Storytelling
Storytelling costs nothing and needs no equipment, just your voice and your memories. It connects you with children, grandchildren, and neighbors, and it keeps your mind sharp as you shape a tale and hold a listener's attention.
What you need to start
- Your own memories and life experiences
- A few true stories worth sharing
- A little practice saying them out loud
- A willing listener or a small, friendly group
At a glance
Your learning path
Three stages, taken at your own pace. Start at the top, get comfortable, then move down as you grow. There is no rush, and no wrong place to begin.
New to telling stories out loud? Start right here. These gentle talks show you that you already have stories worth telling, and how to shape a simple one with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
5x15 and The Moth: How to Tell a Story
5x15 StoriesHomework for Life | Matthew Dicks | TEDxBerkshires
TEDx TalksSeven Keys to Good Storytelling | Josh Campbell | TEDxMemphis
TEDx TalksThe Secret to Telling a Great Story — in Less Than 60 Seconds | Jenny Hoyos | TED
TEDOnce you can tell a simple story, these help you bring it to life: using your voice and well-placed pauses, holding a room, and sharing tales with children or a small circle without memorizing a word.
Give me 9min, and I'll improve your storytelling skills by 176%
Philipp HummThe magical science of storytelling | David JP Phillips | TEDxStockholm
TEDx TalksDonald Davis at the 2022 Timpanogos Storytelling Festival
Timpanogos Storytelling InstituteHow To Teach Kids The Art of Storytelling 🦁 🎠🏝️ ✈️- Children Love to Tell Stories
acurlyheadmommaHow to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth
Chris VossReady to go further? These show storytellers performing on stage, competing in Moth-style slams, and preserving family history, so you can craft longer stories, lead a circle, and pass your memories on.
Martha Cooney, Winning Storyteller, The Moth Grand Slam, When Worlds Collide
Martha CooneyThe Moth StorySLAM: Julia Lechner's "Strange Encounters" Story
Julia LechnerThe 3 ingredients of powerful storytelling | Joseph Romm | TEDxTralee
TEDx TalksThe power of story: Susan Conley at TEDxDirigo
TEDx TalksFamily Oral Histories with StoryCorps
Chattahoochee Valley LibrariesWhy storytelling is wonderful after 50
By the time you reach fifty, you have a lifetime of stories to share, and that is exactly what storytelling asks of you. There is no equipment to buy, nothing heavy to carry, and no special gift you had to be born with. You simply sit and speak, and the years you have lived become your richest material. Storytelling connects the generations, giving grandchildren a real sense of where they come from. It is warm and social, drawing people close, and it keeps your memory and quick thinking sharp. Best of all, storytelling circles are welcoming places where every voice matters and beginners are cheered on.
Your first month, week by week
Start collecting. Each evening, jot down one small moment from your day or your past that stuck with you, something you might want to tell someone about. Do not judge them yet. You are simply gathering raw material.
Pick one memory and shape it into a short story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Find the single point or feeling at its heart, the reason it matters to you, and let everything build toward that.
Tell your story out loud, first to yourself, then to one trusted person. Notice where it drags or rushes. Do not memorize it word for word; just know its shape and its ending by heart.
Share your story with a small, friendly group, perhaps at a senior center, a library, or a family gathering. Listen to others tell theirs too, and notice what makes you lean in and want to hear more.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Memorizing your story word for word. When you forget a single line you can freeze, and it often sounds stiff. Learn the shape and the ending instead, and tell it in your own words each time.
- Packing in too many details and side trips. Trust your listeners and keep only what moves the story forward, or you will lose them along the way.
- Rushing through, especially when you feel nervous. Slow down, breathe, and let a pause do its work so your words have room to land.
- Telling a story with no clear point or feeling behind it. Before you begin, know why this story matters to you, and steer everything toward that.
- Never practicing out loud. A story lives in the telling, so say it aloud several times before you share it, not just in your head.
- Starting too slowly with long background. Begin close to the moment that matters, and fill in only what your listener truly needs to know.
Make it easier on your body
Simple ways to keep storytelling comfortable and safe with arthritis, low vision, or limited mobility.
- ストーリーテリングは完全に座って行われ、道具も必要ないため、最も親しみやすい趣味の 1 つとなります。快適な椅子、テーブル、またはベッドからでも行うことができます。 |||9月||| 家族の歴史や人生の思い出を共有するのに最適なので、制限ではなく長年の経験が重要になります。 |||9月||| 完全な台本ではなく、大きな活字のメモや簡単な概要が記憶を助けることができます。カードにいくつかのキーワードを記載するだけで、理解するのに十分です。 |||9月||| ストーリーは 1 対 1 で伝えることも、小規模な歓迎的なサークルで行うこともできるため、面倒に感じても大きなステージや騒々しい混雑した部屋を使う必要はありません。 |||9月||| 小さなマイクやポータブル スピーカーを使用すると、声が疲れやすい場合や小さい場合に役立ち、負担なくはっきりと聞き取ることができます。 |||9月||| 自分の穏やかなペースで進んでください。間は自然であり、優れたストーリーテリングでは歓迎される部分なので、急いだり、長く話さなければならないというプレッシャーはありません。 |||9月||| 聞こえてくる言葉 |||9月||| 口頭伝承 |||9月||| 物語、歴史、知恵を、文字ではなく口頭で世代から世代へと伝える古くからの習慣。 |||9月||| アーク |||9月||| 物語の始まりから中盤の盛り上がりを経て、満足のいく終わりに至るまでの物語の形。明確な弧がリスナーを惹きつけます。 |||9月||| フック |||9月||| リスナーの注意を引き、次に何が起こるかを知りたくなる冒頭のセリフや瞬間。 |||9月||| ペーシング |||9月||| あなたの話すスピードとリズム。速度を落とし、適切な位置に一時停止を入れることで、緊張感が高まり、重要な瞬間が決まります。 |||9月||| ストーリースラム |||9月||| The Moth によって人気を博した、フレンドリーでオープンなストーリーテリング コンテストで、参加者はメモなしで約 5 分間で真実の個人的なストーリーを語ります。 |||9月||| 個人的な物語 |||9月||| あなた自身の人生から描かれ、あなた自身の声で語られる真実の物語は、現代のストーリーテリングの中心です。 |||9月||| 仲間を見つける場所 |||9月||| 地元の語り部ギルドやサークル。あらゆるレベルの語り手が集まり、物語を共有し、お互いを励まし合います。 |||9月||| The Moth and its StorySLAM イベントは多くの都市で開催されており、誰でも帽子に自分の名前を入れて 5 分間の実話を語ることができます。 |||9月||| シニア センターやコミュニティ センターのグループ。午後の読み聞かせ、思い出を語るグループ、オープンマイクの集まりがよく開催されます。 |||9月||| 無料のストーリーテリング プログラム、オーラル ヒストリー プロジェクト、著者やテラーのイベントを頻繁に開催する公共図書館。 |||9月||| オンラインのストーリーテリング コミュニティとフォーラムでは、テラーを見たり、自分の録音を共有したり、近くの地域イベントを検索したりできます。 |||9月||| ストーリーテリングの学習を始める |||9月||| 無料のフレンドリーなレッスンに登録して、最初の一歩を踏み出すお手伝いをします。どこから出発するかをお知らせください。そこでお会いいたします。 |||9月||| 試したことはありません |||9月||| 少し手を出しました |||9月||| 私はそれに戻ります
- It is perfect for sharing family history and life memories, so your years of experience become the whole point rather than any kind of limitation.
- Large-print notes or a simple outline, not a full script, can support your memory. A few key words on a card are enough to keep you on track.
- You can tell stories one-on-one or in small, welcoming circles, so there is no need for a big stage or a loud, crowded room if that feels like too much.
- A small microphone or portable speaker helps if your voice tires easily or is soft, letting you be heard clearly without any strain.
- Go at your own gentle pace. Pauses are a natural, welcome part of good storytelling, so there is no pressure to rush or to speak for long stretches.
Words you'll hear
- Oral tradition
- The age-old practice of passing stories, history, and wisdom from one generation to the next by word of mouth rather than in writing.
- Arc
- The shape of a story as it moves from its beginning, through a rising middle, to a satisfying end. A clear arc keeps listeners with you.
- The hook
- The opening line or moment that grabs your listeners' attention and makes them want to know what happens next.
- Pacing
- The speed and rhythm of your telling. Slowing down and using well-placed pauses builds suspense and lets important moments land.
- Story slam
- A friendly, open storytelling competition, made popular by The Moth, where people tell true, personal stories in about five minutes with no notes.
- Personal narrative
- A true story drawn from your own life and told in your own voice, the heart of most modern storytelling.
Where to find your people
- Local storytelling guilds and circles, where tellers of all levels gather to share stories and encourage one another.
- The Moth and its StorySLAM events, held in many cities, where anyone can put their name in the hat to tell a five-minute true story.
- Groups at your senior center or community center, which often host storytelling afternoons, reminiscence groups, and open-mic gatherings.
- Your public library, which frequently runs free storytelling programs, oral history projects, and author or teller events.
- Online storytelling communities and forums, where you can watch tellers, share your own recordings, and find local events near you.
Start learning Storytelling
Sign up for our free, friendly lessons and we will help you take the first step. Tell us where you are starting from and we will meet you there.
