Storytelling Starters ~ Looking Ahead
A strategy I’ve found useful in my storyteller’s life is to look ahead over any upcoming batch of engagements and then start planning the last one first. This helps avoid panic (it also works well for ordinary life events). What’s more important, it helps generate thoughts. What stories will I do? What approach will I take?
Equally vital for me is the fact that my strategy helps make me alert to what’s going on at any one time. What experiences have I recently had that may be worth remembering to help contextualise a story in the future? What themes that are topical today or tomorrow could still be of interest then?
Looking at the diary
So looking at my diary at the start of this year, I’m already looking ahead to a session I’ll be doing in Luton quite a lot later this term. It’ll be a two-part engagement. During the day, sessions with Early Years children, their teachers present and observing. After school, a big session with the staff from the school plus Early Years staff from other centres in the area.
Opening up a story
How to open up a story to enable children to participate in it? That’s the question I’ve been asked to focus on in the after-school session. So I’ll be thinking hard about it off and on between now and then. Fortunately, it’s always been one of the most important questions for me with children of all ages. It’s one to which I love trying to give practical answers.
Of course, in my sessions with children that day, I’ll be trying to answer the question through the methods I employ in my storytelling. To help me focus on articulating these methods, my plan as of today is to make it the theme of a new series of postings in this Blog.
My next Blog theme
So watch out. I’m now planning to start my new series next week. Meantime let me throw out this question to you. What themes in your own thought are you specially aware of at present?
Two much in my mind are illustrated with my photos this week. One is colour. No doubt because the skies have been so grey over such a long period of weeks, I’m finding myself much in need of brightness.
My other theme is tumult. Weather, wind, seas down in Wales, wars in the Middle East and Africa, events in my personal life – in some way it’s felt like a very turbulent time. Maybe that’s been true for you too.
But life moves on. See you next week.
Tags: colour, Early Years, encouraging participation, strategy, turbulence