tellers. Formulas for fee settings, information from an accountant. This is key to launching from hobbyist to pro.”
-Elly, Arizona


"Your Outside-In Workshop was full of incredibly valuable information for anyone who wants to take the next step in their telling. You presented with humor and passion. The energy level of everyone was bumped up as you got us involved, physically, emotionally and mentally to pursue our careers on a full time basis. It was delightful! Thanks for your time, talents, and great stories."
-Sandy, Arizona


The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

Investing in Your Artform

The question comes up about costs for Storyteller.net live training events. Right now, we are registering for the next “Outside In Storytelling Marketing Boot Camp” (OISBC) to be held in August 2008. One of the FAQ questions asks, “Isn’t this expensive?” Here are a few illustrations in answer to that question.

Here is the disclaimer: Your experiences will vary. I can’t and don’t guarantee monetary results, mostly because I can’t live your life and make your decisions. And, I can’t get into your personal self-perceptions to help you value your own time or your own worth as a person and performer.

One of our OISBC graduates wrote me this week to say that their “mind set has been permanently altered” because of the camp experience. That’s the idea. Come learn to master the business aspect of “Outside In” storytelling.

First Story:
Just tonight, one graduate of last week’s event called me on the phone. She called to say that she has two summertime clients for which she usually does free shows. She has done these shows for many years. After taking the OISBC, she is thinking differently both about her own worth and the worth of her art form and the disservice we commit against each other by not properly charging for our work as performance artists.

So, she took a deep breath and she called these two different clients. She advised them that she can no longer do free shows, but she would be willing to do a discounted fee of $400. She reminded them of the uniqueness of her presentations.

Both clients called her back.

Both clients are paying the fee.

This $800 more than covered the fee for her OISBC experience she had just completed. Not one week out from the OISBC and she has already made back her investment.

Second Story:
During the OISBC, I share a no-cost method of publicity. This very same method garnered me $6000 in bookings with a single client during this school year. After the OISBC pre-conference homework, we don’t talk theory. We talk about what works. We will teach this to you in the next OISBC.

Third Story:
There is a marketing tool that I use that costs me $60 per month. I get results from it all the time, including a single large contract of $9000 during 2007. This year, the same tool brought me a $1900 contract in January. It’s only March. We’ll teach you about this tool in the OISBC.

Fourth Story:
The accountant that appeared at the last OISBC believes that his advice alone could save the average storyteller or artist $2000 a year.

I must tell you: the OISBC can’t help you if you are not a competent artist in your art form. No one will pay money for someone who is not mastering the artistic and technical areas of a performing art.

As you can tell, our camp is not expensive at all. It’s actually priceless. Frequently, I get advertisements to comparable events that want $350 to $1200 per day for multi-day events, meals not included. Our two days costs less than that and we feed you.

Invest in your business. Come, storytellers and artists, join us in August. Yes, it will be hot in Phoenix. We have air conditioning everywhere. You’ll survive. And your business, I believe, will thrive.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

Such Fun at the Marketing Boot Camp

A good time is being had by all that the very first Outside In Storytelling Marketing Boot Camp. And a very complex, head spinning, fast paced information feeding frenzy is also being had. You can see pictures of day 1 here and pictures of day 2 here. Soon, day three will be posted. Wow. What an experience. Some very dedicated artists at this event.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

The First Marketing Boot Camp Kicks Off!

It's here, the newest Storyteller.net workshop, the ::: Outside In Storytelling Marketing Boot Camp.::: 15 participants from all over the United States will be learning about and growing their work as artists. We are happy to present this event. We’ll be posting updates as we go along, so watch this space over the next few days. And to all our guests, welcome to Arizona!

Missed this camp? The next camp is August 15-17, 2008 (Fri-Sun) right here in Avondale/Phoenix again. Registration will open soon for that event.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

Something's Cooking with Storytelling on Video and New Media

::facetious on::

Silly Tim. You can’t put storytelling on video and new media. “Everybody” knows that.

You know how I know? I look at the miserable failure of COOOKING on TV and the new media. Just like storytelling, audiences must be right there in the kitchenwhen cooking is happening. Just like audiences must be sitting in the tents when storytelling is happening.

Who in their right mind would put something like cooking on TV? For one thing, the audience can’t get the nuances. You can’t smell cooking on video. You can’t even TASTE the food on television. No one would be interested in that: pictures of cooking?

Oh sure, you could see and hear the cooking of great chefs, but you can’t really tell the exact way the cook holds the handles of the utensils or the fancy way they wiggle their eyebrows as they turn the stove fires higher. And, if the camera, moves away at the wrong moment, then you miss things. Cooking is all about spontaneity! If cooks planned when to look at the camera or to which camera they would be looking at, then it wouldn’t be real cooking any more, it would be some type of empty pie-shell of what real cooking is. Video would ruin cooking forever.

Besides, my grandmother used to cook like an angel. You didn’t see her doing cooking on television. Heck, she didn’t even own a TV and her cooking was just fine, thank you. Although, sometimes I wish I had her recipe for making polish sausages. You know, it was the kind made from scratch, ground right there in the kitchen, that only she could do? But she never documented how she did it. Nobody has the recipe.

And your foolish dreams continue- storytelling on video? Let’s think more about FOOD. NETWORK people don’t want to do cooking on TV, there is no money in it. Like a whole TV channel could be about food? The network would have videos and DVD’s for sale? Maybe the authors and cooks would have their own shows? What are you smoking..a turkey? Do you expect that maybe they’d sell more books or get more live appearances, maybe even sponsors? Would more people would start cooking and taking classes just because they saw it on this newfangled new media? Of course not!

Crazy talk, lad. Crazy talk.

I bet you think they should let just anybody watch their TV cooking programs, (where you can’t even smell or taste the food) and maybe even make copies of the shows they didn’t pay for? Downloading their recipes? Tim, stop this silliness. Those chefs would be so broke if they gave it all away.

And even if they were successful, they would tarnish their cooking with all that filthy money they made. And tarnish with with success...and with being able to make a living...and with being able to have a car that works...And with being able to do something about hunger.

If you put storytelling on TV and video, you’d have all kinds of problems. First off, you’d lose all the nuances and the spontaneity of storytelling.

And on this video and new media, how do we know they’d actually be doing Real Storytelling(tm) as officially sanctioned by the Dragon Tellers(tm) of America (tm)? Have you seen what skateboarders do with video? What would happen if kids could just record storytelling and start posting it? It would be like The Moth to the flame, I tell you!Dangerous.

And then, if people could see storytelling on video, they’d download all the stories in the world and then no one would come to any live storytelling events, let alone pay for any live storytelling. There would be no interest in live storytelling because they saw it all on TV. Just like cooking shows would be the end of cooking, storytelling shows would be the end of storytelling. And the end of making any living at storytelling.

But that is okay, because we are artistes! Money is dirty and marketing is only for the
selfish, crazy used-car-sales-like storytellers who use Email (and BLOGS!) to promote themselves. 30 years ago no storytellers even had Email or Blogs. All they had was hay! It is important that folks who like storytelling go back and touch that original hay ‘cuz that is where real storytelling started.

Please, Tim, stop all this dreaming. Cooking and Storytelling just aren’t meant for video and all this new media.

::/facetious off::

Image courtesy of Jacci Howard Bear http://desktoppub.about.com/
::The official blog of Storyteller K. Sean Buvala::

Crazy Jack

In my research today, I just found another version of Lazy Jack. Let me share it with you:

"Now Jack," said his Momma, "you just let me know what the farmer pays you with next time and I will you how you should carry it home."

And so Jack, after having completed his workaday in the hot southwest sun, asked the farmer for his wages.

"Jack, I want to pay you with this cat. You to take this little cat home and give it a place to stay. He'll hunt mice and be nice to pet. Take care of him now. Here's a little box to carry him home in. And you can keep the box."

"Well, no thank you, Mr. Farmer. That box sounds like a good idea and makes sense to me, but Momma said I had to ask her what to do. She has more wisdom than me. I'll come right back after she gives me her answer."

As Jack approached his home, Momma saw him and ran screaming out to him. "Jack, why don't you have any wages? You know how bad we need them."

"Well, Momma, I can bring the kitty in that little twenty-inch box the farmer had for me, but you said to check with you first. So, here I am. Momma, what should I do to get that kitty home?"

"Good boy," said Jack's Momma, "you were so smart to seek me out. Now, listen up. You ask the farmer for a five-foot-five length of rope as one kitty is not enough wages. Then, put the kitty in the box and wrap the rope around the box."

"Isn't that a lot of work, Momma, for a kitty?" asked Jack.

"Hush, young one. Listen to me. Take the kitty-filled box, with the rope, and drag it down the dry river bed back to our house," said Momma with an air of authority.

Jack thought about that river. It had once been dry, back when Momma was young. All the townsfolk did use that river bed for all kinds of good things. But now, the river was wet, wild and hard to cross. The rules about river use were very different now with all that water just flowing freely and fast.

"Momma, the river is full of water and the cat will drown, or at least tear me up something fierce when I drag it in the water. Momma, are you sure that's what you want?"

His Momma was angry. "Jack, are you back talking me? That's the second time this month I had to tell you to just ignore them rumors about there being water in the river. Dragging things down the riverbed is the way we have always done things. Jack, hush your rumor-mongering mouth! Go get that cat!"

And with that, Jack's Momma went into their little house, closed the door and wouldn't let Jack say another single word.

So, Jack dutifully dragged that kitty down the river, getting all scratched and bitten along the way. But at least now, Momma had a five-foot-five length of rope. She used that rope to hang up a sign that read, "Jack is a Bad Boy for Spreading Rumors."

And Jack wasn't sure if he really wanted to bring home his next day's wage.

And here is one more little story. When Jack got the kitty home, he named it "Pyxidis." When he told his Momma that this was the Latin word for "box," she grew very angry. She told him to just call the animal "kitty" and would never let Jack name another animal again without her approval.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

The Price

One of the guru guys I have followed says, "The Price of Clarity is the Risk of Offense."

Lovers of our art, we can't keep talking without saying anything. It's okay if you don't do what I do. Do what you do. That's what I want for us to do. But, gosh, say *something* about what you do. Pablum is for infants, not storytellers. Take a risk. Sign your name. Have an opinion. Or wave to the folks as they watch you in the rear-view mirror.

I care about you and yours. Really.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.

RoadBlock #10: Too Many Personal Stories

In a previous posting, I made a list of ten “Roadblocks to Your Success” for the professional storyteller. With this article, I am starting to explore those statements more in depth.

I wrote that number ten was: “Especially for U.S. and Canadian tellers, you are telling too many disconnected and without-context personal stories.”

I believe that when we say “storyteller,” the general public usually thinks of either a children’s entertainer or a stand-up comedian.

So, what does the average stand-up comedian do? They tell stories about the people they know, the situations they have been in. Most of them are funny, some of them a little touching. A comedian interacts with the audience, without the fourth wall, talking right to them and sometimes using what the audience says as part of the things the comedian says on stage. Sometimes they use “naughty words” that offend anyone over 21 but those words are part of the culture the comedian comes from and it is to that culture they want to speak. Maybe when the comedian uses those words, someone from outside that culture will gain knowledge about another way of thinking.

Storytellers are quick to point out that we’re not stand-up comedians.

So, what does the average storyteller do? They tell stories about the people they know, the situations they have been in. Most of them are funny, some of them a little touching. A storyteller interacts with the audience, without the fourth wall, talking right to them and sometimes using what the audience says as part of the things the storyteller says on stage. Sometimes they make cultural references that are lost on anyone under 21 but those references are part of the culture the teller comes from and it is to that culture they want to speak. Maybe when the storyteller uses those references, someone from outside that culture will gain knowledge about another way of thinking.

Oops. Perhaps those two careers are not so different. When I speak in some “Storytelling 101" classes at community colleges, every student in those rooms want to be a comedian, so they take the storyteller class. They hope I can teach them how to “make it” as a comedian. Why? For them, the choice between storyteller and comedian is this: one pays better than the other and will get you famous while the other will give you warm fuzzy feelings and get you booked at birthday parties for children. We have so much work to do in educating people about our craft. To do so, we must be categorically different than other performing arts. At the moment, we are not.

What’s wrong with telling personal tales?

In the U.S. in particular, too many professional storytellers are telling too many personal tales and further blurring the line between our art form and the work of comedians. If storytelling continues on this path of telling personal tales over the classic tales of myth, legend, tall tale and fairy tales (aka world tales), we are going to see our art form continue to slide off the radar. If storytelling and comedy were to arm wrestle right now, they would appear evenly matched to the storytelling community. But, an audience-centered art form is not about what we want or what we see. Due to the way the world moves, comedy is going to win that arm-wrestling match and be the most-listened to voice while deep, rich world-tale storytelling will go and join the broom makers at the “Old Tyme Country Renaissance Faire.”

Why the over abundance of personal tales? From my couple of decades experience, I see several reasons:

First, some storytellers are fearful or just don’t want to work hard on their stories. Perhaps they are simply uneducated in how to adapt a world tale. So, they are abandoning classic world tales because they are afraid of violating someone else’s copyright. And so they should be wary. But, if you are doing the work of storytelling and building your own versions of world tales, then you have nothing be worried about. Are you doing the work of storytelling or are you echoing the style and choices of storytellers you have seen?

Second, personal tales do take some work to dredge up but overall are easy to tell. I know this will cause some to sputter, but personal stories are easier to tell as the audience has no benchmark against your experiences. If you tell “Beauty and the Beast,” that will elicit comparisons to other versions. That is scary for some tellers. However, who can benchmark your story of “Uncle Ted and the Big Green Snake?” I think the proliferation of storytellers who have invented family members and stories who then use them as the basis for their presentations speaks to the general ease of developing personal tales and the ease of telling them to modern audiences.

Third, some storytellers are seeking therapy in telling personal tales. I’ve been in discussions where storytellers talk about “clearing out their emotions” through personal tales. Sounds great for therapy or for support groups and visits to your shrink, but it’s wrong to do that to your general audiences or otherwise force support-group status on the unsuspecting.

Should we tell personal tales?

Yes, we should. There is a place for personal tales. An occasional tale in the midst of other world tales is a good break and can create an affinity between audience and teller. It is also possible to interweave personal and world tales in the same telling. This creates the same stand-up sense that audiences flock to but also gives the audience an exposure to the greater gifts of the story and storyteller. Some personal tales are for used for historical purposes and education. Again another valid use in the correct setting. What better way is there to teach the culture of the “old southwest” than a family story passed down from storyteller to audience?

So, I suggest the following for the working storyteller:

Research, learn to tell and use at least one world tale for every personal tale you develop.

Tell your world tales to an audience that is not composed of children locked into a school classroom, a public library or to an audience of just your storytelling groupies. So, find some 19-30 year olds and start telling.

Develop one interlocking world tale and personal story and tell those stories as a singular experience. I am not talking here about framing: “My Uncle Ted once was bitten by a snake so that is why I am telling you now about the story of the Snake Leaves.” Go beyond framing and interweave the stories. You’ll learn more about both stories in the process.

The official blog for K. Sean Buvala, storyteller and storytelling coach.