I’ve just finished reading Nancy Mellon’s “The Art of Storytelling”. It was a book that – like a good story – worked on a number of levels.
There are some stunning descriptions about the power and benefits of story-telling. Storytellers, she says “have as profound a purpose as any who are charged to guide and transform human lives”. She talks about stories as medicine – and of times when we need to “tell stories to one another as if our lives depended on it”.
But ‘The Art of Storytelling’ does not just describe the power of this art form. Nancy also shows you how to use it to start telling the most important story of all: your own…
The book is crammed full of storylines, prompts, questions, stories and creative activities that will set you off on the path of telling your own story, of bringing it to life.
She introduces us to many of the core features of traditional storytelling: the characters – fairies, angels, dragons, wizards; the settings – mountains, forests, swamps, castles, kitchens, the high seas; and recurring themes – even simple things like doors, locks and keys.
Each one comes with a number of questions that will set your imagination running. She shows us for example how doorways and thresholds might be just the right place to start telling your story:
How do you know it’s time to unlock the door? What lies behind the door? What does the door look like? What kind of key will fit it? Where will you find the key?
I found the book a great stimulus to my own imagination as well as an invaluable resource to help explain ‘why storytelling matters’. It’s no small purpose. As a storyteller, she says, “you are a co-creator with the thriving live of the universe.”
Enjoy reading the book, and creating your story.