Date:01/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/01/stories/2008090158040200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Learning the art of narrating a story in a telling manner

Staff Reporter

— Photo: V. Ganesan

Cultivable skill: Eric Miller, (right) Director of World Storytelling Institute, at a workshop on storytelling in Chennai on Sunday.

CHENNAI: The World Storytelling Institute (WSI) organised a one-day workshop on ‘Introduction to Storytelling, and Coaching Your Storytelling’ led by Director of WSI Eric Miller here on Sunday.

The workshop covered topics such as storytelling in everyday conversation, storytelling by parents, teachers, coaches and counsellors, and storytelling in business, legal and medical environments.

It also aimed at helping participants develop their public speaking and general communication skills.

“As media is getting more interactive with mass media falling away and the New Media emerging, we have a perfect medium for storytelling,” said Mr. Miller. “The uniqueness about Indian storytelling is the mix of the human and the divine,” he said.

“Stories teach the young, express values, give meaning to life and convey culture,” said S.R. Kishore Kumar, a participant. “They connect to the past and other cultures,” he added.

Important processes in storytelling such as projection, identification, empathy, imitation and imagination were explained to the participants. The seven elements of story -characters, place, time, plot, narrator’s point of view, narrator’s style and theme were also explained.

“Good storytelling ability will help an individual attain success as a social and professional being,” said Mr. Kumar.

Storytelling ability of a parent can prevent many ills of the society such as juvenile delinquency, he added.