06 December 2010

The Art of Story

It was a dark and stormy night and all the Indians were gathered around the campfire. The Chief stood up and said, "Neewah, tell us a story." And this is the story that Neewah told, "It was a dark and stormy night and all the Indians were gathered around the campfire. The Chief stood up and said..."

And so it goes. That was a story Mr. Jackson's Dad told him, his sisters and their friends as they sat in their dark backyard wide eyed waiting for the next move Neewah would make...the older kids knowing the punchline watching for the younger kids' reaction. The elder Jackson setting the mood and telling the story to deliver the delight that resulted. Laughter and the joy of sharing is one of the components for a good story.

I love stories. I remember the first time I was able to string together a plot more complex than "See Jane run after Spot." I was hooked and wouldn't put the book down until the last page was turned. My breath exhaling as I finally knew the end, how it all worked out and my mind whirling at the possibilities.

Despite having a bit of the Irish in me, I never could tell a story without first writing it and even then, it's best if the reader or someone else takes over in the telling. No matter how hard I've tried, the telling, the punchline always gets lost because in the telling I am experiencing simultaneously the story and the possibilities of what might be. I laugh, cry and get angry all the while wondering where it is all going. 

So for me, the telling must be done by filling the blank page and giving my voice to the characters in the story and ultimately, the reader.

And so it goes...it was a dark and stormy night....

11 comments:

♥ Braja said...

I absolutely loved that post :))

♥ Braja said...

I absolutely loved that post :))

Jhon Baker said...

I am going to remember this little story - relay it to my son while camping maybe - and also remember as the only good use of - it was a dark and stormy night...

Brian Miller said...

nice...i love the art of telling a good story and hearing a good story....wonderfully spun...

Lydia Kang said...

What a lovely post. Storytelling is so powerful that it's not surprising we are all drawn to them.
"It was a dark and stormy night" is how one of my favorite kid books begins, A Wrinkle In Time.

Wysteria said...

You are a very good storyteller. Very visual and you draw in the reader.. I want more!!

Wysteria

C.M. Jackson said...

braja--your stories bring me joy!

C.M. Jackson said...

jhon--read him wrinkle in time --that is another good use of the line as well! c

C.M. Jackson said...

brian--you weave them every day my friend! thanks-c

C.M. Jackson said...

lydia- a wrinkle in time is one of my favorite books--thanks for stopping by!

Ruth said...

It's true for me too, it has to be written. What's cool is that the story tells itself, takes on a life of its own, in ways I couldn't predict.

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