Our mission at Storyversity is to teach you to tell stories so you can make a difference.
Stories are in our DNA. When we listen to a story the chemicals in our brain change, our mind becomes transfixed. Storytellers have an ability to bring about change. You can learn to be one.
Storyversity is the world’s only online learning platform dedicated to teaching you the art of storytelling. Our self-guided courses are crafted by leading artists and presenters. They are affordable, accessible and allow you to fit learning around your lifestyle.
Do you want to craft your novel, tell stories to advance your career or perform to an audience?
Whether you want to tell stories online, on stage or at work, Storyversity is for you.
How do you know you’re not a natural if you’ve never tried? Have a go at Storytelling, whether you’re good or bad, we believe storytelling is good for your soul.
Choose a story that you like and that you enjoy telling. If you don’t enjoy it your audience won’t either. Whatever you choose, don’t read from a book. That isn’t storytelling, it’s story reading and unless you are the author you could be infringing copyright.
Memorise the outline, not the whole story. Then tell the story in your own words. Practice makes perfect. Try it a few times. Practise in front of a mirror or with friends and family.
Visualise your story. Imagine sounds, tastes, smells and colours. Picture your characters, how they behave, walk and talk.
Beginnings are especially important. Launch straight into the story and avoid a long preamble. Common beginnings are things like, “Once upon a time,” or ” My grandmother told me, ” or “In a time long ago and far away…”
Endings should be clear to your listeners. They want to know that you have come to the end. You may need to slow down. Common ending are things like, “They lived happily ever after,” or “Ever since then that’s how it’s been.”
Use repetition. Traditional tales often use the rule of three, to build the tension in a story. Think of the Three Little Pigs or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Vary the tone, pitch and pace of your story. Don’t be afraid to use a little silence.
Be confident. Even if you don’t feel confident, just pretend. It’s surprising how quickly your confidence will grow.
Most of all have fun and enjoy your storytelling.
Dominic Kelly: “I’m attracted to stories for different reasons – some have startling or vivid imagery; others some fantastic ‘reveal’ or a beautiful plot twist; and others have a compelling emotional thread. But there’s also some underlying ‘muscularity’ to a story’s structure that I need to feel before a story really feels like a story… I also want to discover some multi-layeredness – a metaphorical richness to a story. Perhaps most of all, I have to CARE. If I really care about what happens to just one character in the story then I’m in and it’s working.”
Sophie Snell: “I look for a traditional tale that leaps from the page – a story with a good heart to it. I don’t mean a moral or a message, but an emotional core that lends itself to twists and turns you can carry people along with… I look for a good story line, an interesting setting or character, or something quirky or intriguing – that you can get your teeth into and play with. But also something I can tell with commitment, because I know it works for me, and gets a good response from the audience… Then I look for a hook in the tale and things can build up from there. You might play with the structure, perspective and setting; reinvent the story by turning it on its head – what if, why, how would the audience react if … by trying out different ideas until that one works.”
Mara Menzies: “I have told the complex Greek story of Persephone to pre-school children and they loved it! I have told fabulous fairytales to grown ups and they too were thrilled. As long as you adapt your story to suit then you will have them in the palm of your hand. We all love strong characters – brave and daring, beautiful and haughty, angry and rebellious. As long as the narrative is clear and we understand what is happening then we all identify in part with the characters and the goings on.”
